It may sound silly to wonder about the pregnant belly button, but there are a lot of questions on this topic! During pregnancy, the belly button can undergo a lot of changes. It helps to know what to expect, what's normal and not, and how to care for your navel while you're pregnant.
Illustration by Emily Roberts, VerywellSometimes during pregnancy, your pregnant belly button will stick out. Even if you've been an "innie" all of your life, during pregnancy the expansion of your abdomen can cause you to be an "outie."
There isn't much you can do about this usually temporary condition, except to cover it with clothing. Some people tape something over their navel, like a bandage, to create a more flat appearance under their clothing.
If your belly button has popped out, have your practitioner check it out to ensure you don't have a hernia. This sometimes happens during pregnancy or postpartum.
Be sure to have any unusual bulges examined, especially if they are painful or non-reducible (they don't flatten out when you press on them). Pregnancy may cause umbilical hernias or make a pre-existing one more apparent. Umbilical hernias occur in 0.08% of pregnancies.
Another variation of belly button changes is that your belly button can go flat. Yes, as your stomach expands with the baby, you may notice that your belly button becomes flat and taut against your skin.
This is normal and will usually revert back to your normal belly button once your baby is born. Sometimes you will see a flap of skin that lays flat with an indent. This is not a cause for concern.
Itchy skin, particularly around the belly button, is fairly common during pregnancy. As the skin stretches, it can become irritated and itchy. This is usually temporary and normal.
Keep your skin clean with soap and water and well hydrated with your favorite lotion for some relief. An over-the-counter hydrocortisone or antihistamine cream can help temporarily, if your healthcare provider recommends it.
If you don't find relief in these over-the-counter products, talk to your provider. An isolated itchy navel should not be confused with pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP). This is a diffuse and severely itchy rash that occurs all over the torso, rather than just on the belly button. Your doctor or midwife can give you more information if this is suspected.
Sometimes pregnant people will have a painful sensation inside their belly button. This can be caused by the stretching of the skin on your abdomen or it can a muscular issue. Always report pain to your doctor or midwife. They may have some suggestions for how to help alleviate the pain. For most people, it is temporary as the belly stretches.
If you experience sharp pain that feels stabbing and does not go away after a minute, call your doctor or midwife for advice.
Many people have their navels pierced prior to becoming pregnant. They each make different decisions regarding the belly button ring during pregnancy. Some choose to remove it at their practitioner's request, especially as the pregnancy progresses.
Theoretically, as the pregnant abdomen stretches, the ring could tear through the umbilical skin. Many people choose to use a silicone or plastic ring to keep the piercing open, and replace the original ring after delivery.
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What are your concerns?
If your belly button hasn't made its outward voyage yet, don't be alarmed. Some women's belly buttons don't pop out. They stay the same, or they become flat (3). This all depends on your weight before pregnancy and how much you have gained or stretched during your pregnancy.
People also ask, will my belly button pop?
A: Most moms-to-be go from innies to outies in the second or third trimester. It happens because your expanding uterus puts pressure on the rest of your abdomen, pushing your belly button outward. Although uncommon, sometimes a woman's belly button can protrude so much that it's considered an umbilical hernia.
When did your belly button pop first pregnancy?
Generally, about 20 weeks in is when the pregnancy belly button will pop out, says Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, FACOG, double board-certified in OB/GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine, Director of Perinatal Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln.
Does your belly button pop out when you gain weight?
Pregnancy or excessive weight gain can put stress on the defective or weak area of the abdominal wall causing the hernia to become more noticeable. Once the hole gets large enough that tissue can pass through, the hernia can become painful and you may see bulging around the umbilical area.
Can an outie belly button become an innie?
Because of the potential negative effects of pregnancy on the umbilicus, one should usually wait until after pregnancy for a female umbilicoplasty procedure. If you are converting an outie to an innie, it is possible with the increased abdominal pressure from pregnancy to have it change back to an outie after surgery.
What Causes Outie Belly Buttons—and Is There Cause for Concern? One common hunch is that outies are a result of how a newborn's umbilical cord is cut or clamped—that's not true. Most often, outies do occur in newborns, and are first noticed after the umbilical cord stump drops off in one to three weeks.
An umbilical hernia is a result of weakness in the muscles in or around your belly button. It causes the belly button to pop outwards and can happen at any age. Umbilical hernias are most common in women during and after pregnancy, and in people who are overweight.
They occur when part of the intestine bulges through the umbilical opening in the abdominal muscles. This creates a soft bulge or swelling near the navel that might become more noticeable when the baby cries or strains. They are more common in premature babies, low birth weight babies, and African-American infants.
Your bellybutton pain may come and go throughout pregnancy as you experience stages of rapid growth. Some women may get used to the pressure and stretching early on. For others, the pain is worse during the final weeks when your belly is the biggest. Taking pressure off your belly may help.
Why You Should Never Push On Your Belly Button. He said that the sensory nerve fibers inside your stomach cavity interpret that pressure as a need to pee, and they relay that news to your brain, which then sends the message to your bladder, which will then have you heading to the bathroom.
Internally the veins and arteries in the cord close up and form ligaments, which are tough connective tissues. These ligaments divide up the liver into sections and remain attached to the inside of the belly button.
The belly button — or navel — is where the umbilical cord is joined to the fetus. The umbilical cord runs from the fetus to the placenta. We don't usually spend much time thinking about our navels, but once a woman becomes pregnant, one of the many changes her body will undergo typically involves her belly button.
“At this point, you may start to feel—and even see—your pregnant belly pop because it's no longer hiding behind the bony pelvis,” says Kallen, who adds that this typically happens at around 10 to 12 weeks for most women. That being said, the pop doesn't necessarily happen overnight, even though it can appear that way.
If you untie, poke a hole in, or cut the knot of a balloon, the balloon bursts. If the belly button opens up, the abominal cavity will be exposed, which is a serious medical issue involving high risks of dangerous infection.
The umbilicus is connected to your bladder before birth which is called the URACHUS. It becomes vestigeal after birth. There is a great amount of nervous innervation to this area which indirectly connects to the umbulicus and makes your weird sensation when you tickle or put a finger in your belly button.
The belly button doesn't have any biological uses, though it is used in some medical procedures. For instance, if a transfusion is necessary for a newborn, the umbilical cord stump is preferred.
Yes, your belly button will get right back to its regular position a few months after delivery, although it may look a little stretched out or "lived in." It's a badge of honor to wear proudly!
If your belly button hasn't made its outward voyage yet, don't be alarmed. Some women's belly buttons don't pop out. They stay the same, or they become flat (3). This all depends on your weight before pregnancy and how much you have gained or stretched during your pregnancy.
You might feel a soft lump around your navel that's more noticeable when you lie down, and you might see a bulge under the skin. You might also have a dull achy pain in the belly button area that becomes more noticeable when you're active, bend over, sneeze, cough or laugh hard.
However, if your navel is irritated from rubbing against your clothes, you can use a specially-designed belly button cover to smooth and protect it. Pregnancy support products like tummy sleeves or tummy shapers can also protect a popped-out navel.