Everyone is curious about your pregnant belly, including you!
And as I’ve recently mentioned in another post, you can’t hurt your baby by poking at your belly.
In fact, once the baby is a bit bigger in there, she may kick or poke right back to say hi!
You don’t have to be scared about poking your belly or touching your belly button during your pregnancy. I do realize that there are myths out there and believe me, this is one of them.
Here’s what you should know about your belly button during pregnancy.
Is it bad to touch your belly button while pregnant?
Likely, you have noticed some changes if you’re in the second trimester of your pregnancy. Your abdomen moves forward, and your belly button pops out. But this is very normal, and there’s no harm in this.
But it could be more easily irritated by your clothing. You can wear a protective cover made of cotton or something else breathable to keep it from being agitated.
Simply touching your belly button while pregnant isn’t a bad thing. Though for some of you, you may feel pain there. Experts think this has to do with it being at the thinnest part of your abdominal wall.
When your belly button turns into an outie, you can expect it to return to normal sometime after delivering your baby. Though, it could be a few months postpartum. You can always ask your doctor if it is bothering you.
Sometimes, your popped-out belly button could indicate an umbilical hernia in rare instances. It’s so rare, but this is when abdominal tissues protrude from a small hole in the abdominal wall.
Still, I know you’re a nervous nellie, so to put your mind at greater ease, an umbilical hernia comes with these symptoms:
- Developing a lump in your navel that you notice more when lying down
- You feel a dull ache there
- More pain when you sneeze, cough, or bend
Also, I’d like to point out that most of these rare instances are actually congenital. That means you were born with it. It tends to go unnoticed until your uterus expands and your abdomen stretches.
Should you be one of the rare cases of umbilical hernia, you shouldn’t worry. You can talk to your doctor; you don’t have to do anything if it isn’t bothering you. You may feel more comfortable massaging that bulge or wearing a belly band to keep it from protruding further.
Rubbing the baby bump comes with many benefits; here they are.
Can pushing on the belly button hurt the baby?
No, it can’t.
Some women are told their belly button is connected to the baby or other things in their abdomen. You may have heard it is connected to your uterus or the placenta. Others have said it’s connected to the baby’s belly button.
But please know this…in adults, our belly buttons are not connected to anything.
So, push on it all you like. You’re not going to hurt your baby!
If your own belly button is causing you pain during your pregnancy, you may find it helpful to sleep on your left side. A belly support band can also help relieve the pain and keep the skin from stretching too much.
And naturally, wearing lightweight, comfortable cotton clothes will be least likely to irritate your skin anywhere on your body, especially your belly button.
You may find that using a special cocoa buttercream helps keep your skin in this tender area comfortable.
However, tell your doctor if you feel pain from your belly button that is persistent or gets worse. Something else could be causing it, but thankfully, poking it will not hurt your baby. There’s nothing wrong with touching it either, though you may not want to touch it and cause pain if it irritates you.
Leslie Berry lives with her husband and two young daughters in Los Altos, California, where she loves helping other moms get comfortable with motherhood and embracing the insanity with facts peppered with laughs.
She loves eating too much sushi, exercising, and jamming out on her Fender. Read more about Leslie here.
