MULTIPLE PREGNANCIES: Carrying more than one baby in the womb can make a bigger pregnant bump. This is because of the stretched muscles in the abdomen which make the baby bump look bigger.

Large fundal height. During prenatal visits, your health care provider might measure your fundal height — the distance from the top of your uterus to your pubic bone. A larger than expected fundal height could be a sign of fetal macrosomia.

Most of the time, there’s a harmless explanation. Maybe your due date is off by a few days or a week (it’s pretty common for doctors to change due dates). Your baby could be in a funny position or sitting high in your uterus, and that’s throwing the tape measure off.

You may measure off by a week or two because of other factors, including your baby’s position and the volume of amniotic fluid on that given day. Sometimes a baby may measure large or small because your estimated due date isn’t accurate.

There are a variety of reasons why your belly could be measuring large, like swelling or fluid retention (a common problem during pregnancy) or simply being a bigger woman before you became pregnant. The most serious cause of having a too-large tummy, however, is gestational diabetes.

Measuring your fundal height: Your doctor will measure your fundal height (the height of your growing uterus). If your belly is measuring larger than expected for how far along you are supposed to be, then you may be carrying a large baby.

Babies may be called large for gestational age if they weigh more than 9 in 10 babies or 97 of 100 babies of the same gestational age. In the U.S., this means babies born at 40 weeks’ gestation who weigh more than 8 pounds 13 ounces (4,000 grams) or 9 pounds, 11 ounces (4,400 grams) at birth.

Intestinal atresia is often detected by ultrasound during the second or third trimester. The fetal stomach will be abnormally shaped or enlarged. There can also be an excess of amniotic fluid in the womb. Too much amniotic fluid in the uterus is known as polyhydramnios and can cause preterm labor.

Bump size and second baby Your bump may be more spread out or bigger because the muscles aren’t holding in the baby so well so it can look bigger with subsequent births. ‘ Just because someone has a big bump, it doesn’t mean they’ll have a big baby.

Like babies, bumps come in all shapes and sizes. A first pregnancy can be smaller and tidier than a second but this isn’t always the case. Bump size depends (obviously) on how many babies you’re carrying and (less obviously) which way your baby is lying and the amount of amniotic fluid in the womb.

In some cases, it may not be evident until the 20th week of pregnancy. First-time mothers can expect a noticeable belly expansion between 12 and 16 weeks, and people who have been pregnant before tend to show earlier. The bump reflects the growth of the baby above the pelvic bone.

So, for example, your 20 weeks pregnant belly should measure around 18 to 22 centimeters. It should continue to increase about a centimeter each week.

Yes, most likely. There isn’t a specific time when moms-to-be are supposed to start showing, because it happens differently for different women. As long as your healthcare provider says your baby is developing properly and your weight gain is on track, there’s no cause for concern.

Your Body at 20 Weeks Pregnant With your baby and appetite growing at the same time, your belly will soon look like it is ready to POP! Do not worry if your bump appears to be a little smaller or bigger than others as everyone’s pregnancy is different.

Most pregnant folks begin to show between 12 and 16 weeks. However, some start showing earlier, and others may not have a noticeable bump until 20 weeks or later. Factors like your starting weight, whether you’ve had children before, and whether you’re carrying multiples can affect how soon you show.

Experts recommend lying on your left side. It improves circulation, giving nutrient-packed blood an easier route from your heart to the placenta to nourish your baby. Lying on the left side also keeps your expanding body weight from pushing down too hard on your liver. While either side is okay, left is best.

At 20 weeks pregnant, you are five months along and halfway through your pregnancy.

In terms of symptoms, at 5 months you can expect:

• heartburn.
• leg cramps and/or varicose veins.
• swollen feet and ankles.
• constipation.
• increased dizziness.
• headaches.
• back pain.
• skin changes (especially darkening of the nipples)

Calendar of pregnancy

• The first month (weeks 0- 4)
• The second month (weeks 5-8)
• The third month (weeks 9-12)
• The fourth month (weeks 13-16)
• The fifth month (weeks 17- 20)
• The sixth month (weeks 21-24)
• The seventh month (weeks 25-28)
• The eighth month (weeks 29-32)

By the end of the fifth month of pregnancy, your baby is about 10 inches long and weighs from 1/2 to 1 pound.

During the fifth month of pregnancy, your baby becomes more and more active, often in the evenings. You may be able to see your baby moving and then kicking at the beginning of this month. By the end of the month, your baby will settle into a regular pattern of activity and sleep.

Not necessarily. That 2019 review showed equal safety with sleeping on the left and right sides. There’s a slight risk of compression issues with the IVC when you sleep on the right, but it’s mostly a matter of where you’re comfortable.

It is sporadic in early pregnancy, and women report feeling movement one day but not the next. After 26 weeks, however, fetal movement should be felt on a daily basis. Most practitioners will counsel their patients to do daily “fetal kick counts”.

The myths

1. Morning sickness. You may have heard that the severity of morning sickness is a clue about your baby’s sex.
2. Skin condition. Some people believe that a girl baby will steal the mother’s beauty.
3. Cravings. With boys, you crave salty and savory foods like pickles and potato chips.
4. Heart rate.
5. Carrying.

We can tell the sex of the baby at the 12 week scan by assessing the direction of the nub. This is something that can be identified on babies at this stage and if it points vertically then it is likely to be a boy. If it points horizontally then it is likely to be a girl.

If the placenta is developing on the left side, the sex is female. If it is developing on the right, the sex is male.

It claims that within 10 minutes of taking the urine test, a woman will be able to tell her baby’s gender. The specimen will turn green if it’s a boy, and orange if it’s a girl.

The more fluids you drink, the lighter the color of the pigment in your urine. The less you drink, the stronger the color. “For example, urine looks paler during pregnancy because there’s a 50 percent increase in blood volume, so the urine tends to be clearer and more diluted during pregnancy,” Dr. Kaaki says.

The baking soda gender test is an at-home method that involves combining a pregnant woman’s urine with baking soda to see if it fizzes. Whether or not the urine fizzes is supposed to determine whether the baby is male or female. The baking soda gender test actually looks to determine the baby’s sex, not its gender.

One myth suggests that pregnant women who do not experience mood swings are carrying boys, while those who experience noticeable changes in mood are carrying girls. The truth is that most women will have mood swings during pregnancy, especially during the first and third trimesters.