For many pregnant women, the baby bump is the most visible symbol of their growing family. It’s exciting when your bump starts to show and you begin to look more pregnant than ever before. But when exactly does the baby bump usually start showing? Let’s take a closer look.
How Early Can You See a Baby Bump?
The answer depends on several factors, including your body type, how much abdominal fat you have before pregnancy, and how far along you are in the pregnancy. Generally speaking, most women won’t start seeing a noticeable baby bump until at least 12 weeks into their pregnancy.
This is because it takes about that long for the uterus to grow large enough for it to be visible from outside of the body.
For some women with lower abdominal fat levels and/or smaller frames, they may start feeling their babies move as early as 10-12 weeks but won’t actually see it externally until after 12 weeks.
On the other hand, if you already had higher amounts of abdominal fat or are carrying multiples (twins or triplets), then you may notice a baby bump sooner than 12 weeks.
What Does the Baby Bump Look Like?
The baby bump looks different for everyone since it’s influenced by several factors such as genetics and overall body size. While some people refer to it as looking like a “soccer ball” shape, others say that it looks like an “apple” shape.
In any case, this is typically when you can expect to see a definite curve in your belly area which will become increasingly apparent over time during your pregnancy—especially once you reach 25 weeks into gestation.
Conclusion:
So there you have it! The answer to when does the baby bump start really depends on many variables including how much abdominal fat you had before getting pregnant, your frame size, and how far along in the pregnancy you are—but most women don’t expect to see anything noticeable until around 12-16 weeks gestation.
As always though, everyone’s journey through pregnancy is unique so don’t worry if yours differs from this timeline! If ever in doubt though, be sure to speak with your healthcare provider just to be safe.
