Some Reassurance Please?

Hi.

Just need some reassurance on 2 things:

1. I am 16 weeks and don't feel like I have put on any weight at all?? People keep telling me "you are really small for 4 months" WHAT THE??? Its starting to make me panic.

2. Every now and then I get this little intense ache (not painful) really low, its hard to describe though. Its like it travels up a line (around 5cm long) then stops, and it happens every so often, not on after the other?

Some reassurance would be a blessing.

Belly pic is on website to for the No. 1 question :)

I think your belly is just fine. You look like you're quite small when not pg, I imagine your tummy was nice and tight? Some people don't pop until 20 or so weeks, I bet you find you will pop out all of a sudden and you'll wonder how on earth you got so big so quick. The best thing to do is IGNORE EVERYONE'S comments when you are pg, no one says anything nice or constructive at all, so put try to ignore things like this.

Not too sure about your pain, possibly it's just your belly stretching?

Hey floss,
Please dont stress about what everyone is saying. You look perfect for 16 weeks. Everyone carries their babys differently and it also depends how many babies you have had. First bubs dont tend to show until a little bit later and subsequent babies pop out alot earlier. It all depends on your stomach muscles. If you have had scans and your baby is growing according to his/her age, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about. When I was training, I met this girl who was 20 weeks and still had a 6 pac!!! ;)

In regards to the pain, it is most likely your muscles and ligaments stretching and making room for bubby. When bub moves or you move suddenly, they can feel a bit like a stabbing pain, and feel reassured that every mother worries about it!!. It can be a really odd feeling.

Hope that helps :)

Awww try not to let other people make you worry! People love to have a comment on everything, and dont realise how stressful it can be!
I think you look just fine, you will probably find your belly 'pops' in the next months or two :)

I think the pain you are feeling sounds normal too... there is a lot of stretching of muscles etc, as well as organs being squashed to make room, going on in there. Just ask about it at your next check up, but it sounds pretty normal to me.

Flossie, please don't worry about your weight! I didn't really start to look pg until this year - past 20 weeks! I also weighed LESS at 25 weeks pg than I did before I was pregnant after losing weight in the first trimester. My little Bob is doing just fine and my midwife is more than happy with my measurements. People just say stupid things without thinking.

People all seem to think its acceptable to make comments on your size when you are pg, with #1 and2 I constantly got comments like that, I was just small and didn't "pop" for ages. With #1 at 7 months someone asked when was I thinking of falling pregnant LOL. With #3 being older and less "firm" (ie saggy!) I constantly got people telling me how big I was and was i sure it wasn't twins or that I was months out in my dates! I just tried to ignore them but it is annoying.

Thank you everyone for your replies, it has helped A LOT!!

I guess leading up to my next scan I am feeling a little funny as I just can't wait to pop out and feel things and I am just hoping Jellybean is growing ok in there.
I did feel 'bubbles' like they were popping the other night so that is a good sign :)

The pain does happen when I move suddenly or walk or jolt etc. When I am sitting still its ok. Maybe the baby is pressing on a nerve or something?

I just can't wait to see and hear Jellybean again.

A friend of mine as a doppla and she said she can give it a go on me but I am too scared.....if we can't find the heartbeat I will panic....so I am in 2 minds about that too!!!

Thanks again ladies, BIG HELP xxxxxx

Floss - i think your tum is fine as well. Me, at 16weeks, had put on about 2kg.
Everyone is different, and everyone carries differently. An interesting read in third trim section, there is a thread in there about how much weight ppls have put on, it was good to read the differences between people in weight gain.
At the end of day, i think as long as bub is growing fine, and you are feeling great, thats all thats important.
There is a good line that i read in a book, regarding peoples comments to you, - "remember its about them, not you" ie, their own expereiences. They think you are to big/small in compared to themselves when they where 'x' weeks preg.

