Nine months is quite a long time especially as aches and pains and morning sickness never seem to leave. The days can drag on and it can seem like she's been pregnant forever. But there are obvious reasons why it takes nine months to grow a beautiful baby. The baby bump is achieving some pretty incredible and amazing things throughout that time, right from the very beginning.

Pregnancy is incredibly fascinating and when you look deeper at what is happening to your body, you'll be amazed by how hard you are working without you knowing it to create a tiny human being. Of course, pretty much all we see is the burgeoning baby bump as it gets bigger and bigger and bigger. We talk to our little baby through the bump, hoping they can hear us, we rub cream into our bellies to avoid stretch marks, we constantly hold the bump and we curse it when trying to turn in bed. But inside, your baby is growing and getting ready to meet you.

For those nine months, while they do some incredibly masterful acrobatic movements in your womb, you are experiencing a plethora of symptoms and emotions that envelope you during the nine months. On top of that, we're constantly thinking, "Is that normal?" Whether you're a first time Mum or have been there before, we always have questions since no two pregnancies are the same. Some of our symptoms are down right weird, but let me tell you, they are perfectly normal!

13 A New Organ Grows

Your bump creates a lifeline. Believe it or not, your body creates a brand new organ to help develop your baby while in utero. You probably thought you had all of your organs in place but the placenta is considered a transient organ meaning that it is grown for the specific purpose of pregnancy and then discarded once it is no longer needed. The placenta is classed as an organ that provides oxygen and nutrients to your baby as he or she grows throughout the nine months. It is an incredible human feat to grow a baby, and the placenta is one of the most important aspects of human development. In fact, the placenta is so clever that it removes waste from your baby's blood.

The placenta is attached to the wall of the uterus and depending on its positioning, it can cause complications for delivery. Ordinarily though, if the placenta is in a position that hinders natural delivery, it may resolve itself and move during the nine months, just in time for a successful delivery.

12 Blue Veins Appear

Seeing some extra veins or noticing the darkening blueness of the veins stretching across your growing belly bump or breasts? Blue veins on your bump may look very odd and instantly give you a bit of a shock but they are perfectly normal.

Your blood volume increases significantly, by as much as 40% during pregnancy, as your body bumps blood to your growing baby. The extra volume, and of course the harder your body has to work to circulate the blood, results in darker and more noticeable veins, which often appear over the parts of your body that are getting bigger and stretching.

This network of veins won't be noticeable forever, and will, luckily, disappear after pregnancy. There is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent these veins, which you may think look a little unsightly. Just think of them as a reminder of how hard your body is working to grow your little baby and remember that they will disappear as your blood volume returns to normal.

11 The Bump May Develop A Line

Notice a dark line running from your belly button down to your pubic area or possibly up just towards under your ribcage, or possibly both directions? If you aren't aware of what this is, the first time you see it, it may catch you off guard as it is certainly an odd thing that our bodies do while pregnant. The very noticeable and visible line is known as the Linea Nigra and may not be visible on every pregnant woman.

The Linea Nigra occurs due to an increase in the hormone melanocyte which is made by that extra organ, the placenta, which we've talked about already. Isn't it amazing how everything your body does while pregnant is connected? The Linea Nigra is more noticeable the darker your skin is but believe it or not it was always there. The extra hormones emphasizes this line which can be about a centimetre in diameter and is usually more noticeable by week 23.

10 The Womb Can Hold A Pint Of Water

Amazingly, your bump can hold up to a pint of water. No wonder you feel bloated and swelled! Depending on where you are in your pregnancy, there may be more or less fluid. Basically, your womb holds a certain amount of amniotic fluid which is essential for your growing baby as it protects your little one from trauma, prevents heat loss for the baby and helps develop your baby's lungs and digestive system. Incredibly, your baby drinks this amniotic fluid and also creates it by urinating. Nice! The level of fluid is usually replaced, by one third, by your body every hour.

Your amniotic fluid starts to decrease after about 36 weeks. At some point, this fluid may possibly start to leak at which stage your doctor will monitor you and your baby to prevent any complications. They can determine how much fluid there is by doing an ultrasound.

9 Prepare To Sport An Outtie

Have an innie? Love your innie? Prepare to sport an outtie! Personally, I love my innie and was delighted on my first pregnancy when it remained that way. On my second however, as I got bigger and bigger, that innie became an outtie and I wasn't impressed. Your bump may possible change your beloved belly button but whether your innie becomes an outtie is perfectly normal, albeit a little weird.

Usually the popping of your belly button happens in the third trimester, but if you're as obsessed with maintaining your innie as much as me, you'll be happy to know that it tends to sink back in sometime after birth, although it may not look entirely the same. Bear all of this in mind if you have a belly button piercing. The bigger you get the more uncomfortable they can be and of course, harder to get out as your bump expands.

8 You Won't Be Flat Right After The Birth

Wouldn't it be magic if the baby popped out and your once flat belly reappeared as though the last nine months of stretching and growing never happened? Well, it doesn't happen like that. Even if pretty much all the weight you put on during your pregnancy was baby weight, there will still be evidence that you were pregnant for the guts of forty weeks.

You can't expect your body to regain its shape straight after birth unfortunately and that baby bump can linger for a little while longer. In fact, you may still look up to six months pregnant once you are holding your baby in your arms. After you give birth however, your body will start to release hormones which will help to retract the uterus and return it to its original size- a very strange but incredibly feature of your bump post baby.

