There are many inquiries regarding a pregnant belly button, despite how silly this may sound. Your belly button changes significantly while you are pregnant. Understanding what to anticipate, what is and is not normal, and how to take care of your belly button during pregnancy can be helpful.

Your belly button may occasionally protrude while pregnant. Even if you have been an “amateur” all your life, the expansion of your belly during pregnancy can make you an “amateur”.

So, following pregnancy, will my belly button go back to normal? Yes, your belly button will return to its normal position a few months immediately after delivery, although it may look a little stretched or “lived in”. As a badge of honor, proudly wear it!

In the following article, you will see how your belly button changes during pregnancy and how it returns to its original position after pregnancy. Read on.

Read more: When to Start Using Exercise Ball in Pregnancy: Best Time&Usage – Tips for Health Care

Will My Belly Button Go Back to Normal After Pregnancy？

When that cute little innie you’ve been wearing your entire life suddenly protrudes like a thermometer in a Thanksgiving turkey, it can be a little unsettling. This typically occurs in the third trimester, though if it’s your first child, it might not pop until the end of your pregnancy. Not every pregnant woman who had an innie had an outie; occasionally, it was more of a flat navel.

And the good news is, in almost every case it’ll be back to an innie after the baby comes and your belly shrinks back to normal (or close to it).

But beware: All that stretching may have made it slightly larger than before. Rarely, an umbilical hernia, which occurs when a portion of the intestine protrudes through a hole in the abdominal muscles, causes the belly button to remain out. Hernias typically shrink after pregnancy, but occasionally surgery may be necessary. (Just so you know, babies tend to develop umbilical hernias the most frequently.) After delivery, let your doctor know if you notice anything strange about your belly button.

Changes That Happen to Your Belly Button During Pregnancy

There’s nothing you can do to prevent changes to your navel during pregnancy. Almost all belly buttons pop at some point while a woman is pregnant. A protruding belly button is harmless, just like so many other pregnancy signs.

Belly Button Pops Out

Sometimes during pregnancy, your pregnant belly button will stick out. Even if you’ve been an “innie” all of your life, during pregnancy the expansion of your abdomen can cause you to be an “outie.”

You can only cover this typically transient condition with clothing. Some people use tape to cover their navel to make it appear flatter underneath their clothing. If your belly button has popped out, have your practitioner check it out to ensure you don’t have a hernia. This occasionally occurs during pregnancy or after delivery.

Make sure to get any strange lumps checked out, especially if they hurt or are non-reducible (i.e., they don’t flatten out when you press on them). Umbilical hernias can develop during pregnancy or can worsen an existing one. In 0.08% of pregnancies, an umbilical hernia develops.

Belly Button Piercings and Pregnancy

Many people have their navels pierced prior to becoming pregnant. Each one decides differently on the belly button ring during pregnancy. Especially as the pregnancy progresses, some people decide to have it removed at their doctor’s request.

It is possible that the ring will rip through the umbilical skin as the pregnant belly stretches. To keep the piercing open, many people opt to wear a silicone or plastic ring; they replace the original ring once the baby is born.

Belly Button Hurts

Inside their belly button, pregnant women occasionally experience pain. This can be caused by the stretching of the skin on your abdomen or it can a muscular issue. Never hesitate to let your doctor or midwife know when you are in pain. They could offer advice on how to lessen the suffering. Since the belly stretches, it is usually only temporary.

Belly Button Goes Flat

Another variation of belly button changes is that your belly button can go flat. Yes, as your stomach expands with the baby, you may notice that your belly button becomes flat and taut against your skin.

This is normal, and once your baby is born, your belly button should return to its original position. On occasion, a skin flap with an indent will lay flat. The situation is not alarming.

How to Repair Your Belly Button After Pregnancy?

You might require a medical procedure to treat your hernia if it is large or if it is causing symptoms and pain. The majority of postpartum hernias are treatable via laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery. This indicates that your surgeon will only make a small incision over the hernia site.

Next, a tiny surgical mesh is slipped through the keyhole to “patch” up and strengthen the hole or weakened area in the stomach wall. For very large postpartum hernias, you might require a more involved procedure that helps to suture or use a larger mesh to reconnect the stomach’s muscle wall.

The recovery period is crucial and may be challenging to complete with a small child, regardless of the type of surgery you require. For up to 6 weeks, you must refrain from lifting anything heavier than 10 pounds. The recovery process from surgery could last up to a month.

Your doctor may recommend the “watch and wait” approach if your postpartum hernia is small and not causing symptoms or discomfort. This means waiting to see if the hernia gets better on its own as your abdominal wall and stomach muscles get stronger day by day.

A larger hernia may not go away on its own, but you may not wish to have surgery if it’s not causing any symptoms. Any postpartum hernia, no matter how small, should be reported to your doctor. To ensure it doesn’t worsen or produce symptoms, it’s crucial to have it examined.

Summary

Since your belly moves forward due to the rapid growth of your uterus, even the most inwardly turning belly button can become an outer garment during pregnancy. Usually, your belly button can return to its original shape after pregnancy, however, if you feel any particular pain in your belly button, please contact your doctor promptly.