Why Is My Pregnant Belly Sometimes Hard And Sometimes Soft? Explained

Why is my pregnant belly sometimes hard and sometimes soft? It is a common question for all mothers-to-be. Your belly goes through many changes during these nine months of pregnancy. The uterus grows and makes a place for the baby to grow physically. The pregnancy belly tightens with time; in medical terms, this is known as Uterus Hypersthenia.

Usually, the pregnancy belly starts to tighten at the end of the second trimester. It might feel like getting period cramps. Sometimes, for a few women, the tightening starts early, from 12 weeks and

Let’s figure out why the pregnancy belly hardens and softens occasionally.  

From the beginning of the third trimester, the hardness of the belly goes away, and it starts to feel normal. This happens to every pregnant woman, and there is nothing to worry about. Every pregnancy is different, and thus the reason behind the belly getting hard or soft can be different for every woman.

Abrupt placenta  

Along with the uterus, the placenta also grows, acts as a life support for the baby, and supplies all the nutrients that the baby needs. Sometimes the placenta gets detached from the uterine wall. This makes the uterus hard, and if the pregnant belly becomes heavy and tight and the feeling stays for a long time, then you must visit a doctor.

The placenta detaches itself from the uterine wall during the baby’s delivery, and if that happens before time, it can get seriously harmed. This doesn’t happen very often but happens to almost 1.5% of pregnant women worldwide.

And sometimes, the hardening of the belly signifies ectopic pregnancy. In this case, the fertilized egg grows inside the fallopian tube.

The uterus brushes against the belly.  

During these nine months of pregnancy, the uterus grows from the size of a peach to the size of a watermelon. And to accommodate itself with its growing size, it pushes and brushes against the pregnancy belly.

When the second trimester ends, the uterus is between the pelvic bone and the belly button. When the uterus expands, it presses against the stomach wall. This growth inside the stomach is responsible for the feeling that your belly is getting tighter.

Pregnancy fat gain  

You will gain weight during pregnancy, well, it is good fat, so it is needless to worry, but the changes your look and makes your belly feel tight. When you show the pregnancy belly, the fat cells accommodate the uterus. This happens in the second trimester. You might even experience period cramps as the fat cells accumulate in the belly.

Digestion troubles and imbalance in the diet.  

Pregnant women often ask, “Why is my pregnant belly sometimes hard and sometimes soft?” another reason for this is constipation. During pregnancy, you should have a diet that is rich in fibrous foods and nutrients. Your diet helps in the growth of the baby.

There are many reasons behind getting constipated during pregnancy, and all these factors make the pregnancy belly harden and feel heavy. An adequate amount of water and adding more fibrous food to your diet can help you with the problem.

Bouncy Castle  

It is okay to wonder if your little one is comfortable inside you or not. Your belly is like a bouncy castle for your baby. But as your baby grows, he or she becomes active, and that is when the pregnancy belly has to take the hit for it. Every time your baby kicks, your belly will tighten in response to it.

But this reaction only happens to accommodate the activities, and it can be quite comfortable for the mother to know that her baby is all okay in there. This can make you feel bloated, and this discomfort doesn’t last for long.

Eating for two  

It is not necessary to eat for two because you are pregnant. Their digestive system doesn’t form so quickly. But you can overeat sometimes because of the pregnancy cravings. And overeating can make your pregnancy belly feel tight and bloated.

Eat as much as you normally eat, and try avoiding overeating. Just because you are craving, do not indulge in the entire tub of ice cream or a whole packet of chips.

Round ligament pain  

It is normal to sometimes feel a sharp pain in your groin or lower belly during pregnancy. There are many ligaments and thick tissues that surround the belly and uterus. The round ligament is one of them and stretches from the womb to the groin.

This can make your belly hard suddenly when you feel the gush of pain like someone is jabbing you in your tummy. This is when your soft belly feels hard suddenly.  Use a heating pad to get relief from this pain.

Braxton hicks contraction  

You feel Braxton hicks contractions when you reach the final trimester. This makes the muscles of your belly contract, which is why it feels hard and tight. These last for a minute or less and are not regular like real contractions.

Though they are not real, the pain you feel during these contractions feels very much real and prepares you for the real deal.

It’s the baby time!  

This time the belly feels extremely hard and tight. This sensation signifies that the baby is about to make its entrance into this world. This will not stop until the baby is born. It will tighten with each contraction.

contraction is different for every person, but the pain is extreme, and the womb’s tightening will only relax when the baby is out in the world. This answers the question, “ Why is my pregnant belly sometimes hard and sometimes soft?”

Why does my belly feels soft when I lie down?

It is normal for your pregnancy belly to tighten towards the end of your pregnancy when the due date is coming near or because of several other reasons throughout the pregnancy. It is quite mysterious how it feels soft sometimes, especially when lying down.

In theory, it is believed that when you lie down in a comfortable position, the muscles relax, and then the pregnancy belly feels squishy and soft. So if you are trying to lower the pain, relaxing and making yourself comfortable is better.

Belly Feeling Hard & Soft During Pregnancy Throughout Trimesters

Here are the different symptoms you would notice during pregnancy – 

1st Trimester	2nd Trimester	3rd Trimester
In the first trimester, your tummy can feel hard and soft at times, and the reasons can be as follows:   The uterus is expanding to accommodate the baby.  The baby is growing a a faster pace.  You have some digestive issues like bloating,  constipation, and more.  There might be potential chances of miscarriage. But note that stomach tightening alone isn’t the best symptom to come to a solution about that.   It’s best to consult your doctor for a more clear answer.	If you are experiencing it in the second trimester, the reasons can be the following – Round ligament pain is one of the reasons. The ligaments that are supporting your uterus can cause a dull, aching sensation.  Braxton hicks contractions start in the second trimester and can be the cause behind stomach tightening feelings.  The baby changing its position can also cause varying levels of sensations and changes in the body.	When the third trimester nears, you have more reasons to feel the sensation of the stomach tightening and feeling soft – This is the moment when the round ligament pain grows and becomes extremely difficult to tolerate.  The pain intensifies when the ligament stretches.  Frequent Braxton Hick contractions become common when the body prepares when the body starts to prepare your body for labor. Very limited wiggle room since the space in the uterus decreases the baby’s movements c, causing tightness. True labor contractions can cause strong and consistent tightening, and it can be accompanied by other different signs of labor.

Wrapping Up!  

It is quite common for pregnant women to question, “Why is my pregnant belly sometimes hard and sometimes soft?” and there are several reasons behind it. But there is nothing to worry about as this is quite normal during pregnancy.

So if you are feeling the tightness and the feeling of bloating in your belly, you should relax so that the muscles can also help ease the tightness.

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