Pregnancy can be intimidating, especially if you are being fed all the wrong information about your body type. While a short torso does have some impact on your pregnancy, a short-torso pregnancy is not drastically different than a long-torso one. Although it has its own set of drawbacks to consider, we have some useful tips that may help you.
Pregnancy is a magical experience, but new moms-to-be with short torsos tend to be nervous due to their torso size. Although it can have an impact on your pregnancy, it does not cause anything serious. Many factors can impact a pregnancy besides a woman’s torso size. So don’t fret!
Does a Short Torso Affect Pregnancy?
Short women are reported to have uncomfortable third trimesters.
A shorter torso gives little vertical space for the baby to grow. Without sufficient space for the baby to grow in an upward direction, the baby grows outward, causing a bigger baby bump. This can become uncomfortable for the mother as the huge belly makes movement difficult.
However, this in no way restricts the baby’s growth, as he or she has ample space growing forward. It may make the pregnant belly appear bigger, but for the child, it still has everything needed for normal growth. Moreover, a shorter torso doesn’t have any impact on a baby’s height; shorter women have been known to give birth to healthy, tall babies.
It is also a misconception that shorter women tend to need c-sections more often than taller women. About 74% of short women have normal deliveries, showing that the need for a c-section isn’t dependent on torso size. Your pregnancy is more dependent upon your health and fitness than the size of your torso.
Health and Fitness of the mother
Healthy women give birth to healthy babies and women who are in peak physical condition have the greatest chances of conceiving babies. Women who exercise regularly, be they short or tall, tend to have smoother pregnancies and quicker labors.
This means less pain and fewer complications. They also tend to remain healthier in the post-birth period and are more equipped to tackle postpartum blues. However, cases on the contrary also exist.
Overall, it is clear that you need to have a healthy routine if you want to have an amazing birthing experience.
Tips for Remaining Comfortable in Third Trimester
These tips will prove handy for women with shorter torsos. Other pregnant women can also benefit. Let’s dive in!
- Wearing comfortable clothes
This is a must for women of any torso size. You should wear flowy, stretchy, and loose clothing. Don’t wear materials that make you feel hot or irritated. Also, don’t wear tight clothes as they can put the bump’s shape in an uncomfortable position.
- Taking a walk
You can take short walks during your third trimester. Don’t overexert yourself in the early stages of your pregnancy. You can also try easy exercises for making your abdominal muscles strong. Making abdominal muscles strong supports your torso, which in turn supports your baby.
- Eating small meals
Consuming nutritious foods is significant to a baby’s overall health. Eat healthy foods as small meals after every few hours. You should also give in to your wildest cravings from time to time, as your body often uses cravings to signal what your baby needs.
- Remaining relaxed
You have to break ties with overthinking right now. If you stay up worrying that having a short torso will put your baby’s health in jeopardy, you may harm yourself and your baby due to overstressing. Just keep your mind relaxed and indulge in mood-elevating activities.
Is Pregnancy Easier With a Long Torso?
There is no major difference in pregnancies of women with short versus long torsos. The only difference is that with a longer torso, the child grows in the vertical position. This means that the uterus stays narrow, producing a significantly smaller bump.
A small bump does help when quick movements are required. However, the uncomfortable condition in the last days of pregnancy is very similar in women with both shorter and longer torsos.
You may be more likely to remain comfortable and have easier pregnancies and deliveries if you have children back to back. This is because the hormones in the body stretch the uterus muscles permanently and they remain loose after delivery. Consequently, they make second and third pregnancies easier. Other than this, there is no actual medical evidence that the longer torso size makes pregnancy easier.
Guessing by the shape of the baby bump
Some women try to guess whether a woman is going to have an easy pregnancy or not depending upon the shape of their bumps.
There are all kinds of baby bump shapes. Some women have little bumps due to longer torsos. They have a lesser chance of premature deliveries. Some women have a b-shape bump which gives a pear-like shape to the body. This isn’t a permanent position but a result of the baby moving inside and changing the shape of the baby bump.
People even try to guess the gender of the baby by looking at the shape of the belly, often saying that lower belly bumps mean the baby is a girl. It’s a myth that you can guess the gender by belly shape.
Whatever the shape of the belly is, it is hardly evidence of how easy or difficult a pregnancy will end up being. At the end of the day, every woman is different.
Do You Show Sooner With Short Torso?
Pregnancies differ from woman to woman. Some feel nauseous while others don’t feel a thing. Similarly, some appear pregnant early on while others show only minor baby bumps, even later on.
Pregnant bellies of short women are more likely to show en in the early stages. It also depends on the number of babies a mother is carrying. If a mother is carrying twins or triplets, she is likely to appear bigger in the early months.
Pregnant women who are already overweight may also show sooner. However, this is not always the case. The size of the fetus also determines if you are going to show sooner or later. It would be wrong to blame a short torso entirely if you show at the early stages of your pregnancy.
Does Height Affect Baby Bump?
Being of a short height does not impact the baby or baby bump in any way. Shorter women have given birth to tall babies and do so all the time without any significant issues. However, as discussed before, it is the shorter torso that can make the baby bump look bigger.
Women with short torsos tend to have bumps that protrude more than those of women with longer torsos. Sometimes taller people have short torsos. They also experience pregnancy in the same way that shorter women with shorter torsos do. This has no impact on the baby’s health. Research thoroughly before believing old wives’ tales that a woman must have a longer torso in order for her baby to grow and thrive.
Impact of genetics in determining the baby’s height
Genetics plays a vital role in determining the height of a baby. It is often seen that tall parents have tall offspring. Even if one of the parents is small and the entire family is tall, the baby born usually has the same bone structure as his other family members.
This rules out the misconception that a smaller bump or a shorter torso has any impact on the baby’s height or that babies have less room inside of a shorter mother. They are not destined to be vertically challenged nor do they have issues with their legs. There is no need to worry about their legs’ length.
Do Short Torso Moms Deliver Early?
A study of short pregnant women conducted in Sweden concluded that women with short torsos deliver earlier than taller women. The chances of early delivery in shorter women are almost twice as they are in taller women.
However, the doctors involved also concluded that this does not mean that a shorter woman will give birth prematurely. Other factors such as genetics, mother’s health, and fetal condition influence pregnancies that do not go to full term.
Cherish Your Pregnant Belly!
Giving birth is a phenomenal experience. There is absolutely no reason why you should be fearful due to your short torso.
A healthy pregnancy is all that you should care about. If you have a short torso and you feel uncomfortable during your third trimester, you can always try the tips that we discussed. Other than that, sit back and relax.
This is the time to be excited and enjoy impending motherhood. Welcome your first baby into this new world with excitement. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience; don’t waste it on unfounded worries.
