The toll a pregnancy takes on a woman’s body is well documented, but an incredible animation demonstrates just how much a growing baby impacts on Mum’s internal organs.
From the stomach and digestive system to the lungs, a growing fetus makes it a tight squeeze in there, particularly in the third trimester when the expanding uterus starts to pile pressure onto the intestines and pelvic floor.
Produced by the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, the interactive animation gives us an idea of what’s happening inside as the bump grows bigger, taking viewers through all three trimesters, showing every change in the body of 40 weeks.
The moving images, which you can control using a lever in the bottom left of the screen, are accompanied by quotes and observations from real parents on everything from pregnancy and birth (“At my sonogram, I could see the baby jumping and rebounding off the walls, but I couldn’t feel it. That was bizarre.” to postpartum feelings (“It’s terrifying in some ways. It’s like’Put it back in, I wasn’t ready yet!“.
The interactive tool is an eye-opening way to understand pregnancy as it progresses, particularly if there’s a baby pressing on your bladder right now!
Watch the video here or try the ‘Make Room for Baby’ tool yourself here.
