Pregnant Belly Vs Fat Belly Difference

Regardless of social status, age, or gender, it is the Ultimate desire of every person to be in the best shape. Talking about attractive appearance the first thing which everyone wish is a flat belly. But the harsh reality is that belly is the body part that consists of the most stubborn fat.

We all have heard such jokes that are you pregnant? No, it is my food baby. Sadly, it is hard to find pregnant belly vs fat belly difference. People often confuse both conditions. It is important to know why your belly is growing. Either it can be good news about pregnancy or you have been munching on your favorite food a lot.

In this article, we will be discussing the difference between a fat belly and pregnant belly. But before heading towards it let us give you a brief introduction regarding fat vs pregnant belly.

What Is a Pregnant Belly?

Soon after a pregnant woman gets into 12 weeks of pregnancy she will start noticing differences in her belly. When the fetus is growing in size the uterus expands to accommodate it inside the belly. Hence, it increases the size of the stomach.

The fetus and growing uterus will be exerting pressure on the wall of your stomach and other organs. It will give a firm pressurized look to the stomach. If you are experiencing a pregnant belly before 12 weeks then it is most probably the initial symptom of pregnancy such as bloating. During the initial phase, it is not the pregnant belly but the stomach fat but after 12 weeks you will feel a much harder and firm belly.

What Is Belly Fat?

Belly fat is completely different from pregnant belly because it is squishy and soft. You will not experience a smooth firm belly rather there will be stomach layers.

Although it is not necessary that fat will accumulate in the stomach. There are several other organs such as arms, thighs, and breasts where fat accumulation takes place. Still, the most common part of a woman’s body where most fat storage takes place is the tummy. Belly fat is the toughest fat in the body.

Pregnant Belly Vs Fat Belly Difference

It is not much hard to understand belly fat vs pregnancy difference. During pregnancy, several changes are taking place in the body of a woman. Unfortunately, it becomes a little stressful to learn why these changes are taking place in the body.

As the pregnancy progress, the first change that every pregnant woman experience is the increase in uterus size. When the uterus grows it exerts pressure on the stomach walls increasing the belly size. The tissues of the pregnant women’s stomach start hardening to protect the fetus from the external environment. It also provides support to the baby’s weight and development.

Since every woman has a different body, no one can predict what will be the size of their belly at a certain point. It still depends on factors such as height, body weight, muscle tone, the shape of the body, bone structure, and how many pregnancies the woman previously had, one can do the prediction of their belly size.

Those women who have previously given birth can develop a much larger belly. During the first time their tissues have already started the growth so in their second pregnancy the tissues grow much faster.

Belly Fat or Pregnant Belly: How to Identify?

There are different types of pregnancy tests through which you can assure your pregnancy. You can do a strip test at home or a blood test in a clinic to confirm your pregnancy. After confirming the pregnancy belly growth is not the first sign that you experience. Even before a pregnant belly, there will be several symptoms and development taking place in the body.

Symptoms of Pregnancy: Pregnant Belly Awareness

A full-term pregnancy is of 42 weeks and divided into three trimesters. You will experience physical and mood changes throughout your pregnancy. Even before your baby bump will appear, you will experience early pregnancy symptoms during the first trimester. Other than the confirmation test, most women get an idea about their pregnancy through the early symptoms. So let’s discuss some of the symptoms that can be a reason for a possible pregnancy

  • Morning Sickness

Morning sickness during pregnancy can occur at any time of the day. You feel nausea with or without vomiting.

  •  Frequent Urge for Urination

Due to pregnancy hormones, you can experience frequent urination, diarrhea, or even constipation.

  •  Tiredness

In pregnancy, you have several hormonal changes going on in the body due to which you will always feel sleepy and tired.

  • Spotting

During the initial pregnancy, women can experience implantation bleeding or irregular spotting for a few days.

  • Body Pain

The tiredness from hormonal changes can cause back pain irritation of nipples and headache.

Reasons of Belly Fat? If Not Pregnant

If you are not pregnant then the only reason left for a bulging stomach is belly fat. Let’s discuss all the possible reasons for belly fat.

  • Less Physical Activity

The main reason for building stomach fat is a sedentary lifestyle. You may have observed that people who do office jobs mostly suffer from belly fat. While those people who have jobs with physical activity complain less about belly fat. The main reason is a lack of physical activity on daily basis.

As belly fat is the most stubborn fat of the body, physical activity is necessary to make it weak. If you have time to join a gym then it is the best option. Otherwise, you can include light workouts like jogging, cycling, and walking in your daily routine.

  • An Underlying Medical Condition

Many diseases are the cause of obesity such as asthma, dementia, heart diseases/diabetes, and even cancers.

  • Poor Diet

Your body structure depends on the building block you are eating. It is obvious that if you will eat junk, processed, oily, fried, or sugary food then not just on the stomach but you will have excessive fat layers in different parts of your body.

Therefore, for a healthy lifestyle, it is very important that everyone should consume a healthy diet plan. Your diet plan has an appropriate amount of proteins, carbs, and fat in it.

  • Body Type

The benefit building also depends on your genes and the body kind you have. We all have witnessed many people who develop fat mainly on their stomachs as compared to other parts of the body. They cannot help it out except to control this fat through lifestyle changes.

What Happens to Existing Belly Fat When Pregnant?

At the very beginning of pregnancy if you are noticing a bulging belly may be due to bloating or belly fat. However, after 12 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus starts growing in size. With the growth of the fetus, the uterus also grows to accommodate the baby. For this reason, the uterus pushes many organs and stomach fat to make space.

The stomach fat already presents in the belly moves to the sides of the stomach. Some of the fat also builds on both sides of the waist. This shifting of fat from the front of the stomach to the side is mainly due to accommodating the growing fetus.

Conclusion

The best way to find out the pregnant belly vs fat belly difference is to simply check its physical appearance. If your stomach is firm and hard it is most probably the growing fetus. Otherwise, a soft squishy stomach may be a sign of belly fat.

FAQs

Does a Pregnant Belly Feel like Fat?

The visual appearance of a pregnant belly looks very similar to Belly fat. However, when you will touch it the belly fat is soft and saggy while the pregnant belly is firm and hard.

Does Medicines Increase Belly Fat During Pregnancy?

Majorly, it is not the impact of medicines that is increasing the pregnant belly. Rather it is the growing fetus due to which the uterus also grows and the baby bump forms.

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