Contents:
- Medical Video: Why is There a Line on My Stomach During Pregnancy?
- Black line in the stomach during pregnancy, what is it?
- Why can it appear?
- Can linea nigra predict the sex of the baby?
Medical Video: Why is There a Line on My Stomach During Pregnancy?
Do you experience a black line on your stomach during pregnancy? Although not all mothers may have this line during pregnancy, black lines on the abdomen often appear during pregnancy. This dark line usually appears vertically in the middle of your stomach when your stomach has started to expand. What is the meaning of this black line and why can it appear?
Black line in the stomach during pregnancy, what is it?
The black line in the abdomen during pregnancy is the meeting point of abdominal muscle connective tissue. Actually, this line might already be in your stomach before becoming pregnant. But, this line has a lighter or pale color that resembles your skin or is called linea alba so you don't find it. And, then this line changes color to darker during pregnancy and is called linea nigra.
Linea nigra (black line in the stomach during pregnancy) usually stretches in your stomach from around the belly button to the pubic bone. And, has a width of about 0.6-1.3 cm. This black line usually starts to appear when your pregnancy is large, around 5 months of gestation or maybe earlier.
Why can it appear?
Not all pregnant women have linea nigra in their stomach, especially if the skin of a pregnant woman is very white and pale. However, not having linea nigra does not mean there is something wrong in your body. The presence or absence of linea nigra that appears is not a problem for pregnant women. It's just about how the body of a pregnant woman responds to certain hormonal changes during pregnancy.
Linea nigra appears due to hormonal changes in the body of pregnant women. Increased hormones estrogen and progesterone are the main factors causing this black line to appear. These hormones stimulate melanocytes to produce melanin, the color pigment that makes the skin dark. Not only that, this hormone is also responsible for the color changes around the nipple (areola) which becomes darker.
During the second trimester of pregnancy, the body produces more pregnancy hormones, so the production of melanin or pigments that change skin color also becomes more numerous. This makes the linea alba you have previously changed color to darker and appears to be linea nigra.
Pregnant women who have darker skin tones may have linea nigra with more prominent colors than pregnant women who have lighter colored skin. However, you do not need to worry about the appearance of linea nigra because this line will then disappear by itself after you give birth to your baby.
Can linea nigra predict the sex of the baby?
Many people think that the black line that appears in the stomach during pregnancy can predict the sex of the baby to be born. He said, if the line extends from the pubic bone to the navel, then the sex of your baby is female. And, if the line extends to the bottom of the rib cage, then you will have a son. Some say that if linea nigra appears, your baby is male.
However, this is all just myth that you don't need to believe. The presence of linea nigra in your stomach does not mean you can show the sex of the baby you are pregnant. You have the same opportunity to have a baby girl or boy in each pregnancy.
