When did you start showing?

[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! .. that was the look I got when I left the house () 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 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.

[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.

[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.

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