Transverse stripe on the abdomen during pregnancy. A strip on the abdomen during pregnancy: why does it appear and what does it say? Useful video: where does the dark strip on the stomach come from during pregnancy

Most women wonder - why does a dark stripe appear on the abdomen during pregnancy? What does this mean and can it be avoided? Some are worried - isn't it dangerous? Read the article to the end and you will find out the answers to these questions.

Why does a strip appear on the abdomen during pregnancy, and what does this line mean?

The dark line on the belly of the future mother is nothing more than a consequence of increased pigment production. In other words, hyperpigmentation.

Such a strip is a line running vertically from the navel to the pubis. Sometimes it reaches the level of the ribs. But, for any length, such a line is always located strictly in the center of the abdomen.

It should be said that milestones of women have such a strip, it’s just that during pregnancy it turns brown and becomes noticeable.

Why is this happening? The reason lies in the endocrine system. When pregnancy occurs, the function of the pituitary gland increases several times, and the active production of adrenocorticotropic hormone begins. And this, in turn, affects the work of the adrenal glands. In addition, the body of a pregnant woman is more sensitive to the level of this hormone and reacts more vividly to it.

As for the adrenal glands, their job is to produce adrenaline - the stress hormone and mineralocorticoids - hormones that are essential for the body of a pregnant woman.

Functions that replenish mineralocorticoids:

Contribute to a decrease in immunity in a waking mother, due to which there is no rejection of the fetus.
Enhance the production of dark pigment.
Contribute to the strong growth of hair on the body of a woman (hypertrichosis).

In addition, the level of estrogens (female sex hormones) in the body of the expectant mother increases, which in turn causes the liver to produce more proteins that bind adrenal hormones. And this complicates their disposal.

The whole chain of processes above leads to the fact that the level of adrenal hormones in the blood of a pregnant woman rises, and this leads to excessive deposition of dark pigment. As a result, a dark stripe appears on the abdomen.

For the same reason, during pregnancy, the number of age spots increases and the nipples darken. This becomes especially noticeable in the second and third trimester.

Other hormones that affect the appearance of the dark line:

melotropin or calming hormone. It is he who is responsible for a calm state during stress, and during pregnancy, its production depends entirely on the state of the embryo.
Somatropin. The level of this hormone during pregnancy increases hundreds of times, since the growth of the abdominal walls and the stretching of muscle tissue depend on it. That is why the middle line becomes thin and transparent, so there is a preparation for the appearance of a dark band.
Progesterone. The hormone responsible for the complete restructuring of the female body during pregnancy.

As for concerns, you should know that such a line does not pose a danger to either the expectant mother or the baby. All this is just a natural reaction of the body. Moreover, if there is such a band, it means that hormonal processes are going correctly.

Reference. Dark-haired women with swarthy skin are more prone to the appearance of this line. With them, it acquires a very dark, almost chocolate color.

When does a stripe appear on the abdomen during pregnancy?

In this case, it all depends on the body of a particular woman. For some, the strip appears already at the beginning of pregnancy, but throughout the entire period it is not very noticeable. In others, on the contrary, the strip appears late, but has a pronounced brown color and stretches from the ribs to the pubis.

For most expectant mothers, the streak appears around the 12th week of pregnancy. At first, it is almost imperceptible, then it becomes more and more pronounced. This happens as the concentration of hormones in the blood. By the 23rd week, the strip becomes clearly visible.

In rare cases, it does not appear at all or becomes noticeable only in the 3rd trimester.

Attention! In some women, the strip before childbirth becomes bluish, but do not be afraid - this is one of the options for the norm.

How long will the dark line be present on the abdomen?

In most cases, the dark line disappears a few weeks after delivery. But, there are times when it becomes lighter, but does not disappear completely.

Both the appearance and disappearance of a dark line are closely related to hormone levels. And this means that its disappearance will occur as the concentration of their level in the blood decreases. If a woman is breastfeeding, then this process is slower, and the strip will last longer. In nursing mothers, it disappears a few months after childbirth.

Reference. With repeated pregnancies, the dark band appears earlier and is more visible.

