How do you feel about your baby bump - big or small?

[Mummyto3tobe]

I just wanted to see if other women have the same feelings as me regarding baby bumps - im 17 weeks, my friend is 13 weeks and i know theres a month between us but she literally has NO bump at all yet and i know back when i was around 11 weeks pregnant i had a little fat belly sticking out and now obviously its got bigger to the point where you would probably assume i was pregnant and not fat.

Were both similar builds pre pregnancy size 10 same height 5ft5, her second my third. Why do ihave a huge bump compared to her?! i feel like im the fat one and shes the skinny wont put on a pound more than she has to during pregnancy one
Shes probably thinking the opposite and really wants a bump but i just wish i didnt show so quickly. This is a stupid thread i know but i just feel a bit crappy and big and wanted to know if this was normal bump worry?!

I remember a colleague being tiny at first and thinking I hope I'm bigger than thay because I wanted everyone to know I wasn't fat was pregnant!! She ballooned at end and has just gone on maternity leave..I think it's natural to compate but just try and be happy with the size you are- you can't change it!

Ha ha yes it's completely normal to have bump envy. I do! In my sons nursery there were 4 of us who had bumps, they were all smaller than me, one of them was tiny compared to me, hasn't put any weight on whatsoever :-( after Easter hols I will be the last one standing.

i know, thats what im trying to tell myself - just my last pregnancy i got so sick of everyone telling me how i was never going to make it to my due date because i was so 'huge' (she was 6 days late!) i just dont want that happening this time and it alreayd seems to be!

I guess if i didnt have a bump i would be moaning i wanted one so i should just stop moaningf

Speaking as a small-bump lady, I like it the way it is, but I occasionally wonder if he's growing OK in there. This makes me slightly anxious and is way more important than a bit of extra belly. Doesn't help when people pointedly ask. But really, we're all different shapes, sizes and genetic makeup, that's how it is non-pregnant and being up the duff just exaggerates natural differences that make us unique :) When carrying me, my mother looked exactly like I do now, and I came out at 8 and a half pounds.

I know what you mean. I'm 22 wks with my first and over the last 4 weeks the bump really has popped; in fact the last 2 wks I've gone from looking a bit flabby to properly pregnant. I'm normally pretty slim and when I first announced it everyone was like 'you'll have a teeny bump' 'bet we won't even notice you're pregnant' cos my hubby is slim too and just 5'8. Well I feel pretty big, my boobs are gigantic and I still have 4 months to go!!

Personally I have little-to-no bump at almost 15 weeks and I'm worried sick, so I'd much rather have the opposite problem. May be a grass is greener thing but there you have it.

At 13 weeks the uterus has only just risen out the pelvis so depending on how it's shifting stuff about in your body it's quite common to not have a bump OR to have a bigger belly all the time (even if it's not the actual baby).

I'm worried because I am 18 weeks and have only just started showing. And then only if you know me (always had a freakish small waist like something from a Carry On film, so my bump could be bloat if you didn't know me).

You never ever hear of anyone on MN with a small bump (unless it's 'eek found out I'm pregnant at 20 weeks'... a panic in itself!) and it scares me because I have a history of MC and a condition which makes me high risk. :(

My last scan (17 weeks) was fine. All the books say it's normal to start showing from 13 up till 22 weeks, and not feel movement till 22 (I do get pops and flutters already). My consultant says it's normal. The medical papers I've read say it's normal. LOGICALLY I know it's normal.

... but on forums EVERYONE'S in maternity clothes from 10 weeks and claims they can feel kicks then too.

OP is your bump hard? Like a real bump or still squidgey bloated ness type bump? I'm 18 weeks and although I look pregnant, it's not a real bump, it's not hard and I can almost suck it in I'm a bit confused by this.....

Elasti, Healther and Hopeful ... x post. Phew, I feel less alone now! :)

Chicken I'm 18w and the top of my bump is soft (fat I guess) the bottom hard (uterus). When I try to suck it in, some goes (the fat) some doesn't. Is that what yours is like?

squizita - a friend of my mum's was asked what she'd had at 8+ months because her bump was still so tiny! She's had 4 very healthy children, and this wasn't with her first... My mum, on the other hand, was regularly asked whether she was having twins (she wasn't) whilst people jump out of tube seats for me looking positively alarmed at the size of my bump, so I'm currently feeling rather envious of you! (And even I, first time round, didn't look particularly pregnant until I was at least 16 - 18 weeks, and I am very short-bodied and was (at the time) fairly flat-stomached.)

I'm 12 weeks with DC3 and I am properly massive - I measured myself this morning and my waist measurement is the same as I was at 20 weeks with DC2. Strangely though, it is quite high so I am still in normal clothes, whereas with DC2 I was in maternity jeans by about week 10.

