Belly Buttons...

Apparently pregnancy changes the belly button for a while.  Not fully an outie but now stretched to the limit and starting to poke out.

Someone helpfully told me that it never fully goes back.  Gee thanks,  I feel all out of shape and huge and then say things like that ...

I used to tease my wife that it was like the button on a turkey. When the button pops out, it's done.

Aw, I voted "innie" before I thought about adding "formerly pierced".

Mine's formerly pierced. Ahhhh, the 90's...

Well, dealing with that now with new puppy.  He has an Outie and it is a hernia.  Vet says majority of time they do not require surgery and outgrow.  not so sure regarding 2 legged variety. 

  Thank you ladies - i figured. Some people seem to think that their experience is the hard and fast rule for all pregnancies ... especially with delivery stories! Yikes! hahaha

Everybody's got one...

They're good for drinking shots-out of...

Mine is deep and full of lint...

I grab my kids' belly buttons and twist (gently) and tell them I turned them upside-down.  They laugh and tell me to turn it right-side-up. 

What was the question?

Mine was always pretty much even.  In my 5 pregnancies it went from just barely in to just barely out - never had that doorbell look.  Now it goes in just a little - you can see the entire thing and if I pull my skin it is even.

Sorry to hijack/

Don't listen to them.  Only listen to and read the good stories...the ones that describe how you hope to experience your day.  Focus on that, trust yourself and trust your body.   

Mine is pierced.  While pregnant didn't want the piercing to close up, used to just poke the belly button ring through each morning and night.  Never fully popped out while pregnant, was a little disappointed!  It's super deep!

Wait, what? That's not true is it?

x 1 million.... My wife and I were driven up the wall, and stressed to the max hearing all the stories people told to us. This business of babies has been occurring for a while now and it is completely natural and a amazing thing that will change you profoundly for the better immediately.

Also I chose bacon...that is what most of my stomach is comprised of I think.... 

I've only seen one pierced so far in the poll.  I didn't think to add it as an option when I voted.  I just left my ring in while I was pregnant and never had any problems.  Had to take it out for the c-section though.

LOL - sounds exactly like my wife!  

Tattoos elicit a similar response from us both.    Good times, those!

We used to joke along the lines of not wanting to ever again hear, "You like doing xxxxxx, well you'd better do it NOW, because once you have kids..." (insert anything from going on vacation to breathing and eating for xxxxx).  

The flip side was when they were about 1, 3, and 5 years old and physically more demanding than any other age combination (for us, at least), people would say things like, "Oh, cherish these moments - they're the best times" just as the little guy needed a diaper, our girl vomitted and our oldest had to find a bathroom to pee "or else."  

I think now (8, 10, 12) is pretty awesome, as they can get themselves breakfast and take showers etc., are old enough to have just terrific senses of humor, but are still young enough to not mind hanging with mom and dad (I know that will end soon for about a decade, from what I understand...).  Truly great times now!

Sorry for the hijack!  Just cracked me up to hear it...

And, yes, the kids are worth whatever they do to your mental health or belly button (in our experience) - you recover from that stuff and it's such a great ride with them along as company!

Okay- another Birth Hijack.

IMO giving birth is just like a triathlon.  Follow your plan, prepare for the best and race your own race.  Mother nature may surprise you on race day though and you just have to adjust.  Most days it's just what you prepped for- but maybe you get a surprise and have to adjust your plan from a PR for the distance to a PR under the unexpected conditions.  You will be stronger after you finish and you have a right to be proud no matter how you finished.  Another great thing is there is no penalty for outside assistance if you decide at any point you need it.  Oh and the finisher's medals are better than you could ever imagine.  You usually have a very loyal cheering crowd waiting for you no matter where you finish as well.

As someone who had more of a Julie Moss finish (if she had a ton of doctors carrying her across the finish line in BOP position) I still relish my birth memories- as I know I put it all out there and it brought me the most amazing daughter ever. 

Who happens to have the most kissable belly button on the planet.