Is it possible to prevent its formation?

The answer is unequivocal - no. It is impossible to completely get rid of or prevent the appearance of the band, but its manifestation can be significantly reduced.

Ways to deal with the dark bar:

Try to wear closed clothing. The less sunlight gets on the stomach, the more inconspicuous it will be flat.
Avoid direct sunlight and stay indoors on hot days.
Be sure to use sunscreen in the summer.
Include foods rich in folic acid in your daily diet: orange juice, asparagus, beans, wheat, spinach, etc. After all, vitamin C deficiency contributes to the appearance of hyperpigmentation.
Try to avoid black tea and coffee.
Use skin whitening creams or gels. But, be careful, the products that you use must consist of natural ingredients. The use of products containing mercury compounds, AHA acids and hydroquinone is strictly prohibited.

Folk remedies for lightening the dark stripe:

Peeling based on honey will not only help to lighten the strip, but will soften the skin, make it smooth and silky.
If you mix lemon juice with alcohol and apply on the skin, it will reduce the appearance of pigmentation. Do this at the very beginning of the appearance of the strip, and it will be almost invisible. This method can be used as a preventive measure.
You can wipe the stomach with a decoction of chamomile or linden. To do this, 1 tablespoon of dried flowers is poured into a glass of boiling water and heated in a water bath for 10 minutes. After the decoction has cooled, wipe the skin on the stomach with it. The temperature of the broth should be pleasantly warm, comfortable.
A wrap based on cottage cheese, cucumber or lemon juice will also help in the fight against pigmentation.

If the birth has already passed, but the strip remains, seek help from a beauty salon.

Attention! Vitamin D is essential for the body of the expectant mother, so you can not completely avoid the sun. But, measure is important here. The presence of a pregnant woman in the sun should be no more than 30 minutes a day.

Signs and superstitions

Since ancient times, the color and length of the strip determined the sex of the unborn child. It is believed that if the line is light and pumps at the level of the navel, then a girl will be born. If the strip is dark and stretches from the womb to the ribs, then a son will be born.

Whether to believe the signs, everyone decides for himself, but this information has not received scientific confirmation.

Conclusion

Summing up, it is worth saying that there is nothing wrong with the fact that a pregnant woman has a dark stripe. After all, this does not affect the health of the mother and the unborn baby. And some even believe that the darker the line, the more stress-resistant the child will be.

Especially for- Elena Kichak

Pregnancy causes many changes in a woman's body. Some of them are familiar and understandable, while others can surprise or even upset. One of these strange manifestations is the appearance of a dark stripe on the abdomen. Where does it come from, is it worth fighting with it and why is it needed, we will understand in this article.

Stripe on the abdomen in pregnant women - causes

Almost every pregnant woman eventually develops a dark longitudinal strip from the navel. Hormonal changes in the body lead to an increase in the production of melanotropin, which is why this feature manifests itself. Where does the stripe come from?

The fact is that such a strip is initially present on the stomach of every person. Usually it does not stand out, so many are not even aware of its existence.

In medicine, she received the name "white line of the abdomen." The white line is the tendons connecting the symmetrically located abdominal muscles. The size of the strip depends on the individual structure of the human body.

White line of the abdomen

As the abdomen increases, the tendons also stretch, the band expands. One of the reasons for the increase in pigmentation is the increased work of the pituitary gland, which produces the hormone ACTH. This substance stimulates the production of melanotropin, which turns the "white stripe" brown.

It should be noted that the intensity of color depends on the individual characteristics of the woman. In fair-skinned and fair-haired girls, pigmentation is much weaker, and in 10% of mothers, the strip does not appear at all.

Influence is exerted not only by personal characteristics, but also by the external environment. For example, in hot countries, under the influence of ultraviolet rays, the body actively produces melanin. Some residents of southern countries have a strip on their stomachs all the time.

In any case, the appearance of a dark stripe on the abdomen in pregnant women should not cause concern. She poses no threat.

Changes in appearance during pregnancy - pigmentation under the action of hormones

To better understand the topic, let's answer two questions:

What hormonal changes occur in a woman's body during pregnancy?
And how does this affect her appearance?

