Shape of a pregnant woman's belly. Boy, girl or polyhydramnios – studying the shape of the abdomen in expectant mothers

Almost every expectant mother asked the older generation about why is the stomach acute during pregnancy? speaks of the birth of a boy, and flat - of the birth of a girl. But few grandmothers know that the reasons are not at all in who grows in the mother’s belly, but in the mother’s constitution and what kind of baby she gives birth to.

What does the shape of a pregnant belly really say?

The first version, which Hippocrates still relied on, is based on the attachment of the placenta. In ancient times, it was believed that boys were located on the right side, and girls were located on the left side of the mother's tummy. In some ways he was right, the shape of the abdomen really depends on the location, but not of the child, but of the placenta’s attachment to the uterus. If it is attached in front, the belly will be sharp, and if it is attached at the back, it will be more inconspicuous.

The second version of why “grandmother’s” methods work is a pattern. In the past, boys were probably more likely to be born first, as men were dominant and healthier. It is known that when a man’s health is poor, the boys’ sperm die and his chances of producing a male descendant are much less.

Let's look at how this relates to the shape of the abdomen. During the first pregnancy, the muscles and skin are elastic and support the belly well. If we consider that in the past boys were often born first, it becomes obvious that the bellies of such mothers were always sharp. During repeated pregnancy, the muscles do not have sufficient tone, and the baby “travels” inside the mother before birth. It can lie across or climb higher towards the heart; naturally, such a belly will not have such a neat shape and will be more blurry.

Therefore, such a marker arose, allowing you to find out by looking at acute stomach during pregnancy, boy or girl live there.

Almost all large women will have flat stomachs, unless of course she is naturally thin. Small bellies will be more pronounced, but if you compare a short and plump pregnant woman with a thin expectant mother, the first one will have a less pronounced belly, which means it will appear flat. A skinny girl will almost always have a sharp stomach, no matter who she is expecting.

How to determine a sharp or flat stomach

Some women just can't figure out what it looks like acute stomach during pregnancy, but how flat. After all, the word “flat” itself cannot be applied to the belly in which the baby grows. To accurately determine your shape, you can ask a friend to take a photo of you from the back. If the sides are not visible, you have a sharp belly shape, and if they are visible, it’s a flat belly. You can also just look in the mirror, but the first method is the most accurate.

Take into account the duration of pregnancy, from about the 35th week the stomach begins to drop and visually become flatter. Until this time, it protrudes more forward, but acute abdomen during pregnancy It can also become like this for a while, for example, when overeating or bloating. Remember how, before pregnancy, after gorging yourself on goodies at the holiday table, you jokingly said, “I’m so overfed—my belly is like a pregnant woman’s.” But while expecting a baby, many of us overeat constantly.

Therefore, the most accessible and safest way to find out who you are expecting is an ultrasound examination, although it can fail if the ultrasound technician is not a professional.

There is a common belief that the sex of a child can be predicted by the shape of the expectant mother's belly. It is stated that if there is no waist and the belly is round, there will be a girl, if the waist is preserved and the belly is sharp, there will be a boy.

The theory of determining the sex of a child by the shape of the abdomen

What does your belly shape really mean during pregnancy?

Doctors say that the shape of the abdomen and the sex of the child are not connected at all; the appearance of the abdomen depends only on the mother’s physique, the type of pregnancy it is and the correct position of the fetus. For example, if a woman has thin bones, is tall and has a narrow pelvis, the stomach will be sharp and protrude strongly forward,

if a woman has a wide pelvis, she is not tall and of a dense build - the stomach will be round and will be directly under the heart.

In tall, large women, the belly may not be noticeable until the end of pregnancy, but in thin, short women, especially with a narrow pelvis and a large fetus, the belly clearly protrudes and appears large.

The term “acute abdomen” unites a large group of diseases of the abdominal organs, acutely occurring and life-threatening, from which most patients can be cured only with emergency surgery. The frequency of certain diseases of this group in pregnant women is similar or slightly higher than that outside pregnancy. The most common lesions are the gastrointestinal tract (appendicitis - up to 90% of cases). There are some features of the course of these diseases in pregnant women. In addition to the increased danger for the mother, acute diseases of the abdominal organs adversely affect the course of pregnancy, causing premature termination, miscarriages and premature births, and perinatal mortality is possible. Similar complications are observed in 5-7% of women with acute appendicitis, in 50-70% - with intestinal obstruction, and with peritonitis, the death of children reaches 90%.

