How many of you experienced the protruding belly button during pregnancy?
How many of you have seen that belly button proudly pushing through clothes on pregnant women?
I have an outie. For those who have no clue what an outie or innie belly button is, here’s the difference.
Innie navel. Just a hole with no outer skin.
Outie navel with layers of skin surrounding the hole
Here is a modest belly button during pregnancy. Depending on how your skin stretches, it can get really out there… poking through your clothes and leading the way.
howshealth.com
It’s uncomfortable when the skin stretches taut and tight over your belly. Gets itchy too. That’s why we use lots of Vitamin E, cocoa butter, stretch mark creams to provide relief to dry, stretched skin.
It’s a badge of honour of pregnancy really. Your body undergoing changes to produce a miracle – another being in your body with the will of God.
I’ve had comments of:
‘It looks so funny.’
It looks weird.’
‘Why don’t you cover it? It’s like so obvious.’
Each making you feel even more insecure about your changing body. Each comment said with no inkling of what it does to you.
And then you have those who reach out to help themselves by rubbing your tummy UNINVITED or even playing with your belly button. I didn’t know that being pregnant means my extended body is now public property. I don’t have qualms letting people touch my belly or if I take their hands and let them feel my tightness or when little one is bulging out one side of my tummy. However, there is still a violation when one just reaches out and starts feeling your tum-tum!
It’s the same if someone just reaches out and fondles your boobs just cos they are ‘external’ 😡 It’s still violation.
Anyways… I digress. There are belly button covers available, like those rubber silicone gel to paste over your navel. They are costly though and given the amount of sweating we are doing, that’s the last thing you want sticking to your skin.
If you are wearing maternity pants, the band to support your preggy tummy plus your longer top would reduce the protrusion. With leggings and normal top however, your button would proudly shove through… not like an erection! It’s not so vulgar but you definitely attract stares as someone walks in the opposite direction towards you. It’s perfectly normal. They are just wondering if that’s normal or if that’s a plug that you pull when you are going to give birth 😛
I nearly wanted to cover it up due to the comments I received but hubby’s been a really supportive force. He said no need to cover up as this is all part of pregnancy. Let naysayers be naysayers. What do they know? Just because they haven’t gone through it/didn’t go through it, doesn’t mean someone else aka me is not going through it.
I’m so fortunate he has been really supportive of me and my changing body rather than taking a disgust at it. Normally, we are already insecure. Plus pregnancy changes and hormones… you really test yourself and your partner’s limits. Hahahhaha.
Thank you God for giving me this gem who helps me tide through my/our challenges… it wasn’t easy. It’s beyond trying when he doesn’t understand or he tries to yet still doesn’t get it and I end up in a crying, frustrated, hurt mess. I’m always happy that we are still together, stronger, and more loving. Thank you for helping us.
Little one, this is for you. 