Pregnancy is a special period of activation of most hormones. Estrogen, gestagen, progesterone begin to be produced many times more than usual. But these hormones do not act on everything. Their purpose is certain cells that are involved in the process of gestation and delivery.

Somatotropin is a special hormone, the production of which is significantly enhanced during pregnancy.

It most of all affects changes in appearance. Therefore, somatotropin is active in childhood, and then its amount decreases markedly. During pregnancy, the woman's body again undergoes serious transformations that require the intervention of somatotropin.

The action of this hormone is obvious: the woman's face is drawn out, acquires more pointed features, fingers lengthen. But after childbirth, the activity of somatotropin fades again, and the appearance returns to its original state.

The effect of somatotropin on the appearance of a dark stripe on the abdomen

Belly enlargement is the most obvious change in a pregnant woman's body. Somatotropin also takes part in the regulation of this process. It increases the role of muscle mass. The abdominal muscles are located symmetrically, and somatotropin pushes them apart, thereby stretching the connective tissues. The "white line" becomes thinner and wider. Thus, somatotropin prepares the basis for the appearance of a dark strip. And another hormone is responsible for its color.

Growth of the abdomen leads to stretching of the "white line"

The action of melanotropin in the body of a pregnant woman

As already mentioned, in swarthy dark-haired girls, a stripe on the stomach appears with almost 100% probability. Due to the thinning of the connective tissues of the “white line”, melanocyte cells begin to be clearly visible, which stain the strip.

But where does the stripe on blonde women come from? Melanotropin is an anti-stress hormone. Its action is directly related to the development of the baby. As soon as the glands in the fetus are formed, this hormone appears. In other words, melanotropin is produced by the child and enters the mother's blood. A large amount of the hormone darkens the strip even if the woman does not have her own melanocyte cells.

By the way, if during pregnancy there was a very dark streak, and the child is born light-skinned, then he has an innate resistance to stress.

At what time does the strip appear on the abdomen in pregnant women?

Small manifestations can be noticed already in the first trimester. At this stage, staining can be triggered by concomitant factors, such as bright sun. Hormonal changes also contribute to enhancing the color. The strip may begin to appear along with other symptoms: nausea, dizziness, increased appetite.

Most often, the band becomes clearly visible after 12 weeks.

During this period, pigmentation intensifies not only on the abdomen, the complexion changes, and the nipple halos also darken.

Some women notice the strip only in the last trimester of pregnancy. Timing and intensity may vary, as the body reacts to a new position in different ways.

Do I need to deal with the appearance of a dark line on the stomach?

Enhanced pigmentation upsets many mothers, but in this case, do not worry. The dark stripe on the abdomen disappears by itself. Usually the former "invisible" color of the strip returns a couple of months after the birth of the child. In some cases, the process can take up to six months.

Of course, under the influence of external factors and the individual characteristics of a woman, the stripe can remain for life. But such cases are extremely rare.

If during the first pregnancy a dark strip appeared on the abdomen, then the next time the probability of its manifestation increases significantly.

Ways to eliminate the dark strip on the abdomen during pregnancy

To speed up the bleaching process, you can try folk remedies:

Lotions from lemon juice or red currant;
Grated sweet pepper (crushed and applied to the strip);
Cucumber and parsley (crushed to a state of gruel);
Kefir and curdled milk (lotions are made, applied to the stomach for 15-20 minutes. After removal, it is necessary to apply a moisturizer).

These products do not guarantee results, but over time, the strip will disappear on its own. Therefore, do not get upset and worry about this.

What to do so that there is no stripe on the stomach during pregnancy?

It is almost impossible to avoid the appearance of a dark stripe on the abdomen. Only a small percentage of women are left without this distinctive sign. But following some rules, you can reduce the brightness of pigmentation:

1. The main provocateur of strong pigmentation is the sun. Under the influence of sunlight, our body begins to actively secrete melanin, which is responsible for skin color. Therefore, in the warm season, it is recommended to use special sunscreens and, if possible, avoid visiting countries with an active sun during pregnancy. Solarium is also prohibited.