Forecast for mother and fetus in any acute diseases of the abdominal organs, it significantly worsens with increasing pregnancy and childbirth, which is associated with increasing diagnostic difficulties and, consequently, with a delay in surgery.

Pregnancy and acute appendicitis. Course of the disease. During pregnancy, conditions are created that promote the development of acute or exacerbation of chronic appendicitis. Under the influence of progesterone, a decrease in the tone and motor function of the gastrointestinal tract occurs, and constipation develops. Due to intestinal atony, its contents are retained. At the same time, the secretory function of the gastrointestinal tract changes, which leads to increased virulence of the intestinal flora. As pregnancy progresses and the volume of the uterus increases, the location of the colon changes. During pregnancy, regional blood circulation in the uterus increases significantly. Hyperemia of the pelvic organs can cause exacerbation of chronic appendicitis.

Diagnostics. Diagnosis is based on the same symptoms as outside pregnancy: suddenness of the disease, epigastric pain and its displacement to the right iliac region, vomiting, tachycardia, increased temperature. The most typical clinical picture is in the first trimester of pregnancy. Diagnosis of the disease is difficult during full-term pregnancy: due to changes in the localization of the appendix and hyperextension of the abdominal wall, the picture of the disease becomes less clear. Leaves an imprint on the clinical manifestations of acute appendicitis and the form of the disease (simple or destructive). The severity of intoxication, high leukocytosis with a shift in the leukocyte formula to the left may indicate a destructive form (phlegmonous, gangrenous and perforative). In doubtful cases, to confirm the diagnosis, the patient is observed for 1.5-2 hours, the leukogram, biochemical blood tests, and urine tests are repeated. Laboratory data are compared with the results of clinical observation, body temperature, pulse rate, examination and palpation of the abdomen. Observation is carried out jointly by a surgeon and an obstetrician-gynecologist.

The course of pregnancy is complicated by the threat of miscarriage and premature birth.

Tactics of pregnancy and childbirth. If the diagnosis of acute appendicitis is confirmed, surgical treatment is indicated for the patient. Appendectomy should be performed under endotracheal anesthesia in conditions of increased oxygenation. No form of appendicitis is grounds for terminating a pregnancy at any stage. Caesarean section is resorted to in rare cases when acute appendicitis is combined with obstetric pathology requiring surgical delivery, or when the size of the uterus prevents the main operation. Operated pregnant women are prescribed therapy aimed at maintaining pregnancy (spasmolytics, tocolytics) and preventing fetal hypoxia. In cases of labor occurring in the postoperative period, the application of obstetric forceps is indicated in order to eliminate physical stress.

Pregnancy and acute cholecystitis. Acute cholecystitis often occurs in pregnant women. The occurrence of this disease is facilitated by hypercholesterolemia, which develops during pregnancy. Infection plays a significant role, and disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract have a negative impact. The formation of stones in the gall bladder and the subsequent development of cholelithiasis are pathogenetically associated with cholecystitis. There is a known family predisposition to cholecystitis.

Diagnosis of acute cholecystitis, as well as other acute diseases of the abdominal organs during pregnancy, is associated with known difficulties, which are caused by changes in topographic-anatomical relationships, the addition of complications of pregnancy (late gestosis) /

Clinical picture. The disease manifests itself as pain in the right hypochondrium with irradiation under the right shoulder blade, into the shoulder; sometimes the pain is dull. Nausea, vomiting, and heartburn occur. The general condition of the patient at the onset of the disease remains satisfactory. On palpation, pain is detected in the area of ​​the gallbladder. Pain appears when tapping the right costal arch (Ortner's symptom); pain on inspiration when palpating the right hypochondrium (Keur's symptom); pain between the legs of the right sternocleidomastoid muscle (Mussy's symptom).

A number of laboratory tests help diagnose acute cholecystitis: general and biochemical parameters of blood, urine, ultrasound of the liver and hepatic ducts.

Differential diagnosis of cholecystitis during pregnancy is carried out primarily with pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, and in the presence of jaundice, with viral hepatitis and gestosis.
The course of pregnancy is complicated by miscarriage.

