It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, especially while following safer-at-home orders, Americans' favorite pastime has become TikTok. Parents and kids from all over the country have been using the app to make funny, entertaining clips, many of which feature trending dances. But now, expectant moms might be inspired to try an eyebrow-raising trick showcased by Megan Elizabeth Call, a pregnant mom from Oahu, Hawaii. In a recent, headline-making TikTok, Call appears to make her baby bump disappear.
In the clip, titled "the ultimate baby bump challenge," Call's husband "pulls" a fake plug from her round belly.
And then it "deflates," complete with sound effects.
Commenters were baffled by the stunt.
“I just vocally said wait what,” one person wrote.
Another joked, "She really pulled out the reverse card on her pregnancy."
And as with anything pregnancy or parenting related on the internet, commenters expressed lots of concern for the unborn little one's well-being.
But what Call was doing was a perfectly safe core exercise called The Bloom Method, according to Yahoo Life.
The “Bloom Method,” or "belly pump," was invented by Colorado personal trainer Brooke Cates.
In 2017, several belly pump videos spread like wildfire, and Cates explained the concept to 'Today.'
Although it might look like a woman doing the move is "sucking" the baby in, she's actually "using her inner core unit” to temporarily slide the fetus further into her rib cage.
“She’s inhaling with the diaphragm as the belly gets bigger and then on the exhale, she’s lifting through the pelvic floor and starting to wrap the transverse abdominal muscles,” Cates shared with Today.
Cates previously asserted that the move could help expectant moms tackle issues such as pelvic and back pain or incontinence.
Although there isn't much research to back these claims, experts told Today previously that it might be beneficial — and, at the very least, it's harmless.
“I don’t think it’s going to hurt,” Dr. Jaques Moritz, an OB-GYN, told the news program. “I think the idea of learning about and controlling your abdominal muscles are great — you’re using them a lot for pushing a baby out, there’s no doubt about that."
