When does it feel real?

[SFairhos]

I know I am still very early (7weeks) but when do you feel your baby/bump grow? It feels like there is nothing inside me.
Does anyone else feel like this?

[Mc3209]

Yeah, I remember that feeling. Even though I felt rough in the first trimester, I remember going to my very first early private scan thinking 'please tell me there is something there'. Worst time for that was actually early second trimester, that's when you generally feel like a human again, but there is still no bump. I started growing a bump 16-17 weeks, and started looking pregnant to people who don't know me around 20 weeks. It's definitely more real once you start feeling the baby kick.

[CupcakesK]

I completely felt like that too, I had no real morning sickness either. For me it wasn’t until after about 20 weeks when I could feel the kicking and my belly had grown a bit. But then the last 3 months of pregnancy you can’t wait for little one to arrive as it starts to get so uncomfortable doing anything!

[Roselilly36]

I felt exactly like that, I really couldn’t believe I was pregnant, even when I went for the first scan I said to the lady taking the scan, I don’t think your going to find anything. Of course DS1 was there, when I saw the screen It became real for me. Many congrats OP

[Dollywilde]

Until 12 weeks it was like a lovely secret we kept to ourselves, I wasn’t massively suffering symptom-wise though so I know what you mean.

12 - 20 weeks was the hardest for me as I had told everyone I was pregnant but didn’t have a bump or kicks or anything! I took soooo many bump photos and look back now and go ‘oh ffs you don’t have a bump, you look like you’ve had pasta for lunch’

20 weeks onwards has been lovely, I’ve really enjoyed having a bump and bonding with baby. Now 38 weeks and very ready to meet him/her! You’ll get there

[Oldestchild90s]

I felt like that at first, up until her first kicks after about 20 weeks. Now it feels really bloody real.. sweating to death, laying about like a beached whale, swollen everything.. just waiting for her to pop out 😂😂

[SFairhos]

I feel like I am imagining all of this!

Thank you @Roselilly36 @CupcakesK @Dollywilde @Mc3209 @Oldestchild90s Don’t feel like it’s just me feeling this way.

I have my first scan next week, I am hoping all is ok and there is a baby in there! X

[AnnaSW1]

I think it feels more real after the 12 week scan

[RosyCheeks93]

Hi OP. I'm 23 weeks pregnant with my first and felt exactly like you and the other posters throughout my pregnancy so far.
Each benchmark has been so special, seeing him at the 12 week scan, hearing him on the midwives Doppler, seeing him again twice more at my 20 week scan (and another follow up). I am now feeling the baby a little more throughout the day, but I have an anterior placenta, so that's shielding some of his movement. Nursery is ready and I have a bump growing nicely by the day...

With all that being said and so much confirmation, I can honestly say it STILL doesn't feel real to me. I keep thinking... Christ, am I really going to have a baby in a few months? I can picture it, but I also can't at the same time! I think for me, it's not truly going to become reality until my boy is in my arms. It's totally surreal!

[Isthisfinallyit]

I felt like I was lying when I told people that I was pregnant. It didn't feel real to me till I felt her kicking. I had enough other symptoms (nausea, food cravings and averaions, massive boobs, 4 scans that showed me a baby) but only the kicking feels real.

[Shutupyoutart]

I think it becomes real when you have the scan and can see the baby for the first time and even more so when you start feeling the first flutters. Congrats op and good luck at your scan x

[Centaurpede]

It didn't feel real at all until the 12 week scan, then it was such a relief to see there was indeed a baby there! Then around 20 weeks, starting to feel kicks and getting noticeably bigger, it feels very real now!

[Stef92]

I'm 10+2 and still expecting to find AF when I go to the loo. I think it'll properly sink in when I go for my 12 week scan.

[ejs11]

Still sinking in for me!! Only 8 weeks but saw heartbeat at 7w1d. I think it will feel real at 12 weeks, which is when I'm planning to tell everyone! (parents already know but siblings/close friends not yet). Got every symptom going though

[crazychemist]

I think it gradually creeps up on you. With my first pregnancy, it still didn’t seem real even when I’d had the first scan as I had no bump, I just felt ill and exhausted all the time so it seemed more like being ill than expecting a baby! This time round, I’m horribly uncomfortable (twins) so it seems much more real on a daily basis. Having a bump and feeling kicks makes it more real, but I still couldn’t really picture what it would be like actually having a baby until I was holding her.

[SFairhos]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

It’s made me a little more excited than anxious now! X x

[HighInTheHills]

I'm 39 weeks and having my baby this afternoon (dc3) and it still doesn't feel real! 😂 for me it's not until baby's actually here that it properly sinks in!

[NatalieH2220]

Feels more real after 12 week scan but it wasn't until 20 weeks for my first I started to have a little bump or feel any movements.

In the early days it was the sickness that helped me 'know' I was pregnant. 12-20 weeks was hardest as symptoms had gone and still no bump but from 20 was lovely!

I'm now 23 weeks with my second and felt things a little earlier this time around.

[Oldestchild90s]

@HighInTheHills Wow good luck to you! I'm 38+1 ftm and have been told she isn't even properly engaged yet.. i'm actually dreading the thought of going over, as i was told she could be well into the 9lb category 😂😅 and this HEAT is killing me! Let us know how you get on x