Tactics for managing pregnant women. Patients are hospitalized in the department of pathology of pregnant women, treatment of patients is carried out jointly with therapists and surgeons. Bed rest, fasting for 24-48 hours, antispasmodics (no-spa, baralgin, Avisan, papaverine), intravenous administration of an isotonic solution of sodium chloride and glucose, hemodez, a complex of vitamins are prescribed. If there is no effect from conservative treatment, the issue of surgery should be decided. The indication for transition to surgical treatment is the complication of cholecystitis with peritonitis, cholangitis, obstructive jaundice. Surgery on the gallbladder and ducts is performed according to the same rules as outside pregnancy. In the postoperative period, treatment is prescribed aimed at maintaining pregnancy. If the disease develops towards the end of pregnancy, then simultaneously with conservative treatment of cholecystitis, the birth canal is prepared for subsequent induction of labor. With uncomplicated cholecystitis, the prognosis for the mother and fetus is generally satisfactory.

Pregnancy and acute pancreatitis. Among acute diseases of the abdominal organs, pancreatitis ranks third after acute appendicitis and acute cholecystitis. In pregnant women, the disease is more severe; The development of pancreatitis is promoted not only by mechanical disturbances that impede the outflow of pancreatic juice, but also by hormonal changes characteristic of pregnancy. The background for the development of pancreatitis is infectious diseases, intoxication, stressful situations, diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract, cholecystitis, and OPG-gestosis. In pregnant women, edematous pancreatitis most often occurs, and pancreatic necrosis and purulent pancreatitis are less common. The disease begins with acute pancreatitis, which then develops into fatty and hemorrhagic pancreatic necrosis, which can affect individual areas of the gland, or most of it, or the whole pancreatic necrosis (focal, subtotal or total pancreatic necrosis). The severity of symptoms of the disease in pregnant women depends on the clinical form.

Clinical picture. Pregnant women complain of vomiting and pain in the epigastric region, deterioration in general condition, poor appetite, and insomnia. Over time, the pain becomes sharp, vomiting becomes painful, indomitable. Body temperature rises. Abdominal bloating and intestinal paresis appear. In 40% of patients, yellowness of the skin and sclera appears. Neurological symptoms, headache, and confusion are sometimes observed. The tongue becomes dry and coated. Rashes, hemorrhages, and vasculitis may appear on the skin. The pulse slows down, blood pressure decreases. Abdominal bloating is expressed mostly along the transverse colon. On palpation of the abdomen, an area of ​​pain is noted in the epigastric region in the projection of the pancreas. Diagnosis of acute pancreatitis in pregnant women seems difficult. It is necessary to differentiate acute pancreatitis from preeclampsia, premature abruption of a normally located placenta, urolithiasis, and acute cholecystitis.

Laboratory tests help in diagnosing acute pancreatitis. A clinical blood test reveals high leukocytosis with a shift to the left. The greatest diagnostic significance is the determination of amylase activity in the blood and urine, which increases several times. The severity of the disease may be indicated by the development of hyperglycemia and hypocalcemia. It is imperative to conduct an ultrasound of the pancreas and analyze hemostasiograms. Laboratory data are compared with the results of clinical observation of pregnant women.

The course of pregnancy and childbirth. The disease causes a number of serious pregnancy disorders: miscarriages, premature birth, premature abruption of a normally located placenta, bleeding in the afterbirth and early postpartum periods, death of the intrauterine fetus.

Tactics for managing pregnant women. Treatment of serous pancreatitis begins with avoiding drinking and eating, evacuating gastric contents (through the nose with a thin probe), and prescribing antispasmodics and analgesics.

To restore the water-electrolyte balance, under the control of the content of sodium, potassium, calcium, and chlorine in the blood plasma, polyionic solutions (isotonic, Ringer-Locke solution, lactasol, etc.) are administered. To combat intoxication, hemodez, cocarboxylase, and ascorbic acid with a 10% or 20% glucose solution are used (under the control of blood glucose levels). Under blood pH control, a 4% sodium bicarbonate solution is administered. To relieve swelling of the pancreas, use a 1% solution of potassium chloride. To improve microcirculation, rheopolyglucin is used. To combat infection, pregnant women are prescribed penicillin antibiotics and its synthetic analogues (ampicillin). In case of severe pancreatic necrosis, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed: kefzol, carbenicillin. Considering the severity of the patients’ condition, a complex of vitamins and protein preparations are prescribed. Pancreatic enzyme inhibitors must be administered: trasilol, contrical, gordox. Infusion therapy is carried out under the control of hematocrit, daily (hourly) diuresis, taking into account fluid loss through vomiting and breathing. Blood pressure and temperature are measured every 3 hours; at temperatures above 38 °C, antipyretics are administered: analgin, paracetamol. Magnesium sulfate is prescribed by intravenous drip infusion. In acute serous pancreatitis, a favorable outcome is possible; in other forms, the percentage of maternal and perinatal mortality is high.

