Are you struggling with the news and wonder, can you suck in your stomach when pregnant?
Sometimes, especially during the early months of the pregnancy or when the tummy is bigger than expected, some mothers can struggle with the situation.
It can be distressing, especially when you try to fit into your old clothes.
As much as buying a new set of pregnancy clothes is inevitable, there are those pieces of clothing one is usually not ready to bid goodbye yet.
So, is there something you can do to make this better?
Like, can you suck in your stomach when pregnant?
If you’re asking yourself these questions, here’s all the information you need to have.
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Can you suck in your stomach when pregnant?
The fact is that you’ll get a big belly while pregnant, and that is okay.
However, if you feel like you need to suck in your stomach all the time so that you can look much smaller, it can do more harm than good.
One major issue that can come up is the weakening of your core muscles, which are needed when giving birth.
Sucking in your stomach can also cause you lots of back pain and pelvic floor muscle issues.
If you must suck in your stomach, some of the precautions you need to take include:
- Never suck in your stomach when you’re lying down. It can make you very dizzy as your uterus will be pressing on the vena cava, a major blood vessel that carries blood to your baby and your brain.
- Instead of sucking in your stomach, you can opt to do sit-ups instead. You can do this up to 16 weeks of pregnancy, after which it is not recommended. That’s because the growing baby will have already stretched your abdominal muscles. Doing sit-ups at this point puts too much pressure on them and can cause diastasis recti, which is an abdominal separation of the two sections of your belly muscles. It can be a huge problem for you later on in the pregnancy.
- Your stomach muscles play a huge role in pushing the baby out when you’re giving birth. While you may no longer be able to do sit-ups, you can do other exercises that help to strengthen your core muscles.
A strong core will help when you’re giving birth, and you’ll get to bounce back much quicker afterward.
The stomach muscle that you need to focus on is known as transversus abdominis (TVA).
One of the simplest ways to exercise it is by deeply breathing in, sucking in your stomach, and breathing out slowly after a few seconds.
It is completely safe for your baby, and you can do this anywhere and at any time.
You can also try the Standing Pelvic Tilt, which also strengthens your pelvic floor.
Do this by standing flush against a wall, with your feet as wide as your pelvis.
Breathe in deeply and tilt your pelvis a little away from the wall as you exhale.
You can also tighten those pelvic floor muscles at the same time.
After that, inhale again and go back to your starting position.
This is also another straightforward exercise that you can do as long as you’re comfortable.
- You can also just let your stomach be for now as you focus on the growing baby inside you. You’ll have all the time to get back your flat belly when the baby arrives.
So can you suck in your stomach when pregnant?
The short answer to this is yes, with a few limitations you need to keep in mind.
If you follow the advice of experts on this, you can be sure that you are not harming your baby in any way.
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Iesha is a loving mother of 2 beautiful children. She’s an active parent who enjoys indoor and outdoor adventures with her family. Her mission is to share practical and realistic parenting advice to help the parenting community becoming stronger.
