"Bumpdates" are the perfect way to document the progression of a baby bump over time, but one woman has gone viral for sharing hers in reverse.
Jaden McGrew, 23, surprised Instagram users with the significant change in her pregnant stomach between weeks 38 and "39"—which, from her video caption, appears to be soon after she gave birth.
In the clip, McGrew's belly appeared full and prominent at 38 weeks but in the next image recorded a week later, her bump is much smaller.
She captioned the video: "Reverse bumpdate because it's crazy how much can change in a few days. I never knew I could love someone so much until I met my sweet little Lenya."
Newsweek reached out to Jaden McGrew via email. We could not verify the details of the case.
The video, which has been viewed over 2 million times, prompted other social media users to express their amazement and confusion over McGrew's bump.
"What? In one week, you changed that much. Woah," one user commented, meanwhile another Instagram user shared that McGrew's 38 weeks (about 8 and a half months) looked like her bump at 6 months.
Another mom shared that her baby "hides" in certain positions: "If I stand up straight the bump isn't noticeable, but if I slouch/relax you can tell," they wrote.
On average, women gain about 25-35 pounds during pregnancy, which includes the weight of the baby, placenta, amniotic fluid and increased blood and fat stores.
Immediately after giving birth, they typically lose around 10-12 pounds, however many women still have around 5-10 pounds of extra weight, primarily from fat stores needed for breastfeeding.
Newsweek spoke to a medical expert about McGrew's post. Dr. Shannon Schellhammer, an OB/GYN practicing at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, explained the sudden changes to a woman's body immediately after birth.
She said that the "reverse" bump is a common occurrence upon delivery.
"The uterus, stretched almost to the level of your ribs at full term, [begins] to shrink down to your belly button after delivery. It will take approximately six weeks for the uterus to return to its normal size in the pelvis," Schellhammer said.
She added that due to an enlarged uterus and potential weakening or separation of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy and delivery, many women may still appear to have a bump after giving birth.
One fellow mom shared in the comments section their amazement at what women's bodies are capable of. "Becoming a mom really showed me that in a whole new way," they wrote.
Schellhammer added that it's important for expectant moms to seek accurate information from medical professionals: "There is nothing to worry about unless your uterus seems to be getting bigger rather than smaller after delivery. If this happens, you should reach out to your doctor so they can make sure there isn't any concerns."
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