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line down stomach?

BeyondTheSea16BeyondTheSea16
in 3rd Trimester

What is this?? Is it a stretch mark, will it go away? It literally divides my stomach in half, east and west, and I'm not a fan.  Just wondering if anyone has it/ knows what I'm talking about??

TIA!

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Re: line down stomach?

  • mcclabgmcclabg

    Linea nigra (Latin for "black line") is a dark vertical line that appears on the abdomen during about three quarters of all pregnancies.[1] The brownish streak is usually about a centimeter in width. The line runs vertically along the midline of the abdomen from the pubis to the xiphoid process.[2]

    It is a type of hyperpigmentation resulting from increased production of the pigment melanin thought to be caused by increased estrogen, the same process that causes the areolas to darken.[3][4] Why this process of hyperpigmentation occurs on the midline of the abdomen is uncertain. Fair-skinned women show this phenomenon less often than women with darker pigmentation[citation needed]. Before it appears it may be more faintly visible as a linea alba ("white line").[citation needed]

    Linea nigra tends to appear around the second trimester. After birth, the line fades slowly, but may never disappear entirely, and sun exposure may cause it to recur.[4]

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  • StrawberryAlarmClockStrawberryAlarmClock member
    Linea nigra...totally normal. Story is, it's a contrasting path for LO to follow when he crawls up to BF.  Not all women get it, but it's normal.
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  • CiconradCiconrad member

    It's the linea nigrea and its due to pregnancy hormones.  Mine got really dark with DS and was above and below my belly button.  It faded over time but took a good 6 months to get rid of completely.  I am actually shocked because I don't have any line this time at all....seems weird after having such a dark one with DS.

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  • J&Jaggies06J&Jaggies06 member
    East to west?  You said down your stomach, but then you said east to west which is across.  My linea nigrea is north to south.
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  • grapeape73grapeape73 member
    This is the first pregnancy out of 3 that I have it. 
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  • HailsLyricsHailsLyrics
    Linea nigra. I have one too that's slowly getting darker. I kind of think it's pretty!
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  • BeyondTheSea16BeyondTheSea16

    Thanks!!! It divides my stomach into east and west -- but yes, goes straight down the middle.  Sounds like this is what it is.  Interesting that it may or may not happen with future pregnancies and may fade over time... this is one I hadn't heard about!

     

    Thanks again for the clarification.

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