When Does the Baby Bump Appear During the Pregnancy?

We are a leading fertility and pregnancy care provider in India across multiple cities. As such, we consult hundreds of pregnant women every month.

A lot of pregnant women come to us complaining about their baby bumps being smaller than others.

They are worried about the health of their baby due to the smaller baby bump. So today, we will address questions like “When will the baby bump be visible in pregnancy?” and “Why do some women have a smaller baby bump while others have a bigger one?”

So let’s get started.

Baby bump in pregnancy

During the initial 3 months of the pregnancy, the uterus and the baby inside it stays below the pelvic bone. So the baby bump is not visible during this period.

In some cases, the baby bump is visible during this initial stage due to a quicker weight gain in the woman. The increased fat is responsible for the visible baby bump.

Until 20 weeks of pregnancy, the baby is below the naval (belly button). So the baby bump is not visible until 20 weeks have passed. After 5 months or 20 weeks, the uterus moves above the naval, and the baby bump becomes visible.

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Reasons for the difference in the size of baby bumps in different women

Multiple factors can impact the apparent size of the baby bump. Some of them include the following:

•   Fat accumulation: As mentioned above, if the woman rapidly gains weight, the baby bump becomes more visible due to the fat accumulation. Moreover, if the woman is obese even before the pregnancy, their fat might be visible as the baby bump.

•  Muscle tone: If this is your first pregnancy or you regularly exercise and have good muscle tone, your baby bump will not be visible clearly. The muscles keep the uterus behind themselves, and hence the baby bump does not protrude outside. But this does not impact the development of the baby.

• More amniotic fluid: If the amniotic fluid around your baby in the uterus is more, then the baby bump will appear larger compared to the gestation period. The reason behind more amniotic fluid could be the increased sugar level in your body. So it’s not a good sign.

• Size of the baby: In some cases, the baby’s size is quite big compared to normal cases. This, too, can be the reason behind the larger baby bump. This is normal and not a cause for concern.

•  Short height: If your height is less, the baby bump looks larger and becomes more visible. Similarly, if you are tall, your baby bump will look smaller.

So as you can see, there are multiple reasons why some women have a larger baby bump and some have a smaller one. Remember, every pregnancy is different from other pregnancies. So comparing yours with others makes no sense.

During the consultation, if your doctor says that the baby’s growth is normal, there is nothing to worry about, no matter what your baby bump’s size.

Do not fall for the views of others, and just enjoy your pregnancy.

Wrapping up

 

We hope this quick guide has cleared all your doubts related to the size of the baby bump during pregnancy. Remember, the size of the baby bump does not matter; the baby’s health does. Still, if you have doubts, you should consult your gynecologist immediately for better guidance.

In case you need any further information on pregnancy, feel free to reach out. Our experts are always here to help.