Apple My mum has told me that when carrying twins she didn't need maternity clothing till 'past week 20' so maybe it is just a body thing! Doesn't help when people ask 'why aren't you bigger?' like you can do anything!

I was small up until I reached 8 months and was still wearing my normal jeans and then out from no where this huge bump appeared

I'm 38+3 and I never dreamed I could ever, ever get so big. I'm a size 8 usually and I look like a planet.

I'm 24 weeks and have a tiny bump barely noticeable and I'm really concerned as everyone thinks I'm not even pregnant - I'm still wearing my normal clothes and barely have any bump at all :( very panicked about it especially as the MIL is saying she was huge at my stage

I'm 19 weeks and mine is pretty much up to my belly button (I can feel the top of my uterus by pressing) kicks are usually low down or under belly button. I have a relatively small frame and I got cat called the other day (!!) so assuming I still don't "look" pregnant to others but I have a definite bump! This is my second!

OP I'd much rather have your problem - I'm with squizita on this, though even further along - 25 weeks and still not showing! I'm tall and quite big (though not completely enormous - size 16ish) and have actually had a couple of people who haven't known I'm pregnant comment that I look like I've lost weight in the last few weeks. I can feel the bump if I lie flat on my back but can't see it when I stand up iyswim. Was enjoying it at first but now a little weirded out. Have something in a few weeks I need smart work clothes for and was convinced I was going to have to go maternity hunting, but am still in pre-pregnancy jeans. Midwife says it's fine, baby's growing normally and have enough amniotic fluid, and can feel him jumping around constantly, but IT'S SO WEIRD. My mother's bemused as well - she's roughly the same height and build as me and she says she looked like 'a ship in full sail' by this point. Just convincing myself that I'll wake up one morning looking like a pregnant lady...

sammyad - I've no doubt you will. I popped out around 29 weeks, no earlier, and though as I said the bump's a bit small, there's no doubt there's a happy, wriggling baby in there who is measuring fine.

I'm 19 weeks and have a small bump - I can see it and it's definately a round bump, not fat, but I don't look pregnant. Still in normal work clothes, tops, jackets, leggings, tights etc.

I'm 19wks and only just have a slight bump that could just be bloat. I'm 5'10 and big boned (not fat, just very broad shoulders and hips) and lost a lot of weight from morning sickness so few people who don't know have noticed, and only a couple who do know have noticed!

I'm not worried at all, scans show everything is healthy, baby is kicking around happily, and I'm actually quite relieved I haven't blown up like a balloon just yet! I'm sure I'll get much bigger soon! Can't wait to get bigger though, nice to feel like you actually look pregnant!

I'll be 28 weeks tomorrow and have a very obvious bump, somebody asked me today how long I have left and when I said 12 weeks she said god what are you carrying a baby elephant?! Im not fat anywhere else and my bump is measuring spot on so im definitely not huge my mw said it's because im short 5'3 that there's only one way it can go and that's out, but people just think it's ok to say what they want. Quite frankly I couldn't care less what size I am as long as the baby is ok after having 4 miscarriages it wouldn't bother me if my bump was twice the size im just glad I've got one. Just embrace your bump op :)

Im 40+2 and my bump is very small. I am measuring 34weeks which is of no concern to me. The lady in the chemist yesterday thought i had had the baby and was asking where it was when i picked up a prescription. She nearly passed out when i told her i was due wednesday just gone!
I carried the same with DD and she was born at 8lb 6oz.

I'm 18 weeks and this is sooooo bizarre but I literally woke up with a big bump this morning. It honestly was not there yesterday. Even family have mentioned it today.
The exact same thing happened at 19 weeks on dc2.

I'm in such a good mood all day, I finally have a bump

You can't compare baby bumps with someone else and it means squat about the size or weight of the baby. I was pregnant at the same time as my sister, I was huuuuuuge and she had a neat little bump. Even at 9 months she looked roughly 5 months. We were the same pre pregnancy size and similar weight. Anyway, my dd was only 7lbs and hers was almost 9lbs, people wouldn't believe us!

"Im not fat anywhere else and my bump is measuring spot on so im definitely not huge my mw said it's because im short 5'3 that there's only one way it can go and that's out"

I'm 5"2, size 10 normally and also a recurrent miscarrier wiith APS. As mentioned before, tiny bump for 18 weeks.

Like morning sickness, bumps (and the idea that big = 'more pregnant') can be horrible if you haven't got very obvious symptoms and MW etc' say things like that... makes it sound like every short woman 'should' have that bump. :( I'm glad I opted for a MW team attached to my clinic, they are very careful to only say things that are medical fact.

Just hoping it is my massive pelvis hiding everything away!