Holding the bump in :(

[OccasionalNachos]

Currently stuck in a bit of a bad habit & need some advice/reassurance!

I am 17+3 with my first baby & at the moment, I just look a bit podgy rather than having an obvious bump. I’m quite tall & have always done a lot of core/ab work when exercising (until recently) so I have good ab muscles.

I used to be a couple of stone overweight so developed a habit of holding my belly in. Thing is, I’m finding myself automatically doing the same thing with the bump. It doesn’t help that I haven’t told my wider team at work yet!

Can anyone who’s further along in pregnancy or has been pregnant before give me a bit of reassurance that it’s not going to cause any harm to the baby, and that at some point I’ll not be physically able to do this? I relax myself as soon as i’m aware I’m tensing, but it must just be an ingrained habit!

You will definitely not be able to do this in a few weeks! Don’t worry, there’s a point when it’s just there!

It isn't going to affect baby. Some really fit women with great abs have small bumps because their stomachs are so strong they hold the baby in all the way through. It really isn't an issue and won't harm baby. You won't be able to do it deliberately for long.

I did this as I didn't want people at work to know. I was able to hold my tummy in until I was off work (summer holidays). I stopped being able to when my belly popped at 27+5.
I have a healthy baby. Don't worry about it. I found it was a habit, until I could no longer do it

Is this actually a bad habit? I wouldn't have thought it would harm the baby, and it should protect your back some of the strain.
But you may well find that once you've told your colleagues you feel like you can relax and let it go.

I did this too, out of habit and because I was hiding it from certain people. But like a PP said after a certain point theres no chance of sucking that baby in, I think I was around 24 weeks. It wont do any harm to your baby OP.

Thanks everyone

@potatopia that’s the thing, I have no idea whether it is a bad habit! Never been pregnant before & never spoken to my pregnant friends about the physical feeling of carrying a bump. I imagine as I get heavier then it will feel different. Luckily I haven’t had any back pain or anything like that yet.

It's actually a pilates move that safe into the third trimester so you will be fine! Keep it going and your post baby stomach muscles will be better than most!

Warning though at some point the baby does start to object to being sucked in with some pretty powerful kicks 🤣

Your posture is even more important now, you'll need a strong back for the rest of your pregnancy, labour and parenthood.

It's no different to the fundamental basics of yoga and pilates, both of which are perfectly safe :)

it's probably good for your mula bunda and so on!

I'm a toned abs tummy sucker too! At 26+2 I am just starting to get a bump shape but for the most part I just look more rotund. My back feels ok and isn't arching either. I'm 5'8 so not that tall.

This was exactly me. Before pregnancy I was slightly uncomfortable with my weight but realistically only a stone heavier than where I would have liked to have been. This came with a small pudge that for years has made me suck in and wear baggy clothes. I didn’t tell work until I was around 22 weeks. I can’t even tell you how nice it is to not have to walk around feeling fat or having to suck in. I feel more convenient with myself now I’m pregnant.
Xx

I was the opposite. I loved my bump and let that bad boy out as soon as I could.

With my first i didn't show until about 18 weeks and then I just looked a little rotund.

With the 2nd I started to show at 11 weeks so was trying to suck it in as much as possible. I am now 27 weeks and look like I could drop at any moment.

I tried to breathe in the other day and realised the bump didn't move 🤣

If you have good stomach muscle then carry on using them. Baby will let you know when they want the room. It will be like the scene in alien 😃

Thanks all, this is reassuring!

I don’t think it is an actual baby bump so early though, it is more likely just extra fat cushioning the foetus. There is no way you can “hold” a bump in. (All the people I know did not show properly until after 20 weeks) so it won’t do any harm holding your stomach in.

I'm 26 weeks pregnant with a fairly sizeable bump and I can still pull it almost all the way in. I also don't think it's a bad habit, if anything probably helps your tummy muscles. Main thing is you definitely don't need to worry about squashing the wee one. A friend of mine never looked more than 13 weeks pregnant even at full term. Don't worry x

I'm 26 weeks and can still pull my bump almost all the way in. Can also relax it to the point I look about 35 weeks haha. It's quite fun 😂

Don't worry - I had very strong core muscles before getting pregnant, and didn't show until 28 weeks. Bump stayed on the small side, baby was normal sized and healthy.

I notice I hold my bump in without thinking, I'm very active with a very strong core. Its starting to be uncomfortable when I do it now though now (30+3) even though I can still pull it in so my stomach almost is flat, I'm consciously trying to not do it and relax my stomach more!