Linea Nigra - what is yours like?

[*Beema*]

I was just doing some research on the net about the Linea nigra, and found this snippet from Wikipedia with another wives tale at the bottom ... interesting..

Linea nigra (Latin for "black line") or linea negra (altered by influence of Spanish negra) is a skin pigment condition during pregnancy where a brownish streak less than a centimeter in width develops. The line runs vertically along the midline of the abdomen from the pubis to the xiphoid process - the bottom-most part of the rib cage in the center or tip of the sternum.

It is caused by pregnancy hormones that increase production of the pigment melanin. This is also known as hyperpigmentation. Fair-skinned women show this symptom less often than women with darker pigmentation. Before it appears it may be more faintly visible as a linea alba ("white line").

Linea nigra tends to appear around the second trimester and may or may not disappear within a few months after birth. Some research suggests there may be a link between linea nigra and insulin. Supplementing the diet with folic acid is said to reduce the discoloration.

There is an old wives' tale associated with linea nigra: if the linea nigra runs to the navel, it's a girl, and if it goes all the way up to the xiphoid, it's a boy.

Mine goes about 2 inches past my belly button - so in the middle!! But I definietly know what we are having!!

Where does yours go to and are you having a boy or girl?

[Hoody]

Mine was barely visible and only went to my BB not past. I had girls both times. I found mine was more noticable after birth when the skin wasnt so stretched.

[Jewel]

I don't think I can see mine.


I think my stretchmarks are covering where it would be??
I'm not sure. lol

[Olive]

i never had one, i did have a small pigmentation blob off to one side, whiter than my already pasty white skin

[fionas]

Well strangely, I've always had a very faint one - from childhood - but it didn't darken when I was pregnant at all. I had a girl.

[Indadhanu]

I've got a yellowish line... barely visible... and comes to my BB... and they say its a girl. So we'll see!!!

[satya]

We noticed mine emerge from the belly button down a couple of months ago. It's pretty faint. I'm very pale so it came as a shock when it started - I didn't think I'd get one. I also have a line going upwards over my belly but it looks more pinkish and this has only been noticable for the last couple of weeks so it could be a stretchmark (not sure yet).

We are 100% sure we are having a boy (amnio) so it will be interesting to see if the line develops further or if it does just end up being a stretchmark.