It is normal for women at the same stage of pregnancy to sport baby bumps of different shapes and sizes. Some women have a teeny-tiny bump, while others may develop a substantial bump.
Either way, it is perfectly okay and simply a reflection of an expecting mum’s body type.
One mum went viral a few months ago for sporting what people called a "tiny baby bump". And now she has surprised her followers with a double whammy.
'Can hide babies well,' says TikTok mum with ‘tiny baby bump’
The TikToker, known as Becca, shared regular updates about her bump throughout her fourth pregnancy. There were lots of comments where people pointed out her tiny baby bump, but she laughed it off as her ability to “hide babies well.”
She last shared a video of her bump at 32 weeks of pregnancy.
@nolanohana Thought I would give you all a view of the ##pregnantbelly at ##32weekspregnant still not much but it’s there!! ##pregnancy ##bumpupdate
♬ original sound - ✨Keeds✨
She was quoted as saying “Listen, it may not look like much from the front, it also may not look like much from the back… but from the side? It still don’t look like much but we’re working on it!”
One user commented below her clip saying, “So you’re saying that baby is cuddling your poor spine?!”
Becca’s tiny baby bump had twins…
@nolanohana So… who is up for an update..? ##35weeks ##pregnancy ##pregnancyupdate ##bellyupdate ##momlife
♬ original sound - Becca
While people were speculating about the size of her baby bump and even wondering if she was really pregnant, Becca dropped a surprise for everyone in her latest update.
The mum of five revealed that she gave birth to identical twins. Her latest clip has been viewed over 1.1 million times.
She was flooded with congratulatory messages and many were shocked at how she manage to fit in two babies inside her tiny bump.
“Umm, can I get an explanation? How did both babies fit in there?” asked a user on her video. She later took to Facebook to shares that she was aware that they were expecting twins, but decided to keep it her little secret until birth.
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She also mentioned that both her girls came into the world five weeks early and weighed 4lb 7oz.
We wish Becca and her family lots of happiness on the arrival of their two new babies.
Just like no two pregnancies are the same, the same also applies to baby bump size.
As Dr Yolanda Kirkham, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto says, “Between pregnancies, (bump sizes) are going to be very different as well.”
Now there are some women who show their pregnancy earlier than others and some have big bumps, while others have a small one.
If you have been stressing about the size of your baby bump. Here are some factors that affect baby bump size.
3 reasons why baby bump size differs in all women
Core strength matters
Core muscles are important muscles that play a vital role in your posture and balance. In fact, your core also affects the delivery time.
If you exercise regularly you’ll develop a strong core. This means that your abdominal muscles would be strong and your growing uterus would stay closer to the core of your body. Thus, your bump may look smaller.
On the other hand, if your core muscles are stretched out from a previous pregnancy, then your baby bump may look larger.
Weight and height of the mum
If you are tall and have a longer torso, your pregnancy may not show as early as someone who is of a shorter height. On the other hand, a shorter woman’s belly may look wider because there is less space for the baby to move around.
Plus, your pre-pregnancy weight can also play a big role in the size of the bump. Doctors generally recommend 25 to 35 pounds of pregnancy weight gain.
Dr Kirkham recommends women who are underweight must gain around 20 and 40 pounds. Women who are overweight are usually suggested to gain less or in some cases even lose weight.
You should always check with your doctor and monitor your weight at each stage of your pregnancy. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy can also give rise to other complications such as pre-term birth delivering or a heavy baby.
Stage of pregnancy and hormones play an important role
Depending on the stage of your pregnancy, your bump will also vary. Most women don’t show before around 16 weeks, but again this can vary.
Usually, in the first trimester, you may suffer from morning sickness. This makes it hard to keep the food down and you may lose weight.
But if you are gaining weight right at the start of your pregnancy, then your stomach may start to look large faster. Plus, bloating due to hormonal changes may also affect the size of your baby bump.
So don’t miss regular checkups with your doctor when you are pregnant. This will ensure that you are on the right track towards a healthy pregnancy.
ALSO READ: True story: This mum-to-be put on 45kg during pregnancy
This article was first published in theAsianparent.