With every pregnancy, moms can expect only one thing for sure: each experience is unique. Whether you're comparing symptoms, sizes, or birth stories with other moms or other pregnancies of your own, no two are totally alike. A lot of moms grow to realize this, but unfortunately, that still doesn't prevent myths, like old wives tales about little baby bumps, from popping up all over the place. Luckily, if you want to debunk some of the questionable advice you may hear in relation to your small baby bump, you've come to the right place.
From trying to predict the gender of your baby, to the difficulty of your delivery, it seems that everyone is more than eager to chime in on the old wives tales that they hope to be right. As if pregnancy isn't hard enough, I remember that there was a critique or unverifiable piece of information at almost every turn with both of mine. With my first, it was easy to take to heart, worry over, and even research to find out if there may be some truth to another myth I'd stumbled upon. But by my second, I was pretty good at letting things go in one ear and out the other. Unless I personally had a concern, it wasn't worth letting others' input add to my stockpile of pregnancy worries and thoughts.
Just as with any aspect of pregnancy, there are a lot of untruths surrounding what it means to have small baby bump. The truth is, however, that every woman experiences pregnancy in their own way, regardless of size. Nothing shows that better than the viral story, shared by Parents, of two women's side-by-side pregnancy photo only four weeks apart. But if that's not enough to put your mind at ease, consider some of the many old wives tales about small baby bumps debunked here.
Myth #1: Little Bump Means Little Baby
According to Babble, it's a fairly common myth that big bumps mean big babies, and alternatively, small bumps mean small babies. The site shared that it's simply not a true — a small baby bump doesn't mean your baby will also be small. Actually, the size of your belly has more to do with your own size, build, and general physical self than it does with the size of your baby. For example, Belly Belly said that "if you’re tall and have a long abdomen, your baby has a lot of growing space" — aka your belly may look smaller in proportion to the rest of your body.
Myth #2: Tiny Baby Bumps Mean Easier Births
There's no way to predict your baby's weight by gauging your girth, according to Fit Pregnancy. Additionally, the site shared that a smaller baby bump (and even baby) won't guarantee an easy delivery either. So, the idea that a small bump means an easy delivery is unfortunately a myth for those who were hoping for an easier delivery based on their bump size.
Myth #3: The Smaller The Bump, The Less Strain On Your Body
All women experience pregnancy differently, regardless of the size of their baby bump. You can have a much smaller bump than other pregnant women you know but still deal with more morning sickness, stretch marks, Braxton Hicks, or any other amount of symptoms while other moms with bigger bumps may not. For example, Babble shared that stretch marks happen to about half of pregnant women and are linked to increased pregnancy hormones and stretching of the tissue under the skin, not bump size. The size of your belly throughout pregnancy does not automatically mean things will be easier or that your body won't change.
Myth #4: A Little Baby Bump Means You Need To Eat More
Have you heard the phrase "eating for two?" I'm sure you have, especially if you're close to anyone who's been pregnant in the past, and that's not even taking into account whether or not you've uttered the phrase a few times yourself. According to Made for Mums, however, it doesn't matter whether you have a small baby bump or not – the idea you need to eat for two during pregnancy is a myth. Additionally, if you adopt the ideology of eating for two, it can make it more difficult to lose excess baby weight after birth. Instead, it's a good idea to just stay active and eat a healthy, balanced diet.
Myth #5: A Small Baby Bump Means An Unhealthy Baby
The aforementioned Made for Mums article shared some reassuring news for moms who are concerned about the health of their little one: a smaller bump does not equal health issues for your baby. You need to keep in mind that there's a big difference between a baby that’s small because she isn't growing properly and a baby or baby bump that’s smaller because it's the correct size for you and your body. If there is an issue with your baby's growth, your doctor will be able to tell through a few different methods, none of which are based on the size of your belly.
Myth #6: A Littler Baby Bump Means It's A Girl
It's not uncommon that a baby bump looks smaller because a woman is carrying higher, but it is common for people to think that if you're carrying high you're having a girl. Unfortunately, according to the aforementioned Babble article, there's no tried and true way to tell whether you're having a girl or boy based on the size or position of your belly. Instead, you'll have to rely on an ultrasound or blood test to determine the sex of your new bundle of joy before birth.
