Research-backed
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Ever wondered how beautiful a woman looks with her baby bump? It’s not just Beyonce and Megan Markle who can flaunt their baby bump. You can be a star mommy much before your baby is born. If you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you may wonder how long it takes for your baby bump to appear. It is quite important to know how much time you have before the major body shape change occurs. This way, you can buy the right clothes and let people around you know that you’re pregnant before you get too many overwhelming questions.
Every woman has a unique body and a lot of factors contribute to the time when your baby bump will start to show. Here are some of the factors that will help you predict the time you should start shopping for maternity clothes:
Is It Your First Time Being Pregnant?
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If you’re a first-time mommy, it is almost impossible for anyone to make out that you’re pregnant during your first trimester (1). On the other hand, if it’s not your first time, your baby bump may start to show early. This is because of the muscles of your uterus and abdomen that are already stretched due to the earlier pregnancies.
What’s Your Body Type?
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If you have a smaller body frame, your baby bump will start to show faster than someone who carries a bit more weight. Also, having very defined abdominal muscles can hide your baby bump for a longer period. Your food intake will increase while you are pregnant but that does not mean that you have to actually “eat for two.” Try to eat as healthy as possible and ask your doctor about the food that you can eat and the ones that you got to stay away from. This will help you get enough nutrition for you and your baby without gaining a lot of weight.
How Old Are You?
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Younger women have stronger abdominal and uterus muscles which means that they can hide their baby bump for longer. As you age, these muscles tend to lose their strength which results in the appearance of the baby bump much sooner.
Expecting Multiples?
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Multiple babies mean a lot of stretching for the uterus muscles. Your baby bump will start to show sooner if you’re expecting more than one baby.
Uterus Positioning
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There are two types of uterus positioning – a retroverted uterus (uterus tilted backward) and an anteverted uterus (uterus tilted forward) (2). A woman with a retroverted uterus will probably start to show her baby bump later than someone with an anteverted uterus.
Gas, Bloating, And Constipation
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Bloating, gas and constipation can cause a distended belly for most of us. During pregnancy, increased levels of progesterone in your body slows down your digestion so that your baby gets maximum nutrition from the food that you eat (3). While this is a good thing for your baby, it causes bloating, gas, and constipation which can be quite disturbing for you.
Baby Bump Timings Of Your Relatives
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The time during which your relatives’ baby bumps started showing can give you a clue to find your own. This is because your genes play an important role in determining when you will start to look pregnant. So, go ahead and ask your mom or sister about the time their baby bumps started to show when they were pregnant.
All these factors may only help you get a vague idea about when your baby bump will start to show. However, in case you feel that your baby bump isn’t showing as soon as expected, it’s always good to ask your doctor about it. Also, buy maternity clothes and things that will help you while you’re pregnant, as soon as you find out that you’re pregnant.
