11+3 and wearing maternity clothes is this normal?

[Lwlw]

Hi everyone, I'm new to mumsnet. I bought some maternity jeans and a maternity shirt today as I've been struggeling for the last couple of weeks o do up my jeans.This is my first baby and I didn't think it was possible to show so early- but I really am, in fact by the time I go to bed my belly is enormous. I'm a size 12/14 and 5'6'' so I'm medium build. Has anyone else been in maternity this early?

[kiminutter]

Yes! I had HUGE bumps from very early on, maternity clothes from about 10 weeks with my third! Imj also 5'6'', size 12-14.

[NAB3]

Yes!!

Would you like some maternity jeans and/or cords?

[fortyplus]

Leave the maternity shirt in the cupboard and just wear something baggy over the jeans so that no one can see that they're maternity ones.

Things might be different now, but in my childbearing years anyone donning maternity clothes that early would be severely patronised!

[MrsBadger]

My jeans stopped fitting last week, but I've cheated and just bought generously-cut normal trousers in the next size up and some longer / looser tops in my normal size - I can't face proper mat wear yet.

[Lwlw]

Thank you, that's good to hear, because people are already able to tell I'm pregnant and when I tell them I'm still under 12 weeks they look really shocked and say, oh my god you're going to be huge.... which is a bit scary really.

[fortyplus]

Maybe it's twins, then?

[Kif]

it's probably water retention - I got big quick with my second, but didn't keep getting bigger at that rate iyswim.

[berolina]

I'm nearly 11 weeks and look as big as I did at nearly 20 weeks first time round. Seriously.

[Ceolas]

I'm 14 weeks and still wearing normal trousers/jeans. But I'm quite overweight (size 18) this time so I don't think it'll show for a while. Think I was wearing mat clothes at thispoint last time round.

[fortyplus]

A mum at nursery was pg with her 2nd when my ds2 was about 2. She is 6 foot tall and a personal fitness trainer. I kept asking her daughter whether mummy's tummy was as big as mine yet. One day she said 'Yes, I think it is, now!' That was 2 weeks before the birth!

[lissielou]

im 5"2 and a size 8 but had to wear mat clothes from 10w. by 39w i was wearing size 14 mat clothes

[Nikki76]

Hiya

I was in maternity clothes by 10weeks and by 6months they no longer fitted me and had to move up a size again in trousers, shirts and knickers!! By end of preg was really straining against the 2nd set of clothes so bought a cheapo pair of jog bottoms from Tescos (size 22!!!) and a cheapo jog top and just slobbed out in those - they were also great for after the birth!!

[SweetyDarling]

I'm 5'7" and size 10 and I really need to get some maternity jeans. At the mo I am getting by with a hair elastic holding the fly together, but it is getting beyond a joke! I'm 13 weeks but I look a lot further gone.

[canadianmum]

My bump really pooched out at around 6 weeks and then stayed the same for about 4 weeks, then last week at about 10 weeks it pooched out again. I am a SAHM and only ever wear jeans so I have about 10-12 pairs that I wear regularly, but now I can only fit into 3 and have had to buy one pair of 14s (am normally 10/12). I will stick to the 14s until I must wear maternity - I hate maternity jeans!!

My first pregnancy was twins and I didn't wear any maternity until 17 weeks, it really depends on how your body adjusts, how much water you retain etc... if your belly is big by bedtime then it probably is mainly water retention.

[elibumbum]

I had trouble doing my jeans up by 10-11 weeks and had a bit of a tum early on - but I think it was bloating rather than the baby !

[Flossam]

I brought some maternity jeans at about 9 weeks. Mine were too tight and I can't be arsed to go through the whole buying in a bigger size to last me a couple of weeks. I just brought a pair with an adjustable waist and they are fine. I'm 11.5 weeks now and wore 'normal' clothes today. Caught myself in a full length mirror and realised how ridiculous I looked in them. Also look ridiculous in top and bottom mat clothes. Ah well.

[Moorhen]

I caved in and bought maternity jeans at 17 weeks because my others were getting painful.
Topshop do fabulous mat jeans, if you don't mind under-the-bump style (they look more like normal jeans with just a bit of elastic). My skinny black flares are more flattering than any I've bought for years!
Also, I invested in a couple of pairs of (non-mat)leggings from Primark, which I wear with slouchy boots and some (non-mat) smocks. Cheap, comfy, and v fashionable anyway - everyone's kind of wearing mat stuff at the moment, we're lucky!

[lissielou]

next do some great under-bump ones too that last wayyyy longer than over bump ones. try h&m for tops too

[colander]

Similar build to you, and yes, started maternity clothes early - about 13-14 wks with DD1 and about 10 wks with DD2 (but she was a chunky bubba!) However, don't let that worry you, my bump was equally enormous with both girls and DD1 was only 7lb 12oz.

[lori21]

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I needed maternity clothes really early on and would rather spend money on those than buying clothes one size up that would only last a short time. I found ebay was great for cheap maternity clothes and also the next clearance shops.

BTW i was told that I was carrying a lot of fluid as I was so large but ended up with a 8lb 11oz ds who was delivered early by c-section as he was breach. Everyone carries differently and I got really paranoid about peoples comments. There is nothing special about not showing - show off your bump and be proud!!!!!

[GillL]

Hi Lwlw. In my first pg I was in maternity clothes at 10 weeks. I was horrified later to read in a book that at 17 weeks my clothes may be getting a bit tight! It's different for everyone. My hips are quite narrow so there's no where for the bump to go except outwards.

[Gemmasmummyplusoneintummy]

My Bounty book says under Week 27, "Around now you may need to start wearing maternity clothes ..."! This shocked me somewhat as like you I started wearing maternity trousers at 11 weeks! Who writes this stuff? Have they talked to any pregnant women?

I think you might as well buy maternity clothes early on so you get most wear out of them. And most of them nowadays look like normal clothes. I find the trousers with a stretchy front panel are the most comfy and it helps if they have adjustable elastic inside too. If you don't have a bump yet you can just roll the stretchy part over at the waist and wear a long top. Stretchy dresses are great too, I'm still wearing one in my normal size that I bought before I fell pregnant and I'm now 28 weeks!

Wear whatever feels comfy and looks smart - clothes that fit properly can make you look less pregnant than trying to squeeze into your "normal" clothes.

[kittylette]

did you try for the baby for a long time?

my aunt was TTC for 10 years, she had IVF and the day she got her bfp, about 5 weeks or under she got a belly!

by 7 weeks she was in maternity wear, apparently it was psychological because she had waited so long,

by 12 weeks she looked 5 months!

[NatalieJane]

I found out I was pregnant with my second on the Thursday, on the Saturday I woke up with a bump that came from no where, Monday morning dropping my DS1 off at nursery his teacher asked if we were expecting, by the following Saturday I was in maternity clothes completely and I had just turned 6 weeks. I ended up going through three different sizes of maternity clothes by the end of the pregnancy.

And yet my sister, with her first two she didn't show at all until 7 months and even when she was nearly due she had to be stood sideways for you to actually notice a bump, and now she is pregnant with her third and is absolutely huge at 12 weeks.

I think it changes with every pregnancy.

[cupcake78]

Yep I am 10 weeks and have had to wear maternity clothes for the past week. Also wondered if I was abnormal but comfort became more important.