When do you start showing during pregnancy?

by Tiffany
(Dallas, GA)

When is it normal to start showing during your first pregnancy? I'm around 8 weeks and I'm beginning to show already!

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When do you start showing during pregnancy?

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setting the record straight
by: Anonymous

I certainly dont agree with the woman who works in the ob/gyn office. Obviously she hasn't had kids to make such an ignorant remark. Yes overeating will make you look bigger than what you are but you CAN show as early as six weeks especially if this is your second third or fourth baby.

In my case I'm pregnant with my fifth and final child and I'm showing already at 2 months. I also have seen very small-framed women who were pregnant and didn't know till labor started, so that was another untrue statement that overweight/obese women don't show.
to the "OBGYN office worker"
by: formally infertile

Wow, I hope I never encounter anyone that judgmental at an OBGYN office. I'd switch doctors immediately. A lot of women, myself included, eat healthier during pregnancy than any other time in their lives. I'm in my second month, and I'm bloated from what I assume is water weight. In fact, I look more pregnant than I am. As a recovered bulimic, my pregnancy is not "an excuse to get fat :)" After being told I was infertile, it's a miracle. And by the way, putting a smiley face at the end of an insult doesn't make it any less hurtful. This is the most comfortable I've ever felt in my own skin, and YES, I've gained weight. I'm not fat, I'm pregnant!
Mother nature decides
by: Mommyof3

I have had two pregnancies previous to this one and didn't start showing till about two months in.

I had 1 child for the first pregnancy and twins for the second. Now I am on my third pregnancy with my fourth child and when I found out I was pregnant

I was already finding that my pants were tight I thought it was bloating because my period was coming.

All this to say everyone is different and I am 8 weeks pregnant and do not fit in my pants anymore. Some people show faster than others it is just the way mother nature works :)
35+ And believe I am pregnant
by: Anonymous

I have 4 kids all of different ages and I had a miscarriage for no apparent reason almost a year ago.

For the past few months my cycle has been off and I only spot for like 12 to 24 hrs. I noticed last week that I seem to have a baby bump and swollen breasts. A lite milky substance comes from my breast with the slightest touch. I have mood swings lately, crying spells. I have other Early Pregnancy Symptoms too such as my appetite went from eating everything to not wanting to eat much. My legs have started cramping in the night but all the pregnancy tests I have taken show negative. Any advice would help. Thanks!
15 weeks
by: Anonymous

I am now around 15 weeks pregnant and no one can tell I'm pregnant yet. I have noticed a change but to anyone else I look the same.This is my first child. I thought I would show more as I'm only a size 8-10. So you just never know.
Uneducated Answer
by: Anonymous in CT

The person who claims to have worked at an OBGYN office for a few years needs to get their facts straight. Not all people who show early are indulging in sweets and junk, or using pregnancy as an excuse to let themselves go.

Some people just simply show earlier than others. I am 8 weeks, I'm a strict vegan, I work out 4x a week, I don't eat unhealthy food or sweets, nor have I've been eating any more than I normally would.

Yet I've gained a few lbs and my clothes are tight as heck...it could be bloating, but it really has nothing to do with anything I'm doing wrong as far as eating or lack of exercise.

Ladies, please don't listen to advice or feedback from people who clearly shouldn't be in the line of work they're in. Amen!
impossible cont'd
by: Anonymous

I kind of agree with the impossible comment, however, it can be water weight as well as eating way too much in the beginning.

During my last pregnancy, I was 11 weeks when I had a clear baby bump. My girlfriend was about 6 weeks and also had a clear baby bump and was by no means fat in any way. In fact the total opposite! Her bump was all uterus, so although it might not necessarily be baby I think it is directly related to the changes in your body that the baby is causing.

"They" say an average woman should gain about 3-5 lbs in the first trimester. That's 3 months! 10 lbs in the first month is not a baby bump, as much as some of us would like it to be. It could be water or pregnancy bloating.
Everybody is different..
by: Chloe

I'm only about 6 weeks haven't even had my 1st midwife appointment and I already have a clear baby bump.

I haven't got a slim build just an average 12-14 size but my bump is quite clear.

I think it depends on your body..
start showing
by: new mommy

This is my first child and I heard that sometimes being that its your first child you wont start to show until as early as the end of your third month,or as late as the beginnig of the fourth.

But for me I started showing at 10 weeks and my body weight isn't that big at all so strangers definitely know that I am pregnant...but like they say, "every women is different".

I'm due in July so its definitely exciting for me and I wish you the best and good luck with your pregnancy!!!
Impossible
by: Anonymous

I have been working in an obgyn office for several years. All of the statements of showing at 4-8 weeks is impossible. No matter what your build. Ladies if your clothes are getting tight, its because you are allowing them to shrink with your choice of diet and exercise.

Most women when they get pregnant they let things go... Its an excuse to get fat. :) They eat what they want, when the want. So it isn't the baby (it's the size of a pea!) that is showing, its the mommy gaining weight from splurging on sweets and heavy foods.

It important to get nutrition for your baby, but that involves eating good wholesome food. Don't forget to exercise as well, it will make your pregnancy so much easier.
Everyone is different !
by: Trisha

I'm 4 to 5 weeks pregnant with my 4th child & already I'm finding it hard to fit into my clothes !

With my other 3 pregnancies I was about 3 1/2 months before I started showing. I hope I stop growing because I want to wait until 14 weeks to tell people -- but they'll have guessed well by then! Just remember each pregnancy (and person) is different.

Best of luck
When Do You Start Showing in Pregnancy?
by: Georgia

When you start showing in pregnancy will depend on a number of factors. For each woman, it is different. Some women can have a small bump by the time they are eight weeks pregnant. For other women, they may at the eight or nine month mark before they show.

I did not show until I was almost 7 months pregnant with any of my kids. However, I also had a problem of losing a lot of weight with my pregnancies.

I was a little overweight before I got pregnant and my weight loss was rather substantial. I could feel the bump, but I could still wear my normal clothes up until about 7 months.

Many women, especially those who have a thin build, will show quite early in the pregnancy. For the average women, they can feel and see the bump around four months.

The longer you do not show, however, the longer you get to wear your own clothes! The further along you get in your pregnancy, the more you will longer for your favorite pair of jeans.

For women who are extremely overweight or even obese, they may never truly show. There have actually been cases where a very large woman gave birth to a baby and never even knew she was pregnant.

It is quite common for you to show later with your first pregnancy than with your subsequent babies. This is because pregnancy stretches the abdominal muscles, sometimes to the point of no return.

If you have recently had a baby and get pregnant fairly quickly again, you will likely show sooner than with the previous one.

If you are not ready to tell the world that you are expecting, the later you show the better. However, for those that want to proclaim it from the highest rooftop, you may be somewhat disappointed at how long it will actually take for people to realize you are pregnant simply by looking at you.

The important thing to remember is that each woman is made differently. If your uterus is slightly forward in your abdomen, you will show sooner than others will. Your body size will also play an important role.

If you are pregnant with multiples, you will generally show sooner. Your doctor will measure your uterus at each of your OB checkups to ensure your baby is growing the way it is supposed to.

As long as the doctor says the little one is growing, as it should, there is nothing to worry about!
It depends on your body
by: Hailey

Every woman is unique so it depends on your individual body shape, your tummy, your baby, etc.

Many women start showing at between 6 to 12 weeks so it is not unusual at all for you to start showing at 8 weeks.

How exciting for you! :)

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