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Original poster

When does the bump stop growing??

45 replies

Lesley76 · 09/02/2004 16:24

When does the bump stop growing? And when do you stop gaining weight? ( assuming you are not scoffing several Mars Bars a day?). PLEASE PLEASE don't tell me that you keep growing until you go into labour??? I am convinced that I will explode soon and can't POSSIBLY keep growing so fast. And I was quite skinny to start with!!!!

A small logical part of my brain tells me that any cases of exploding women would be on the national news but this is being overtaken by pregnancy paranoia..................HELP!!!!!!

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lydialemon · 09/02/2004 16:25

Never!

Kaboooom!!!!

lydialemon · 09/02/2004 16:27

Sorry, couldn't resist it! The baby keeps growing right up until birth so I'm afraid you will too. How far along are you?

motherinferior · 09/02/2004 16:28

LOL, lydia.

Up till birth, I'm afraid. Around the last few weeks total strangers comment. Then you give birth and it shrinks a bit but is a huge wobbly blancmange like thing.

Eventually you do return to normal, honestly.

fio2 · 09/02/2004 16:35

it carries on growing after you have given birth, it is vile

CountessDracula · 09/02/2004 16:47

Oh yes lesley it does keep on and on and on....

Think they put on half a pound a week at the end, I remember thinking how huge my bump was at 30 weeks, but by 40 I looked like I'd swallowed a spacehopper.

All of which is lovely compared to the hideous squishy, jellyish lump that is your stomach after you have given birth. I mourned my lovely tight skin that I had had when pregnant. Still do for that matter.

twiglett · 09/02/2004 17:02

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jampot · 09/02/2004 17:06

I had ds at 37 weeks he was 8lbs 12 and I was absolutely enormous (also carried lots of water). A few weeks after the birth I was in Sainsburys when a dear little old lady came up to me and said "Congratulations dear, I see you in here every week and wondered how you were going to get it out" Also my GP said I looked like a beached whale!!!!

ANGELMOTHER · 09/02/2004 17:38

My dd is 4 mths and my bump is still growing
Must do sit ups
Must do sit ups
Must do sit ups
Must do sit ups
Must do sit ups

Original poster
Lesley76 · 09/02/2004 17:47

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! PLEASE tell me you are all winding me up?????? My SIL told me that she lost weight "towards the end". I was hoping she meant the last 8 weeks or so..............

OP posts:
Thomcat · 09/02/2004 17:52

No - you do keep growing, esp towards the end.
I think quite near the end I was about a 44inch waist. That was belly button to belly button iykwim. That wasn't right at the very end though, once I saw 44inches I didn't go back for another go!

twiglett · 09/02/2004 18:00

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SoupDragon · 09/02/2004 18:01

Well, I lost 2 stone in the 7 days following DS1s birth. Does that count as losing weight "towards the end"??

Sorry!!

twiglett · 09/02/2004 18:02

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Angeliz · 09/02/2004 18:34

I was very neat and had quite a small bump but the last few weeks i just got ENORMOUS, i literally looked like i'd swallowed a football One of my neighbours claims she knew i was about to give birth as she saw me the day before in town and my face was huge!!!

suedonim · 09/02/2004 19:35

I'll give you a small ray of hope! I didn't grow much towards the end and stopped getting bigger in the last few weeks. I even lost a couple of pounds. The MW's weren't at all concerned, they said it was a sign that the baby was 'fully cooked' and that labour would start very soon.

emmatmg · 09/02/2004 19:55

Thomcat, I also abandoned the tape measure when it said 44 inches and still with a few weeks to go, I suspect it was 46 or more by the time DS3 appeared so I'm another one that kept growing.

sigh I miss having a bump. Honestly.

Hulababy · 09/02/2004 19:57

Mine get growing right up to birth I am afraid!

stupidgirl · 09/02/2004 21:15

I only had a little bump I loved being pregnant....

Linnet · 09/02/2004 22:06

I didn't have a huge bump when I was pregnant last time and the measurement that the midwife did was always 1-2cms behind what I was in weeks. The last measurement was taken at 38 weeks and I was 37cms. They also stopped weighing me at 38 weeks. I wasn't measured again after that but In the end I went overdue so I don't know if I kept growing or not.

I don't remember being overly huge, although my friend says that I did get bigger in the last few weeks. I'm not at the stage yet this time where they start measuring your bump, Dr said 28 weeks before they do that. I did lose a little bit of weight towards the end though but only a few pounds.

handlemecarefully · 10/02/2004 08:37

I remember growing up til the end as well - last time at 40 weeks I couldn't see my toes, and could bend over only with extreme difficulty.

Currently am 7 months and just look like I have a big beer belly, but I know that over the next few weeks I will become gargantuan!

motherinferior · 10/02/2004 08:44

IRCC you can dip a bit in the last few - read 2 or 3 - weeks, according to Sheila Kitzinger, but do remember this is a dip from how enormous you have already BECOME.

You probably won't explode, though.

Aren't we helpful?

dot1 · 10/02/2004 09:52

Lesley76 - I'm wondering exactly the same thing - am 33 weeks pregnant and can't believe the size of my bump. When we talk about measuring, are we talking about around the waist? Can't possibly tell you what I measure - but I left the 40cms long ago..! They measure the length of my uterus - currently 33, which I think is about right - but I can't believe there's room for it to grow any more and I've still got 7 weeks to go..!

twiglett · 10/02/2004 09:57

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AussieSim · 10/02/2004 12:01

I'm waiting for a woman who had a multiple birth to respond. I had a friend who had twins - each was 9lb - imagine how big she was at the end.

Original poster
Lesley76 · 11/02/2004 12:38

Well I wish I could say I'm grateful for all your experience but its NOT what I wanted to hear!!!!Have checked with SIL & she meant she lost just a couple of pounds in the last few weeks, much like Linnet and Suedonim. Oh dear....

However, I am vastly encouraged (in a horrible, malicious, gloating way!!!!) by those of you who put on 3 or 4 stone. This makes me feel positively sylph like and am resolved to stop moaning. You might think that at my advanced age and with LOTS of other things to worry about, I would have sufficient maturity and perspective to not concern myself with such ultimately trivial, self centred and vain matters , but apparently not.............

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