Are you in your second or third trimester and admiring your big and round baby bump? Then you must have also noticed a long strip of dark vertical line appears, which starts from the belly button till your lower abdomen. This is known as the Linea Nigra. Linea Nigra in pregnancy is totally harmless and extremely common for pregnant women (especially those with darker skin) to face this phenomenon.
Do you know around 75% of expecting mothers experience this? Also, it will generally vanish after giving birth. In this article, you can learn more about Linea Nigra, why it occurs during pregnancy, and the steps we can undertake to reduce the visibility of it during pregnancy.
In This Article
Linea Nigra is a dark and vertical line (usually about a quarter to half an inch wide and about 6 to 12 mm long) that starts from your belly button reaching the pubic bone. The pregnancy line usually appears around the 5th month of pregnancy (sometimes it appears in advance as well).
This line is always present on your belly even before pregnancy, but just that it is very light-colored and not visible to us. For some women, the line also extends further above the belly button. The line, in general, is called ‘Linea Alba,’. It means “white line” in Latin and hence not visible at that stage. During pregnancy, this line turns dark. It is termed as Linea Nigra, which translates to ‘black line’ in Latin although the line is not very black and is dark brown.
As we already explained, this line will be present in your belly before pregnancy. This line marks the point where the right and left abdomen muscle meets. This point starts to stretch to hold the growing womb. This makes this line prominent. Simultaneously, the expecting mother’s body secretes pregnancy hormones, which result in stimulating cells in their skin called melanocytes. These cells release pigments known as melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives our hair its black color. Due to the production of melanin, the skin turns dark, which also results in the darkening of the Linea Alba, which makes the Linea Nigra prominent.
There is an old wives’ tale that is believed around most parts of the world, which states that one can predict the gender of the baby through the Linea Nigra. The method in which this is predicted is;
However, there is no scientific proof of this, although 50% of pregnant women claim this to be true.
The Linea Nigra is a very common and natural occurrence. It is not a medical condition that you need to worry about. And so, there is absolutely no way that you can treat it or prevent it. However, if this line makes you conscious, then there are some home remedies you can follow to minimize the visibility of the line.
It is always better to avoid the usage of any harsh cosmetic products and bleaching creams during pregnancy. The chemicals in these sorts of products are not safe for the baby in the womb.
Read: [Pregnancy Linea Negra – Causes, Prevention, Home Remedies]
If you notice that your Linea Nigra is still visible after the delivery of your baby, try some of these home remedies to get rid of it.
As mentioned earlier, the line is always present in our abdomen. The only difference is that it is usually white in color and not visible when you are not pregnant. But for some women, it is visible even if they are not pregnant and here is why;
A dark line running through the abdomen is not an appealing sight. However, it is perfectly normal and common and will disappear after delivery. So, go ahead and enjoy your beautiful body and belly, which is creating a life inside of you!
Read Also: 7 Easy Ways To Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
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