That stripe you get

[JennerOSity]

Just musing really, most of the pregnancy symptoms you get make sense, in that you can see why your body does what it does even if the side effects are 'interesting', so joints come loose so the baby can get out, boobs get big etc.

But, that stripe some people get going from pubic bone up tummy is caused by what? For what reason?

I was just wondering because I got a very definite stripe for dc1 (looked like I'd drawn it on with an eyeliner), but currently pregnant with dc2 and no stripe at all.

Mystery.

No idea. I've had it with both pregnancies and both times have had a hairy stripe. First time round I had a boy so theorised that the hairy bit was caused by the extra testosterone but now I'm having a girl

It says on Wikepedia that's it's caused by the placenta producing melanin.

Interesting link. Well you have scuppered my theory - I was thinking my lack of stripe this time could be due to alternative gender - but don't think that theory will hold water from your experience

I found it fascinating that my stripe last time was so straight and exactly up the middle. Isn't nature amazing.

Maybe the placenta is making less melanin this time round for me, does that mean my baby will be even more pale - don't think it could be paler than ds is - we are a family of snow people - there are shades of white darker than me! Arf! Hmm, probably doesn't work that way.

Jealous of your straight stripe. Not only is mine hairy but it's also wonky Also have to scupper your skin colour theory, sorry. DS is mixed race but is the whitest child I have ever seen - white blonde hair, blue eyes, translucent skin. Very odd genetics somewhere along there!

It's something to do with the separation of the rectus abdominis muscle (the one that goes straight up both sides of your belly button) - but I can't remember why it goes dark. I didn't get the stripe last time and probably won't this time either.

I had a stripe with DS (the palest, blondest child imaginable) and none with DD....

Your stripes are sooooo much more interesting than mine though and have thrown up even more questions about stripe-ossity that I hadn't even thought of. I am not sure if my stripe was extra hairy - I couldn't see past my belly button and didn't think to check! Arf!

Mixed race genetics is so fascinating - I remember the mixed race twins who were born with one with white colouring and one with brown, but the same features. here

In fact that reminds me of a guy I met in Oz, who had one white Irish parent and one Aboriginal Australian parent, he had all his 'shape' from his aboriginal heritage, so the features and build etc, but all his colouring from the Irish so he was pale, ginger and had freckles. He was a perfect mix of his parents but in a shape/colour way rather than a blend-all-over-way. He was very strikingly handsome with it but I am a sucker for a red head .

OOooo Gwennie I had stripe with ds and now pregnant with no stripe... watch this space. I have it in my head it this pregnancy is another boy though - can't shake the feeling.

Thumb my muscles haven't separated for either pregnancy though and I have had one with/one without stripyness.

My friend's muscles have separated, she is hoping they will go back though as not extreme - must ask her if she got the stripe. :)

I've never had it. At all. On my 3rd pregnancy and still no line.

i dont think its to do with muscles seperating, i got it with each of my pregnancies, a dark line from my belly button downwards and my muscles never seperated, even with 10lb 13oz ds4 the physio that did postnatal check on ward after birth was really impressed with how good my stomach muscles were esp having had 4 big babies. ditto when preg with no5, apparently i was a very good mum to be for students as my muscles were still good and my bump was neat and easy to palpate, numerous midwifes etc commented on how good my tummy muscles were, i put it down to lots of swimming, but i think its partly genetics and luck as well tbh.

i thought the line was to do with melatonin levels in pregnancy, some people get marks on their faces as well.

Doesn't have to be full diastasis of the rectus abdominis - the line between the muscles in non-pregnancy is called the linea alba - it goes dark in some people's pregnancy, and is called the linea nigra - but (had to read to be reminded) it's skin pigmentation as the muscle moves apart for reasons unclear.

Full diastasis (complete separation) is a bit more tricky - I hope your friend does the exercises they suggest to help her muscles.

I'm sure she will Thumb she is pretty keen to get them back together

What if your muscles haven't moved apart but you still get the line though?

What an exciting thread about these stripes! First pg for me, and my stripe goes all the way up to my chest . Wonder what that means. I also have more and bigger freckles than I normally have... Lovely

Hands Wildwater medal for most impressively long stripe and slightlySuperior for most interesting stripe.

I was the nicest colour I have ever been when pregnant too - sort of pale honey when at any other time I am more like uncooked dough. I look at pictures of me pregnant and wish I could be that colour all the time.

Weird. I thought it was a hormonal thing? Or maybe I'm thinking of something different. I get a dark stripe that comes and goes, depending on the time of the month. I've had it since I was a kid although it's been fainter and darker over the years and it's definitely not connected to pregnancy. DD (who is 8) has just developed one - it runs straight down from her belly button. Maybe it's because we've got darkish, olive skin?

There's an old wives' tale that says if your line stops at your belly button it's a boy and if it goes to your chest it's a girl. However mine went all the way up and I had a boy, so it's clearly bollocks! Have to warn you though, DS is 21 months now and my line is still there...faded, but there...

Lurcher yes mine went all the ay up and was a boy - another old wives tale blown out of the water! Old wives tales - what idle minds thought up before the advent of scans! goes to show though - since time immemorial people have wanted to know the baby gender in advance of due date. :)

My stripe took well over a year post-birth to go too.

MrsDmitri - a monthly stripe! Did you get a stronger stripe when pregnant with your dd?

I've been trying to work out a possible evolutionary reason for the linea nigra for years. Most things I can come up with some vaguely plausible hypothesis but here I'm stumped . Any clues or hypotheses?

Tallslut this is me too! That is exactly the root of my question... why

Not conclusive proof, but someone asked this quetsion of Dr Christian on twitter recently and he said it's thought to be caused by increased progesterone levels.

it is something to do with hormone levels and increased melatonin, some women get marks on their faces as well.

btw my line was the same in all 5 pregnancies, belly button down to pubic bone ish, 4 boys and one girl, my bump was the same with all my prenancies as well.

and my tummy muscles werent even a little bit seperated, they do stretch tho and that could affect the pigmentation?

I had the linea negra with DS and it stayed there until he was about 8/9 months old! It looked like a dirty mark by then... Will be interesting to see if I get one this time around.

I didn't have the linea negra with DS but I did have diastasis recti (separated abdominal muscles)

Had a really strong one with DS1.
Now 32 weeks with DS2. Nada.