• 2 minute read

A mom who has been stared at for her “large” baby bump will not succumb to pregnancy stigma.
Sebastian, Eliana Rodriguez’s second child, was born when she was 29 years old. Still, her larger-than-average stomach garnered glances and harsh remarks, such as “You are enormous,” “You appear to be expecting twins,” Have you looked to see if there’s another kid in there? You must be in a lot of discomfort.

While a vast pregnant bulge may signify a health problem, it is also perfectly natural and results in a woman’s body developing. Rodriguez assured TODAY’s Parents that she and her toddler are both well.


“I carried big during both pregnancies; my children weighed 8.3 pounds at birth,” Rodriguez told Parents TODAY. My newborn boy was 20.5 inches long, and my 3-year-old daughter Sofia was 19.5 inches.

Although Instagram trolls are easy to dismiss, Rodriguez observed that people are frequently nosy in person.
Rodriguez stated that she had never been impolite and was aware of the mystery. “Yes, I am large, and it is difficult,” I respond.
Rodriguez, the owner of a health and wellness company in Las Vegas, Nevada, stated, “I pondered why my tummy was bigger than other girls.” My doctors said that was typical because I am just 4’11” tall and have a shorter torso.
Rodriguez first appeared two months ago.

We had been trying for a second kid and hoped for a boy, and because I am an open person, she explained that I was overjoyed and wanted to share.
During her pregnancy, Rodriguez carried a lot of amniotic fluid, which is the fluid that fills the amniotic sac and protects the fetus while allowing it to move.
The Mayo Clinic defines “polyhydramnios” as an excess that occurs in one to two percent of pregnancies. Although it can cause preterm labor, most instances are not.

Despite having a lot of amniotic fluid, Rodriguez told Parents TODAY that her physicians assured her she didn’t have polyhydramnios.

“They measured the baby’s size and the number of fluids,” she explained.

Other causes of excess fluid, according to Dr. Kiarra King, an OBGYN in Chicago, Illinois (who did not treat Rodriguez), are fetal structural anomalies and maternal diabetes.
Furthermore, polyhydramnios is not the primary cause of a more extensive tummy during pregnancy. Fetal macrosomia, maternal obesity, or Diastasis Recti, which happens when the abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy after previous pregnancies. Rodriguez, fortunately, avoided all of these problems.
While responding to intrusive questions, Rodriguez stated her desire for people to keep their pregnant and body-shaming remarks to themselves. She asserted that body image judgments might put women “in a terrible place,” especially if they have perinatal or postpartum depression.

“I understand that some people don’t have much empathy for others,” Rodriguez said. “I am a religious woman, and I feel terrible for individuals who make unpleasant words,” she explained.