A mother baffles others with pregnancy photos in which she never displayed a visible baby bump, even at nine months, but still gave birth to a completely healthy baby.
Nikki Salazar's Unique Pregnancy Experience
Nikki Salazar, now 23 and living in New Jersey, was thrilled at the prospect of having a "cute" baby bump when she got pregnant two years ago. However, as time went on, her stomach stayed mostly flat.
"It was so strange," Salazar shared.
Salazar's doctor reassured her not to be concerned, explaining that every pregnancy is unique and that taller women, like Salazar who is 5'9", might show less than shorter women. They confirmed that her baby was developing well.
She added that her doctor had mentioned some women show later, but she never anticipated it would be "never."
In her popular TikTok videos, Salazar wore crop tops throughout her entire pregnancy, yet most people didn't realize she was expecting.
She mentioned that at eight months, she just appeared bloated. Her reassurance came from her ultrasound appointments, where she could see her son and felt him kick at six months.
Salazar noted that her weight didn't change much during her pregnancy; she only regained the pounds she lost due to morning sickness. During this time, she walked frequently and stuck to her pre-pregnancy diet.
Misunderstandings About Salazar's Pregnancy
Her family was aware of her pregnancy, but Salazar chose to keep it private until her third trimester. She mentioned that some people mistakenly thought she was having a "cryptic pregnancy," where a person is unaware of their pregnancy, but that wasn't true.
Salazar felt disappointed that she couldn't wear maternity clothes, including a lovely black dress her mom bought, which still hangs unworn in her closet.
Salazar stated that while people say she was lucky, she feels she missed out on a significant part of the experience. It's a bit sad for her-she wanted a baby bump.
She felt pregnant. She mentioned that by the end, she could barely walk because of back pain and felt extremely heavy and out of breath.
Dr. Dallas Reed, chief of genetics at Tufts Medical Center and principal medical advisor at Myriad Genetics, explains that he frequently encounters patients who wonder about their body image, questioning if they look 'too' pregnant or not 'pregnant enough.' His advice is to refrain from comparing themselves to others.
Reed highlights that the size of the baby, the uterus, and the amount of amniotic fluid encompassing the baby can influence the size of the bump, in addition to the woman's height and the position of her uterus.
"As the uterus expands, organs shift to make room for the baby, and if there isn't much space, the bump will extend outward," Reed describes.
In July 2022, Salazar welcomed a healthy baby boy weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces.
Dr. Holly Cummings, an associate professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania, declared that it's not about a person's appearance.
What truly matters is whether the fetus is developing accordingly, which can be measured through methods other than visual assessment.
