Q&A: Why is my pregnant belly bigger at night?

Posted in Pregnancy FAQs and tagged , .

Question & Answer

I’m 25 weeks pregnant and my belly looks smaller in the morning compared to at night. Is this normal?

Kelly, Mum's Grapevine Group Member

So many mums find that their baby bumps grow as the day goes on, then they wake up with a smaller bump again the next morning. It’s curious but completely normal.

It all has to do with your stomach muscles. Just like any other muscles in your body, as the day goes on your abdominal muscles start to get tired – they are holding up a baby after all! The more tired they get, the more they loosen and this means your baby bump looks different – usually bigger.

The loosened muscles let your bump protrude further and seem larger than it was in the morning. After you’ve had a chance to rest your muscles as you sleep, your bump will look different again in the morning – usually smaller.

Other reasons your bump shape and size change include baby moving position and water retention (or giving into cravings with a big meal!).

 

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