Tactics of pregnancy and childbirth. If the edematous form of acute pancreatitis develops before 12 weeks. pregnancy, then after the disease subsides, it is advisable to terminate the pregnancy. In the case of the development of acute edematous pancreatitis in late pregnancy, in parallel with conservative treatment, preparation of the birth canal for early induction of labor is prescribed. If the disease occurs at any stage of pregnancy and is accompanied by the threat of miscarriage, then treatment aimed at preserving it is inappropriate. Childbirth is carried out through the natural birth canal with thorough pain relief, while intensive infusion therapy is continued and a sufficient amount of antispasmodics is administered. The second stage of labor ends with the application of obstetric forceps. One of the most serious complications of childbirth is bleeding associated with a violation of the coagulation properties of blood, so prevention of bleeding is mandatory. Due to severe intoxication of women in labor, intra- and postnatal mortality of children increases. After childbirth, the condition of patients improves little, but conditions appear for massive therapy and expanding the range of antibiotics aimed at treating peritonitis or sepsis. Indications for surgical treatment are the transition of the edematous form to the destructive one, purulent pancreatitis, and peritonitis. The purpose of the surgical intervention is to create an outflow of active enzymes from the pancreatic ducts, apply a discharge cholecystoma and drain the lesser omentum, create a channel (tampons, drains) for the discharge of pancreatic sequestra. To perform a similar volume of surgery for the underlying disease, it is necessary to empty the uterus. On the other hand, against the background of the serious condition of the patients, performing two operations further aggravates the woman’s condition. The postoperative period is difficult, with a high rate of complications and deaths.

Pregnancy and acute intestinal obstruction. Course of the disease. Acute intestinal obstruction (AIO) can occur in pregnant women, women in labor and postpartum women. Predisposing factors are the presence of adhesions, adhesions, chronic inflammatory processes, a complicated course of the postoperative period in the past, changes in the motor function of the gastrointestinal tract associated with pregnancy. Pregnant women experience both mechanical and dynamic intestinal obstruction. Their frequency during and outside of pregnancy is approximately the same (88% and 12%, respectively). Clinical manifestations of dynamic obstruction develop gradually, starting with retention of stool and gases, distension of the large intestine, which subsequently spreads to the small intestine. Then “fecal” vomiting occurs, and the symptoms of peritonitis increase.

Mechanical obstruction is divided into obstructive, strangulation, mixed and vascular (intestinal infarction). The clinical picture of POC is very diverse, which is associated with the dependence of its manifestations on the level of obstruction, the absence or presence of compression of the vessels and nerves of the mesentery, their degree and type, on the time elapsed since the onset of the disease, as well as on the duration of pregnancy and volume fertilized egg. The higher the level of obstruction, the more pronounced the general manifestations of the disease, vomiting and severe dehydration, but the less pronounced bloating, and the absence of stool retention and flatulence.

Compression of the vessels of the mesentery, leading to an acute disturbance of the intestinal trophism (with volvulus, nodulation, internal strangulation, less often and to a lesser extent - with intussusception and adhesive obstruction), causes in a short time its necrosis with subsequent perforation. When compression of the veins predominates, intestinal necrosis develops within 1-2 hours from the onset of the disease, acute pain is noted due to increasing edema and intestinal imbibition with blood, clinical manifestations of shock and death are possible. When the inflow and outflow of blood in the mesentery is disrupted, the symptoms of acute intestinal tract are sharply expressed, but more often the phenomena of rapidly progressing peritonitis, caused by slight permeability of the intestinal wall, and sometimes its perforation, predominate.

In the initial period of development of POC (2-12 hours), patients complain of sudden abdominal pain, bloating associated with gas and stool retention, and vomiting. The pain is cramping in nature (their appearance coincides with increased bowel sounds), but can also be constant, intensifying in attacks (with strangulation). In the second phase of the disease (12-36 hours), hemodynamic disorders predominate. Due to the weakening of intestinal contractions, the pain decreases and its character changes: it becomes constant, flatulence increases, and vomiting increases. Signs of disturbances in the activity of parenchymal organs (liver, kidneys) appear, disturbances in water-salt metabolism increase (dehydration, hypochloremia, hyponatremia, hypokalemia, shift in CBS). In the late period of the disease (“exodus period”), the condition of patients is extremely severe, the mortality rate of sick mothers and fetuses is high, as a result of intoxication of the maternal body.