2. The second important factor is nutrition. This item is important not only in the fight against pigmentation, but also for the proper development of the baby. A balanced diet will help to avoid health problems.

In order to reduce the brightness of the dark band, you need to eat foods rich in vitamin C.

Here it is worth remembering that citrus fruits are a very strong allergen, and there is quite a bit of vitamin C in them. To speed up the disappearance of the strip from the abdomen after childbirth, strong tea, coffee and fatty meat should be excluded from the diet.

3. Pigmentation may increase due to lack of folic acid. To replenish it, you should eat more greens, lettuce, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Plus, a lot of folic acid is found in the liver, fish and beef.

A dark stripe on the abdomen during pregnancy appears in 90% of women. It is impossible to influence this process, you can only slightly adjust the color by following the right diet and avoiding active ultraviolet rays.

After the birth of the child, the strip disappears

If no efforts have helped - do not be upset. The appearance of a strip on the abdomen in pregnant women means only the planned development of pregnancy. And when your baby is born, unwanted pigmentation will disappear without a trace.

Pregnancy transforms the appearance of a woman, but certain changes cause genuine anxiety in expectant mothers. If weight gain and breast enlargement does not require additional explanation, then the pigment line on the abdomen often becomes the basis of experiences. Excessive suspiciousness sometimes prevents pregnant women from adequately assessing the situation.

Causes of stripes on the abdomen during pregnancy

In all people, a “white line” runs from the celiac trunk to the pubis, which represents the connective tissue that connects the rectus abdominis muscles with fibers. The structure of the line includes collagen, which gives it a white color. After fertilization of the egg in the female body, a hormonal surge begins. For the normal development of the fetus, progesterone and estrogen are intensively produced.

During fluctuations in hormone levels, the production of melanotropin (melanin), which is responsible for the production of dark pigment, increases. It paints certain areas of the skin in a dark color (face, back, areola of the nipples on the chest). Accordingly, the white line darkens and becomes visible to others.

There is another version of the appearance of a brown stripe. The connective tissue stretches and thins with an increase in the volume of the pregnant woman's abdomen, so the area visually looks darker.

How long does it take for the line to show up?

Skin pigmentation occurs at different stages of pregnancy, as its appearance is affected by the concentration of hormones in the woman's blood. In some, a dark streak appears along with nausea and a delay in menstruation, in others - in the middle of the term or on the eve of childbirth. In the early stages, the line is light or pink, but in recent months it is visible to the naked eye.

It is impossible to predict when a stripe will appear on the abdomen during pregnancy, and why it may not appear in some - everything is individual. The line can stretch across the entire abdomen or start from the middle. There is a confirmed observation: if pigmentation occurs during the first pregnancy, it will appear in subsequent ones.

Do all expectant mothers have such a “decoration” on their tummy?

Only 10% of women do not have such a “decoration”, but modern medicine is not able to explain this small statistic either. The "risk" group includes women with dark hair and eyes, as well as owners of swarthy skin. Blondes and fair-skinned people are much less likely to develop pigmentation. Coloring is also affected by external factors - ultraviolet radiation and a warm climate.

When does the bar disappear?

Pigmentation eventually disappears without outside interference - 2-12 months after the birth process. In some cases, the strip on the abdomen persists during lactation, even more rarely remains barely noticeable throughout life. If you look at the strip every day, it is difficult to determine what level of pigmentation is at the moment. You can take a photo of the abdomen after childbirth and compare a month later with the real one.

With the normalization of the hormonal background, the line passes on its own. The longer a woman breastfeeds her baby, the longer the strip lasts. However, you should not deprive the child of precious mother's milk for the sake of beauty, which will still be restored over time. The white line has practically no blood vessels, so the pigment is washed out of the cells more slowly.

What to do if a pigment line appears?

