Sixteen weeks out and I still have that pesky little brown line trailing up my tummy, cutting around my navel and fading away as it approaches my rib cage. It’s called a linea nigra, and it’s driving me nuts. When it first appeared, I was midway through my third trimester already. I actually thought I wasn’t going to get that classic badge of pregnancy. It was light at first; it darkened in the last few weeks before I gave birth. So what is the linea nigra anyway?
Typically appearing during the second trimester, the linea nigra, which is Latin for “black line” (go figure), is fairly common, appearing in about three-quarters of all pregnancies. Increased estrogen causes increased production of melanin, a skin pigment. During pregnancy, an overabundance of melanin may form a line through a process called hyperpigmentation. It is not known why the hyperpigmentation occurs on the middle of the abdomen. After birth, the line fades very slowly, and may never fully disappear. It may take up to a year for the line to fade. Sun exposure can cause the line to darken or reappear, so you should cover up or use a good sunscreen whenever exposing your tummy! (Remind me to toss my bikini, thanks.)
There is an old wives’ tale about the linea nigra: legend has it that the line extends above your belly button only if you are having a boy. If it stops at your navel, you’re having a girl. While this tall tale held true for my pregnancy, it is certainly not a science.
It’s amazing to me that doctors know so much about pregnancy, and yet they don’t know why the linea nigra appears where it does. Someone once joked that the line tells doctors where to cut during a cesarean. I’ve also heard theories that say the line is related to where your ab muscles connect. Obviously, these are all just speculation.
Did you get this mysterious dark line on your baby belly? How long did it take for yours to fade?