In pregnant women, parturients and postpartum women, it is difficult to diagnose the disease, especially in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, since there are no typical symptoms of ONC during palpation and percussion of the abdomen during full-term pregnancy, it is impossible to X-ray examine the gastrointestinal tract and determine horizontal levels - Pain with ONK can be mistaken for the onset of labor and patients are taken to obstetric hospitals, as a result, time is lost for surgical treatment; in almost half of pregnant women, operations are performed later than 36 hours from the appearance of the initial symptoms of acute intestinal obstruction. POC can be the cause of premature abruption of a normally located placenta, or can be mistaken for another pathology of the acute abdomen, uterine rupture. As a result of all the complications, the outcome of pregnancy with ONC is unfavorable.

Tactics of pregnancy and childbirth. In case of acute oncology, pregnancy management tactics depend on the type of intestinal obstruction. Conservative treatment methods have not only therapeutic, but also diagnostic value. Conservative treatment can be started with the administration of atropine sulfate and a siphon enema. The use of agents that enhance peristalsis until the nature of the obstruction is clarified is considered not indicated. At the same time, gastric contents are evacuated (through the nose, with a thin probe).

Infusion therapy should be carried out in full and should precede surgical treatment. The failure of conservative measures within 1.5-2 hours serves as the basis for surgery. Patients can be operated on in an obstetric hospital starting at 28 weeks. pregnancy (in the early stages, patients may be in surgical departments). If upon admission to the hospital the diagnosis of acute mechanical obstruction is clear, then the pregnant woman immediately begins to prepare for surgery. Prevention of intrauterine fetal hypoxia is mandatory. The scope of surgical intervention associated with obstruction is determined and performed by the surgeon. Termination of pregnancy is indicated in cases of dynamic intestinal obstruction caused by pregnancy itself, if surgical treatment is ineffective. In other patients, surgery on the uterus should be avoided, unless there is an urgent need to empty it for technical reasons or for strict obstetric indications. If a caesarean section is forced under conditions of peritonitis, the emptying of the uterus should be followed by its removal. The interests of saving the life of a patient with a serious illness must prevail over all other considerations.

An acute abdomen during pregnancy or a belly that has a different shape indicates that the woman may soon give birth to a child whose gender will correspond to the shape of the tummy in which it is located all the time before its birth.

Determining the sex of the child by the shape of the expectant mother’s belly is quite simple. Pregnant women, as well as future fathers, are positive about this method of determining who the family should expect soon. Although ultrasound is an equally effective way to find out who should be expected in the family in the near future, traditional methods of determining the sex of the unborn child are also very popular both among pregnant women for whom this will not be their first birth, and for those expectant mothers who are giving birth for the first time .

What does the shape of the abdomen indicate during pregnancy?

A boy is characterized by a neat, small, low belly during pregnancy. Despite the fact that a woman is pregnant, her rounded belly can only be seen from the front. If you look at the expectant mother from the back, it is quite difficult to guess that the woman is in an interesting position. A sharp belly indicates that the family will soon have a boy, so it is worth preparing a blue envelope for the mother and child to be discharged from the parental home and decorating the baby’s room with wallpaper with cars.

If the pregnancy ends with the birth of a girl, then the belly is noticeably different in appearance from the previous description, since it looks much larger than that of those women who are expecting a boy. Pregnant women expecting the birth of a girl soon are characterized by the presence of an oval oblong tummy. During pregnancy with a girl, the belly increases not only upward, but also to the sides. Because of this, the waist area of ​​the expectant mother becomes much wider than before. Usually, it is possible to notice that a woman is pregnant only when the expectant mother is expecting the birth of her daughter.

If a woman does not trust such methods of determining the sex of the child and still wants to do an ultrasound, she may simply not attach any importance to the shape of her abdomen. At the same time, the expectant mother should be prepared for the fact that people around her will tell her what gender of child she should expect in the near future, since many people can determine the gender of the baby by the shape of the mother’s belly.

Doctors believe that it is not possible to predict the sex of a child by the shape of the abdomen. The size of the abdomen and its shape have nothing to do with the gender of the fetus inside. Many different studies have been conducted around the world, on the basis of which doctors have concluded that the shape of the abdomen has nothing to do with the gender of the unborn child. That is why among specialists this method of determining the sex of a child, such as a careful examination of the belly of the woman in labor and determining its shape, has not found fans.

