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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 appear to be larger than other pregnant women at the same point in their pregnancies:- Women who are carrying babies that are unusually positioned may appear larger than they truly are.
- Women who have gained extra weight during their pregnancies may appear larger than they truly are.
- Women who have been pregnant previously may begin showing earlier than those women who are pregnant with their first children because their abdominal muscles have been stretched before.
- Women who are petite may begin showing earlier than taller women because they do not have as much room for the baby to fit in.
- Women who have shorter torsos may begin showing earlier than women with longer torsos because they do not have as much 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 during pregnancy and your baby.
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