~~*❤❤*~ Our Belly Thread!~*❤❤*~~ - Page 11 « Back to Group Discussions

[chocolatechip]

Melany - what a great polka dot story! You and your daughter look adorable together. delilahbeau - it's amazing how much things change so quickly, isn't it!?! cabbitdancer - don't hide it, show it off!!! I have a friend who felt like she was just getting bigger and never looking pregnant, and was still mostly wearing just her normal clothes and big baggy sweatshirts. Several of us finally convinced her that she just needed to get some cute maternity clothes, and sure enough, she has a great baby bump and looks pregnant.  You've got a baby in there - you should totally flaunt it!

Here's me at 23 weeks, apparently looking like a bit of a pirate (super comfortable outfit, though)...

[cabbitdancer]

I like my belly. I didn't have one with my daughter and I was very disappointed. The thought of attention being focused on my belly (and me, by proxy), however, makes me feel uncomfortable. My neighbors don't even know I'm pregnant, yet, or, if they do, they haven't said anything. XD

[buko]

27 weeks in these photos.  I'm definitely finally showing, LOL...  Although only one stranger has mentioned/asked so far, though I'm definitely in maternity clothes.

What's funny is that I modeled (nude, art, drawing group) a couple of weeks ago, for the first time in a while, and a bunch of people had to be told by the group leader that I was (~6 months!) pregnant.  Okay, I was a little smaller than I am in these photos, but still. 

One woman kept saying, "Oh, it's because you're big.  I was so small (skinny), so you could really see my belly."  I was like, oh, yeah, it's my big butt and boobs-- it's an optical illusion because I normally have such an "exaggerated" "hourglass" shape.  (I.e., I've gained like 9-10" in my waist, but it's still about 5-6" smaller than my hip measurement.)  But then I realized she meant that I'm "fat"-- and therefore you won't be able to tell I'm pregnant until late in pregnancy (which I've never found to be true with my plus-sized friends, but whatever). 

*sigh*

[scruffy too]

Originally Posted by cabbitdancer 

 The thought of attention being focused on my belly (and me, by proxy), however, makes me feel uncomfortable.

I agree. 

Buko - our bumps are so similar!!  I completely agree about the optical illusion - if my boobs hadn't been growing at the same rate as my tummy, I feel that I'd look much "more" pregnant, and a helluva lot sooner, too!  It's only been noticeable on me the last couple weeks, and more so because I'm wearing tighter shirts.

[delilahbeau]

@Buko - I am so sorry, people can be so insensitive! You are not fat, you are beautiful!!!

I love that we are all brave enough to share here, i have been so ashamed of my body for most of my life...I am done with that. It feels so much better to appreciate it!!

[scruffy too]

Originally Posted by delilahbeau 

@Buko - I am so sorry, people can be so insensitive! You are not fat, you are beautiful!!!
 

  And I forgot to add that you're extra awesome for modeling nekid!!! 

[buko]

Amen, Delilahbeau!  I was kinda worried about body image issues cropping up with this pregnancy (though lemmetellya-- a couple of years of art modeling will do loads for your body image issues!) but I actually feel pretty good about my body.  I think I'm just getting old (34, LOL), but people's comments don't bother me near as much as they used to.  I will say that I've probably avoided a lot of them by working from home, though!

[chocolatechip]

Society is pretty weird about bodies. I love being able to see all the different shapes and sizes here. I have looked bigger this whole pregnancy than everyone I've met who is due around the same time, though my understanding was that might be because I am short, so the baby didn't have much room to go vertically.  But I am now at the point where, with four months still left to go, people are starting to assume I am much closer to my due date! And I am getting the invariable questions about twins, again. But I am measuring right where I should be, and my midwives said I'd probably be feeling a whole lot worse if I had twins.

So, I guess we get comments whether we're showing more or less! And let me just say again how awesome all these pictures are on here. 

