When Do You Start To Look Pregnant?

When you first get pregnant, everything looks pretty normal from the outside. Your baby is so very tiny, your belly looks like it did before you were pregnant.
So when do you start to ‘show’ or start to look pregnant?

Some women do notice their clothes get tight fairly quickly, but this isn’t due to the size of the baby.

Those tight pants are more likely due to early pregnancy bloating – thanks to those all-important pregnancy hormones.

When do you start to look pregnant?

Unfortunately, it takes some time for the uterus and baby to grow big enough to have a nice, round belly we associate with being pregnant.

So you will have to be patient while you wait to look properly pregnant.

Every woman and every pregnancy is different.

There are various factors which make a difference in how quickly a belly will show.

For example, how many times you’ve been pregnant before, muscle tone, if you have a retroverted uterus, and other things.

But generally speaking, in the first trimester, it’s really hard to notice the difference between your normal belly or a few extra kilos!

I remember when I hit the 13-week mark during my first pregnancy, I had a big meltdown!

None of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit any more, nor did any maternity wear. I just felt podgy.

I didn’t have the beautiful round belly – it just looked like I had a squishier belly.

I had to go shopping for some ‘in-between’ pants that were a size or two up.

Think elasticated, stretchy waistbands which could accommodate my bloated tummy.

These were much more comfortable and didn’t cut off my circulation when sitting down.

Plenty of women in that in-between stage will opt for stretchy leggings.

Or even maternity bands which can be used on your regular pants, leaving your button and zipper open.

When does your belly pop out?

For most women, their bellies tend to pop at around the four and a half month mark (18 weeks) onwards, and their belly is quite noticeable by 5 months.

If it’s your first pregnancy, it will very likely take you longer to show than subsequent pregnancies.

Some first-time mothers say that they didn’t really start to show or get noticed as being pregnant until well into the 20-28 week point.

The second trimester is a great one – usually morning sickness has reduced or disappeared, you have much more energy and feel better… and you have a cute little belly to show for it.

It’s a great time to enjoy being pregnant.

Find out when BellyBelly Forum members felt that they looked pregnant in our discussion here.