Off The Record
A Mother Who Was Made Fun Of For Having A “Big” Baby Bump Won’t Give In To Pregnancy Stigma
A mother who endured comments about her “huge” baby bulge will not give in to pregnancy shame.
Sebastian, a son, is Eliana Rodriguez’s most recent child, who turned 29 this past week.
Although Rodriguez’s pregnancy and child were both healthy, her larger-than-average stomach caused many to stare and remark bluntly, “You are huge,” “You look like you’re having twins,” “You must be in so much pain” and “Have you checked if there’s another baby in there?”
A noticeable pregnant bump may indicate certain health issues, but it can also sometimes be a sign of a woman’s body growing naturally. Rodriguez stated to TODAY Parents that both she and her child are in perfect health.
“I carried big during my pregnancies; both my children weighed 8.3 pounds at birth,” Rodriguez said in an interview with TODAY Parents. She also mentioned that her 3-year-old daughter Sofia was 19.5 inches at birth and her newborn boy 20.5 inches.
In person, Rodriguez said, people were frequently inquisitive, even though it was simple to dismiss Instagram trolls.
“I was never rude back,” said Rodriguez, who said she understood the curiosity. “I’d answer, ‘Yes, I am huge and it’s hard.’”
Eliana Rodriguez’s doctor remarked that the noticeable growth she experienced during her first pregnancy with her daughter was typical for her.
Rodriguez manages a health and wellness business in Las Vegas, Nevada. “I wondered why my belly was bigger than other women,” Rodriguez said. “My doctors said it was normal because I am only 4’11 and have a shorter torso.”
Rodriguez took two months to manifest.
“I was so excited that I wanted to share — we had been trying for a second baby and hoping for a boy and I am an open person,” she said.
Rodriguez had a lot of amniotic fluid during her pregnancy, which is a fluid that surrounds and protects the fetus while allowing it to move.
A condition known as “polyhydramnios,” according to the Mayo Clinic, affects one to two percent of pregnancies. While it can result in preterm labor, the majority of cases are not dangerous.
Despite having a large amount of amniotic fluid, Rodriguez’s physicians told TODAY Parents that it wasn’t enough to diagnose her with polyhydramnios.
“They did check the amount of fluids and checked the baby’s size,” she said.
Dr. Kiarra King, an OBGYN in Chicago, Illinois, who did not treat Rodriguez, claims that anomalies in the fetal architecture and maternal diabetes are additional causes of extra fluid.
Furthermore, there are other reasons why a pregnant woman’s belly would appear larger than polyhydramnios. It is also possible for a patient to appear older than their actual gestational age if they have a history of previous pregnancies, fetal macrosomia (when babies weigh more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces at delivery), maternal obesity, or diastasis recti (when abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy). Rodriguez, fortunately, did not encounter any of these issues.
Rodriguez said she wished people would stop body-shaming and pregnancy-shaming others while she answered the inquisitive inquiries. Opinions about bodies, she said, can put women “in a dark place,” particularly if they are experiencing perinatal or postpartum depression.
“I’m aware that some people lack compassion for others,” said Rodriguez. “I am a woman of faith and … I feel so bad for people saying hateful comments.”
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