What's the matter with a line below the belly button

Some female friends find a line below their belly button during pregnancy. Those who don’t know may wonder if they have some disease in their body. In fact, this is not the case. Generally speaking, this line is called the midline of the abdomen, and it is normal to appear during pregnancy.

The human abdomen has many layers from the outside to the inside, they are the skin, skin elastic fibers, subcutaneous fat layer, rectus abdominis muscle composed of muscle fiber groups and tendons, preperitoneal fat layer and peritoneum. Under normal circumstances, the elastic fibers of the skin and the rectus abdominis muscle maintain a certain elasticity and can stretch and contract freely within a certain limit. When a woman is pregnant for more than 3 months, the enlarged uterus protrudes from the pelvic cavity and develops into the abdominal cavity. The abdomen begins to swell, and under the influence of the enlarged uterus, the elastic fibers in the skin and the abdominal muscles begin to stretch. This is especially evident after 6 months of pregnancy. When it exceeds a certain limit, the elastic fibers of the skin are broken and the rectus abdominis tendon also separates to varying degrees. As a result, irregular pink or purple longitudinal cracks appear on the skin of the abdomen. After childbirth, although the broken elastic fibers are gradually repaired, it is difficult to restore to their previous state. The original cracks on the skin will gradually fade and finally turn silver-white, which are stretch marks. The occurrence of stretch marks is related to physical constitution. Not every pregnant woman will have stretch marks, and the severity of stretch marks varies from person to person. The most common area for stretch marks to occur is the abdomen.

The location and color of stretch marks. Stretch marks are purple or pink stripes that appear on the lower abdomen, thighs, buttocks, chest or back during pregnancy. According to statistics, about 70% to 90% of pregnant women will develop stretch marks during their first pregnancy, which is a great annoyance for women who love beauty. As the local skin is stretched and thinned, the capillaries and vein walls in the dermis also expand and become thinner, exposing the color of the blood and causing the skin stripes to appear purple or pink. After delivery, the broken elastic fibers are slowly repaired, the capillaries and venous walls in the dermis will gradually thicken, and the color of the skin stripes will gradually fade to white or silver-white. However, the skin cannot be completely restored to its pre-pregnancy state without cracks. It is best to use stretch mark repair products to accelerate the repair.

prevention

After pregnancy, the maintenance process becomes more complicated. You should insist on moderate exercise such as walking; ensure a balanced and nutritious diet, avoid excessive intake of carbohydrates and excess calories, which will lead to excessive weight gain; the water temperature should not be too high when showering, you can use water that is slightly cooler than body temperature to rinse the abdomen, and gently massage the abdominal skin to enhance skin elasticity. Specifically, we can start from the following aspects:

1. Balanced diet: Rich vitamins and minerals should be supplemented during pregnancy. Since collagen fibers themselves are made of protein, you can consume more protein-rich foods. Avoid consuming foods that are too oily, sweet (prone to obesity), or too salty (prone to edema).

2. Weight gain: In terms of the extent of weight gain during pregnancy, the monthly weight gain should not exceed 2 kg, and should be controlled between 11 and 14 kg throughout the pregnancy.

3. Take some health care products appropriately: There are some health care products for pregnant women, which can promote the growth of dermal fibers, increase skin elasticity and prevent pregnancy. However, it is recommended not to take medicine casually, but ask a doctor for help. Otherwise, if you accidentally take hormone drugs, it will cause similar stretch marks.

4. Use a belly support belt: it can bear the gravity burden of the abdomen and reduce excessive stretching and pulling of the skin.

5. Use professional stretch mark removal products: This is the most effective way to prevent and reduce stretch marks. Expectant mothers who have the conditions can buy products that suit them.