Bump paranoia - 'Small' comments

[sophiad]

Morning ladies

I'm 24+5, am getting paranoid about bump size. People keep saying I'm small, I've defo got a bump and baby is moving around well. But just makes me worried! I have GP check up tonight, so I'm sure she'll measure me and I'll know if I'm good or not?! x

It always seems to me people pass comment on massive bumps, small bumps and the like all the time... and most of it is misguided.

Yes I wouldn't worry; MW will sometimes check nuchal height measurement (esp. if they're in a team; not one consistent eye) and they usually allow 2cm either way. Having experienced it myself, they are normally more concerned with stagnation in the women rather than how well your weeks and cms correlate (e.g. not growing much in the time between appointments).

Also we are all different physiologically; if you have great abdominals you will look small for quite a while!

I would really try bit to worry - am 31 weeks with number 2 and get this all the time (and also last time). Despite this everything has been fine and I have always measured normal despite appearances - DS was born 7lb 12oz so a good weight too!

You could ask your GP tonight but sure all will be fine! X

If its your first pregnancy you will probably look smaller for much longer. I was probably about 26 weeks before I showed very much with my first, more like 23 weeks this time. Don't worry about it. If you can feel lots of movement thats more important.

I measured small in my first pregnancy and they scanned me and it was all fine, baby was 7lb7 at birth.

This time I'm getting comments about being small again, not worried though as I've a) clearly got a cavernous abdomen that hides babies and b) people IME expect pregnant women to be massive from early on. It depends on the shape of your bump too, people picture the ones that really stick out when imagining pregnant women. Mine's more spread out.

I look quite small really but my measurements are normal. I think its just because I have a long torso so lots of space for baby to roam in. If I was 3 inches shorter I would poke 3 inches further out, IYSWIM.

Bump comments are invariably foot-in-mouth inanities as people try to find something to say and end up with something silly. You get a lot of this in PG and early parenthood. The best way to deal with it is smile and nod.

And external bump size is no indication whatsoever of health or progress of the PG. I can remember being more vast with my 3rd at about 16 weeks when I joined a yoga class than one woman at 35 weeks. Both our babies were just fine.

Oh its normal. I always got told i was small and did measure slightly small for dates, my.babies were not small!

Everyone except one person has told me that I'm 'neat' and 'not big enough' at 31 weeks. The other person has remarked that it already looks big enough to come out walking - and she's a GP so knows more than most!
My whole uterus / abdomen is actually measuring 2 or 3 weeks bigger than I actually am, due to a great big fibroid right at the top. Taking that into account, I'm bang on average measurements for 31 weeks.
So....the moral of the story is take any comment about bump size with a massive truckful of salt.

I had a really small bump til quite late on, 8 months-ish. Baby was absolutely fine, 8lbs 6oz in the end

Everyone says I'm neat too, except DH who thinks its funny to say "fuck you're huge, are we having an elephant?" which gets him a swift kick up the arse

I think it's the usual thing of people feeling that they have to say something. I had one trip into town at about 30 weeks on my lunch break where in the space of half an hour strangers commented that my bump was big, small, high up and low down.

For what it's worth, I was very 'neat' up until about 3 weeks before DS finally turned up, and he was 9lb 13oz.

Ahhh thank you ladies. Made me feel a lot better. I do feel 'neat' myself, so when people comment, I do think more about it! Maybe people innocently feel the need to make a comment. I also have a friend who when she gets drunk touches my belly a lot haha x

Hey, I'd try not to worry. When I was about 30 weeks I had 2 people comment in the space of 10 minutes. Not so bad until I tell you that the first comment was that my bump was still really small and the second was how huge I was!!!couldnt help chuckle to myself!

I think it's one of those things people feel the need to have an opinion on, along with the comments about whether I'm having a girl or a boy cos apparrantly everyone seems to know (apart from me and DH)

OP, look at it positively. You obviously have brilliant abdominal muscles that are holding your bump neatly in place. Small bump does not necessarily equal small baby.

Don't worry OP Ive been told on the same day bumps too small/huge and my measurements are spot on. Everyone has an opinion on bump sizes the only one that matters is the midwife's :)

Don't worry i get it everyday, my bump is small 7 weeks behind in fundal height currently 35 weeks measuring 27/28 but last scan 2 weeks ago ahowed baby is a little above average. Off for scan no 7 on Monday for another growth check. Not the most relaible method!

LOL four weeks ago I was 23 weeks and got a lot of "No way, you're pregnant??" - it's a month later and the same people who were accusing me of having a tiny bump are now going "Holy crap are you having twins??"

No word of a lie! This is the part of the pregnancy where it starts to pick up some speed :) Besides, your midwife will measure and be able to reassure you at your next appointment.