Experts Say Video Of Pregnant Woman Sucking In Gut Isn't As Scary As It Seems

Feb 16, 2022, 2:39 PM

TikTok | @tammyhembrow

When somebody gets pregnant, there's really no telling how it's going to affect them.

Because everyone's body is a little different, this special time in their lives could give them nightmares, it could make their feet swell, or it could make them crave a certain kind of intimacy more.

And since pregnancies are so unpredictable and often difficult to deal with, it's important to respect what pregnant people go through and not to try and make them do anything that would put themselves or their one on the way in jeopardy.

However, the reaction to one TikTok illustrates that it's not always so easy to tell what activities fall under this category. And that's why a couple of experts are now saying that some well-meaning worry-warts can relax.

On February 5, a pregnant influencer named Tammy Hembrow uploaded a TikTok with the caption, "When you're over being pregnant."

TikTok | @tammyhembrow

The brief video then features Hembrow sucking in her gut, giving the impression that her baby bump suddenly disappeared.

According to Insider, this led about 4,000 commenters to express their concern for the baby's well-being with one saying, "Uh, is the baby alive?"

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In response, Hembrow said that what she did was part of her core training and that the baby is "just fine."

TikTok | @tammyhembrow

And both pre and postnatal fitness coach Kirsty Victoria and obstetrician Dr. Ellie Rayner have agreed that what Hembrow does in her video are harmless to the baby.

That said, Victoria said she doesn't usually coach clients to suck in their guts during workouts because it's often discomforting for them. As she put it, this action "puts the abdominals and pelvic floor under a lot of pressure very quickly."

She added that while some abdominal exercises can support pregnant women's bump and pelvic floor, they should be done by trimester and under the guidance of a certified pregnancy fitness expert.

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Rayner also advised against sucking in the gut for long periods of time when you're pregnant, as this action can lift the diaphragm and make your feel uncomfortable and short of breath.

But the worst way to suck in a gut while pregnant is to do so while lying down face up, as this and other strenuous activities from that position can put pressure on large blood vessels that provide oxygen to the fetus.

That's why OB/GYNs tends to advise against exercising from this position, but it's also ill-advised due to the risk of lowering a pregnant person's blood pressure.

But since Hembrow wasn't laying down that way, it's unlikely that anyone has to worry.

h/t: Insider