When will I go from looking fat to looking pregnant?

[Anonymous]

I'm at 12 weeks and in the terribly awkward stage when I can still fit into my regular clothes quite easily but not without looking like I've packed on the pounds. I've actually only gained 2 pounds so far but my waist is definitely starting to redistribute itself making me look thick and doughy. Awesome.

So, when will this awkward stage end and when will I start to look more pregnant than fat?

[Anonymous]

Oh how I remember this phase.

The best advice I can give you is "in a few weeks" because it's different for everyone. For me, I started looking pregnant and not just chubby at about 15 weeks and then my belly started REALLY showing like a pregnant belly at about 23 weeks.

I also started drinking tons and tons of water to help with the general bloating when I was around your stage and that helped some.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I'm 25 and still don't look preggs. My belly is kinda flat and HUGE nothing like what we see on TV or magazines .
When I mention I'm preggs people look surprised. Oh well...

[Anonymous]

I'm at about 13 weeks with 3rd child. I've been looking "merely fat" now for a few weeks. I have gained 2 lbs yet look like I've gained about 10 lbs. I think when you look pregnant versus "just fat" varies a lot for different people, also depends on the style of clothing you're wearing. Fear not, though - soon it will be UNMISTAKABLE and you'll kind of wish for the "fat" look back.

[Anonymous]

15 weeks and still looking "fat" around the middle. I tend to look at the bright side, the only new "clothes" that I have need to purchase is a bella band. I am hope that this continues until the weather get really warm - do not want to buy winter maternity clothes.

[Anonymous]

Yikes, this so depends. I know that I could have just passed for fat and doughy for up to 25 weeks. Around 16 weeks I purposely wore more maternity shape clothing (like empire waists) and then I looked preg. It really depends on the clothing style, I think. A big top and pregnancy jeans and I just looked tubby. More fitted maternity style clothing and I looked pregnant.

[Anonymous]

I just laughed out loud when I read this post. I am 15 weeks and feel the same way I definitely agree with the posts on wearing maternity clothes. Today I wore maternity jeans for the first time and everyone started commenting about how pregnant I looked - plus they are SO comfy.

[Anonymous]

It was about 24 or 25 with my first and at 30 or so with my second. I was the same weight at the start of both pregnancies, but people had no idea I was pregnant until past 30 weeks unless I told them. I gained a lot less chub with the second baby.

[Anonymous]

I'm at 15.5 weeks and seemingly overnight entered the "fat stage" too, even though I've only gained 3.5 lbs! Ordered the Bella Band so that I can (hopefully) squeeze enough weeks out of my existing pants until it's warm enough to switch to dresses.

[Anonymous]

For me, the clothes made the look, as PP said. During this winter under heavy coats, no one could tell anything, but now it is starting to warm up, I wear maternity yoga pants and cute clingy tops - and look as if I am ALL belly...

[Anonymous]

For me, wearing fitted things to show off my "belly" helped in those early months

[Anonymous]

I'm on my third and 21 weeks now. I would say in the last week or so I finally look pregnant and not just fat. Depends a bit on what I wear as well. The bella band helped me from about 13 weeks until around 19 weeks, when I moved over to maternity clothes....

But I've also gained more weight this time than last time around (but not as much as first time)...

[Anonymous]

I agree with 14:56--I remember thinking, "oh, I can't wait to wear maternity clothes and stop looking like I have a beer belly", etc. Careful what you wish for! Now the belly has taken over!! And now I can never find tops that are long enough, dresses look like tents, etc. The fat phase is kind of annoying but, believe me, you will wish you could go back in just a few weeks!

[Anonymous]

The bigger question is:

How long after you have had the baby will you stop looking pregnant and just look fat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The bigger question is:

How long after you have had the baby will you stop looking pregnant and just look fat?

That is an EXCELLENT question!!