It is impossible to remove the dark strip during pregnancy - due to the state of the hormonal background. You can prevent the occurrence of age spots on the body or abdomen by following simple recommendations:

To be exposed to direct sunlight for no more than half an hour - so much time will be enough for a pregnant woman to receive the required dose of vitamin D. It is advisable to postpone holidays in countries with a hot climate for several years.
The more loaded the liver, the higher the likelihood of darkening of the strip. It is important to adhere to the norms of a balanced diet by including foods with vitamin C in the menu. It is better to refuse citrus fruits - the content of a useful vitamin in them is minimal.
The pigment is also intensely manifested with a deficiency of folic acid contained in salmon, tuna, beef, nuts, cabbage and spinach. It is recommended to include the listed products in the diet.

It is useless to contact a beautician until the hormonal background is restored. Brown pigmentation is a natural physiological phenomenon, as is breast enlargement or bulging of the umbilical nodule during gestation.

Is it possible to remove after childbirth at home and how?

The stripe on the abdomen is not a cosmetic defect, but most women perceive it that way. After delivery, you can resort to safe folk remedies:

Squeeze the juice of red currant or lemon onto a piece of clean bandage. Apply to the skin in the form of lotions for 20-30 minutes.
Grind sweet bell pepper, apply the resulting mixture for 30 minutes on a strip.
Fermented milk products (yogurt and kefir) have a whitening effect. Moisten a small piece of gauze or bandage and apply to the pigmented area for half an hour.
Grind parsley and cucumber, apply the resulting mass on the dark line of the abdomen.

After the procedure, the remnants of the product must be washed off with warm water and lubricated the skin with a moisturizing nourishing cream. You can use these methods no more than 2 times a week.

Professional pigmentation removal methods

There are special creams with a whitening effect, but before using it is necessary to study the composition. Cosmetics often contain substances that are dangerous for a nursing mother.

The method of hardware correction, which is provided by beauty salons, will help to cope with pigmentation. Before the first session, you should get a consultation from a specialist in order to choose the optimal procedure during lactation and decide when it is best to do it.

How can you avoid the appearance of a pigment strip?

No preventive measure gives a complete guarantee that the line along the abdomen will not occur. However, it is useful for all pregnant women to listen to the advice of doctors:

in summer, you need to wear closed clothes and use sunscreen on the street;
consume as many dairy products as possible;
exclude coffee and black tea;
use safe cosmetics with a whitening effect;
less nervous and worried, so as not to provoke hormonal surges.

You can use soft peeling and additionally take folic acid preparations, after consulting with a gynecologist. Some women lubricate the stomach with olive oil and chamomile solution, but it is advisable to do this from the first weeks of pregnancy.

Folk signs and superstitions: how is pigmentation related to the sex of the child?

Modern diagnostic methods allow you to accurately determine the sex of the unborn child. However, a few decades ago, women relied on folk wisdom and signs:

If the stripe on the belly runs down the navel, a girl will be born. If the pigmentation goes around the navel, you can expect a boy.
The brighter the shade of the strip, the more likely it is that a girl will be born. A dark shade of pigmentation means the appearance of an heir.
The height of the bar also predicts the gender of the baby. If the line starts on the pubic bone and reaches the ribs, then it will be a boy. If the strip runs from the pubis to the navel, parents can be congratulated on the birth of a girl.

Additionally, the shape of the abdomen and the appearance of the girls were evaluated, but with the advent of ultrasound, the need to listen to such superstitions disappeared. Signs will not help to reliably predict the sex of the baby - none of them has been proven.

No need to worry about the appearance of a dark stripe on the stomach - this is a kind of print of pregnancy. In the physiological phenomenon, there is no threat to the health of the woman and the fetus, and often the defect disappears safely on its own.

A brown dividing strip on the abdomen appears in almost every woman in position. A sharp hormonal change that occurs shortly after conception negatively affects pigmentation and skin condition, which ultimately causes some peculiarities during pregnancy. Therefore, there is no need to be upset if you see a dividing strip on the body, since it does not carry anything bad with it. When does a strip appear on the abdomen during pregnancy, and in what cases will it be seen very weakly?

In contact with

Why does pigmentation occur?

What kind of strip is observed in pregnant women, and why is it formed? On the abdomen of almost all pregnant women, a dark line located longitudinally can be found.

