Are you curious to find out what the mysterious line in a pregnant woman's belly is all about?

Linea nigra, also known as pregnancy line is a vertical line that develops across a woman’s belly during pregnancy. This line has actually always been there but white in color (linea alba) and not very obvious to the eye.

While the exact cause of linea nigra is not known, it is believed that due to the hormonal changes that occur in a woman’s body during pregnancy, certain changes, including darkening of the areola and the darkening of the white line occurs.

These are some of the things you should know about linea nigra:

It is a natural part of pregnancy and does not indicate any abnormality
Although common, not every pregnant woman would see the line
The line is not harmful to a woman or her baby
The white line becomes darker as the pregnancy advances. Although it can show up earlier, it usually appears around the 5th month of pregnancy
The line is about ¼ to ½ inch wide
The darker a woman’s skin tone, the more pronounced it is
The line fades away after delivery, although in some very rare cases, the line remains
It cannot be prevented
Some studies show an association between folic acid deficiency and skin discoloration. If you are pregnant, it is very important that you take folic acid daily and eat a healthy pregnancy diet rich in dark green leafy vegetables, beans, oranges and other rich foods.