B-shape means baby’s back to front

InSTEAd of a conventional watermelon or ‘d’-shaped baby bump, some women end up with a pear or a ‘B’.

Actress Anne Hathaway, pictured at the premiere of The Intern in September last year at four months’ pregnant in a black lace gown, had this unusualshaped bump: a small, subtle curve under the bust and a lower, oval-shaped bump at the abdomen — a shape she maintained throughout her pregnancy.

Midwifery expert Sarah Fox says it’s all to do with the position of the baby.

‘Usually, the baby is curled up in a foetal position with its head down, its back towards the woman’s belly button and its legs and arms tucked inside,’ she explains.

‘When you look at the bump, you see a very smooth, round curve.

‘Around a third of babies are positioned so their spine is next to the mother’s spine — known as being “back-to-back”. Their legs and arms face outwards.

‘The bump won’t look lumpy, but it will be a little less smooth.’ This, she adds, will be temporary: babies turn from side to side as often as every day, so the B-shape will come and go.