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What Is The Excess Bulge In The Upper Abdomen During Pregnancy?
I am 37yrs old, 5 8 tall and 13 and half stone. I am 13 weeks pregnant with my 3rd baby in 3 years. I have suddenly developed a bulge that makes me appear very pregnant - not the 13 weeks that I actually am. the bulge is an upper adominal bulge and I am wondering if this is muscle related as I had very split abdominal muscles during my last pregnancy. Also if there anything I can do about it at this stage? I have no pain. Beccie
Fri, 14 Aug 2015
Hello and I hope I can help you today.
A diastasis, which is a stretching of the abdominal muscles apart from each other in the middle, usually goes back to normal after you have the baby, but... in your case it sounds like it never healed properly. The bulge you feel is your own intestines poking out in between your upper abdominal muscles. This can happen if you have gas, or were lifting something heavy, or pushing out a bowel movement. You can gently push the bulge back in if you lie down and relax your abdomen.
As long as the bulge doesn't hurt or get stuck outside there is no risk for you or the baby. Unfortunately this problem may get worse as the baby gets bigger. Wearing a girdle or other supportive undergarment can help hold in the bulge and make you feel more comfortable.
I hope I adequately answered your question and that this information was helpful.
Best wishes, Dr. Brown
A diastasis, which is a stretching of the abdominal muscles apart from each other in the middle, usually goes back to normal after you have the baby, but... in your case it sounds like it never healed properly. The bulge you feel is your own intestines poking out in between your upper abdominal muscles. This can happen if you have gas, or were lifting something heavy, or pushing out a bowel movement. You can gently push the bulge back in if you lie down and relax your abdomen.
As long as the bulge doesn't hurt or get stuck outside there is no risk for you or the baby. Unfortunately this problem may get worse as the baby gets bigger. Wearing a girdle or other supportive undergarment can help hold in the bulge and make you feel more comfortable.
I hope I adequately answered your question and that this information was helpful.
Best wishes, Dr. Brown
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