Belly buttons
 

I know that it is common to have your belly button stretch and pop out into an outie during pregnancy. So far mine has been stretching but hasn't popped out yet, but, no doubt, it will pop out sometime soon.

But yesterday it started hurting! Is that normal? It is stretching a lot, so the innards of the button are kind of exposed, and it just feels really tender. And I'm getting strange nerve feelings that kind of radiate out from the navel to the rest of my torso. It just feels really funny. Similar to sometimes when you stick your finger deep inside your belly button and it feels funny. (Do you like my infantile description?? It feels "funny!!")

Oh, yes. It stretched, got uncomfortable, and popped-out during my first pregnancy. It was really, really uncomfortable, weird feeling, almost nauseating. And you're doing twins, so you're going to feel that moreso.

By my second pregnancy and beyond, it didn't bother me. It was almost "limp" when it it popped out the second time...like it was broken. Mine looks fairly normal now, after 4 big babies...although it's a bit lower than it used to be.

If it's really bothering you, you should talk to your doctor about it. It's possible to get an umbilical hernia dring pregnancy.

Thanks for the reassurance that what I'm feeling is normal. I'll tell my doc and I'll survive. But it's so yucky feeling! I kind of just want to shoot it up with novocaine so that it's numb!

Be careful what you wish for...

The skin of my lower belly, from belly button to pubic bone...is numb, and has been numb since my first baby was born. I think it's from c-section scar tissue. Many women come out of pregnancy with numb bellies, and being a twin mom, you're more likely to have that too, simply due to the extreme stretching.

My belly button popped when I was 15 weeks pregnant wit my first and never went back in. After my second, I ended up with an umbilical hernia and had a 4 inch diastasis. :( Pregnancy can do such a number on your body.

Yep, my bellybutton is permanently deformed. I also have a big diastasis and an umbilical hernia. Why do I want to do this again? LOL

I have an umbilical hernia as well...not sure what a diastisis is? Just curious. My hernia hurt really bad during my second pregnancy...Addison seemed to like kicking the darn area....it got better after I got so big...not sure why.

Has anybody had their hernia fixed? I would love to have it...it still bothers me sometimes.

Because babies are cute. It's a trick! Don't let them fool you. They GROW UP and turn into...people. It took me a long time to figure it out...

I lived in constant pain from the hernia. It hurt to push a heavy shopping cart or even to pick up my kids. Diastasis is muscle seperation and is what causes a pooch. No matter how many sit-ups you do, it won't get better. In fact, they can make it worse.

When my youngest was 2 1/2, I had a full tummy tuck to repair the diastasis & remove loose skin and had the hernia repaired.

Mine popped out towards the end of my pregnancy with my first but it went back in after delivery, although it was a bit stretched out.
With this pregnancy, it popped out around 15 weeks or so and it's so freaking out there you can see it through my clothes. It's like this little nub sticking out. People are always commenting on it. I'm hoping it will go back in a bit after delivery but I'm not sure. :sad7:

I was told that unless the hernia is painful, you don't need to have it fixed. Mine doesn't hurt.

Diastasis recti is when your abdominal muscles get separated. Normally, the two bands run next to each other down your front, but with a diastasis, they get pushed apart and their is a gap between them. It weakens your abs and pelvic floor. When I try to reach something high or lift something heavy, it hurts like I have pulled something.

You have to do special exercises to fix it. Sit-ups won't help--they can actually make it worse.

I don't remember belly button pain specifically, but mine looks all weird now where I used to have a piercing. I removed it a couple years before I got pregnant, but the holes where the ring went are stretched out or something.

Thanks for the answers. I must have that as well..I have a big bump still where my belly button should go in. Great, situps don't help. I would love to have it fixed...maybe when my little one gets older. I was wondering if a tummy tuck along with it would work. :)

Iris, what exercises help?

It will. :) I love my results, though the road to recovery was a long one.

It's a very mean trick. :angry7: But they're so damn cute in the meantime! I'm almost wanting another one already, even with my two hellions tearing my house apart. Almost. ;)

To answer the OP, my belly button got really itchy at a certain point. Mine never popped, it just stretched and stretched until it was basically flat. I also have a pierced belly button, and it was pretty uncomfortable where it's pierced, I'm guessing bc it doesn't stretch as well in that spot.

Thanks for all the helpful replies and extra info! My navel discomfort has decreased a bit in the last couple of days. Maybe because of the reassurance that it is somewhat normal, or maybe it was because the babies were growing and stretching it a lot. I will keep my eye on it though and let my doc know if the discomfort is bad.

I keep having baby dreams! They're so cute! Last night I dreamt that I could see my baby's face push through my skin, like how you can see kicks, bulges and movements through the skin sometimes. In my dream I got so excited to see it and I pulled out my iphone and was taking all kinds of pictures and holding my belly/baby. I can't wait!