I don't know what it's like to be pregnant, but I bet there are days when pregnant women wish they could hide it. Whenever you go out in public, there's that giant, tell-tale baby belly. Everybody notices you are with child, make comments about it, and wants to talk about it - and some days you probably don't want to talk. You just want to go to the grocery store, but there's nowhere to hide. No sweater is bulky enough to cover that demanding little human being growing inside of you.
Well, get ready to feel jealous. Yiota Kouzoukas is 29 years old, and co-owns the fashion label Sabo Skirt with her sister, Thessy. She's also nine months pregnant, and has the tiniest baby bump you've ever seen. Pretty amazing, right?
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Now, get ready to not feel jealous. Yiota isn't as lucky as you might think. She has a small baby bump because she suffered from crippling endometriosis. That's a painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus grows outside your uterus. It can cause severe pain during your period, and, like in Yiota's case, fertility problems may develop. Conception only became possible for Yiota once the endometriosis was removed and her uterus was "anchored" deeper inside her body.
Yiota shared her
tiny baby bump with her 211,000 followers on Instagram, and the photo quickly went viral. Many people had never heard of endometriosis before - I know I haven't! - and they were curious to know more details. In an interview with The Daily Mail, Yiota told her fascinating story:
"For the first four months of my pregnancy, my uterus was retroverted which means that I was growing backwards into my body rather than outwards. Most people with this type of uterus tilt forward at around 12 weeks and continue growing outwards like you normally would.
My uterus didn't 'flip forward' until well into being four months pregnant because of the backwards tilted position paired with decade old endometriosis scarring that I have on my uterosacral ligaments. Basically, these ligaments are acting like anchors keeping my uterus 'inside' rather than 'outside', which is why I appeared smaller than most people for the first four or five months."
On Instagram, Yiota has documented her journey, keeping her followers informed about her baby's progress and the consequences of her condition. For instance, last month she posted an 'overdue bump update,'
revealing her baby is "five pounds already." When she hit the six month mark of her pregnancy, she wrote, "My torso is also short and my stomach is naturally toned which is keeping my belly super tight, so I've had to personally stop all ab exercises to avoid any issues with possible ab separation."
Yiota believes it's important to share her story to spread the word about endometriosis, and give hope to those suffering from the painful disorder. This includes Yiota's sister, Thessy, who unfortunately has a pretty severe case of it at the moment. "It's important to get support," Yiota told The Daily Mail. Endometriosis does leave people feeling isolated. Be proactive, speak to your doctor [because it] will make a big difference. I wish I'd seen one earlier. I was in denial for so long but it's better to know earlier than later."
The baby is due in early January. Congratulations, Yiota, and good luck!
In a related story,
check out the 'miracle baby' who was able to survive birth with her heart outside her baby...
