There is no set time for showing your pregnancy. It happens differently for different women. A study by Reynolds and Jones (2017) suggests that some women start showing pregnancy signs well into the second trimester.
Then in some cases, the bloating starts just after obtaining the first pregnancy test. It all depends on the hormonal composition of your body. First-time moms have their baby bumps within 12-16 weeks.
Read more: Early Signs of Pregnancy
Should I be worried if it shows a bit late?
If the bump shows a little bit late, try not to freak out. According to Catherine Hansen, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, the positioning of the uterus vary from woman to woman.
That is why the signs also delay on occasions. Sometimes the uterus is tilted backward and sometimes it is forward. In the former case, the bumps appear later while in the latter case the bumps appear early.
Also at the same time if the signs are late that does not necessarily imply that your baby will be small. Check with your health provider in case you are worried. But in most of the situations, there is no reason to panic.
Signs Which Indicate That You are Expecting
Other signs of showing in Pregnancy:
However, bumps are not the only signs indicating pregnancy. There are other signals which indicate that you are expecting. Starting from feeling a bit gassy to peeing in your pants, everything can happen whilst you are pregnant. You can have an unnatural craving for food and then there will be phases when you won’t be hungry at all.
Constipation
You are ought to feel gassy when you are pregnant. It might be quite embarrassing whilst you are out there in the public. Your digestion will be slow. Your intestine will relax at all the wrong moments. That might create additional pressure. The iron supplements you will take will definitely add to the misery.
Gas and Burping:
Constipation will lead to many acute problems for you. Feeling gassy is definitely one of them. There are plenty of places where the gas might get trapped. And it might leak out at a wrong time.
Similarly, you will also feel like burping more. This will be awkward considering your normal social behavior. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is very common and it will eventually get cured. Try and not forcefully restrict the tendency.
Excessive Sweating:
The hormonal change in your body will trigger more flow of blood through your veins. This will lead to excessive sweating. This can be quite embarrassing especially when you are in a public place. More sweat will also necessarily mean that you will have body odor. That stinks, doesn’t it? Well, so in that case, you need to keep quick baths and keep yourself dry as much as possible.
Increase in Vaginal Discharge:
All the hormonal flow and the blood pressure rise there will a lot of pressure on your uterus. The entire abdominal area will be severely challenged. In such cases increase in vaginal discharge is very common. This can be very embarrassing as you might have to change your inners more often than you actually want to.
Mood Swings:
Hormonal changes will make way for sudden mood swings. You might get all of a sudden, without any prior indication. All the gush of blood and hormones lead to such situation. Your temper will be out of your control. Your partner can face the wrath of it sometimes. But you are ought to feel sorry and ashamed, later on. Worry not; as this will also get normalized once you give birth to your child.
Sudden Cravings:
You might wake up in the middle of the night and suddenly feel like having a slice of a cheese sandwich. Your baby will get hungry any time he/she feels like. Sudden cravings for food can happen during daytime also. You might feel like wolfing down an entire steak, during your office lunch break. It is quite embarrassing to expose your desire to munch in front of your co-workers. That is the reason why it is always safe to carry some foods wherever you go. Keep some food handy by your bedside, whilst you hit the sack at night.
Strange Dreams:
You might have lusty dreams or scary nightmares while you are pregnant. This all happens due to the increased blood flow and the secretion of the hormone called estrogen. That will make you have all these weird dreams. Sometimes when you are taking a daytime nap, then also these dreams might creep up and wake you up.
Leaky Nipples:
Perhaps one of the most embarrassing symptoms is having leaky nipples. Before even you have given birth to your baby your nipples stay prepared. That is why, often they start leaking out making it embarrassing for you, in public. The soaking pads, placed on your nipples, will help you in such situations. If you are leaking heavily, do take care to change the pads regularly. There is nothing to worry about leaky breasts, during pregnancy.
Read more: Home Remedies for Treating Nipple Thrush
Feeling Bloated:
With lots of fluid and gas always inside you, you are ought to feel bloated all the time. This might restrict your movement and make you uncomfortable. It will take time for you to get used to this bloated feeling. For that reason, the adjustment period is quite embarrassing. You will feel heavy and fat and you need to accept it for a while.
Popped-Up belly Button:
As your belly gets larger your belly button also pops up. It will show from outside and can cause a certain bit of embarrassment. However, you can hide it of course by wearing loosely fitting dresses. This will help you to feel comfortable and also to hide your popped up belly button.
Stretch Marks:
Stretch marks are very common amongst women who are pregnant. The undesirable silvery lines will appear as the skin of your belly gets stretched by an enormous extent. Stretch marks have always been old enemies to pregnant women. However, there are cures which can be taken in order to avoid such circumstances.
Acne:
The rush of hormones will certainly take you back to your teens. But not in a good way! The acne will reappear and hence you are not used to it, now, it can prove to be quite embarrassing for sure.
Itchy Nipples:
Due to the extreme pressure on your veins, your nipples tend to get itchy and sore, during your pregnancy. It is very difficult to control the temptation at the public places. So, it is something indeed very embarrassing. However, with the birth of your child, this itchiness fades away.
Read more: Home Remedies for Itchy Skin During Pregnancy
Leaky Bladder:
The habit of bed wetting might become your worst nightmare during pregnancy. Many women face the double wrath of nightmares and waking up in a wet bed. A combination of lusty dream and bed wet is nothing better. Being unable to take the pressure of the fluid inside your body, your bladder fails to hold onto your urine like before.
Darkening Stripe between belly button and pelvis:
These stripes are also known as Linea Nigra which is Latin for black lines this symptom is also common for pregnant ladies. The stripes appear due to the change in the pigmentation of the skin. The stripes can disappear with the help of proper moisturizing. When exposed, it can be quite embarrassing.
Conclusion:
Apart from the above-mentioned ones, there are also some other symptoms like hemorrhoids and unusual hair growth which might leave you embarrassed during your pregnant months. But do remember, that you are enduring all the pains and shame in order to bring someone beautiful in this world. So, you should not feel depressed about all these.
Also if you fear that the signs are getting too delayed then do check with your doctor. Every pregnancy is different. However, you must also follow your gut feelings.
Hope this article was of help for all our parents!! Please share your comments/queries/tips with us and help us create a world full of Happy and Healthy Babies!!
References:
http://europepmc.org/articles/pmc5657905
https://www.babycenter.com/404_when-will-my-pregnancy-start-to-show_10366573.bc