Do not be afraid of this, as this phenomenon is enough quickly disappears shortly after the birth of the baby, and also does not bring health problems, both for the mother and for the baby.

A strip on the stomach, located vertically, is in every person, regardless of what gender and age he is.

However, she usually dyed in skin color, so it is not visible. This line contains tendon fibers and also evokes on both sides of the abdominal cavity. It cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Important! In pregnant women, pigmentation appears on the body after the start of active growth of the abdomen.

In other words, already at 5-6 months you can notice a division on the body, which can be brown (the contrast of the shade depends on the structure and characteristics of the body). It appears due to the fact that the stomach is constantly growing, and the muscles are gradually stretched, increasing the volume.

Why do pregnant women get a stripe on their stomach? The reason for this is as follows:

The adrenal glands of a woman in position begin to work with a vengeance.
This causes a high production of melanin (this is a kind of coloring pigment, on which the color of separation depends).
Such a component leads to a darkening of the shade and makes the skin brown.

Based on the state of the woman's body, she may notice that she does not have a strip on her stomach during pregnancy.

Why is this happening? This means that the substance melanin is produced in a small amount, which does not cause a strong discoloration - usually in this case, the stripe on the woman is pale brown, so it is difficult to see it.

From what a strip appears on the stomach in pregnant women, we found out. Its width, color and height directly depend on the condition and characteristics of the woman's body. In some ladies, it can reach the lower part of the navel, while in others it can reach the beginning of the ribs.

You should not be upset because of the appearance of pigmentation on the body, on the contrary, its appearance means that the child actively growing and developing.

Does everyone have a stripe

Why is there no strip on the abdomen during pregnancy? It is not always clearly visible in every expectant mother. Doctors say it can be avoided 1 woman out of 10. O There is currently no explanation for these statistics. Doctors only suggest that such pregnant women have more delicate skin, and there is also less active production of melanin, which is directed only to the development of the child.

Also, gynecologists say that, according to statistics, in patients with dark hair, as well as with swarthy skin, pigmentation almost always appears, compared with blondes. Among the “fair” pregnant women, only 1 woman out of 20 notices this phenomenon.

The degree of brightness of the strip is played by many factors. For example, the climate in the region where the pregnant woman lives, the degree of ultraviolet radiation, and sometimes nutrition. So that pigmentation is not too clearly visible, doctors do not advise the expectant mother for a long time be in the sun, otherwise it will not only be brighter, but also appear faster. In the summer, pregnant women can sunbathe quite a bit so that this does not affect their health and does not lead to an increase in pigmentation, which can appear not only on the body, but also on the face.

When does pigmentation appear?

When does a stripe appear on the abdomen during pregnancy? Such a period is different for any expectant mother, but still, on average, she appears by the end of the second trimester.

This means that you can see the separation on the body at 5-7 months of pregnancy. If a woman is carrying twins, it appears at 4-5 months, as her belly grows much faster.

If there was no pigmentation during the first pregnancy, when does the strip appear on the abdomen during pregnancy in the second gestation period?

Sometimes pigmentation can indeed appear - this will happen much earlier, and the separation itself will darker.

Depending on the condition of the pregnant woman, the skin may become darker in the first trimester. At this time, a woman may also notice other symptoms of conception:

increase in appetite;
(especially after eating);
pain in the temporal part or dizziness.

Of course, at this time, the separation will not be too dark, but as the child grows, it will become brighter.

As a rule, in some women, pigmentation can be seen as early as 12 weeks, but the pregnant woman herself is unlikely to be able to see it. The rest of the patients notice it only at the end of the 2nd or even 3rd trimester, when the stomach becomes large.

In addition to separation on the body, a woman will also be able to notice darkening of the face and areolas of the chest. And if you can not get rid of the strip on the body, then on the face, many ladies will want to remove it.

To do this, most patients turn to folk methods that will help remove an ugly skin tone, and also not harm their health with chemistry and other harmful components.

Hyperpigmentation remains on the body of a woman until the end of gestation, after which it completely disappears. On average it takes 2-3 months, however, if the skin of the mother is sensitive, the removal of pigmentation may take 1.5 years after childbirth.

