Pregnant stomach at 11+5

[Dalmatian0]

I’m worried as the NHS page for 11/12 weeks talks about a growing ‘bump’ and the waist ‘thickening’. I am slim but I don’t have this. I’m bloated looking, but if I lie on my back it disappears. Photos for reference. I’ve had previous losses so feeling concerned.

When did others first feel anything different in their stomach? I don’t mean when was it obvious to other people you were pregnant, but when could you first feel / see anything unusual?

I’m sorry you’re feeling so anxious, pregnancy can be such a worrying time. I was similar to you both times I think, the bloating this time around was absolutely ridiculous this time from very early on. Thing is, there is no normal and everyone is so different, there’s just so many factors to it. Do try not to stress yourself out but if you find the anxiety is getting too difficult to manage, please speak to your midwife about getting some support. Congratulations and best of luck x

Don't worry about the size of your bump, every one is different. My mother was a size 6 and didn't show until she was about 7 months along. My bump is massive but if I lay on my back it almost completely goes at 6 months. Your baby is teeny tiny at 11 weeks :). I didnt feel my first much until about 23 weeks but she wasnt much of a mover even adter then. This one has been a pro footballer since 13 weeks. Every baby, body, mother, bump and pregnancy is different. Congratulations on the baby!

If it's your first it'll take much longer to show, my first there wasn't much evidence other than being a bit bloated until about 16-18 weeks, my second was more about 12-14.

11/12 weeks? Oh no definitely not in my case, just terrible bloating in the first trimester.

First pregnancy I didn't get a proper unmistakable baby bump until 30+ weeks, before then I just looked like I'd eaten too much! I went for a non pregnancy related mri at 28/29 weeks and the scanner couldn't believe I had a baby inside of me as, lying down, I had no bump at all! It popped a couple of weeks after that.

Second pregnancy the bloating was more severe and the bump appeared earlier, more like 18 weeks. Now 28 weeks I have what I think is a big bump but others have commented that it's a small/neat bump.

Every woman and every pregnancy is different - bear in mind some women don't even realise they're pregnant!

I recently had my 16 week midwife appointment (I'll be 18 weeks tomorrow) and I her asked about bump size. I do have a protruding stomach now, but it's variable in size across the day based on what I've eaten/drunk or how bloated I am. The midwife said they don't start measuring bump size until 28 weeks as currently it doesn't tell her anything about the size of the baby. Most of what's currently visible is other organs being pushed up and out, the baby is still so small!

I've also been taking photos weekly since 5 weeks and after 10 weeks I actually went down in size, because everything at the start was just bloat caused by the progesterone I was on (I'm an IVF pregnancy). I started to have a noticeable bump that people who know I'm pregnant have spotted from about 15 weeks, but I don't think anyone else would notice it otherwise. It's only really visible sideways on when I'm tight clothes, and it still looks fairly "flat" when I lie down.

So in short, I don't think you need to worry, it's still very early days!