“Congratulations, you’re pregnant!” Many women wait their whole lives to hear these joyful words. It’s certainly a time for excitement and celebration, but it’s also a time when questions and worry start flooding your head. For instance, you might be wondering, “when will my pregnancy start to show?” Let’s get some of those questions answered, as well as go over how to keep you and your baby healthy for the next nine months.
When Will My Pregnancy Start to Show?
The moment we get pregnant, many of us are eager to see the progress that is happening inside. Every woman is different. Some, especially those who have been pregnant before, will show much sooner than others. here’s a general breakdown of what you can expect:
- First Pregnancy – You probably will not show at all during your first trimester. The average woman in her first pregnancy will start to show between 12 and 16 weeks. If you have a thin frame, you might see that bump around the 12 week mark.
- Second Pregnancy – For women who’ve been pregnant before, you may start to show during the first trimester, sometimes as early as eight weeks. This happens because your stomach muscles may not have returned to their original size after being stretched during your first pregnancy.
Pregnancy Progression
When will my pregnancy start to show to everyone? Early bumps may be obvious to you, but to the outside world it may just look like you’ve had a big lunch or have been opting for dessert a little too often. If you’re wondering when that big, no-doubt-about-it, baby bump will turn up, here’s what you can expect later in your pregnancy:
- Second Trimester – The second trimester of your pregnancy marks weeks 13-27. You will likely begin to notice big changes in our belly around the 20 week mark, making your pregnancy pretty obvious to the rest of the world. By week 24, your baby will be about the size of a cantaloupe and pretty hard to overlook.
- Third Trimester – Your third (and final) trimester marks weeks 28-40. This is the point when your baby bump really starts to plump up. Baby is formed by now and is now busy putting on fat and gaining weight fast. By week 40 (full term) your baby will be the size of a watermelon, and that belly won’t be fooling anyone!
First Trimester Health Tips
Your health is vital during your pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester when vital organs are being formed such as the brain, heart, liver and kidneys. New moms need to make sure they are getting regular checkups and eating a well-rounded diet. Here is a checklist:
- Start a high quality prenatal vitamin to help development and protect against birth defects. We recommend opting for natural whole food sourced supplements such as Prenatal One Multivitamin from Rainbow Light, or prenatal vitamins from Douglas Labs or Nutri-Dyn.
- Choose an OB/GYN or midwife and schedule regular checkups.
- Stop smoking and drinking alcohol immediately. Both can cause serious complications and birth defects.
- Add additional folic acid to your daily supplement routine to help with brain development.
- Use ginger and vitamin B6 to help relieve morning sickness. You can also help ease pregnancy symptoms with the morning sickness sucker.
Don’t drive yourself crazy wondering when will my pregnancy start to show? Just focus on keeping you and your baby healthy, and that belly will be here before you know it!
Congratulations and good luck!
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Photo by Bich Ngoc Le on Unsplash
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