Of your whole body, your belly goes through the most change when you're pregnant, but when it comes to your belly button, what's normal? Here's everything you need to know.
When does your belly button pop out in pregnancy?
While it's different for every woman, most find that their belly button pops out towards the end of their second trimester.
What causes belly button changes?
As your baby grows and your uterus gets bigger, it puts pressure on your abdominal wall which as a result, can cause the belly button to pop out and become an outie. This is an entirely harmless symptom of pregnancy. You shouldn't experience any discomfort and it's unlikely you'll even notice it happening.
What if your belly button doesn't pop out during pregnancy?
Don't worry if your belly button hasn't popped out as it doesn't always happen to every mum-to-be. It doesn't mean anything is wrong with you or your baby, it's simply a case of all women's bodies being different.
Belly button pain during pregnancy
There are a few reasons you might be experiencing belly button pain while pregnant. These include:
• Friction: Your new outie may be rubbing against your clothes and getting irritated.
• Belly button piercing: If you have your belly button pierced, you might notice your piercing feels tight or can even catch on your clothing. Keep an eye out for redness and consider removing your piercing if it becomes too painful.
• Itchy belly: While this is less painful and more frustrating, an itchy bump in pregnancy is completely normal. Changes during pregnancy upset the natural moisture balance and elasticity of the skin, especially across your rapidly expanding tummy. This excessive dryness can cause skin irritation, while damage to deeper layers can result in stretchmarks that itch as they heal. If you notice a rash on and around your belly button as well as itching, you should contact your midwife as this may be a result of a more serious pregnancy condition such as pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP).
• Umbilical hernia: An umbilical hernia appears as a painless lump in or near the belly button. Find out more.
Will my belly button go back to normal after pregnancy?
Your belly button will indeed return to its normal positioning once you've had your baby, it just may look a little bigger.