Is my midwife right?

[Sastra]

Morning all.

I posted yesterday about a not-great experience with my midwife. I just wanted to ask lovely MNetters instead for their experiences.

I'm 16 week and I think I am showing. Ive got a little belly that popped out in the last week, noticeable to me and DH.

My midwife said that I can't be showing because I won't show until 20weeks? I don't think it's bloating, but this woman makes me feel like a complete idiot schoolgirl.

Is she right though?

P.s., and thanks to everyone who's been able to answer my questions. I don't have my mum around or any family and now I've got a horrid midwife it means the world to me that MNetter have taken the time to be supportive.xx

Hi Sastra! I'm 16 weeks too and I have a proper small but firm bump, so I'm sure you do too! Everyone I work with, my husband and friends commented on it (without any prompting from me)! Like you, it's REALLY grown in the last week. DH has been away on business this week and I am sure he will get a surprise when he sees me today. I absolutely have to wear maternity clothes now! It's my first baby too!

Pre-pregnancy I was a 10/12 on top and a 12/14 on bottom (pearish shape with big boobs), and I'm 5"6 if that helps you visualise what my shape is.

By way of commiseration, I too had a slightly annoying experience with the midwife/nurse at my GP office on Thursday. She got the baby's heartbeat for me on doppler (lovely!) and then said it was good to do that as there's "no way you're going to feel the baby doing anything until 20 weeks"! That then stopped me from asking how I could tell the difference between gas/round ligament pain/potential baby kicks... because I've felt a few things this past week and I don't know if they're the baby or just my body! I'm sure I won't know the difference for another month or so, but I just wanted some guidance! Anyway she made me feel sufficiently meek/fear of looking like a fool for asking. So DON'T WORRY. Your midwife is just a know-it-all.

If I have a bump I'm sure you do too!

Oh yes and I have tried to suck it in to determine if it's fat or baby, and the bump does not budge! Even when I'm going blue in the face from sucking in!

So this 16+1 pregnant lady says take THAT, OP's bitchy midwife! HA!

Your midwife is talking crap. I was showing slightly from around 7 weeks & am now 18 weeks with am extremely noticeable pregnant bump. Don't worry, my midwife is a bit crap as well, that's why I've been relying on mumsnet!

Blimey - I was showing by 13 weeks....I'm very tall, slim and have no hips (think worm!) so I looked like a snake who'd swallowed an ever increasing ball. She's talking cobblers!

Zara Early baby movements feel a bit like popcorn popping!

Movements for me felt like little bursts of pressure. If you put your hand lightly on your cheek and gently poke your tongue at it..like that.

I had a bump at 16wks, I didn't think I did but we'd been taking bump pictures every few weeks so could easily see it on the pics :)

your midwife sounds a bit bad :o

I had a bump at 16 weeks with no 1, I know because I went on holiday at 16 weeks and had to buy a whole new wardrobe there because nothing I brought still fitted my expanding tummy. People could see I was pregnant, I have holiday snaps of it!

bump first appeared at 11 weeks but only in a way that I'ld notice with no clothes on, by 16 weeks there was no hiding it

I meant mad not bad doh!

Absolute rubbish. Everyone shows at different stages, as other posts have said.

I have a pg book that shows a model's naked torso throughout pg. Now, as you'd expect with a model, she's v slim to start with, but by the end of the first trimester photos, even she has a small bump.

Ignore the rude woman & try to listen to your instincts. If you have a bump, you have a bump, there's no 'right or wrong' here.

Im on my fourth pregnancy & have always taken things my midwife tells me with a pinch of salt. My last one had 4 kids herself and was good but you know your own body best

Bah humbug! Different bodies, different evolutions.

My sister just had a few fibroids surgically removed this year. They were so large people thought she was showing, poor thing. Does she count as showing at -Xweeks?
I have a few fibroids but not as large as hers and they contributed to me showing really early. My uterus was high at 9 weeks and at 12 i needed large coats...

Your MW sounds . Mine has changed a few times in the past few months although they were all nice/good (budget cuts etc). Hopefully yours will change as well to someone whom you can relate to.

I had maternity trousers at 9 weeks... second baby... I couldn't do my jeans up anymore!!

I got a "proper" bump by about 12-14 weeks...

Entirely possible to have an early bump!!

You can complain and ask for another mw I am sure. Someone I knew did. I have seen about 6 now and all were v nice. Mine is ok.

She's talking bollocks. I'm sat here now, at 19+5, only able to wear maternity jeans. I've been in them for about 3 weeks. It is perfectly possible to show before 20 weeks, we're living proof :o

according to my mum i showed at 6 weeks.

cheers love i thought

I'm a midwife. Your midwife is not right.

Well given that you can feel your fundus (top of uterus) in your abdomen much before 20 weeks, I thinks this suggestion is ludicrous!

She is entirely wrong. I was massive by 17 weeks so much so people I didn't know were asking when my baby was due! I am very thin and petite normally so on me it was very noticeable. My work colleagues were commenting on my pot belly from me being 8 weeks and I hadn't told them at the time.

lmfao! That's ridiculous - I'm 19 weeks and I'm massive :o

I had a definite bump at 16 weeks, also I could feel kicks by then. I was a size 6-8 pre pregnancy so I started showing really early. I bought maternity jeans at 8 weeks!

Your mw is wrong. Everyone is different.