[Elladorine]

I know it's different for everyone and for even every pregnancy, but I'm curious about when I will start showing, or when people will expect to see a baby bump. Since I'm an obese apple, I still have most of my excess weight in my stomach and arguably looked pregnant before I even conceived. So on that fun note, I'd rather hold off on wearing empire waists for a while, or at least until I can brag that I'm a certain number of weeks or months along.

Anyway, I'm 5' 8", currently in the 210-215 range (and was at pre-pregnancy weight), my waist is about 45", my BMI is 32, and I'm going on 9 weeks. So has anyone here been in a similar state when they got pregnant? How long was it before you noticed a growing belly? I'm guessing it will take longer for me to show than someone that started out at a normal BMI.

[GlamourGirl827]

I wish I could give you an exact answer, but I will give you my "torso theory" lol, that's how I explained it to my husband. I have been over weight with all three of my pregnancies. I'm about 5'6" and I was between 160 - 180 at the start of each one. Of course with the first I didn't really even start to get a bump until about 5 months, but by the end my belly was huge!!! Like I really got tired of people commenting on how big I carried. The same with my second and with this one I look like I'm ready to give birth now and I still ahve about 3 month left.

Anyway torso theory....I think that women with longer torso areas tend to show less and later. Me, I'm not super tall, but I'm not short either. I had also noticed since high school when I started kind of noticing what I wear that I have very long legs and a short torso. I just notice the way clothes fit me and I've been told before that I have long legs lol. I mean I don't look weird but that's just my body. My theory is that I carry really big, like I look like I have like 5 babies in there because my torso is not as long....that's what I think anyway.
So if my theory were accurate, you can kind of figure in your body shape when figureing out when you will show. I am a pear shape, or I was before my first son. I do put on a lot fo weight while pregnant I'm going to change me ticker but I'm like 210 lbs by now!...but now matter how big I get, my belly looks like I have a huge beach ball in there! With this baby, I looked like some women do at 9 month when I was only 14 weeks....

Anyway hope this helps. Maybe some other women can chime in and helps me prove of disprove my torso theory!! hahaha!!

[banananutmuffin]

I agree with the torso theory. I am short (5'0") and short waisted to boot. I show really early (like by 10 weeks or so, although earlier with each subsequent pregnancy) and I always look like I swallowed a watermelon long before I am due.

[Elladorine]

Interesting, thanks for the replies!

But to be honest I don't know what kind of torso I have? It's kind of like asking me about the shape of my face . . . I've been clueless for so long (obese my whole life) that I feel a little lost; all I know is that I've always been round all over and have been blind to any other aspects.

I'm guessing I have a long torso though as my legs and arms seem short for my height (I'm taller than my husband but he can reach higher than me). BTW, I'm still figuring out the shape of my face as it emerges from the lost fat. What I do know for sure is that people that know me well already assume I'm showing (even though my waist measurement is actually smaller than it was 2-3 months ago) and are already commenting on my belly sticking out! Um, that's all fat still, but thank you for pointing out that I have a big belly.

[Mozzy]

I was about 20 weeks along when I started to really show with my first. My second was much sooner.

[clems mama]

I was about 6 months for both my kids. Long torso and generally large all around. But I was about 2/3s done both times before people started asking me when I was due etc.

[Nikel1979]

I was around a size 12 when I got pregnant, and I didn't start showing until towards the end of the second trimester. I have a long torso though, so I never looked hugely pregnant, even when I was.

With kiddo #2, I was relieved by the + HPT because my pants were already too tight. LOL Kiddo #1 was only 6 months old when I got pregnant with kiddo #2 though.

[livelaughlovesunshin]

I was obese for all three of my pregnancies.
Nobody knew I was pregnant unless I told them throughout my whole first pregnancy. My second pregnancy I started showing around 6 months. I got pregnant the second time when my DD was three months old. I got pregnant the third time when my DS was 3 months old.

[Missy Krissy]

I was near 170 when I became pregnant, and wore a size 16. It wasn't until around 25 weeks or so until people started to notice. But let me tell you, I got huge fast after that! I almost lost it on a few people, I had heard "Are you having twins?" and "You look about ready to pop!" way too many times, and far too early! One gas station clerk made that type of comment when I was around 35 weeks or so and I told her, with a totally deadpan face/voice, "No, I'm just fat." I kind of hope I embarrassed the crap out of her. It probably wasn't very nice of me, but too many people just open their mouths without engaging their brains!