Advice needed - Is my bump on it's way?

[MrsCog]

Hi everyone. I'm 14+3 with DC1 and gained about 1/2 stone in the first 12 weeks with having to eat to stave off constant nausea. Anyway, for the past few days my lower stomach has felt very stretchy/mild period painy and a pair of jeans I could wear on Friday are now this morning almost unwearable.

I feel a bit :( that maybe I should still be in my normal clothes (although the 1/2 stone I've put on my bum and legs made them a bit snug anyway) but do you think it's time for me to investigate some more comfortable options - I've already done the tunic/leggings thing but I'm finding even my normal leggings and tights are diggging in too much.

Also is 14 weeks too early to show with DC1? A few people have been (a bit smugly in my opinion) telling me that there was no difference until they were nearer 20 weeks.... so maybe I'm just more of a pig than I thought I was!

[Deesus]

Everyone's different MrsCog. I started to properly show around 14/15 weeks and couldn't wear my normal clothes. It's important that you're comfortable.

Also people change shape and put on weight at different stages - you might start getting bigger quite quickly but then later on in your pg not change much at all. Ignore the smuggo's!!!

Anyway - I loved it when I started showing - couldn't wait to start properly looking pg!

[Deesus]

Btw I'm at 23 weeks and look like a weeble (but a happy one)!

[feekerry]

Hi. I'm 13 weeks and actually lost 1 stone as i've been so sick and I def dont feel comfortable in my normal clothes and thats even after losing weight so dont worry. I've noticed my lower abdomen by my knicker line is starting to go quite hard and feels a bit tight so def something going on. My friend woke up one morning at just gone 15 weeks and over night she'd got a little bump.

[MrsCog]

Thanks Deesus, think I'm going to head in to town in a bit and investigate bump bands at the very least!!

[Lifeissweet]

I think a lot of people retain a lot of water early on, which will calm down a bit. Don't be hard on yourself. As someone said, everyone grows in a slightly different way. I'm 20 weeks and have a sort of bump, but it's wide and flabby rather than round and firm, so it just looks like I've been eating pies. I'm trying not to let that bother me too.

We are so hung up on weight and shape and it's really difficult not to see getting bigger as some sort of failure, but in this case it's the opposite. I think it just goes to show how much we are negatively conditioned to fight against our bodies that we dislike the changes our bodies go through when they are doing what they were designed to do.

[hairylights]

I put on 0 pounds in the first trimester but needed stretchy trousers by week 12.

[LikeACandleButNotQuite]

I was 11 weeks on my wedding day, and look 6 months gone in some of the photos. Tbh, at actual 6 months, im only slightly bigger, so a fair bit of what you have will be water/bloat.

Maybe pick up a pair of under bump jeans and a pair of maternity trousers for wor (if required). Your current tops will probs be ok for a while.

[MrsCog]

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies - I'm back from town, with a new (normal) jumper but with a 'flared style' and 2 nice bump bands :) Going to test them out with my jeans now!

[phlossie]

Dear me, people are very silly - get used to lots of people giving lots of opinions about your body, and try to ignore them! I was like you in all my pregnancies - had to eat constantly to stave off sickness, and got a bloated pot-belly very quickly. And because I was puking, my belly was very sore and distended and I definitely couldn't handle tight clothes. I'm now 18wks (3rd preg) and have been told my bump is neat/small, so it calmed down once the sickness stopped.

Don't worry about what your body looks like, just dress comfortably.

[LoveInAColdClimate]

13+4 with DC1 and have been in maternity trousers since about 9 weeks! Still thin everywhere else but have a proper bump - someone put their hands on it (without asking!) for the first time today! May be all water I suppose but is hard and looks like a proper pregnancy bump. Don't worry about it, your body will do just what it wants.