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when will my belly pop out?! and other uterus related quandaries....

6K views 19 replies 18 participants last post by  4lilfarmers 
#1 ·
When does this alleged belly popping out thing happen? I'm waiting for some dramatic arrival over the top of my pelvis. Should I be expecting more of a gradual creep than a grand entrance?

And, how much does your uterus move over the course of a day? I woke up this morning and did my usual abdominal prodding and I swear I felt it all the way up to my belly button! It was so much higher than before that I told dh "I think THIS is the popping out I keep reading about!" But then I went pee.... and it was back down to an inch or so above my pelvis. Can my full bladder really push it up that much? Or am I losing my marbles?
 
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#2 ·
Well, this is my first, too, so I don't really know the answer.

But I think mine has definitely crept just above my pubic bone? I can't feel it with my fingers, but the other day I leaned into the sink to wash a cutting board and it was uncomfortable.

It must be doing something, because I'm looking more pregnant by the day.
 
#3 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by shantiani View Post
When does this alleged belly popping out thing happen? I'm waiting for some dramatic arrival over the top of my pelvis. Should I be expecting more of a gradual creep than a grand entrance?

And, how much does your uterus move over the course of a day? I woke up this morning and did my usual abdominal prodding and I swear I felt it all the way up to my belly button! It was so much higher than before that I told dh "I think THIS is the popping out I keep reading about!" But then I went pee.... and it was back down to an inch or so above my pelvis. Can my full bladder really push it up that much? Or am I losing my marbles?

Your uterus may peek over your pelvic bone by 14 weeks or so, but that isn't anything dramatic (and probably wouldn't make you visibly pop -- it's just something you can feel). It depends on your body type but it's possibly to visibly pregnant at 15 weeks or 35 weeks.

I'm 17 weeks along with my third. In the morning before I get up I can feel my fundus way up above my belly button -- somewhere up where it should be at 24 weeks. Once I've emptied my bladder and walked around it's where it's supposed to be at this point -- 7 cm lower!
 
#4 ·
Coincidentally, I was just looking through the journal from my first pregnancy earlier today. I was in maternity clothes around 15 weeks, and visibly pregnant by 20.

A lot depends on your body type. I'm a bit overweight, neither short- nor long-waisted and have a pot belly. My friend who is a skinny-minny looked masssively pregnant at 4 months. Another friend who is long-waisted but skinny took a lot longer to show because the organs had more room to move around.

With this pregnancy (my second), I've been able to feel my uterus just above my pelvic bone (while standing) since I was 8wk.
 
#5 ·
ok I'm totally clueless.. my whole belly from pubic bone to chest all feels the same to me.. what am I exactly looking to feel to be the uterus? I'm 13.5 weeks and noticibly pregnant. When you say it's a centimeter above or below, are you looking at the part of the belly that is protruding the most- is that where the uterus is? totally don't know!
 
#6 ·
Well, I have lots of squishy fat
So what I feel is a hard mound, about enough to fill a slightly cupped hand, just above my pubic bone (the top is less than a hand's width above). I can easily tell it is not addominal muscle...it is too hard to be fat or another organ, ergo, I've decided it is my uterus. Plus, it wasn't there three weeks ago.
 
#7 ·
This is a great site to give you some perspective on just how different every body is: http://www.maternitygallery.com/ There are mamas at 17 weeks who look due, and mamas at 41+ weeks who look tiny.

With my first, I "popped" around 16 or 17 weeks I think. With DD2, it was 13 weeks, and this time, i feel like I popped right after I got my +. I definitely feel my uterus higher in the morning, both because of my bladder (which is why they ask for it to be full for early ultrasounds, it does make a difference!) but I think also just laying down lets it creep up a bit, and then gravity pulls it back down as the morning goes on.
 
#8 ·
With my previous pregnancy, you couldn't tell I was pregnant at 20 weeks unless you were looking really close and I could wear my small maternity clothes (stuff with elastic waists and stuff). Now at almost 12, I'm almost in the elastic waists and if you know what you're looking at, you can tell. So, I guess my point is, it may be awhile if it's your first. The muscles haven't been pushed apart yet and can do a better job of keeping it hidden. When you'll show seems to be more about body type though as a pp said.
 
#9 ·
With my first, I started very very thin, and had strangers start commenting around 20 weeks. I had a little belly before that, but was able to hide it at work and such.

This is my second pregnancy, and I'm thin, so I thought I would be showing early. But at 10 weeks, nothing! I guess we'll see!
 
#10 ·
With my first, I did not look pregnant at all until I was almost 28 weeks. I remember the first time I wore maternity clothes was to a friend's baby shower at the end of May--and DD was born in August! It was annoying! I am tall and (was) on the thinner side. This time I started out about 20 lbs heavier so I already, at 10 weeks, feel huge. I think it really depends on your body type and how tall you are.
 
#11 ·
With each of my children, I continually think, "wow, I must have popped" from early on. However, the "real" pop always occus sometime around 4 months for me.

I'm a little worried because we will be seeing my ILs right around that time (unless we get out of it) and we really don't want them to know we are expecting.
 
#12 ·
It really does depend on body type and personal history. With my first I was visibly pregnant by about 10 weeks and I'm 10 weeks now and look about 4 months pregnant (and was showing at 6-7 weeks). I think I showed so early with my first due to abdominal surgery when I was a child-I think my stomach muscles were already weakened by that so I popped out early.
 
#13 ·
I just started showing yesterday, and I am 11 weeks with my second. With my first, I didn't start showing until I was around 18 weeks... if that. I am tall and have a long torso, so lots of room for baby. Towards the end, if I was wearing a jacket, people still didn't really notice I was pregnant.

I haven't told work yet, but I think it is starting to get obvious now with my belly. I just put on a pair of maternity jeans for the first time today. I got away with wearing skirts and dresses, but now it got cold all of a sudden so I have to put pants on. eeep! I plan to wait at least another week until I spill the beans at work.
 
#14 ·
I don't know where anything is, anymore. I have such thick scar tissue from my c-section (vertical skin incision) and it's hard to feel much past that....
My belly is definately sticking out significantly. Pretty much to the point where I can't hide the pregnancy any longer, unless I'm wearing really baggy clothes. This is my 4th, and my last pregnancy ended with very, very servere polyhydramnios (extra amniotic fluid,) and I was stretched out to the max!
 
#15 ·
ITA it was some where about 5 mo that poeple finally could see I was pregnant and not just eating too many donuts LOL. I keep getting big after I eat, and then it goes back down aain!!!
 
#16 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by ivymae View Post
This is a great site to give you some perspective on just how different every body is: http://www.maternitygallery.com/ There are mamas at 17 weeks who look due, and mamas at 41+ weeks who look tiny.

WOAH!!!!!! I totally forgot about this site, thanks for the link! I can't believe the diversity of belly shots!!!!
 
#18 ·
Great site. Makes me feel better! I haven't been seeing much of anything. But, I also have a bit of a long torso. In the mornings, I almost think I can see something ... but then, like the OP, I use the bathroom and it's gone, lol.

Although (and maybe this is just my imagination), I swear that when I eat, I look visibly pregnant. But, as soon as I've digested ... things go down. That sounds really weird now that I describe it, lol.

I definitely am a bit "thicker", though. It's just that it sort of looks as if I ate a few too many french fries and not so much "I'm growing a baby."
 
#19 ·
For perspective, this was me at 40w3d with DS.

This was me with DS at 10w, and this is me now at 10w. I popped with DS around 12w. This is 12w with DS.

Oh, and this was me hiking in Israel at 5mo pg with DS.

So your answer is ya just never know.
 
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