Guest Author - Holly Webster

Your belly is getting a bit swollen. Should you worry that you're pregnant? While a pregnant woman certainly has her belly pouch out, other things cause it as well.

On one hand, I marvel at women who go to 9 months pregnant and never realize they're pregnant. How do you account for the giant belly and kicking baby within it? On the other hand I know many friends who will bloat up to 6-months-pregnant size bellies by eating certain foods - and the bloat vanishes days later.

Many foods can easily cause you to bloat large - and if you eat them constantly, that bloat can seem like a pregnant belly. These include carbonated sodas, milk, cucumbers, beans, and much more. Salt causes serious bloating issues.

Strangely enough, lack of water causes you to bloat too. You might think that too much water causes bloating issues - but if you drink enough water, your system doesn't retain it. It lets the water pass through normally. It's only if your body thinks there's a drought going on - because you are not drinking enough - that it starts to hoard it in your belly area. To get rid of that bloating, drink more water!

If you think your enlarging belly might be due to a pregnancy, take a test and find out. If you rule that out, it's time to start looking into your diet!