At the same time, it has been proven that the shape of the abdomen can be influenced by the physiological characteristics of each woman in labor individually. If the expectant mother has a narrow pelvis, then the stomach, accordingly, protrudes slightly forward during pregnancy. If a pregnant woman has fairly wide hips, the belly spreads out in different directions and looks uneven.

The form may also depend on other factors that become known only at the time of development and course of pregnancy. For example, the rate of weight gain in a pregnant woman may also well influence the fact that the belly subsequently takes on a particular shape. You should also pay attention to the fact that the excess amount of fat will not subsequently disappear along with the extra pounds that are formed from the weight of the fetus itself and amniotic fluid. It will even be deposited on the waist of a young mother. And it will not be as easy for a woman to get rid of it compared to how easy it was to gain this weight.

We can conclude that determining the sex of a child by the shape of the expectant mother’s abdomen is not as effective a method as, for example, ultrasound.

However, despite the fact that almost all experts consider this method ineffective, young mothers will still continue to try to determine the sex of their child in this way. It is possible that a random combination of circumstances will allow this to be done correctly.

Pregnancy: how to determine the sex of the child in other ways

If a woman experiences nausea only in the morning, then most likely she is having a girl. If attacks of nausea plague a woman throughout the day, it’s time for her to buy a blue envelope for discharge from her parents’ home, because she will soon have a boy.

If the hair on your legs begins to grow noticeably faster, you can expect the birth of a boy. For pregnant women whose hair on their legs has begun to grow much more slowly, it will probably be interesting to know that this is due to the birth of a girl soon.

If your nose becomes slightly swollen during pregnancy, don’t be upset when you look at yourself in the mirror. Soon the pregnant woman will have a son, and her nose will subsequently become the same as it was before.

Girls love sweets and fruits. And boys give more preference to meat and hearty dishes.

In order to determine the gender of the unborn baby, a woman just needs to observe a little about what she most wants to eat. If these are sweets, a beautiful daughter will soon be born.

If a pregnant woman cannot live a day without eating a piece of fatty meat, she should soon expect the birth of the future favorite of the whole family - a son.

To determine the sex of the unborn child, a woman in labor should carefully examine her stomach. The belly during pregnancy with a boy, according to popular wisdom, will be very different in appearance and look different than the belly during pregnancy with a girl. If a pregnant woman notices that a few extra hairs have appeared on it, the couple will soon have a boy. A woman who has developed pigmentation on her stomach during the process of bearing a child should not worry. This is just a clear sign that she will soon have a daughter.

Additional points

According to popular belief, the heartbeat of a pregnant woman also determines who she will give birth to in 9 months. If the heart beats quickly, it means that the young mother will give birth to a girl. A boy will be born if the heartbeat is slower than it was before pregnancy.

A woman's mood during pregnancy can say a lot. Usually those representatives of the fair sex who will soon give birth to a girl are not in a good mood. Something bothers them all the time, something irritates them and they don’t like everything.

Unlike capricious girls, boys in their mothers' bellies behave calmer and more restrained. A woman who is in an interesting position does not worry about anything. She doesn't worry about anything and is completely happy with her current state.

According to folk superstitions, you can easily determine the sex of a child based on the side in which the woman first heard the child move. If this happens on the right side, you should expect the birth of a boy. If the movement was on the left side, the woman will soon become the mother of a charming daughter.

If the blow inflicted by the child is located in the liver area, it means that the expectant mother will give birth to a girl. If blows constantly fall on the bladder area, it means that the woman will give birth to a boy. Of course, it is quite difficult to determine the sex of the baby in this way, since the blows can be too varied and fall in different places. The woman simply does not have time to remember where each of them falls in order to subsequently make a correct prediction.

For a long time, people used to guess by the shape of the belly during pregnancy who was in it and who to expect in the family: a daughter or a son. A vague, round, large belly indicated the presence of a girl in the womb; a neat, pointed belly indicated a boy. From a medical point of view, one should not take such a diagnosis seriously, but for fun, you can try to “tell fortunes”.

With the development of technology, there is no need to “estimate by eye”: the gender of the unborn child today is found out using ultrasound diagnostics from the 20th week or through a non-invasive prenatal genetic test from the first weeks of fertilization.

What determines the shape of the abdomen during pregnancy?