Note! There are cases when the separation on the stomach remains forever, and it cannot be removed by special means.

Then it becomes almost colorless. It will be difficult to see it, but still the strip will not completely disappear, and upon re-conception it will appear already in the first weeks.

In the old days, the gender of the child could be determined by the shade of the line on the body. This was done as follows:

If a pregnant woman has a light separation color, then she is expecting a girl. Also, the birth of a daughter could be determined by the color of the areolas, which did not darken much. Where should the division come from? As a rule, it should appear in the navel, just above or below it.
If the expectant mother has dark pigmentation, then she is expecting a boy. In this case, the separation should be strictly from the chest not the belly button.

Today, this method is not popular, although many still try to find out the gender on their own.

Useful video: where does the dark strip on the stomach come from during pregnancy

Conclusion

What is the strip on the pregnant belly? This is a section of tendons that connects the muscles of the peritoneum to each other. It is not necessary to try to remove it, since after the birth of the baby, the pigmentation will disappear on its own. It is better to monitor the condition of the child and devote time to your own health so that the baby is born healthy.

In contact with

With the onset of pregnancy the woman is completely transformed. Changes concern both its emotional component, and physiological. And if everything is clear with a growing belly and enlarging mammary glands, then where the dark strip on the stomach comes from has yet to be figured out.

In fact, such a strip is manifestation of hyperpigmentation. It can run along the vertical line of the entire abdomen, or it can stretch from the navel to the bottom. The phenomenon is typical for almost all pregnant women.

Why does a dark stripe appear on the abdomen during pregnancy

Known 2 causes dark stripe on the belly of a pregnant woman:

During pregnancy, the female body is subject to serious hormonal changes. There is an increase in estrogen and progesterone levels. They in turn affect increased levels of melanoropin- a hormone that produces melanocytes (cells that produce pigment and make the skin darker). Because of this, various age spots appear all over the body, including a strip on the stomach.
In addition, the appearance of a dark line is also due to the fact that there is no muscle tissue in this area of \u200b\u200bthe abdomen. With the growth of the belly the skin is stretched and the dark stripe is just a consequence of such changes.

When it appears

In most cases, the strip appears closer to the 3rd trimester, when the belly is large enough, and the skin is already decently stretched. However, some women may notice its occurrence after 12 weeks.

In rare cases, the strip appears at the very beginning of pregnancy, acting as its sign.

At the very beginning, this is a barely noticeable line with blurred borders, but as time goes on, it begins to darken and become more clear.

How long will the belly strip be?

As a rule, the dark strip disappears on its own 3-4 months after the birth of the child. For some, this process may take a little longer: it depends on how quickly the hormonal background is restored.

If the strip is clearly visible after six months after childbirth, contact a beautician. He will select modern highly effective procedures to eliminate the problem.

Is it possible to prevent its occurrence

It is not possible to make the dark stripe not appear at all. However, simple tricks will help make it less noticeable. Here are the rules to follow:

avoid direct sunlight on the problem area (ultraviolet increases the degree of pigmentation);
when sunbathing, use special products with a maximum protection factor;
when choosing creams and lotions, make sure that the composition does not contain harmful substances such as mercury;
use soft peeling and brightening wraps;
exclude strong tea, coffee and fatty foods from the diet (or minimize the amount);
try to consume more greens and vegetables;
drink a course of vitamins containing folic acid and vitamin C;
wipe the skin of the abdomen with an infusion of chamomile or linden (be careful during lactation: this can provoke an allergic reaction in a child).

Don't despair if the strip nevertheless appeared on the skin and is clearly visible. After all, this can and should be perceived as a fact of the successful development of the child.

Folk signs - a dark stripe and the sex of the child

Popular superstitions did not bypass the dark stripe on the belly of a pregnant woman. It is generally accepted that if the line has a pronounced dark shade, and its boundaries are clear, then a pregnant woman a boy will be born.

If the strip pale, and the boundaries are vague, then a girl is born. Such signs do not have scientific evidence, so only modern medical technologies will help to more accurately find out the sex of the unborn child.