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Mysteries a la Belly

As I continue to grow, and my tummy continues to become rounder and firmer, there are two things that kind of freak me out.

And by kind of, I mean really.

First off, the weird black vertical line that some preggy women get. What IS that? And why do some people get it and some people not? I don’t have it yet, and I am really hoping I don’t get it later. I know that it will go away after the baby is born, and it's really not that big of a deal at ALL, but…it just weirds me out to look at it. It looks like it hurts. And why is it black? And again, WHY is it there!?

Secondly, the protruding belly button. Um, hello! That is insane. I was born with an innie and I would prefer that it STAY an innie. The thought of having my belly button POP OUT sends chills down my spine and makes me queasy. OWCHIE!! That does not sound like the most comfortable thing to ever happen to the body. Why oh WHY do some women’s belly buttons pop out and some not? Yet another mystery of this crazy thing we call pregnancy.

Every morning before I hop into the shower, I take a gander at my big ole belly in the mirror and make sure there is not a line and my belly button is still a hole and not an ant hill. My belly button IS getting more shallow though, so I am kind of starting to panic.

If any of you have any insight into these two crazy mysteries of the belly, please…by all means, share!

In the mean time – a survey!

I am a modern day homemaker with a passion for family, cooking, celebrating, decorating, travel, and memory making! The Lord has blessed me with the desires of my heart in my husband and our two sons. We recently built our dream home and cultivating a loving and happy haven for my family is where I find so much joy.

Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Woops... I posted without finishing. I remember learning about it in nursing school. I agree it's definitely weird, but harmless nonetheless. It's called linea nigra. I think it's caused by hormones and it goes away after pregnancy. I'm sure you have a cute preggy tummy :-) And I am probably silly, but I think the belly button popping out is cute! lol

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  3. I did get the line for my last 2 pregnancies, and it's just starting to show up now for my 3rd.

    But my belly button? It never popped out - it just went flat...

    And at 26 weeks now my BB is as flat as a pancake. I think it looks much better than popping out. :)

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  4. I had the linea nigra with my first pregnancy and still had it when she was 29 months old and I became preggo with number 2. Now, I'm worried that I'll lose my belly button. I'm at 24 weeks and it is feeling terribly shallow AND my line is getting darker and from my belly button up it's crooked this time. There are worse things, but it is so freaky!!

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  5. The line thing is weird to me too!

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  6. Hey girl! No line here. And, no popping out of the belly button. My belly button definitely went flat, but no poppage, so there's hope. Isn't it crazy all the weird things that happen to your body when you're pregnant?

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  7. I got the line AFTER Caleb was born. How weird is that?? Or maybe my stomach was just so HUGE I couldn't see it ... anyway. I have a friend who gave birth months ago and she still has the line! As far as the belly button, I'm an innie, too, and I like it that way. My belly button got more and more shallow until it finally disappeared altogether and then slowly started to poke out. What was weird is that it stayed poked out a few days after Caleb was born!! WEIRD!! But, then it found its way back in again. Don't worry-you'll be fine!

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  8. i've read about those things...they intimidate me...

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  9. the line down the belly is called linea nigra and you can read about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linea_nigra

    hmmm well i guess you know that by now ;), hopefully it's not as scary when you read about it!

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  10. I did get the line but my belly button never popped out. My belly button did however get bigger and now is a bit belly button. Much deep then it was before. I am still hoping that when I lose this last 10lbs that it will get better but I am not sure that will happen. I can dream right?

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  11. You are so cute about your belly..I am sure its just precious!

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  12. These things are foreign to me...haha! Love the survey. You are so worried about these things. You crack me up!

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  13. I have not yet been blessed with the joys and oddities of pregnancy - but both of the phenoms you speak of I have yet to see in person on any of my friends and family... I've only seen them in pictures. I'd like to add that my husband INSISTS that all of the odd things that occur during pregnancy are evidence that it is a disease. Most men would never be able to handle being pregnant!

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  14. Ahh!! I know...I worry about these too, and I'm not even pregnant!

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  15. Three pregnancies: no line, no outie, no stretch marks...but my belly button did go flat. It returned to a innie after the delivery.

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  16. I've got the line and it freaks me out, too. To calm my nerves so that I don't worry that I'm ripping apart, I tell myself that this is where God sewed me together. Its my seam. :)

    Counting the days on my belly button popping. I don't think I have much longer, and I'm panicking.

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  17. Ok So I have been preggers Three times now and I have never heard of the black line thing. I think it would totally freak me out. so weird.
    My bb never stuck out but it did and is now very flat. If it does pop out you can put a band aid over it to keep it from showing.

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  18. I can't vote since I haven't experienced it :( I had a surgery when I was 15..and there is some scar tissue in my belly button--no one can touch it because it "feels uncomfortable" hopefully when I get preggo it wont hurt more!

