linea nigra: when and why?

[Katherine]

Hi I'm 32 weeks now and still no sign of my "pregnancy tatoo" - bit disappointed really but I seem to remember it coming quite late last time too so maybe I've just not reached that point yet. Or maybe I'm not going to get one this time (sniff sniff).

I was wondering though if anyone knows what actually causes the LN to appear. Been trying to think of a biological explanation. If it due to a build up of a certain hormone leading up to birth - if so why the line where it is? Just curious - anyone know?

I am fair ... well, light brown hair and green eyes ... and my l/n was a centimetre wide and almost black!! My niece thought it was the place that the doctor unzipped to get the baby out (bless .... )
My nippes went really dark too ... almost black and had what looked like stitch marks around the edges ... but that only happened after DS was born.
My belly button poked out .... and I hated it ... it was not just the belly button ... the doctor said I had a bit of a hernia too .... it was all squishy around the edge ... totally disgusting! I used to put a plaster over it to keep it down.
Oh the joys of pregnancy ...
No stretchmarks though ...

Can anyone help me??? My baby is almost six weeks old and I still have the dark linea nigra running from the top of my belly button, all the way around it and down to the pubic bone. It has not faded at all and I am afraid I might be stuck with it for life! please help...

avasmom - it will fade - it all depends on your skin pigmentation - I have red hair and very light skin and i never got one, biu the darker your skin the more prominent the line.

Belly rings - I had one on my first preg, but took it out when my belly started expanding - you can get a special belly bar made of a really soft plastic that wont stretch or pull your skin - i never went for that though and now that i am covered in stretch marks, although i do wear a bikini, I wouldn't want to draw attention to it!

avasmom - it fades.
Mine lasted quite a while but eventually disappeared, deffo before dd was 6 months old. Wish I could be more specific but only just emerged from the fog of early motherhood

Ghosty - sorry i didn't read your post, i was always led to believe that what i said in my earlier post about the skin pigment - just goes to show they're not always right! I didn't have one and my nipples stayed the same colour - very light pink! lol

I never had a lines nigra in either of my pregnancies, but i'm quite fair skinned and I'd read that it's less likely to be noticeable in fair skinned types. I'd read it had something to do with the separation of the abdominal muscles, but not sure why iyswim.

Have got chloasma again this time, as I had with my DS1 (this is also a boy), but strangely enough never had it with DD!

and I had plenty of spare rolls of fat when I was pregnant with DD (3stone heavier than when I had DS) and my innie stayed an innie all through. It is still an innie this time as well and I'm 25 weeks.

i'm very fair but got the line around 30 weeks. it runs on both sides of my navel (though actually they are not a straight line from eachother - it's all a bit wonky!)
i did ab work the whole pregnancy and my abs are still very strong at 39 weeks so not sure about that link.
my nipples are also quite dark and huge now, from having been extremely light! not too happy about that - have gotten freckles around them too, plus around my eyes.