2 min read · One surprising fact about early pregnancy
Here is one pregnancy fact that sounds slightly alarming until you know the explanation:
For a short time, part of your baby's developing intestine normally grows inside the umbilical cord.
Yes, really.
And in early pregnancy, this is completely normal.
Why does this happen?
During the first trimester, your baby's body is developing incredibly quickly.
The intestine grows so rapidly that the tiny abdominal cavity temporarily does not have enough room for all of it.
So part of the developing intestine naturally extends into the base of the umbilical cord.
Owloo Did You Know?
This is a normal stage of development. As your baby's abdomen grows, the intestines usually move back inside during the following weeks.
When do the intestines move back?
The process happens very early.
By roughly weeks 10–12, the intestines normally return to the developing abdominal cavity, where they continue growing and organising into the digestive system your baby will eventually use after birth.
And all of this happens while your baby is tiny
At around three months pregnant, your baby is still only a few centimetres long.
Yet major organs, bones, muscles, nerves and an increasingly complex digestive system are already taking shape.
So much development happens long before you can feel a single kick.
For the chapter after pregnancy
When all this invisible development finally becomes your first hello, discover the Owloo Hello World Kit | 0–6 months, created for baby's earliest visual, sensory and motor discoveries.
Discover the Hello World Kit →Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for the baby's intestines to be inside the umbilical cord?
During early pregnancy, temporary extension of the developing intestine into the umbilical cord is a normal developmental stage.
When do the intestines move into the baby's abdomen?
They normally return to the abdominal cavity around weeks 10–12 as the baby's body grows.
Does this happen in every pregnancy?
This temporary developmental process normally occurs during early embryonic development.
The Owloo approach
Pregnancy is full of extraordinary things happening completely out of sight.
A tiny body. A very clever solution. And another little piece of your baby taking shape.
Written by Tina Krapez, Owloo Co-founder & COO
Sources and further reading