Bear in mind that it's possible your body may never look the same again as evidence of pregnancy can hold on. It was a long nine months after all, with some incredible changes occurring.

7 The Bump Stretches And Obviously So

Your burgeoning belly bump will stretch and stretch and stretch over the nine months to accommodate your beautiful baby who is growing more and more every day. A side effect of this thundering growth on your bump is stretch marks. Stretch marks may look very weird as they create incredible designs and a roadmap on your bump, hips and behind, but they are a perfectly normal side effect of pregnancy.

There are unfortunately, no sure fire ways to prevent stretch marks as their creation is dependent on the elasticity of your skin. It hasn't been proven that lotions and creams will actually help, but there's no harm in trying anyway. You'll end up with beautifully soft skin regardless, so you may as well use them. The good news is that stretch marks tend to disappear after birth or fade considerably at least. If you are concerned about your stretch marks after pregnancy or simply don't like them, then most certainly talk to a dermatologist who should be able to help.

6 The Size Of It

When you first get pregnant your uterus is about the size of a small peach. Throughout the nine months your uterus expands along with your burgeoning belly to the size of a watermelon. That's about five hundred times bigger than its original size! Aren't our bodies incredible? There is no other part of your body that can expand so easily and freely in a specific space over such a short period of time.

The growth of your baby is actually more gradual than you may realise since we tend to panic about any weight gain as it is. The gentle expansion of your waist line happens in a very specific way as your baby matures and grows. Effectively, your bump grows in line with your how well your baby develops. How big your bump is depends on how big your baby is and their positioning. Nevertheless, whether your bump is small or big, its the right size for you and baby.

5 Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!

Has that bump gotten incredibly itchy? It's completely understandable and normal for your blossoming baby bump to become quite itchy and you may find yourself scratching not just your bump but also your breasts when you are pregnant. As your skin becomes stretched over the nine months, your skin can become dry and itchy. It's perfectly normal to have some level of itchiness on your bump and moisturizing your bump is a surefire way to relieve that itch. Moisturizing your bump daily with a cream that has added rosehip or aloe vera will help soothe your skin and avoid any future itchiness as your bump gets bigger.

While itching is a sign of a growing bump as the skin stretches, bear in mind that there is a condition known as cholestasis which can develop in late pregnancy. This is a severe itching condition caused by a common liver disease. The itching is more noticeable on the hands and feet rather than the bump however.

4 Talk To The Bump

Your bump is a gateway to your baby's ears, believe it or not. You would imagine that sounds would not be able to travel to your unborn baby but incredibly, your baby will already be able to recognize your voice when they are born. Even though there is a multitude of ligaments, bones, skin, fat, veins and blood, not to mention a uterus and amniotic fluid acting as a barrier between you and baby, your bump allows sounds to travel directly to your babies ears which have already started to develop by fifteen weeks.

You may feel a little strange talking to your bump or singing nursery rhymes, to what appears to be an empty room but rest assured that your bump is listening. Give it a try, as talking to your bump actually encourages bonding with your baby and your baby will indeed know their Mum when they are born.

In fact, why not try listening to your baby using a stethoscope as sounds travel both ways. Place a stethoscope on your bump and listen for a heartbeat faster than your own. Hello baby!

3 It's All In The Shape

Did you ever imagine that your bump would be able to tell you whether you are having a boy or a girl? Ok, so they may be all old wives tales but a lot of people swear by checking out their bump to see if it can predict the gender of their baby.

You will probably find that your family, friends, Mary next door and even the postman are all taking bets on whether your high bump, low bump, small bump, or round bump is an indicator of your baby's sex. Why not join in on the fun and have a look at the shape of your bump?

Apparently, they say that if your bump is round and neat, popping out like a netball then you are having a boy. If the bump is more spread out and around your middle then perhaps your bump is telling you that you're having a girl.

2 It May Be A Little Lopsided

Have you noticed that your bump is a little lopsided? Does the majority of the weight sit more to the left or the right? While this may appear quite unusual as we are inundated with perfectly smooth and round belly bumps in the media, a baby bump which sits more to one side is actually more common than you would imagine. Many women freak out a little when they notice the odd shape their sporting but it's really nothing to worry about.

What it generally means is that the uterus sits more to the left or right. The internal positioning of the womb generally straightens and rights itself over time and during the pregnancy. Alternatively, your baby may just be favouring one side to the other and is putting more pressure on the right or left side of your uterus. You may actually notice the lopsidedness more when you are lying flat on your back but again, while it may look quite weird, it's nothing to worry about.

1 Seeing Footprints

It can be amazing to watch your belly bump move, wriggle, jolt and wobble while your baby does somersaults, karate kicks and chops and swims around the uterus. Of course, it may be quite uncomfortable the bigger baby gets and the less room they have, but it is also one of the most incredible things to watch. In effect, you are meeting and watching your baby before they are even born.

These movements can be so incredibly pronounced that you can make out and feel tiny hands and feet on your bump with your own hands. It may look amazingly strange to see your unborn baby's limbs poking at you from the inside and while you may think how crazy it is, it is perfectly normal to witness such strong movements that look as though your baby is trying to break free through your belly button.

Sources: BabyCenter, The Bump, What to Expect