Pregnancy can be an exciting journey for first-time moms, as well as those who have already had their first or second daughters and sons. But when exactly does showing start in pregnancy?
Showing is a term that’s used by pregnant moms to indicate that their baby bump is showing. In this article, we’ll give light to perhaps one of the most common pregnancy questions out there. After all, if you are having your first baby, you may be confused and anticipating, so we hope this article can help you in some way!
Exactly when do you start showing in pregnancy?
The typical time when showing occurs in any pregnant woman is about 12 to 16 weeks. This means that showing can happen anywhere in your first to second trimester. However, this can vary because not everyone has the same body type.
For instance, some may have a little extra body fat while others don’t. This can affect how soon the baby bump can start showing. Other factors, such as whether this is your first baby or not, could also come into play.
Bearing one child is one thing, but bearing two or more is another – such as those with twins or triplets in their baby bump.
If you have twins, the baby bump showing can be much sooner but also likely in the first trimester. Twins consume more energy and resources from your body and this is why they will develop a larger baby bump than your usual ones. It is also worth noting that if you do get twins, you are most likely going to have multiple births in the future.
What can affect my baby bump from showing?
Not everyone is the same – all women deliver babies in their own unique way and baby bumps are no different from that. The amount of time it takes for your baby bump to show may be affected by any of the following factors:
1. How much you weigh. Typically, women who have more extra weight tend to show their baby bump less sooner because of their appearance. On the contrary, those with less weight could have their baby bump more noticeable. This is why some women who are actually just plus-sized can be mistaken as being pregnant when they are clearly not.
Additionally, plus-sized women also tend to have a b-shaped baby bump at first, but this is normal. It will eventually become a d-shaped bump when they reach the third trimester. On the other hand, those with less weight will most likely have the standard d-shaped baby bump.
2. How many babies you’ve had. Moms that are new to bearing children could have their baby bump much earlier, let’s say in the first trimester. Those who have had pregnancies before can show much later, perhaps in the second trimester. This is because a mom’s stomach relaxes after they have given birth, causing the baby bump to become more delayed in future pregnancies.
3. Your body type. Those with torsos that are longer may have a different type of belly bump than others. It also depends on how your body type is able to carry the extra added weight. This is why some women get back pains when they get pregnant.
4. Your age. Older women could have their baby bump show much earlier because of the weakness in their stomach muscles. However, if you are still young, let’s say below 20, you may expect the baby bump to show a little bit more delayed compared to older women. This is why you can’t really compare young moms and older moms and how fast their baby bump develops.
5. How your uterus works. Different women have different kinds of the uterus. This can have an impact on how you will be bearing your baby.
Women who have a retroverted uterus can have a more delayed showing off their baby bump. On the contrary, those with a slanted forward uterus, also known as the anteverted type, could result in a much earlier baby bump showing.
6. Diastasis recti. This is a type of condition that is common to moms who have given birth after 35 years of age or those with carried big babies. Diastasis recti happen when the abdominal muscles are pushed back by the uterus.
As a result of this pushing, two muscles in the middle form separation and a bulge happens. This can also impact how your baby bump will show earlier or later. This is often common to those who have been pregnant before as contrary to first-time moms.
7. The inaccuracy of the given delivery date. Sometimes, your OB-GYNE or physician may not be able to give you a correct and exact date, which is why you may be wondering why your baby bump isn’t appearing just yet.
When you go past the ultrasound and gestation period, that’s when you will most likely get a solid basis for your actual delivery date, more or less.
8. Possible bloating problems. Some pregnant women may be more prone to bloating because of genetic factors or even what you eat. If you are one of those who are experiencing frequent gas passing and bloating, your baby bump will become more noticeable than others in the same period of pregnancy as you are in.
Bloating is also a common thing that happens to pregnant women. This is because your baby could interfere with your digestion process, unlike when you used to not have your baby inside you. After all, your baby eats what you eat, so this adds extra processes to your digestive system.
Conclusion
As a whole, carrying a baby bump really depends upon many factors. You can’t just expect your baby bump to be the same as your friends or what you see on TV or on the internet. Don’t compare yourself to others and learn to love yourself because everyone develops differently. Just as puberty hits us at different times, it’s also the case when you are expecting your baby bump to show up anytime soon.
