Carrying Really Low??

[GinaRae]

Okay, everyone's belly pics are so normal, what's wrong with me?

YES, I am VERY overweight. Not many people can tell I am pregnant, as I just look fat, though I believe I did finally get a stranger's nod the other day.

Okay, but here's the thing, I have the two bellies a few of us complained about. They have not joined. In fact, the top belly sticks out a little further than the one with baby in it!! And oh I get SO uncomfortable by day's end.. like the top is stuffed so tight... Then, between the bellies, this huge "seam" in the middle where my fatty pants and undies always landed.

It seems like all those pics of 19 week preggos are all perfectly rounded, top to bottom, even though babe still resides in the bottom.

WHY am I feeling like my tummy has dropped lower than usual.. I am not kidding! I look in the mirror and this flab hangs so low! Why are the bellies not joining?

It's a weird question, but am I just being sensitive or is there reason to worry?

[myjulybabes]

Oddly, I don't have the 2 bellies thing going, despite being very overweight, but my girl is sitting realllllly low too. Like, head down on my cervix at my 19 wk u/s low.

As far as I know, it's not a problem healthwise, but I hear you. I want a pretty, round baby belly too. I've just got flab and bruises and this odd "wider than it is tall" thing going.

[GinaRae]

My MW palpated me on Friday and said the head was down and back curled against my left side. I feel lots of pressure already from babe being low and I often feel a significant amount of the activity way below.

Gee, cannot wait until I am huge at 30+ weeks and feeling that baby that's so much bigger pressing on my cervix.

[strawberryfields08]

I understand completely. I am not quite 20 wks and my bellies are not combining yet : I know it took a while with dd but I just want a cute baby belly. And my top belly is so big and tight, full of intestines and stuff I guess, the bottom just seems extra extra flabby. I am overweight normally so I expect it I just hate waiting for it. I was feeling the baby up high, but lately down fairly low. If I wear good maternity clothes I look pregnant but then I look way more pregnant than normal, if I wear whatever I have that is clean I look like I am just extra extra overweight.

Please join soon bellies!
My dh is tired of hearing, "Ok in this one do I look extra fat or pregnant?"

[maisiedotes]

Me too. My bellies have not joined. I will be 20w on Monday and thought they would have joined by now. Even pre-pregnancy, I had the 2 bellies. I seriously started thinking it was because I wore pants that had a too-tight waist or something. Like my body morphed around my clothes. : Baby is really low for us too- we have an U/S next Thursday and I am hoping she moves a bit.

ETA: I know a girl who is 25 weeks and she appears to be carrying a perfectly round basketball on her toothpick frame. I want a basketball shape too!

[Apryl Srissa]

I'm overweight too and have this problem. But I'm not really sure it's the weight, I suspect some of us just carry this way. My first I was skinny, but as I gained weight, I didn't' have the basketball shape. Strangers never knew, I never wore maternity clothes, cuz I just wasn't shaped right. Until the last like 4 weeks, I just exploded

My 2nd and this time both, I really look pregnant to those who know me. To other, well, they probably think I should get up and diet . But eventually it'll show and then they'll all feel silly for not noticing us sooner

[BarefootinBrooklyn]

if it makes you feel better, i'm not sure how much the 2 bellies joining into one has to do with weight. i've always been slim, had a pretty flat pre-pregnancy stomach, but my pregnant belly still has a bit of a top and bottom half. the bottom is bigger, but still, i'm not sure how pregnant i look at 20 weeks. I could probably still get away with people just thinking I've gained weight. I feel like the baby is very low, she is kicking down by my pubic bone all the time!

Hang in there and hopefully we'll have some basketballs to share soon!
(Someone told me it's because I'm having a girl, because boy bellies are more pointy and girls are more spread out...)

[mittendrin]

I am 23.5 wks and my bellies are finally starting to join. Went much faster with my last two pregnancies. I just have a lot of extra fat in my bottom belly and it hangs: My top belly sticks out farther too but it is definitely getting better. I have never had a cute round pregnant belly, always the split roll . That's just the way I carry my babes...

[GinaRae]

Okay then, I can stop feeling like a freak, I get it! Not that I enjoy sharing my problems with you all, but I AM glad there are others who feel like this. Ugh!

[crystalalene]

I did not start out with much extra weight but I *look* like I am carrying high because all the stuff from my insides is getting shoved up and out. The baby is actually really low but somehow s/he is still tucked in really neatly. I understand what you mean about the top part 'feeling' full and big even though that isn't where the baby is yet.

And everyone I know is telling me how huge I am already! Thanks, that makes me feel better.

[GinaRae]

I just feel mutated! The top of my tummy is so hard and stiff and the bottom is so squishy and flabby. Ick.

But I did put on a pair of maternity pants today instead of trying to hide unzipped pants, and I noticed the huge panel helps smooth out the tummy a little. So even though I don't like the pants much, they make me look more preggo than anything else does right now

[BarefootinBrooklyn]

that's what I found about maternity pants too--I bought a couple pairs that are the Low-Rise with wide waistband as opposed to the full panel, and those seem to "hoist" everything upwards.

I got a great pair from Old Navy and one from BabyStyle, and I am getting so much use out of them.

[meisterfrau]

I am carrying kind of low too, and only in the past few days has my double belly started to really join (thank goodness). So maybe you just need to give it a little longer! (I'm 23 weeks)

I read on babycenter : that the baby is a little over a pound at 23 weeks, and gains about 6 whole ounces in week 24! I bet that's when the serious belly-joining starts.

[Beckula]

Gina you described my belly to a T, I'm still coming to terms with the fact that my belly button will Never pop out *sigh*.

[meisterfrau]

Last time my belly button didn't pop out either, it just got all flat and strange looking.

[strawberryfields08]

Originally Posted by BarefootPregnant

that's what I found about maternity pants too--I bought a couple pairs that are the Low-Rise with wide waistband as opposed to the full panel, and those seem to "hoist" everything upwards.

For me I have to have the full panel... I'm talking up to my boobs in order to look pregnant. The low rise ones just roll down beneath the flabby bottom belly. But the full panel kind of smooths everything out.

[mittendrin]

Originally Posted by GinaRae

I just feel mutated! The top of my tummy is so hard and stiff and the bottom is so squishy and flabby. Ick.

But I did put on a pair of maternity pants today instead of trying to hide unzipped pants, and I noticed the huge panel helps smooth out the tummy a little. So even though I don't like the pants much, they make me look more preggo than anything else does right now

Yep, really works best for "our kind of figure"

I don't mind comments on my size, haven't actually gotten any. What I hate is when they get all lovey-eyes and touch my guts. Ok, great, you wanna feel the baby? I am not letting you touch there unless we've shared a few drinks, eh? Right now you're patting my lunch. There's no friggin baby right under my boobs, I'm 23 weeks, forcryinoutloud!

[GinaRae]

Originally Posted by mittendrin

What I hate is when they get all lovey-eyes and touch my guts. Ok, great, you wanna feel the baby? I am not letting you touch there unless we've shared a few drinks, eh? Right now you're patting my lunch. There's no friggin baby right under my boobs, I'm 23 weeks, forcryinoutloud!

OMG!! I was just joking about this today! SO FUNNY!!!

And the belly button popping thing, mine has never popped. I've never gotten that big and I apparently have a huge belly button chasm that just gets all gawky and wide and flat, but no popping!