She’ll comment on how magical it is and possibly refer to missing her own bump. You might be wondering why anyone could possibly miss a baby bump when the actual baby is in their arms now.

Isn’t the whole point of pregnancy to safely grow and protect your baby until the time comes for them to finally join you?

It is an incredibly common thing though. When the baby arrives safe and sound it is completely natural for a woman to miss her pregnant belly. In fact, she may even go through a grieving process.

Here are some of the reasons why women miss their baby bumps after the baby has arrived.

1. Many women struggle to adjust to change. It may have taken several months to embrace the many changes that pregnancy brought with it and then it became the norm. Now that the baby is here it is another massive change just when she had gotten used to the idea of being pregnant.

2. It can be emotional to have to “share” your baby with the world. When they are in your tummy they are eternally close to you and you are less fearful of the things that can hurt them when they enter the “outside world”.

3. Pregnancy can come with curves and a body shape that gives a lot of women a huge amount of confidence that they may have never had. They loved their pregnant shape and it gave them a real appreciation for their bodies.

4. Pregnancy may have been a time that they associate with more rest, eating what they fancy and having people fuss over them. These days the fussing is done over the baby and even though that is to be expected they still miss being the star of the show on some level.

5. Pregnancy involves a huge shift in hormones. Many women feel that they function better during pregnancy and the hormones just worked for them. They felt more zen for example. Many women even notice a change in their health, for example, a friend of mine felt that her dairy allergy and psoriasis improved 90% while she was pregnant and returned to its normal state when the baby arrived.

6. The flutters, rolls and kicks are an incredible experience and you really do get used to those little daily reminders of the miracle that is happening inside you. That is something that a lot of women miss.

7. For many women, the pregnancy wardrobe is super comfortable - you could have lived in those maternity leggings and stretchy dresses for a lifetime. That post-natal stage can be an uncomfortable time mentally and physically and knowing what to wear and how to wear it can be difficult too, especially when breastfeeding.

8. There was so much excitement during pregnancy and your growing belly was a reminder of the buzz of the unknown. Life can feel a bit more structured and stressful when the baby arrives and it’s perfectly OK to feel that way. It’s a whirlwind of change and adjustment. You might long for that sense of calm you felt during pregnancy.