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  19. oh whitney, it's posts like these that i just grin and say, 'lordy i love this girl!!!' you are too hilarious girlie. also? i am now freaking out about pregnancy!!! yikes!!

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  20. My belly button is also getting more shallow and there's a little lip on it now which probably means it will pop at some point. I wish it wouldn't, but it doesn't hurt so whatever this kid needs to do her thing I'm okay with.

    I don't have the line. My twin sister didn't get the line with her first pregnancy or her current pregnancy so I'm hoping that means I don't get it either.

    Baby girl is dancing a jig this morning.

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  21. Thank god someone else is worried about these things too..I am really freaked out. I do the same thing EVERY morning...

    How did you feel around the end of your first trimester? Next week I'll start my second and I def. feel like I could go shopping for some maternity jeans. When did you make your first purchase?

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  22. Mine remained an "innie" even after gaining 63 pounds (which I've lost half, woot!) & no black line, but I did get stretch marks around week 30 or so & they are STILL there shining like a beacon. Good luck!

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  23. Totally weird!! I am so freaked out by what will be happening to my body when I get preggo some day. I love your honesty!!!

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  24. I'm 24 weeks now, and so far, I don't have an outie or a line. I feel like though, that I may get the line! Ahhh!

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  25. I got no line and belly button did pop out, but it was flush with my tummy, it didn't poke out. I still had my belly ring in right until I was about to start pushing and they reminded me that I had to take it out. Doc says I bet the lady that was able to keep hers in for 7 months!

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  26. It's called a "Linea Nigra". A woman's midwife explained it was because of hormonal changes that affect the pigmentation in your skin - the same changes cause your nipples to go a dark brown colour and can also cause brown marks on the face in some pregnant women.
    it was because of hormonal changes that affect the pigmentation in your skin - the same changes cause your nipples to go a dark brown colour and can also cause brown marks on the face in some pregnant women.

    Some say it may or may not go away. Everyone has a line, but it's not visible. You can lots about it by searching on the Internet.

    Here's one site:
    http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/symptoms-and-solutions/linea-nigra.aspx

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  27. Never knew about a line! Wha? A black line running vertically on a pregger belly? Now I'm a little freaked out thanks! :)

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  28. No line on this tummy. And my belly button is still an inny. Think really good thoughts about no line and no belly button poppage. Babies listen to their mommy :-). However, the stretch marks aren't too fun either, you got any of those yet? Can you still see your feet? That was a sad day for me. One day, I woke up, and poof, they were gone.

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  29. oh girl, all my friends put those necklaces on their little boys. You just wait, after you see how great they are, you will be giving one away on your blog. Trust me. Thanks for joining in the fun!

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  30. Popped in to say hi--you get a black line? That's scary!

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  31. I got the line... and my belly button popped out. But I didn't get either until I was about 35 weeks. After giving birth, the belly button immediately went in again, and 3 1/2 months later, the line is faint. Don't worry about it, Whit! Once little Levi gets here, you won't even care! :)

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  32. My coworker and I were just having the line discussion! Neither of us have kids or are pregnant, but we still worry about it. How funny is that!

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  33. I had 2 babies and I did not get an "outie" belly button nor a line, however, I DID get alot of stretch marks. :)

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  34. Oh dear. I've seen pictures of prenant tummies that have outie belly buttons but it never occured to me that they weren't outies before the pregnancy! And I thought everyone got the black line but never stopped to wonder why it's black. I guess I need to research this pregnancy thing a little better before I decide to try it for myself! Good luck avoiding the line and the outie!

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  35. Got the line but no belly button. Got a couple of stretch marks and the cocoa butter really did help with them. Actually the cocoa butter was great on my belly all the time. It made it feel so much better.

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  36. I always had an innie and it popped every time I was pregnant....but don't worry, it goes right back in after that little one comes out!

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  37. I hate to tell you this, but there are many more weird things to come with pregnancy and childbirth than a line or a popped out belly button. The weirdest thing to me is that ab muscles separate and never go back together. Ahhh! Seriously though, all those changes are worth it!

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  38. I got the line (freaky, yes) with 4 of my 5 pregnancies. My belly button, which is such an innie you could lose a finger trying to find the middle, went flat. It wasn't until the last couple weeks of my last pregnancy that it started to poke out a little, and I just put a bandaid over it cuz it freaked me out. :)

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  39. Well my linea nigra wasn't BLACK. It was just a tad darker than my regular skin tone.

    And my belly button never actually popped OUT, but it did get pushed out. It just wasn't inside out, if that's what you say freaks you out.

    Your innie will be an innie again after birth.

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  40. Don't forget about the stretch-marks, they are worse!!

    ;o))

    Mirjam :o)

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