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It is individual to each woman and each pregnancy as to when she will start "showing" and begin visually appearing pregnant to herself and others. Some women may begin to start showing as early as the second month of their pregnancy, while other women may not begin appearing pregnant until the sixth month. If your regular prenatal care provider is not concerned and believes your baby is on a normal development course, you likely have nothing to worry about.
To help determine the growth of your baby, your doctor or midwife will examine your uterus at your initial prenatal appointment to get a baseline of its size. Then beginning around your 20 week prenatal appointment, your doctor will measure your fundal height. Fundal height (measured in centimeters) is the distance measured from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus. Additionally, you will likely have at least two ultrasounds during the course of your pregnancy in which several measurements will be taken. Your doctor or midwife will use all of these measurements to chart the growth of your baby and help to ensure, regardless of how you actually appear, your baby is developing as expected.
The following are reasons you may not appear as pregnant as others at the same point in their pregnancies:- Women pregnant with their first child may begin showing later than those women who have been pregnant previously because their abdominal muscles have not been stretched before.
- Women who are carrying extra weight when they initially get pregnant may begin showing later than average-weight women because the weight gain may not be as noticeable.
- Women who are tall may begin showing later than shorter women because they have more room for the baby to fit in.
- Women who have longer torsos may begin showing later than women with shorter torsos because they also have more room for the baby to fit in.
Take the time to talk to your regular prenatal doctor about any additional questions or concerns you may have about the health of yourself and your baby.
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