Every woman’s pregnancy is unique, so the configuration of the abdomen, its dimensions, and the external “marks” of women in labor are completely different. The shape of the abdomen during pregnancy is formed by the interaction of various factors: the girl’s physique, the constitution of her body, and the general course of pregnancy. Therefore, in obstetrics, tummies are differentiated according to the following configurations: round, oval, pear-shaped, square, pointed, asymmetrical, convex.

Gynecologists consider the correct shape of the abdomen during pregnancy to be an elliptical configuration - an ovoid (oval) shape. Such a pregnancy proceeds without deviations, with the baby in the classic position with his head down. Visually, the tummy during proper pregnancy resembles a vertically placed egg
.
What determines the shape of the abdomen during pregnancy is explained by the following factors:

1. the girl's build (slender, thin women with a narrow pelvis have a more convex, often pointed belly; tall girls with curvaceous belly have a protruding tummy, so the belly is often small);
2. fat accumulation (belly fat masks pregnancy);
3. the amount of amniotic water (lack of fluid means a neat, small belly; with polyhydramnios, the belly is voluminous and round);
4. the number of fetuses (in case of multiple pregnancy, the pregnant woman’s belly is often large and round in shape);
5. intrauterine position of the child;
6. condition of the muscles of the uterus, abs;
7. baby's weight, mother's overall weight gain.

Why is the stomach acute during pregnancy?

It was previously mentioned that in obstetrics the most correct shape of the abdomen during pregnancy is an oval shape, in which the fetus is positioned correctly, head down. What does it mean if the belly is sharp or square during pregnancy? How, without being a specialist in the field of gynecology, can you decipher the intrauterine development of the fetus, the course of pregnancy as a whole, and “establish by eye” who will be born: a boy or a girl?

Referring to the visual appearance of a pregnant woman, we can guess what the shape of the abdomen will indicate:

• A protruding round and sharp belly during pregnancy is typical for girls of short stature with narrow pelvic bones. This configuration is typical for women expecting two or three babies;
• a round or square shape of the abdomen indicates a large fetus, polyhydramnios, and sometimes signals weak abdominal muscles;
• A neat, small belly may be a cause for concern: in some cases, this indicates oligohydramnios or fetal malnutrition. A miniature belly is characteristic of first-time girls whose muscles have not yet been stretched;
• A pear-shaped belly indicates weak muscle tone. This form can be seen when the abdomen droops on the eve of childbirth;
• with certain pathologies, incorrect presentation of the baby in the uterus (transverse position) is expressed by an asymmetrical, uneven shape of the womb.

Belly shape during pregnancy with a girl

Having become pregnant, girls who endlessly dream of having a daughter ask themselves, “what shape should the belly be during pregnancy with a girl?” As soon as the belly grows slightly, they begin to look for signs, if you believe the signs, confirming the appearance of a girl. The key sign of the birth of a daughter, as some “fortune tellers” believe, is a round, vague belly, hiding the pregnant woman’s waist.

There is an opinion that a woman pregnant with a girl loses her external attractiveness and beauty by “giving” it to her daughter. In fact, this is a fable, because girls, being in a position, change both externally and internally due to the restructuring of the body, regardless of the gender of the child. Early toxicosis affects the condition of the facial skin, making it yellow, creating a emaciated appearance. Changes in hormonal levels lead to rashes, the formation of age spots, freckles, and the formation of hair. Swelling of the body in the last trimester contributes to swelling of the face: lips, nose. Therefore, a pregnant woman changes in appearance, sometimes for the worse. This is a temporary phenomenon - having experienced the happiness of being a mother, girls blossom and become prettier. After all, you can often hear: “Motherhood suits you!”

What is the shape of the belly when pregnant with a boy?

The shape of the abdomen during pregnancy with a boy, according to “experts,” is absolutely opposite to the configuration of the abdomen where a girl is located. So, if a woman is expecting the birth of a daughter, her belly is visually large, baked, round, like a ball. Then, while waiting for a son, if you believe the signs, the belly of the mother in labor is neat, pointed and small-sized. Observing a pregnant woman from the back, it is impossible to say with one hundred percent certainty about her position, because the stomach protrudes forward, without spreading out to the sides and waist of the woman.

Finding out exactly the future sex of a child by the shape of the belly is like “pointing your finger at the sky.” Often such studies have a minimal chance of success. Although, no one forbids having fun and having fun on this topic. Just in case you guessed it!

