JustMommies / Pregnancy / First Trimester

I'm Pregnant - When Will I Start to Show?

If you are newly pregnant, you may be wondering when you will start to show. You may start to notice changes in your waistline early in your pregnancy, before anyone would even be able to tell that you were pregnant. You may feel like you are showing much sooner than you actually are. Your stomach may look a little bigger early in your pregnancy but to others you may just look like you have gained a few pounds. Every woman is different about this but most women start to show in their second trimester.

When do you start "showing" in pregnancy?

Some women start to show very early in their pregnancies. If you have been pregnant before, your uterus and abdominal muscles may be more relaxed. Your pregnant belly may seem to “pop out” right away. At eight weeks your uterus is about the size of a tennis ball. It is normally the size of a lemon. This is not a remarkable change in size but it may cause your clothes to feel a little snugger. During early pregnancy, you may feel bloated, similar to how you feel right before your period starts. This bloated feeling, constipation, or weight gain may result in you feeling like you are showing sooner than you actually are. You probably won’t be needing maternity clothes until you are closer to the start of your second trimester. However, some women start wearing maternity as early as ten weeks into their pregnancies.

If I start showing early does this mean anything?

If you start showing early in your pregnancy, this doesn’t necessarily mean anything. If this is not your first baby you may start to show sooner than you did with your previous pregnancy. It is possible that you could be pregnant with twins, but it is more likely related to weak abdominal muscles or bloating in early pregnancy. If you are measuring bigger than where you should be measuring, your doctor may order an ultrasound to find out why.

I am not showing, is something wrong?

If you don’t start showing for a while, this is nothing to worry about. If you are very thin, you may still be wearing your blue jeans for a while. Some women do not start to show until they are well into their second trimester or even the start of their third trimester. If you are overweight at the start of your pregnancy, you may not gain as much weight during your pregnancy and may not begin to show until later into your pregnancy.

First Trimester

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first trimester

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19 comments

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By AllisonSuzuki on 02/17/13 at 2:43 pm

I also recommend the PREGNANCY MIRACLE GUIDE as a great pregnancy resource!

By Taapz on 07/31/12 at 3:22 am

I need advise from you ladies i am 10 weeks pregnant and very excited about it. But when i found out i was in such a shock cos my boyfriend and i have a ...

By lexylu on 06/20/12 at 6:45 am

I am on my third pregnancy. I seem to show early. I am about 5'2 and 140 pounds- I already gained about 5 pounds! I eat very healthy and exercise dai ...

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