How much does bump grow in the last 10 weeks?

[Newmummytobe79]

Hi all,

I'm suprised by how tight and hard bump feels and really can't see how I can grow/stretch much more!

Am I due another growth spurt or will the speed of growth slow down a bit now?

Thanks

[FirstVix]

I was surprised all the way through as it kept getting bigger - I too thought there couldn't be more stretching possible! I never got that big compared to other pregnant people I was around, although massive for me (23" waist before, 39" just before 'popping'). DD was only a wee thing too (6lb 7) but fairly long.

On the plus side, my belly went back down fairly quickly and didn't look, as my mum said it would, like a 'deflated baloon'!

[Newmummytobe79]

FirstVix - thank you so much for a positive story! I am petrified of the 'deflated balloon' look ... so hoping my bump will shrink back down to pre-pregnancy size :)

Did you grow much between 30 and 40 weeks?

[FirstVix]

The majority of my growing (looking through the week-by-week photos DP took) seemed to be 24 to 38 weeks. Very noticable when you look back like that! Actually, the most growing seems to have been between week 33 and week 38.

Saying that, I didn't show really until 24 weeks (I teach in secondary and they only just noticed then!) and I still had students ask 'why wouldn't I be here after the holidays' as they hadn't realised I was pregnant - this was at 36 weeks! Don't know if that says more about their powers of observation though really!

So yes, I did grown then.

The funny thing about my post-pregnancy stomach (to me anyway) is that my nice, even, fairly light tan has become INCREDIBLY dark there. Like my belly went on holiday and left the rest of me somewhere cloudy! I also have the linea nigra (sp?) which I thought would fade more quickly.

In case it's relevant to you - I also had split stomach muscles (got that 'tent' look when curling up) thing (always forget it's name) which I worried about but that disappeared by 2 weeks post-pregnancy. Despite me not being exactly religious about the exercises (I tried to be good, honest, but was too tired and fuzzy minded to remember all the time!). This is all just my experiences, obviously!

[LyraBelaqua]

My tummy grew a huge amount between about 35 and 40 wks. It did feel a bit like it would tear open and was quite uncomfortable but I didnt get stretchmarks so there must have been a bit more room to expand. I'm almost 21 wks now and am much bigger this time so god knows what size I'll be at the end. It's lovely though to think that's your baby in there just waiting to be born.

As far as the deflated balloon look goes, I did get that but it did firm up eventually and I made no effort at all so if you were to exercise I'm sure it would go much more quickly .