As for pain, ditto to the others as well, just bits stretching. Everytime i go to obs, i tell him where my pains are, and he says yep, all normal. Sometimes i get as far as just starting to point, and he descibes the pain to me, and i go, yeah, thats it, and he says completey normal.

and yeah, i just read your next comment - i find the same thing, if i get up suddenely, feel the pain abit more.
I thought about a doppleer as well, till my SIL said to me how will you feel is bubs has moved to a spot where you cant hear the heart beat. They say that the dopplers pick up heart beat from 10wks, but others on this forum have been told by their midwifes/obs that they cant pick the heart beat till older, or even at 1 checkup they can hear heart beat, next they cant.
IMO - we got enough to worry about with aches and pains and that will only ad.

Hi Flossie
When my mum was out with me she felt she had to explain to people that I was 25 weeks pregnant. Otherwise than that people wouldn't have noticed. Then they made comments about how small you are and carry on a bit. Everyone becomes an expert.
You are how you are. My belly has since popped out (I'm now 36 weeks) but even so, I still don't think people really know that I'm due very soon. Which is fine, I don't really care what other people think. The baby is extremely healthy, as am I and in the optimal position for birth apparently - that's what the OB says and he is the only one I am listening to. Old wives tales don't cut it, in reality.
I've also suffered from cramps all the way through at the very bottom of my abdomen. Mostly at night and when I turn over in bed. I was worried to start off with but they have continued the whole time and baby and I are still here. The OB wasn't worried either.

Floss, your tummy looks great!

And I didn't feel anything with movements for my first 2 until 19/20 weeks! Just think, post baby you will get your body back in shape quicker!

and, my mum said that with her two boys, she hardly had any bump - with us girls, she showed early....

Floss - your belly looks great!!! Try not to worry too much about the size of your bump - or people's comments cause every person and pregnancy is different. When i was pregnant with Ella i didn't show until after 20 weeks. At 18 weeks i was a bridemaid and still fit into the size 6 dress the bride bought for me to wear before it was discovered i was preg. The only growth i noticed was fuller breasts. I also didn't feel movements til around 18 weeks. Total preg weight i put on was 7 kilos and bubs is a very healthy little girl :) I too get sick of hearing the "small for dates" stuff but as long as you're eating a balanced diet you have nothing to worry about :D

Flossie,

I love your belly! With DD, I started telling people when I was 18 weeks pg and they didn't believe me, I still had a flat stomach. I did a lot of weight training and situps before I got pregnant with her, so I think that was why. At 32 weeks, all the ladies at my playgroup could barely notice my tummy and always said things about it. Then you know what? At 36 weeks, I popped out, and popped out bad. I looked huge! When I would go to the shopping centre, I would hear people saying 'Whoa' under their breath. I can't count how many times strangers asked if I was having twins. I grew out of all my maternity clothes, and I was so big that my mum leant me some of my overweight's fathers clothes which also couldn't fit me. My DD was born at 42 weeks, and by that time my stomach was massive. This pg I popped out much earlier, so I reckon I'll have no noticable popping at all this time like with my DS. I reckon you do one or the other, so in time you'll just pop, and it will seem like overnight ;)

To me, your second question sounds exactly like ligament pain, but check with your dr if you are concerned.

Floss,

Your belly is about the same size as mine at 16 weeks! Have a look on Bub's website and check it out for yourself. Since this is first pregnancies for both of us, I think we're both just taking our time popping out. You're a gym junkie too, so would be another reason why your muscles are staying taught. I was also reading in a book called "Birth" that your body will have a baby that is suitable for your body size and since you're not a huge person, don't expect an Elephant! LOL :lol:

As far as the doppler goes, if you do get it, don't panic if you don't hear anything. The ones at the hospital are far more sensitive, so will pick up the heartbeat 1000 times better than the ones most people buy.

If you're feeling flutters, it won't be long before they turn into kicks! I felt flutters at 15 weeks and now they're kicks and flips and lots of wriggles. Absolutely awesome feeling and also really good for putting your mind at ease.

