Don't look pregnant at 18 weeks

[LCL88]

Hi there. I'm a bit worried because I don't really look pregnant and I'm 18 weeks and 4 days. This is my first pregnancy. I have a small bump but not one that looks like I'm expecting. Iv struggled with sickness and nausea throughout my pregnancy and therefore haven't been eating too great at all and I'm anxious baby is not going to be a healthy size. Firstly, do I need to worry about my lack of bump at this stage? Secondly, does the fact my bump is not noticeable mean my baby will not be the correct size in relation to how far on I am?
I'd be so grateful of someone advice. Thank you x

Some people hardly show at all - depends on hips etc. A small bump at 18 weeks sounds normal to be honest!

I didn’t have a bump until 24 weeks, didn’t go into maternity gear until 28-29 weeks.

It’s not unusual especially if you’re tall. Don’t worry, when you start to feel the little kicks it won’t matter that you’re not showing as you’ll feel the baby and that’s more exciting!

I didn't show AT ALL until I was 20 weeks. No bump, just slightly bigger boobs. And I was a tiny size 6 at the time, so was worried that my baby wasn't growing properly. From about 24 weeks I started to actually look pregnant, then gave birth to a 10lb whopper
It very much depends on the position of the placenta and baby, the length of your torso, and whether your abdominal muscles have stretched before. I've only had the one pregnancy, but all my friends who were similarly late to show in their first pregnancy found they 'popped out' much sooner with subsequent babies.

Totally normal to not show yet. Everyone carries differently.

Also I wouldn't worry to much about your nausea and not eating much. As long as you are checking in with your midwife/GP regularly and they are happy, you're probably fine.

It's really common to eat very little and lose weight during your first trimester. It just isn't talked about very much because the stereotype is "eating for two".

I had hyperemesis and had a very small bump all the way through. Im only 5’2 and size 8 and at the end had moved into size 10 clothes. My baby was 8lbs. I think it was the constant sickness. She’s 12 now 😱

I’m a midwife. We start measuring fundal height (bump) at 26-28 weeks. If isn’t done earlier as not everyone has a bump before than and that’s quite normal depending on baby’s position, the strength of your abdominal muscles etc. Try not to worry.

Oh you'll get a bump. I didn't have one at 18 weeks. By the end of the third trimester I was HUGE! Just wait, it can take longer with your first.

@wombatspoopcubes

Oh you'll get a bump. I didn't have one at 18 weeks. By the end of the third trimester I was HUGE! Just wait, it can take longer with your first.

I'd echo this. Try not to worry OP.

Like others, with my first, you wouldn’t have known at 18 weeks at all that I was pregnant and I am slim. I only really had a noticeable bump around 33 weeks. Baby was over 8lb, so grew plenty big! Even with my second this time round, I barely had a noticeable bump at 24 weeks. I’m tall so have more space for the baby to fit I think!

Thank you all for your responses it makes me feel a little less panicked. I have a gender scan on 8th November and I just worry they are going to tell me my baby is not on target to be the correct size m, which is why I'm worrying. I'm 5ft 5 and a size 12/14 but as some of you have said Iv lost weight in the first trimester and I'm still not able to eat too much better, only a little and often. So am I right in thinking your midwife measures your bump later on around 24-26 weeks as stated in one of the comments above? Who knew being pregnant could be so worrying!!

Congratulations!
Welcome to motherhood - a life time of worrying!! And love and love, of course!

I didn’t show until much closer to 30wks.
I’m short. With my second i showed a bit earlier but not much. It’s not unusual.
I was small all the way through. I mean, I felt huge by the end but in comparison to lots of others I was still small. It’s a blessing.

Normal. I wore my usual jeans to my 20 week scan! Bump popped around 25 weeks. Fear not

For my first pregnancy I started showing wayyyyy late, probably 24 weeks.
I even have pictures at 22 weeks, Christmas day, i wore a tight dress to "show the bump"....well, there was none basically I was just a little bit fatter than usual

Very normal, started showing a couple of weeks after my 20 week scan. Worrying is normal though, I know I did. Having a bump is something I looked forward to and still love it,you'll get there too :) good luck 👍

Don't worry about your small bump, I was 21 weeks on holiday in a teeny bikini with absolutely no bump, I popped a couple of weeks later, was the size of a small outhouse by 42 weeks and my baby was over 9lb. I'm 5'7" and was a size 10\12 at the time of the holiday if this helps.
Congratulations on your pregnancy.

Do you have a long body? I ask because my friend and I carried very differently during pregnancy. She as a longer torso than me and didn't look remotely pregnant until about 6-7 months. I have a short torso, so was all bump out front and looked obviously pregnant at 13 weeks. With a longer torso I guess there's more space inside for the baby.

First pregnancy i didnt show till nearly 30 weeks.

This time around 13 weeks 🤪

I don't have a particularly long body I'd say i am more leg than body! However I'm not tall
At 5ft 5inches. I heard the heartbeat last week and the midwife said it was all good but as one of you said I hadn't trellised pregnancy/motherhood could be such a source of crippling anxiety!! Hopefully everything is fine! X

I was the same as you. With my second pregnancy I didn't tell anyone until the 20 week scan and nobody had noticed anything. People commented on it all the time during my first pregnancy and I was very sensitive about I - I was really worried about the baby not growing. I didn't ever have a huge bump but DC1 was 9lb8 at birth! It turned out from a scan with DC2 that I have a retroverted uterus (tilted back) so I assume my babies have always been tucked well back which is why I didn't get a huge bump.

I also have a short torso and long legs.

Everyone show's so differently! I remember there was a supermodel in the 90s who kept working until close to 8 months, was barely noticeable that she was pregnant at all!

Didn't look that pregnant until 23 weeks. Very normal.

With my first I didn't show until about 6 months. I thought that was normal? Was massive by the end and started showing arou d 4 months with pregnancy 2 and 3.

I didnt look pregnant until about 24 weeks, now I look massive!