When did you start showing?

[popcornbird]

Just curious...

For those of you who are pregnant, or have been pregnant in the past, when did it become clearly visible to others that you are pregnant?

I'm 24 weeks pregnant now, and totally feel pregnant myself (because I can tell my stomach is growing and can feel my little one squirming inside), but when I tell others I am pregnant, they still get surprised and say they can't tell. Just wondering when you all really started showing.

[Sirrahsim]

You will be amazed how quickly you can go from not really looking pregnant to having people coming up to pat your tummy. It can seriously happen over night:eek: I can't remember exactly when I started showing but now you have me curious so I will dig up my old belly pictures!

[pomtzu]

Just curious...

For those of you who are pregnant, or have been pregnant in the past, when did it become clearly visible to others that you are pregnant?

I'm 24 weeks pregnant now, and totally feel pregnant myself (because I can tell my stomach is growing and can feel my little one squirming inside), but when I tell others I am pregnant, they still get surprised and say they can't tell. Just wondering when you all really started showing.

Everyone is different. With my 2nd pregnancy, when I was 5 months I looked as big as some others that were getting ready to deliver! By the time I did deliver - I looked like I was carrying around a watermelon. And "way back then" - the maternity clothes were always loose fitting - not like the clingy clothes you pregnant girls wear today. Even with the loose tops - they were stretching tight across my watermelon - and I'm not a big person either! :eek:

[Sirrahsim]

Oh yes with my second baby I looked like a blimp from about day 1:D My pants were feeling snug before I even found out I was pregnant.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I felt bigger right away, and I bought new pants at around 10 weeks because my regular ones just seemed uncomfortable. However, other people couldn't tell till later...maybe around 20 weeks I was big enough so I looked pregnant to most others (except the unobservant). I know between 24-28 weeks I got significantly larger and the third trimester I was big enough to feel pretty uncomfortable.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

I "popped" at 21 weeks. Now at 24 weeks I look like I swallowed a basketball:eek: It did get MUCH larger overnight. I could not believe it.


My first comment was at 20 weeks.. Now everyone feels the need to touch and ask questions:rolleyes: But I am so proud, I dont mind too much:love:

DONT WORRY! It will come soon, and then you will wish you could tie your shoes without having to breath deeply afterwards:p

[beeniesmom]

I was 8 1/2 months and people still couldn't tell....
Or when I told them how far along I was, they wouldn't believe me or thought I was mistaken.

[popcornbird]

I haven't even gotten any maternity outfits yet. I did go to several maternity stores and tried on some outfits, but I'm just not large enough for them yet. I can still tie my shoes and see my feet with no problem, and although some of my clothes feel somewhat tight around the waist now, I still fit into pretty much all of them.

I heard that your shoes get tight during pregnancy too. Did any of you experience that? I haven't noticed a difference yet.

[Laura's Babies]

You should have seen me when I was pregnant with my twins! :eek:.. that was the look I got when I left the house (:eek:) so I quit going anywhere. Just picture 2 toothpicks, stuck in a pumpkin... the toothpicks were legs, the pumpkin the rest of me.. I think that was about in my 5th month on til delivery. 4 months my clothes were tight.. 5th month, I was getting that :eek: look..

I was about 110 pounds before pregnant, gained about 45 pounds. (ALL in the stomack) and had 12 pounds worth of babies.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I heard that your shoes get tight during pregnancy too. Did any of you experience that? I haven't noticed a difference yet.
My feet swelled HUGE in the last month, but were normal until that point. I lived in flip flops because that was all I could get my feet in and even those were tight.

[prechrswife]

My first pregnancy, I could tell a difference in the 4th or 5th month, but people who didn't know me well really couldn't. I think I was probably close to 6 months before I really looked pregnant. My feet started swelling in the 8th or 9th month--just miserable. My second pregnancy, I started showing much sooner, but I didn't have the foot swelling issue too much. I could still wear my regular sandals. My first was a girl, and my second a boy, if that makes any difference at all.

[gemini9961]

I'll be 16 weeks tomorrow and to those that don't know can't tell. I still don't really have much of a pregnant belly, just looks like I ate too much. I am in maternity clothes though since my pants were too uncomfortable and dug into me.

[Cataholic]

I showed by my 4th month, to others.

I wore work looking flip flops the entire summer, I had barely discernible sausages on the ends of my feet, and 'cankles' (no ankle/calf distinction).

I swelled in my wrists and had to have injections to calm the nerves in my wrists.

I nearly rolled into court the Friday before I delivered (on a Tuesday).

Now, I am just fat. At least I had an excuse for it back then.:p

[finn's mom]

I was between 5 and 6 months, I think, when I started to really show. It was pretty obvious when I did, because I only carried the weight in my tummy. From the back, I actually looked thinner than before I got pregnant! I didn't have the little back rolls I've had for years (I still don't, yay!). My butt got smaller, too. When I was ready to deliver, I looked like I had a bowling or basketball in my shirt. Everyone is so different, though, and even the same woman can look totally different with each pregnancy, it's neat!