[Chapsie]

Originally Posted by chocolatechip 

 But I am now at the point where, with four months still left to go, people are starting to assume I am much closer to my due date!

So, I guess we get comments whether we're showing more or less! And let me just say again how awesome all these pictures are on here. 

Yes, I also carry pretty "big."  I have a coworker who is 23 weeks (I'm 25 weeks) and she barely looks pregnant (she must have abs of steel!) while I have a soccer ball already.  We work in labor and delivery, and in the past couple weeks, I've had TONS of people say "WOW... when are you due??" and they always look incredulous when I say "in four months"  :)

This is my third baby and my first two kids were 9.5 lbs, so I'm used to these reactions.  But it always makes me a little uncomfortable to have so many people staring at and touching my abdomen.  

[eternalw]

Everyone has such great bellies! I need to get my act together and post another pic.

[scruffy too]

25 weeks:

I think it's official... Belly is bigger than boobs... :D

[Chapsie]

Photo taken by my 4 year old.  Hopefully I'll convince DH to take a "real" photo sometime soon!

25 weeks with baby girl!  

[Chapsie]

Scruffy-- I love the skirt with the leggings!  Where do you find leggings that fit comfortably around your bump?  Are they maternity?  

[scruffy too]

Chapsie - LOVE the smile!!!  And once again amazed at how different all the bumps are!!!!!!! 

The leggings are a recent purchase from Walmart...  For some reason, the 3x (!!) ones are high enough that they go right over my bump.  I tried them on and was happy, so I also grabbed a black pair on the way out (they were cheap) but once I got home, the black ones (same size) only go half way on my bump, so I'll be returning them.  They aren't Maternity - my Walmart (the only place to get Maternity clothes here) has a VERY limited selection of Maternity clothes (and NO Maternity undies!!  I tried on the 3x high rise undies, had them in my cart, then put them back, just didn't fit right 'enough' to spend money on...)  I have ordered some Maternity leggings from Old Navy and am really hopeful that they'll cover my bump, since I seem to be living in leggings these days.

[happylemon]

Buko - You do art modeling? That is awesome! Glad you can let the rude comments slide off your back though. Looks like a baby bump to me.

Scruffy - I wish the Wal-mart here still carried maternity, I had gotten leggings there I loved when I was pregnant with my second. Let us know how you like the Old Navy ones.

Here is 25+4 for me. My belly is finally looking more round than pointy in pictures! My belly button flattened out instead of just sticking out all pointy! My chest has grown this month also, i need some new tank tops and a new bra. My chest was always the first thing to grow in past pregnancies, but was lagging behind this time. Wondering if it has to do with nursing through this pregnancy and not the others, or if it is just a fluke.

[writermama12]

sarah, My breasts are always the first thing that tells me I'm pregnant, usually days after conception, but this time nada. This is also the first time I've nursed during pregnancy! Once my milk dried up around 15 weeks, they began to swell and get sore and now are pretty big compared to just a few months ago, so I think it is due to nursing in the first tri.

[happylemon]

WriterMama - The highlight of the first trimester for me in the past was always having big fun boobs! I felt like crap, but I looked like a porn star and it was kind of fun! This time I felt like crap, was bloated and still had floppy boobs! No fun! They are filling in now, but it is not so much fun at this point!

[buko]

Yes, Sarah-- I used to be a full-time figure model for art schools and the like.  In the past ~18 months, I let that slow to a trickle, as my online retail business became my bread and butter.  Then when I got pregnant, I only took a job here and there-- partly to avoid paint thinner fumes and whatnot.  I really wanted to keep doing some though, so I could get photos of some of the work done while I have my bump!  I just modeled yesterday, and though it was a beginner class, I got some cool mementos (just cell photos of the work, but still).  I'd share them, but I'd probably get flagged for nudity!

[writermama12]

26 weeks

[delilahbeau]

I love all of the bellies, so beautiful!!

My belly button has started to hurt, like its been stretched too far anyone else experiencing this?