All about a pregnancy line or linea nigra

Also read: What eye color will your baby have?

Hormones and abs

The line appears in the middle of your abdominal muscles. As soon as you are pregnant and your belly is stretched, your abdominal muscles shift more and more to the side. The piece of skin in between then discolours due to the increase in pregnancy hormones in your body. During your pregnancy, you produce more pigment, which causes the linea alba to slowly change into the linea nigra. The increase in pigment in your skin can also cause discolouration on the rest of your body. The most common is the pregnancy mask, where the skin on the face becomes a lot darker. In principle, the darker your skin colour, the faster the line appears. If you naturally have very light skin, your line will be less visible or perhaps not visible at all.

Also read: Pregnancy calendar: your pregnancy week by week

What can you do about the linea nigra?

About three quarters of women get a clear dark line across their belly. In many cases, this runs from the pubic bone to the navel, in 'the lucky few' it continues a bit above the navel. Due to your hormone balance and increase in pigment, there is little you can do about this. However, you can ensure that you protect your skin extra when you are in the sun. Apply extra sunscreen to your belly or draw a line over your pregnancy line with a sunblocker or sunscreen with a high factor. And what else? Wear your pregnancy line with pride!

Also read: Contractions: the different types and how to recognize them

How long does the pregnancy line remain visible?

The pregnancy line usually appears when your abdominal muscles are pulled further apart. This usually happens in your second or third trimester. After giving birth, the line remains visible for a while, but it slowly becomes less pronounced as the pregnancy hormones in your body decrease. After about six months to a year, the line is completely gone. Although it can remain visible a little longer if you are breastfeeding (for a long time).

Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org
https://americanpregnancy.org