I never really had swelling in my feet until after Clara was born. Then it was like, wow! I have sausage toes. ;) They felt very strange, I've never had a problem with water retention before, so it was a new sensation. I drank twice as much water as usual to help ease it because it honestly grossed me out!

I didn't buy any maternity clothes. I used a band around my waist to cover my unbuttoned/zipped pants. My mother had bought me a few items, but I never got big enough in the bust to wear the shirts she bought (luckily she got them on super clearance, so I didn't feel badly for not getting to wear them). I did wear three pairs of pants that she'd bought, and still do actually, because they're cute and comfy. :)

[wolfsoul]

I was quite thin when I became pregnant (usually the thinner you are, the earlier you show) but people didn't start to notice I was pregnant until I was about 8.5 months along (and I never did "pop," it was very gradual), and even then my friends all told me that it just looked like I had gained some belly fat -- I didn't actually look pregnant. So don't be surprised if no one notices for months. I was extremely grateful for it -- now that everyone can tell, I can't go anywhere in public without people talking to me and asking me about it (and I'm a shy person so I hate this). Or random people will come up to me in public and rub my belly. I don't mind if they ask (I think it's really sweet when men walk up to me and ask if they can put their hands on my belly), but some people just walk right up to you and rub you without even asking, it's really annoying. So be thankful!! lol. And the less you show, the less stretch marks you might get. :D

[finn's mom]

Not everyone has a problem with strangers touching their belly, but I didn't really appreciate it. Many times I would rub their belly in return. Got lots of shocked expressions, but I just asked "What's the difference?". I was never super nasty about it, but I think I got my point across. I usually did it with humor. I had never approached pregnant women before and touched their belly, so I still don't really get why people think it's appropriate. I did love all the attention I got, though I appreciated it more when it was just verbal. ;)

[Genny]

I was quite thin when I became pregnant (usually the thinner you are, the earlier you show) but people didn't start to notice I was pregnant until I was about 8.5 months along (and I never did "pop," it was very gradual), and even then my friends all told me that it just looked like I had gained some belly fat -- I didn't actually look pregnant. So don't be surprised if no one notices for months. I was extremely grateful for it -- now that everyone can tell, I can't go anywhere in public without people talking to me and asking me about it (and I'm a shy person so I hate this). Or random people will come up to me in public and rub my belly. I don't mind if they ask (I think it's really sweet when men walk up to me and ask if they can put their hands on my belly), but some people just walk right up to you and rub you without even asking, it's really annoying. So be thankful!! lol. And the less you show, the less stretch marks you might get. :D

Do you always get stretch marks when you have a baby???

[Asiel]

With the first I looked ready to deliver at 5 mos - not good. And yes, the maternity clothes in my days helped hide the fact that we were huge. I kind of miss the looks of the old time maternity clothes, guess that really ages me doesn't it?

[DJFyrewolf36]

No one could really tell with my pregnancies unless I told them right up until the last month. I sure as heck knew! lol :rolleyes: :D My weight distribution definately felt off and I thought I was perpetually waddling from about month 6 on.

Hubby says I looked wonderful though ;)

[Cataholic]

Do you always get stretch marks when you have a baby???


Nope. I have none, and can tell you I gained a lot of weight. A lot. LOL.

[beeniesmom]

No, I didn't get any either. I used palmers lotion religiously though. Not sure if that made a difference.

[pomtzu]

My stretch marks are on my hips, not my belly. I didn't gain that much weight, but was all baby and all straight out front, so I guess it just pulled from the hip area. I never was a bikini person, so it really didn't make much difference to me since no one was going to see them anyway! :p

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I think getting stretch marks or not just depends on your genetics. You either get them, or you don't! I got a lot, which were not lovely, I can tell you (but fortunately are faded now). I can't say I really care all that much, because I don't go around baring my stomach anyway, and my daughter was completely worth it! :)

I only ever had one person touch my stomach without permission, and it kind of shocked me! But at least she was someone I knew, a grandparent of one of my students who often volunteered at the school. It may have helped that when I was really big it was winter, so I always had a big coat on that kind of hid my belly.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I really think skin type has a lot to do with if you get stretch marks. I have horrible skin that scars so easily, a little scratch can scar on me. I used coco butter when I was pregnant (it's supposed to help reduce stretch marks) but I still ended up looking like an albino zebra. :rolleyes:

I never had anyone touch my belly, with the exception of my husband, of corse. Anyone who knows me knows I would HATE that. When I was at a store or out somewhere I always carried my purse in a way that it would act as a kind of shield.

[prechrswife]

Do you always get stretch marks when you have a baby???

I got none with my first pregnancy, but I did with my second.

[finn's mom]

I didn't get any stretch marks, but my mother did horribly with my brother. She was only 95 pounds when she got pregnant and gained nearly 70 with my oldest brother, most of it was belly. Her waist was 62 inches around and he weighed 10 pounds and was 24.5 inches long. ;) She always hated her stretch marks, and they are still there, although she is used to them, now, and they have faded, but are still very noticeable. I think it would bother me, regardless of whether I exposed my stomach to anyone or not. I'm not terribly vain, but I didn't want stretch marks, either. I don't think the lotions I used help 100% but I'm sure they didn't hurt.