Can You Suck In Your Stomach While Pregnant?

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, it is evidence of the introduction of a new life on the planet, and many people anticipate it.

The changes though are worrying as many people do not feel comfortable during this period.

One of the issues associated with pregnancy is the protrusion of your tummy, and many women might start wondering when they’ll get their flat tummy back, seeing that it usually inflates your normal belly size even after childbirth.

And if you have old clothes that you still want to fit into, you may be wondering whether it is okay to tuck in your belly during pregnancy.

Can You Suck In Your Stomach While Pregnant?

As much as it is possible to carry out this task, it is for your own good that you probably shouldn’t. Due to some reasons which will be talked about in later parts of this article, we will help in clarifying this issue.

Does tucking your tummy in affect your unborn baby?

No, it doesn’t. The reason is that the baby is enclosed with the uterine fluids on the uterus of a pregnant woman.

The uterus is made up of strong muscles. Tucking your stomach in would pull your intestines and other organs within. This pull usually changes the shape of your tummy but does not affect the baby.

The uterus muscles, are very strong and can actually withstand the pressure associated with the contraction. Humans do not possess the pressure to successfully pull it in by just tucking their tummy in.

This does not mean that you can do it for a long period of time, as the tucking gets harder to perform as your child gets bigger.

Once the uterus and your unborn child start getting bigger, your stomach gets harder when felt, which also makes it harder to pull in.

This difficulty associated with a harder stomach makes it hard to tuck in even when you want to.

Why is it advised to avoid sucking my stomach when pregnant?

It is advised that you avoid sucking your stomach when pregnant. Doing it for a short period of time is okay, but if you overextend it, there are many complications it could cause that would affect you negatively.

These issues happen because of the overextension of your abdomen’s core muscles. When carrying a baby the size of your stomach increases to avoid the baby’s size.

This natural increase usually stretches your abdominal muscles. So sucking your tummy in, usually puts lots of pressure on those muscles thereby stretching them more.

Overextension of these muscles could make them separate with one part above the nasal button and another below it to your pelvic region. This parting is called “diastasis recti”

Why is Diastasis recti bad while carrying a child?

This ailment causes the weakening of the body’s connective tissues and important muscles. When these tissues get weaker, the baby usually lacks support within the mother’s body.

This lack of support would make your unborn child drop in the wrong direction, and it causes it to align incorrectly to the body’s cervix.

It usually complicates labor and childbirth, and it affects the future pregnancies you may eventually have.

So you should understand that pushing your belly in while pregnant, could cause lots of complications that make cause serious issues for you in the present, or nearest future.

What is pelvic floor pain?

This actually refers to the stiffness of various pelvic joints and uneven movements in the muscles of your pelvic floor.

This may not actually harm your child, but it is a very painful experience as you experience difficulty in standing, sitting, and walking.

Tucking your baby in also puts pressure on your transverse’s abdominis, which is a core muscle. This muscle usually provides support to your overall body system, so sucking your stomach in usually puts this muscle in a static position.

If it stays there for a long time, it could cause back pain and disrupt childbirth also.

How can you regulate your stomach muscles when pregnant?

It is actually not a must, but if you really want to do this, you can suck in your baby bump for a very short time. This is done in the first three months of your pregnancy, as it is easier to perform then.

Do not press your baby in while lying down, as it could cause several complications, as it would put lots of pressure on your uterus and harm your child.

It could also increase pressure on your main blood vessel. This vessel is called the vena cava. Too much pressure on your vena cava could cut off your baby and your brain’s blood supply.

Squeezing your stomach while standing upright is actually not an issue as it does not affect your uterus. But ensure that you do not do this for a long period of time.

What else can you do to keep your abdominal muscles in good shape while pregnant?

It is possible to keep your abdominal muscles in great shape while pregnant. Mild aerobic exercises like walking and swimming should be considered.

It will help to keep your body muscles in good shape and strengthen your body core also.

You could also do some sit-ups, as they won’t overstretch your core the way sucking your stomach in does.

You could also go for yoga lessons as they would be of great benefit to you. You should understand that these exercises should be done only during the first three months of your pregnancy.

Do not stress yourself after the first trimester, and you should not overstress your body, as you could harm your baby if you overdo it.

What other exercises can you do while pregnant?

Partaking in exercises while pregnant, should be done under a professional’s guidance, so you do not overstress it.

You should ensure that you only do exercises meant for pregnant people, and these exercises do not Involve putting so much pressure on your stomach.

You can do the pelvic tilt. This is an exercise made specifically for pregnant women. This exercise is done by standing with your back against the wall and opening your feet.

Then you take deep breaths as you move your pelvic area away from the wall while slowly exhaling air.

Then you inhale as you return to your original position. This will help in strengthening your pelvic area and also prepare you for childbirth.

You can also do some breathing exercises to help you exercise your core in the best way possible. You should make lots of research on this issue so that you get lots of information on these exercises.

Eating good food is one important thing that you should never neglect, as it helps in putting your body in good shape, and provide good nutrition for your child.

You should know that you are taking care of yourself and your child during this phase of your life, so you should always make choices that would favor both parties.

Make sure you enjoy every step you take as a pregnant mom and focus on being comfortable first before any other thing.

After you have delivered the baby, you can do lots of things and catch up with every activity you may have missed.