Relax and enjoy your pregnancy! :hug:

Celsie. xoxox

Ah thanks everyone!! Your kind words have really made me relax more!

I think I am just so anxious and impatient to see and hear little Jellybean again I just think of things that I am not certain on!!!!

I can't wait to feel all these things and so want to feel those little pops again.....maybe after my walk tonight and then I relax Jellybean may wake and give me something :)

Its just so amazing to think that our bodies can create life and have something growing inside...... :)

Thanks again, you are all so lovely and helpful!!!

Floss xxxxx

Cels - your Belly Bump is awesome too!! They are very similar! I like what you have done to your nursery as well :) Can't wait to get our stuff home from the shops!!!

I think your belly size looks just fine.Some people just dont know what they are talking about. I am still getting the same thing too: "you look small for 33 weeks"...even though my midwife says my belly size is just fine. Go with what your ob or midwife says, since they actually know.

I dont know about the pain, but it would make sense for it to be stretching.

People can be inconsiderate, but I guess they don't realise that what they say makes us think and worry!!!

Another thing that annoys me that people do is work collegues. There are 2-3 that like to ask me every single day how I am feeling. I know they mean well, but I am getting a bit over the same question every day....I ain't sick, just pregnant!!! One of them, a guy, has no idea, says to me every day "how are you feeling, no sickness or whatever you get" and I keep telling him "no didn't have any of that and that is usually in first 12 weeks and I am at 16 weeks" but he keeps asking LOL. Its cute but I have a short temper so I tend to get crumpy.....is that bad?

HI Floss,

Thanks for putting the post up. I am about 2 weeks behind you and have been wondering a similar thing. I havn't gained any weight and I don't feel much different yet I too get little twinges. I just tell myself it's bubs shoving my organs around saying make way for me. If i don't get very big I'm going to try to think of it as a blessing, becuase my mum and my sister were huge. and my sis will be soo jealous, she already is that I havn't been very sick.

i wouldn't be too concerned about the size of your belly I have only just started to show and have only put on 3kgs since I feel pregant everyone keeps telling me I am too small

Hi Flossie, I'm 19 wks and my bump is smaller than yours! It's just the luck of the draw really. My GP measured me at 18wks and the fundus is at 18 wks size, and I had the morphology US yesterday and the growth measured right for the age. So I wouldn't worry about it, just one of those things. Some people show a lot, some not much, some pop early, some late etc.

The girl over the road from me is abuot a week ahead, and is miles larger than I am. But we are quite different builds too. Looked funny at a function last night standing together watching people eyeing off our very different tummies!!!

Flossie - what about those people that don't even know they are pregnant for months and months? Not everyone pops early.
Weight gain isn't always indicative of pregnancy either. I've actually lost weight since I first got a BFP (tho I am a large person so it's not unheard of). I also know that a lot of people don't put on much weight until later in pregnancy... closer to the business end :)
The pain sounds normal too. You'll experience lots of aches and pains. It's good to pay attention to them (of course) but try not to stress unless they're really ouchy. Like the others have said... more than likely ligament pain :)

hi Floss :) You definalty look pregnant, when I was pregnant with my first I was only just starting to show at 5 months, my tummy was really tight and trim, by nine months though I cetainly looked that part :lol: I'm having my fourth baby and I'm 13 weeks and I think I look huge already :rolleyes: :lol:
I argree with everyone else, everyone is different, don't worry about what other people say, your doing fine.

I wish my belly was a cute bump. I am just over 20 weeks and feel like I am carrying a hippo some days! Today is definately one of those days. Sometimes I am embarrassed to say I am only 20 weeks cos I am sure people think I am ready to give birth. Mind you I have only put on 1.5 kg, so I am feeling ok overall. I think when people say you look really small, they don't mean to be rude, they are probably like me and envious!