So, you are pregnant. You envision how great other pregnant women look, the glow, amazing hair not to mention that perfectly neat bump! As you progress through your own pregnancy you may feel swollen, or flushed. Your bump may not be as neat as you think! You may have heard the term B belly. Read further to find out how to get rid of the B belly during pregnancy.
How to Get Rid of B Belly During Pregnancy? Is It Possible?
1. Eat Healthy.
2. Maintain a balanced weight.
But remember that your belly shape will change as your pregnancy progresses so just enjoy this time – You are beautiful no matter what shape your belly is!
What is a B Belly in Pregnancy?
Being pregnant is the only time we women can breathe out and embrace our fabulous female figure. Pregnancy leaves you with many transitions that you love and sometimes do not love as much.
Some women struggle with their identity during pregnancy as their baby grows and so does the belly. But the perfect bump is neat, round, and super cute, right? Wrong every woman is a different shape with varying bone structure and this can impact how you look during pregnancy.
This gives way to the B belly!
A B belly is when your pregnancy bump may resemble the capital letter ‘B’ your bump may gather around your waistline giving you the illusion of two bumps rather than what we deem as the perfect rounded bump otherwise known as a D bump.
Not every pregnant woman looks this way which is why you may feel the odd one out if you are subjected to this look. The female figure is fantastic and no matter what way your bump looks to you, other people will see you glow and radiate from the cocktail of hormones rushing around!
How to Get Rid of B Belly During Pregnancy?
There is no way to get rid of B belly while you are pregnant as this is the way that your body is carrying your growing baby. There is a chance that your belly will change shape as you progress through your pregnancy but this is out of your control.
But if you are unhappy with the shape of your bump then there are ways you can hide the shape of your bump and make yourself feel more comfortable.
One way to hide a Be belly is to wear belly bands – these help to smooth out the bump and make it more D shaped.
Wearing dresses that are fitted on the bust and then flow from just below the bust is a great way to hide that B belly.
Maternity leggings are a fantastic way to provide support to your growing B belly.
But remember that your B belly is completely normal so you shouldn’t be worrying about how it looks to others – enjoy this experience.
What Causes a B Belly in Pregnancy?
There can be many factors that contribute to a B shaped belly in pregnancy. As a B belly can appear in anyone we will dig into these reasons and define whether there is any way you can avoid this from happening.
Typically plus size pregnancy b belly is more common in larger women who carry more weight pre-pregnancy. But there are other factors as well.
‣ Tissue elasticity
The elasticity in tissues below the skin has a lot of responsibility during pregnancy! These muscles and layers need the ability to stretch to home your baby. If you have bad tissue health then this can give you the B formation as your belly grows.
An inactive lifestyle, poor hydration, physical injury, bad posture, and stress can all contribute to poor tissue health.
‣ Previous pregnancies
Having pregnancies close together may mean that your body hasn’t had the chance to go back to normal after your first pregnancy.
In my first pregnancy, I found my bump took a little longer to look defined and I felt like I was stuck in that ‘looking fat’ category for a while. In my second pregnancy, I seemed to pop even before 12 weeks. This happens because your muscles are already stretched and your shape can get larger quicker. This can make you more susceptible to a B belly.
‣ Weight & Height
Your weight and height has a big impact on your pregnancy! In fact, your Obstetrician will regularly monitor your weight during pregnancy as it can indicate other health conditions that can affect you and your baby.
In the medical world being overweight means your Body Mass Index (BMI) is above 30. The ideal BMI would be from 25 to 29.9. If you exceed this then your doctor will refer you for further tests to ensure your pregnancy is healthy.
Even if your BMI is within a healthy reading you could still end up with a B belly during pregnancy depending on your height and shape.
‣ Your Pre-Pregnancy Figure
This can go hand in hand with your weight and height but many women can have a healthy BMI and still end up with a B belly in pregnancy.
If you have what’s called an apron belly before pregnancy then you could have a higher chance of a b belly. This is no indication of being unhealthy but you could just hold more weight on your stomach than elsewhere.
Should I be Concerned About my B Belly Shape?
Not at all, having a b belly whilst pregnant as we have discovered can be common. The only concern your doctor may have is if you are in the higher BMI bracket meaning you are in the obese category.
Being overweight before or during pregnancy won’t only cause b belly issues but it can affect your health as well as your growing baby.
The following are reasons you should aim to get your weight under control both before and during pregnancy.
- Back pain – pregnancy can put extra pressure on your back so if you were carrying excess weight beforehand you can expect this pain to intensify as your body supports your growing bump.
- Gestational diabetes – there are sugar tests completed during pregnancy for those with a high BMI. They help detect if you are suffering from gestational diabetes. If you are overweight this risk is considerably greater compared to if you are at a healthy start weight. Gestational diabetes increases the chance of C-section delivery and many moms-to-be may need medication to stabilize their blood sugar.
- Miscarriage – miscarriage can happen to anyone regardless of weight but can be riskier in those who are overweight.
- High blood pressure – with high blood pressure comes something called preeclampsia. This is a dangerous condition for both mom and baby it can cause damage to organs and extreme swelling.
How to Avoid B Belly in Pregnancy
Due to the many factors contributing to a b belly during pregnancy, options are limited to avoid it apart from maintaining a healthy weight.
As your pregnancy progresses you may find that your once defined b belly will transform into a d belly. But for the interim, you can dress to your bump shape.
Maternity wear that comes over your bump can enhance a neat shape whereas wearing clothes with a waistband can accentuate the b shape. The most important thing to take from this is you have to be comfortable.
Having a bump that you class as ‘different’ can trigger an array of emotions, what you class as a normal pregnancy look is not actually normal for you, your body, or your growing baby.
Dealing With The Hormone Roller Coaster
It is no secret that during pregnancy you can laugh, cry, feel fed up and feel on top of the world. This is a mix of hormonal surges rushing through your body.
If you feel like your pregnancy belly isn’t what you expected then you should know that you are not the only one.
Us moms go through an incredible transformation during pregnancy and whether we like it or not we should learn to embrace our own unique pregnancy look!
You may need to practice your snappy comebacks for those people who may comment (yes those rude people are out there) but overall the shape of your belly is out of your control, as soon you will miss your bump but will cradle the miracle that you have nurtured inside!
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, the answer to how to get rid of a B belly during pregnancy should be, no matter what, every woman who is pregnant will be sure to have identity battles from time to time.Â
So what if you haven’t got the Hollywood pregnancy figure? You are creating a miracle that is transforming your body in the best way it can.
To keep a healthy mindset try to eat a rich balanced diet and drink plenty of water, this will keep a lid on excess weight gain and keep you feeling fit and healthy for the duration of your pregnancy.
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