Nancy & Betsy
You're pregnant - and you want the world to know! So when are people going to stop saying, "Is she getting fat?" and start saying, "Oh, she's pregnant!"?
The answer: It varies. "When expectant moms start to show depends on what kind of shape the mom is in before she gets pregnant and how many times she has been pregnant," says Kenneth Johnson, D.O., an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
"First-time moms with those ripped 'six-pack abs' may not show until around 20 weeks. Good muscle tone tends to hide pregnancy." Super-fit moms aren't the only ones who may show later, however. Dr. Johnson notes, "There have been patients in my practice who were so obese they did not know they were pregnant until they delivered."
Chances are, you're somewhere in the middle - and he says most women like you show by 20 weeks. He adds that moms who have already had children tend to show earlier due to stretching from the previous pregnancy. If that's the case, look for your bump to be on display as early as 12 to 18 weeks.
About the authors: Nancy Price and Betsy Bailey are the co-founders of Pregnancy & Baby and numerous other web sites in the SheKnows Network. They are also writers, editors, and the mothers of a total of seven children. Copyright © Nancy Price and Betsy Bailey.
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