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When you are pregnant, you will start observing several changes in your body that happen mostly due ...

Changes such as weight gain, breast enlargement, baby bump, and Linea Nigra are common and highly observable. While there is nothing you can do to completely avoid these changes, you certainly can manage them better.

Everything you need to know about Linea Nigra, the line around your belly  

A dark vertical line that may appear on the centre of a woman's abdomen during pregnancy

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Everything You Need to Know About Linea Nigra, the Line Around Your Belly

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During pregnancy, a woman&rsquo;s body goes through several changes that are hard to track. While th...

What does that line on your pregnant belly mean and why it appears

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Healthy eating during pregnancy is critical to your baby's growth and development. In order to get the nutrients you need, you must eat from a variety of food groups, including fruits and vegetables, breads and grains, protein sources and dairy products

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What Does That Line on Your Pregnant Belly Mean and Why It Appears

<p>When you are pregnant, you will start observing several changes in your body that happen mostly due to hormonal changes. While some of these changes are subtle or do not show on your body such as mood changes, aches, etc. others do. Changes such as weight gain, breast enlargement, baby bump, and Linea Nigra are common and highly observable. While there is nothing you can do to completely avoid these changes, you certainly can manage them better.<br />
Linea Nigra is one such change that can annoy mothers as it might not go away and can ruin your summer bikini look. To understand how to manage this change, let us first talk about what this line represents.</p>

<h2><strong>Linea Nigra</strong></h2>

<p>Linea Nigra is a vertical line that shows up on the belly and is considered to be a pregnancy trademark that shows up on pregnant women. This line usually starts from your abdomen and goes all the way down to your pubic area. Linea Nigra is usually more prominent on darker skin.<br />
This line is always present in the body but gets highlighted during pregnancy as the stomach starts to <a href="https://mylofamily.com/care/stretch-marks-cream-with-saffron-shea-butter-kokum-200-gm-599?">stretch.</a> This line will start getting darker by the time you reach your second trimester. This line is also affected by pregnancy hormones as it causes your skin to become hyperpigmented, or darkened.</p>

<h2><strong>What can you do?</strong></h2>

<p>While there is no effective way to avoid Linea Nigra to appear on your body, you can follow these tips to make it less pronounced.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Covering up your skin when you go outside will help avoid discoloration of your skin.</li>
	<li>UV rays can intensify the darkening of the skin which will make the Linea Nigra more prominent.</li>
	<li>Eating healthy food can also help make the Linea Nigra less prominent.</li>
</ul>

<p>A folic acid deficiency can cause hyperpigmentation which in turn makes the line appear more drastically. Make sure to eat green vegetables, and fruits and consume your prenatal vitamins.<br />
Following these tips can help to make the Linea Nigra less prominent. There is no proven way to avoid this from happening altogether. However, the visibility of Linea Nigra varies from person to person according to their skin color and health.<br />
Well, you might be glad to know that Linea Nigra is not permanent. It soon starts to disappear after you give birth. Generally, you will start seeing it disappearing slowly after a few months of your delivery. So, no matter how weird it might look, you should enjoy it as it is a part of the process and your pregnancy journey.</p>

<p> </p>

<h3><strong>References</strong></h3>

<p>1. Korean Journal of Obstetrics &amp; Gynecology 2008. (2008). The clinical study of linea nigra in pregnancy. ogscience.org</p>

<p>2. Dabette, Kharkongor Larisa; Bijayanti, Devi Th.; Hafi, Bishurul N. A.; Singh, Ranjit L. (2018). Skin Changes during Pregnancy: A Study from Northeast India. journals.lww.com</p>


<p>During pregnancy, a woman&rsquo;s body goes through several changes that are hard to track. While the majority of these changes are hormonal and do not reflect on the outer body, on the other hand some changes do. Linea Nigra is one such physical change that shows up on your abdomen and is generally caused due to hormonal changes in your body during pregnancy.</p>

<p>Linea Nigra is referred to as a line that starts from your belly button and goes all the way down to your pubic region. However, in rare cases, this line can even extend to your breasts. No matter the size, colour, shape of the line, it is entirely natural and is seen in the majority of women during pregnancy.</p>

<h2><strong>What causes Linea Nigra? </strong></h2>

<p>Linea Nigra is generally a result of hormonal changes. These hormonal changes can increase the melanin secretion in your body, which is responsible for skin pigmentation. This skin pigmentation can show up as a dark line on your stomach during pregnancy. While every skin colour can have Linea Nigra, it is more prominent on dark skin.</p>

<h2><strong>When does it appear? </strong></h2>

<p>Usually, women start observing a line emergence on their belly during their second trimester and will last throughout the pregnancy. It is generally 1 centimetre wide and can have varying lengths.</p>

<h2><strong>Should you be worried? </strong></h2>

<p>Apart from its physical appearance, Linea Nigra is nothing to be worried about. It only has cosmetics value and will not harm your or your baby&rsquo;s health in any way. The good news is that this line will automatically start disappearing once you have given birth.</p>

<h2><strong>When does it go away? </strong></h2>

<p>Linea Nigra starts disappearing after a few months of giving birth and will slowly fade away. Doctors advise not to make it disappear artificially by using cosmetics or bleach as it will harm you and your child then. Let it naturally disappear with time.</p>

<h2><strong>Can you avoid it? </strong></h2>

<p>No, it is not possible to altogether avoid Linea Nigra as it is a hormonal change. However, you can minimize the discolouration by following some tips. Firstly, avoid direct sun on your belly as UV rays promote discolouration. Also, do not use tanning beds for the same reason. Keep your stomach covered at all times to reduce the prominence of the Linea Nigra.</p>

<h2><strong>Conclusion </strong></h2>

<p>A woman&rsquo;s body goes through several changes during pregnancy, and Linea Nigra is one of them. No matter how displeasing it might look, it is a lifetime experience and should be cherished before it goes away.</p>

<p>You may like: <a href="https://mylofamily.com//article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-linea-nigra-the-25195">Everything you need to know about Linea Nigra, the line around your belly (mylofamily.com)</a></p>

<h3>References</h3>

<p>1. George AO, Shittu OB, Enwerem E, Wachtel M, Kuti O. (2005). The incidence of lower mid-trunk hyperpigmentation (linea nigra) is affected by sex hormone levels. NCBI</p>

<p> </p>


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