When Do You Start Showing Pregnancy, Belly? A Common Question For All First-Time Mothers

You are expecting to be parents, and there is nothing more exciting than this. This is something that is impossible to hide, and you cannot ignore the symptoms as well. But there might be one thing going in your mind, and that is, “When do you start showing pregnancy bump?”

Do not worry if you are not yet ready to let the world know about your pregnancy, you still have some time before it becomes obvious to others. But there is not as much time as you think there is. Every woman is different, so is their body, and so is every pregnancy.

Let’s have a closer look at the timeline of the bump and the factors that contribute to your noticeable growing pregnancy belly.

When Do You Start Showing The Pregnancy Bump?

It might be a little surprising for you that the number of pregnancies you have can affect how early you can start showing the pregnancy belly. But it is quite obvious that you won’t show your baby bump in the first trimester, and more so if it is your first pregnancy.

You will start showing the baby bump from the beginning of your second trimester, from 12 to 16 weeks. If you are someone with low weight or have a smaller midsection, then you might start showing the bump from the 12th week. You might even take a little longer, like close to the 16th week, if you are a person with more weight.

When Do You Start Showing Pregnancy If You Are Carrying, Twins?

If you are carrying twins or more, it is most likely that you will start to show the baby bump before your first trimester ends. The uterus is growing larger and accommodating more than a baby. That is why a person carrying a single child may take a little longer, like three or four months, to show the obvious signs of pregnancy, but someone carrying twins might start showing from the 6th week.

Why Is It Early For Some People?

It doesn’t matter if this is your first child or your second, you will always feel that you are showing sooner than others. Maybe you have started to put on some weight by the 6th or 8th week of pregnancy, and you are thinking that it is early for you.

Another possible explanation for showing the baby bump early could be abdominal bloating. During this time, it is normal to have a hormonal imbalance. Sometimes the increase in hormones makes the body retain fluid. So, if you think it is your bump showing early, it could be just your bloated belly. Try to drink a lot of water, eat smaller meals, and eat more fiber, which could help with the bloating.

Additionally, the shape of your uterus also affects how soon you start showing the bump. If the uterus is tilted backward, it takes time for the baby bump to show. It might take a while before you can start showing off the baby bump. But if it tilts forward, you might start showing early.

Diastasis recti is another possible explanation for why you can start shoeing early. In this condition, the abdominal muscles separate and form a bulge. This bulge can look like an early bump as well.

Do not forget that body weight should also be taken into consideration. That is also a factor that decides when you will start showing the pregnancy symptoms. Another possible thing that can happen is that you receive the wrong due date. 

Baby Bump Progression

The progression of a baby bump can vary from person to person. To think of a general timeline, your baby will be the size of a lemon by the 12th week of your pregnancy. The uterus expands itself to accommodate the growing baby, and that is when you start to notice a small bump, but it might not be evident for someone else.

By the time you reach week 6, your baby is the size of an avocado. And by the 20th week, they are the size of a banana and by the 24th week, the size of a cantaloupe. This is how you grow, and your bump grows.

When you enter the 28th week, meaning when you are in your third trimester, your baby grows and becomes the size of an average eggplant, and by the 35th week, your baby is the size of a pineapple. When you are close to your due date, your baby is as big as a watermelon.

Your body is also holding a lot of amniotic fluid and some extra fat to provide nourishment to the baby. By the full term, you have a full-grown belly.

How Can You Embrace Your Pregnancy Belly In The Most Positive Way?  

Pregnancy is not the easiest thing to deal with. However, the most common problem among pregnant women is accepting their bodies. Most women struggle to accept the fact that their body changes during pregnancy, and there is nothing wrong with it.  

The body is only preparing to welcome a new member. With physical changes and hormonal ups and downs, it becomes quite difficult for pregnant women to accept their bodies the way they change.  

Body dissatisfaction at the time of pregnancy may affect fetal and maternal health. Women tend to majorly restrict their eating habits and reach the point of an eating disorder. Also, the risks of prenatal depression become four times higher in women who get particularly dissatisfied with their bodies during pregnancy.  

Here are some ways in which you may make things easier and accept your body just how it changes during pregnancy.  

Set Realistic Expectations For Appearance And Function  

Pregnancy belly is one of the most common causes of concern among women during pregnancy. They gain the most weight during the second and third trimesters. Sometimes, it might even happen at a rate of one pound a week. It becomes even more if you are carrying twins.  

However, gaining weight during pregnancy is normal. Women who start with a healthy pregnancy gain a healthy weight of around 25 to 25 pounds throughout the pregnancy. Overweight women would gain no more than 12 to 25 pounds. The ones who are obese shall gain no more than 11 to 20 pounds of body weight.  

Prepare Yourself For Childbirth And Postpartum Recovery  

Working out during pregnancy is a healthy habit for both the baby and the mother. Have a talk with your doctor about the correct activities you are allowed to do to ensure the safety of your baby.  

Here is a list of 5 very simple poses that you can try out to remain fit and healthy during the course of your pregnancy:  

• Deep squat  
• Child’s pose  
• Perineal bulges  
• Quadruped cat/cow  
• Perineal massage  

Join A Mother’s Group Or A Postpartum Support Group 

When you slowly start to show your baby bump or when it starts to grow, you feel like you are the only one to experience it. But that is certainly not the case. You would be amazed to see the number of women who are in the same position as you. When you join a mom’s group, you will be able to witness how there are multiple women who are struggling with the same problem as you. This will give you the moral support to accept your body during pregnancy.  

Limit Social Media And Stay Away From Pregnancy Magazines 

Social media does nothing but give you false expectations. When you scroll through certain pregnancy pages and see highly edited pictures of pregnant women who do not have a single stretch mark on their bodies – it creates insecurities. You need to understand that it is not normal. Whatever you see on social media or in pregnancy magazines does nothing good for you. It only gives you expectations that break in the end. So, it is better to stay away from them in the very first place.

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