Pregnancy in each individual case is a purely individual process. And this concerns not only the characteristics of bearing a child, but also the shape of the abdomen. Most often, by the shape of the abdomen, people who have already passed the pregnancy period try to determine (guess) who will be born in this case - a boy or a girl.

The medical point of view on this fact is completely different. If a specialist doctor looks at the belly of a pregnant woman, he first determines the position of the fetus and the size of the uterus.

Belly shape and gender of the child

Despite the rejection of the fact of determining the gender of a child by the shape of the abdomen by all doctors and scientists in the world, among ordinary people, faith in this sign remains and will live for a long time.

There is a certainty among the people: if a boy grows in the womb, the shape of the abdomen is sharp, protruding forward. Usually you can’t tell from such a woman’s back that she is pregnant. Her stomach from the front resembles the shape of a cucumber.

Pregnant girls, according to popular theory, have a belly that spreads out in all directions, more round than those of those who carry a boy under their hearts. In addition, expectant mothers of girls look more puffy and puffy during pregnancy, and even their faces become less beautiful.

What shape should the belly be during pregnancy?

In fact, the shape of the abdomen in each individual case of pregnancy can have completely individual characteristics and have a shape different from others. A pregnant woman's belly can be round, oval, sharp, pear-shaped, square, asymmetrical, "strange", "irregular", and so on.

In most cases, when the course of pregnancy is normal, without pathologies, and the fetus is positioned as expected - head down, the stomach will have an oval shape, or, as they say in the obstetric community, ovoid. Such a tummy of the expectant mother will look like an egg located vertically.

But this is not the case in every pregnancy. The shape of a pregnant woman's abdomen directly depends on the location of the child in it (in the uterus), and on many other factors.

What determines the shape of the abdomen during pregnancy?

For any woman, even for the same woman, but with different pregnancies, the stomach will look different. Both and the shape of the abdomen usually directly depend on factors such as:

• condition of the abdominal muscles;
• the presence or absence of fat deposits in the abdomen;
• the rate of weight gain of the child;
• type of fetal presentation;
• fruit dimensions;
• the number of simultaneously gestated fruits;
• female anatomical features.

In medicine, the following relationships are noted:

• a round or square belly is typical for women with weak muscle tone, a large volume of amniotic fluid, and a large fetus. Also, if the expectant mother is short, her belly will appear round and large;
• the spherical shape of a pregnant woman’s abdomen may be a reason for additional examination for amniotic fluid. In this case, most likely, the diagnosis will be made - polyhydramnios;
• A pear-shaped belly is characteristic of weak abdominal muscles. They are not able to hold the fetus properly, hence the appearance of the belly hanging down;
• A neat tummy is usually accompanied by oligohydramnios. But, at the same time, it will also play a significant role. Typically, this belly shape is inherent in the miniature body shape of women who have the same miniature fetus growing in the womb. The taller a woman is, the neater and smaller her belly appears, in comparison with short and plump women;
• a large, acute abdomen, as a rule, occurs during multiple pregnancies (twins or triplets), in women with an anatomically narrow pelvis. The difference happens when a woman gives birth for the first time - her stomach is directed upward, and when the birth is secondary - downward;
• an uneven, irregular, asymmetrical belly in a pregnant woman, as a rule, indicates an oblique or transverse presentation of the child. If the fetus is located transversely, the shape of the abdomen will be horizontally oval.

In any case, the position of the baby inside the womb plays a dominant role in the shape of the future mother's belly. The child grows and moves inside it, turns and puts forward different parts of its body. Therefore, the shape of the abdomen can change at different stages of pregnancy.

It is imperative to inform the doctor if the stomach takes on an irregular shape, and at the same time the woman feels cramping pain in the lower abdomen. This may not be a good symptom that requires immediate correction or treatment.

In general, the shape of the abdomen and its size also depend on the increasing duration of pregnancy, that is, on the size of the uterus.

In the early stages, the uterus is pear-shaped. And only then does it round and increase in size. As the gestation period increases, the uterus rises higher, grows, and already at the thirteenth week it leaves the pelvic area.

Around the sixteenth week, the tummy becomes rounded, and by the twenty-second week it visually enlarges. This is a period of not only active growth of the uterus, but also of the fetus itself. Moreover, during this period the volume of amniotic fluid increases.

When the uterus rises to the level of the navel, the shape of the abdomen can become sharp, oval, while normal, cephalic. And just before childbirth, the shape of the abdomen will also change, as the baby begins to take a position convenient for going out into the world, moving lower towards the cervix.