Doctor answers mum's small pregnancy belly concern
A mother wrote in to theAsianparent with this concern:
I’m nearly 6 months pregnant, and this question has been bothering me for quite a while. I mentioned it to my gynae but he said everything's fine. It is just that my stomach is still quite small compared to others who are 6 months pregnant. Will it affect my baby's growth inside?
And at my last check-up, my doctor told me that I have a low-lying placenta. He advised me to avoid sex for a month, till my next appointment. I asked him if my baby was fine and he said all is okay. However I’m still rather worried.
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Answer: It is best to date the pregnancy in weeks rather than months as the baby grows considerably each week. A 6 months pregnancy could mean from 24 weeks to 27 weeks and the baby's weight at 24 weeks would be much less than at 27 weeks causing the concern about the 'small pregnancy belly'.
The most accurate method to estimate the baby's growth and weight is by ultrasound scan. There could be a few reasons why the tummy looks smaller than expected - you could have very good abdominal (tummy) muscle tone which prevents the uterus from protuding out or the level of water (liquor) in the water-bag is lower then normal. Your doctor would have told you about it if it is a cause for worry.
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Small pregnancy belly concern answered by:
Dr Anupriya Agarwal
Associate Consultant
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology:
National University Hospital (NUH)
