The Case Of The Sinking Baby Belly

I don’t know that the way I’m carrying this baby has much to do with what gender he/she is. After looking at belly pics from all three pregnancies this week, it seems my baby house (as my sister likes to call it) is just… having some foundation issues?

I will say that 90% of people guess I’m having a boy because of the way I’m carrying- all out in front. But check out the way I carried Kendall! Man, I got huge EVERYWHERE when I was pregnant with him. This was at 32 weeks.

This is from the maternity pics Regetis Photography of Warrenton, VA took. See more here.

This pregnancy, I seem to be carrying much more like I did with Leyna. This was at 36 weeks with Leyna. (Alongside my younger, obviously not pregnant sister.)

And this is me this time, taken last week at 33 weeks. Similar to Leyna, but lower. And I think I’ll look bigger than I did with Leyna by the time I hit 36 weeks.

Everyone seems to comment on my changing hair color. The story behind that is I dyed my hair dark with a plant-based dye with the first 2 pregnancies because I didn’t want to expose myself to the chemicals in highlights. But then? The first 2 kids made my gray hairs multiply exponentially, and there is really no way to fight it now other than to highlight my hair (which I think is fine, after doing some research). So… yay 3rd baby! You are loved, I promise.

Here’s a side by side by side of all 3.

The people who’ve seen all three of these pictures lined up actually tend to guess I’m having a girl. I’m sure there’s no real science to any of it. It is fun to guess, though.

(Oh, and I put on the same exact weight with both Kendall and Leyna- 43 lbs. I’m up about 33 lbs now, so it’s possible I’ll be coasting in close to that again.)

My midwife said that things can be naturally lower with each pregnancy, especially for women like me who grow such big babies. We wound up having this discussion when I expressed my concern that my Braxton Hicks contractions this time (which I’ve felt since very early in my first trimester) are so strong I feel them in my butt at this point. And that’s… concerning when out in public, but apparently normal and the fault of tired pelvic floor muscles.

I can’t imagine what my body would look like if I put it through this again, except maybe like a bowling ball in a laundry sack? Yeah, probably that.

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50 Things to Do Before You Deliver: The First Time Moms Pregnancy Guide
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