when did you start to show?

bmccartney

bmccartney

Cathlete
Hi everyone,
It's my first pregnancy and I'm having some body image issues. I know everyone is different, but I'm wondering when it's normal to start showing :)
 
It's so different for every woman. What your hips are like, where the uterus sits in your pelvis, when or whether the uterus will tilt forward,etc.
With my first I was obviously pregnant to others by 16 weeks, but I was in maternity pants by 10 weeks. With my second I was obviously pregnant to others by 12 weeks. I was all baby, all straight forward.
I was so large that when I would show up at the hospital for monitoring with my second baby in my last trimester,the nurses would always ask how many I was having! I loved being big. I said this to someone else on this forum, but the bigger I got the more beautiful I felt.
I have two friends who don't show at all. Even at the very end they barely have a belly, and they are very slender women. They both have averaged 8lb babies every time. You would not know they were pregnant if they didn't tell you. Crazy stuff!
 
I am petite small boned woman. I hid my first pregnancy at a new job til 14 months, but family guessed I was pregnant at 8 weeks. I believe I truly showed with #1 at about 12 weeks. With #2, i really started showing at about 9 weeks. I gained moderate weight though with both and lost it all.
 
I hear that. This is also my first pregnancy and I have had the same issues. When i look in the mirror i really dont see pregnancy belly. I dont really know what is worse people telling you "you dont even look pregnant"I am 22 weeks now and people are just starting to really see the "bump" I have an inverted uterus that my ob said would eventually flip. I really dont know if that has anything to do with it. Everyones body is so different. Goodluck with your pregnancy

melissa
 
Second trimester for me. By about 5 months, it looked like I was getting a bump. At 4 months, it looked like I had gained a little belly weight. But yes, it's different for everyone. I just popped out terrificly in the last two weeks now that I've reached 6 1/2 months.
Manmohini
 
It's great to hear just how different everyone is. I'm 11 weeks, and even though my husband insists I'm not showing, I feel enormous. I am used to feeling petite and strong...it's like my identity is changing:p On the other hand, this is such a beautiful, wonderful thing that is happening inside of me!!
 
Hi,

I remember wondering about this too. I was so bloated early on that I felt like I was showing and even suspected I was having twins, gained about 10lbs in 8-10 weeks.

Once I got beyond the 1st trimester and was no longer gassy and bloated I began to workout and feel "normal" again. We didn't go public about the pregnancy until 4.5 months, but even then people who I thought suspected at work said they never would have known and that I was "barely showing". Not true, but people are looking for a giant bump, if yours is subtle you probably look like the average woman with a chunky middle. It's pretty common, even in young women who are otherwise slim. I began to see EVERY midsection and thought so many people must be pregnant...but that's because I was comparing everyone to my "before" photo with a flat tummy.

I truly began to "pop" about 2-3 weeks ago too, like Manmohini. I'm 27 weeks now and it still depends on what I wear, some people on my floor at work are giving me the "is she or isn't she" look at work. It's funny, and sometimes I wear very obvious maternity style tops. Go figure.

The comments about being too small are annoying, they made me worry a bit. But try not to let it get to you, people love comparing you to ANY other pregnant woman...themselves, their sisters, girlfriends, etc. I went grocery shopping and an old woman at the cash register asked if this was my first. I was thrilled!!!! That was 3-4 weeks ago. She was the first person in public to ask about it and have confidence that I was in fact pregnant and not just chubby. :)

For what it's worth, I think I started feeling pregnant and not chubby at about 5 months. My midsection became more firm and curved and these "thick" looking. So you may begin to feel that way any day, depends on your body. Embrace it.. or HIDE it until you begin to really feel preggo. I enjoyed the fashion challenge of having to "cover my secret" at work...it was kind of fun and there are soooo many empire waist tops and boxy button downs out there that are cheap.

Good luck to you and your bean, enjoy the evolution of your body, it's a wonderful thing and you ARE beautiful!!!!

Steph
 
As everyone else has said, women show differently, and even the same woman can show differently during different pregnancies, the typical scenario being showing much earlier on subsequent pregnancies than for the first.

I do think there are sort of 3 timeframes for starting to show. The first is when you notice, the second is when your loved ones notice, and the third is when strangers notice. The most difficult time for a lot of women is when they feel "thick" but they're not showing enough so that pregnancy is instantly recognizable.

When I was at that point, I just went for it and started wearing maternity tops, even though I didn't really need to yet. Figured I'd start the celebration early.

Just try to remember what the pregnant shape represents, and remind yourself that basically everybody loves a pregnant woman and thinks she's beautiful as is. :)
 
As someone else said, it's different for every woman and every pregnancy, so there is no real "normal" in my book. My first, I started showing at 14 weeks. My second, 12 weeks (and I was in denial about it!!). Do try to enjoy your pregnancy. Your body will bounce back with persistence.
Diana

ETA: "Just try to remember what the pregnant shape represents, and remind yourself that basically everybody loves a pregnant woman and thinks she's beautiful as is."

So well said!!!!! :)
 
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