Day 131 - Skin on Skin

Some of the major physical changes a woman may experience in her second trimester are related to skin.

I'm going to have to talk about a lot of this in quite generalised terms as - quite understandably - my wife doesn't really want me discussing certain parts of her anatomy with a) strangers, b) people she knows and c) anyone who isn't covered by a) or b).

I'm fairly certain - without asking - that there are certain areas of discussion that would result in 'Preggers Plays Chop' occurring, so, let's see if I can get through this post with my larynx intact. If there's no posts tomorrow, it's safe to say I crossed the line.

Talking of lines, K___'s developed a linea negra (literally 'black line') running up her tummy. As K___ is very fair skinned, the line is pretty faint. In some women, it can be very dark indeed. This line develops up what is essentially where the two lateral halves of the body develop in the womb. I never knew that we had mold-lines, but we do.

There is an old wives' tale that says that if the linea negra extends up only as far as the navel, the baby is a girl and if it extends above, it's a boy. In practice, there's not a shred of evidence to suggest there is any correlation.

The line is just one mark that can occur as a result of hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is where pregnancy hormones cause a greater amount of melanin (the primary determiner of skin colour in humans (tans are as a result of excess melanin production as a result of exposure to UV light)). Pregnancy may also cause brownish or yellowish hyperpigmentation on the face, known as the 'Mask of Pregnancy' or 'chloasma'. I like the idea of a 'mask of pregnancy', it sounds like some sort of superhero disguise. K___ has not had any such changes so I can only conclude she is not the well-known masked vigilante 'Pregnancy Girl'. A shame because 'Klutz Man and Pregnancy Girl' has a certain ring to it. Oh well.

The nipples, anus and genitals may also undergo colour changes, getting darker. For safety reasons, I am refusing to confirm or deny whether my wife even has nipples etc., let alone describe them to you.

This information is not disclosable under the Freedom of Information Act.