Here’s When & Why Your Stomach Gets Hard During Pregnancy

When you first realize you're pregnant, it will likely take a while for your stomach to look and feel differently, especially if this is your first baby. At some point your pregnant belly will start to feel hard, but even then, it will still go through varying degrees of firmness. Sometimes it will be soft and yielding to the touch, and other times it will feel more like a rock, even after your belly has clearly "popped."

When does your stomach start to get hard during pregnancy and what’s happening?

In the second trimester, starting around the 20th week of your pregnancy, bodily changes may make your stomach area feel firmer, and there is a very specific reason why. "The uterus can usually be felt around the 20th week of pregnancy at the belly button, and continues to extend higher as the pregnancy continues," Dr. Jennie Mao, MD, medical director of the UW Medicine Women’s Clinic at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, tells Romper. In other words, your lower abdominal area may start to feel hard around this time. As the fetus continues to grow, this hard part of your belly will extend upward because the uterus is growing and putting pressure against the skin, making it expand. But it’s not your actual uterus that’s getting hard, Dr. Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, FACOG explains to Romper. In fact, the uterus is actually softened by the hormones associated with pregnancy, she says, so the firmness really comes from pressure of the contents within (AKA your baby).

Aside from your growing baby and uterus, there are a few other bodily changes that can make your belly feel firm, too.

Digestive changes can also play a part in how hard your stomach feels

The stomach may feel relatively “hard” during pregnancy due to the way a growing fetus can affect your digestive system, so it may not be your actual uterus that is causing the firmness, but rather, gas, says Dr. Mao. “The hormone progesterone causes women's bowels to move slower and gas to accumulate, so bloating is common as soon as you're pregnant,” she explains, making your stomach feel hard. Excess gas may not be the most glamorous aspect of pregnancy, but it’s extremely common.

Practice contractions are also a possible cause

As your baby grows and you approach your due date, your stomach will likely feel hard and firm all the time. But there might be some days when your tummy feels even tighter than usual for obvious reasons. The first signs of practice contractions can also make your tummy feel tight or firm.

It’s easy to assume that contractions equal labor, but your body actually goes through a whole series of practice rounds in the time leading up to the main event. “These are contractions referred to as ‘Braxton Hicks’ contractions and are infrequent in the second trimester but more common in the third trimester (after 28 weeks),” explains Dr. Mao. “They can be triggered by being active, a full bladder, a change in position, or intercourse, and usually are irregular and mild.” Braxton Hicks contractions are described as “a tightening in a specific area of the abdomen that comes and goes,” according to a 2021 review in StatPearls. Does this mean you’re about to go into labor? Not necessarily. Braxton Hicks contractions are different from labor contractions because they’re irregular and weaker.

In general, whether your stomach feels soft, firm, or rock-hard, you can expect it to fluctuate a bit throughout the duration of your pregnancy, and it's all totally normal.

Experts:

Dr. Jennie Mao, MD, medical director of the UW Medicine Women’s Clinic at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle

Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, FACOG, double board-certified in OB-GYN & Maternal Fetal Medicine, Director of Perinatal Services at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, NYC Health + Hospitals System