One of the billion dollar questions confronting the first time moms is when will the pregnancy start showing. Each woman is different and in some cases it may start showing as early as 12 weeks. This is for the first time moms whereas in case of another woman who had pregnancy earlier may have muscles in the uterus and the abdomen stretched. In case of others it can be earlier than this.
The uterus of a woman passes through various stages and in the earlier stages of pregnancy ,it is the shape of a pear. Over the course of time, it becomes more grounded till it is the size of a grapefruit. This is the stage pregnancy bump when does it start showing. This is when the bump begins to form. At about 16 weeks, the uterus stretches to the maximum to accommodate the grown baby. This is the time when your bump is really visible and all sorts of factors come into the equation, especially concerning the purchase of maternity clothes. Some pregnant women may not have their bumps visible till 20 weeks when the top of the uterus is in line with the belly button. There are several other factors which may influence on when you may start looking pregnant.
- Older women tend to show symptoms of pregnancy than the younger moms. The reason for it is that the latter tends to have tighter abdominal muscles
- The body size does have a role to play, as heavy women may not show signs of pregnancy as clearly as the skinny ones. In case of taller women it is much later
- The size of the baby is also important. In case if you are carrying a baby, which is smaller in size, it might not show when you compare it to carrying a heavy baby. The variation in the amount of amniotic acid that you and your baby are evolving around does make a difference.
- If there is more than one baby in your stomach, the chances of pregnancy showing earlier are all the more
- The depth of the pelvis is an important point of consideration. Ideally the deeper the pelvis, the later it is bound to show. If it is shown later than expected, then the chances are that you are having an extroverted uterus. This means that the position of the uterus is titled more towards the back than the front. This though, has no form of impact on the size of the baby and how it grows
If you are having any signs or concerns about the size of your bump, then it would not be a bad idea to consult your doctor. An ultrasound scan may throw light on things and predict the correct due date.
Till now we are focusing on the signs of a bump, but there are some early symptoms associated with pregnancy as well. For example, say around nine weeks you will find your clothes to be much tighter and the waist is becoming thicker.