Unsure if its a pregnant belly or a fat belly?
Women’s bodies come in all shapes and sizes – plus confusingly they can change overnight! Bloat and periods can be to blame for a swollen tummy.
But what if you’ve noticed your belly has swollen. How do you tell if it’s pregnancy or something else? Read on to find out!
Is it a pregnant belly or fat belly?
If your belly is swollen enough to have you questioning whether you are pregnant then the quickest way to tell whether you’re expecting or just gaining weight is to take a pregnancy test.
If you’re still potentially too early along to get a positive pregnancy test, then a pregnant belly is likely to be firmer, whereas a fat belly will be softer.
The shape can also be quite telling, with a pregnancy belly more rounded towards the belly button area, and a fat belly being lumpier with rolls.
It’s unlikely you will have a noticeable pregnancy belly until after the first trimester (12 weeks). By which point it’s likely you’ve missed three periods and there will be other signs to go on.
Having said that some people do fall pregnant and not realise it for several months.
Early pregnancy bloating
Bloating can be an early sign of pregnancy, and could happen even before you’re far enough along to get a positive pregnancy test.
This is because pregnancy hormones may slow the digestive system, causing more trapped gas in the intestines.
A pregnant belly can be mistaken for bloat, especially up to week 20 of the pregnancy. This is when for many women the bump becomes a clear sign of a growing baby and foetal movement also begins.
Pregnant belly vs fat belly
| PREGNANT BELLY | FAT BELLY |
|---|---|
| Comes on suddenly – can look like bloating | Appears over time |
| Firmer | Softer |
| Rounded shape | Lumpy shape appearing in rolls |
| Growth is more concentrated around the belly button | Weight is distributed more evenly around the midriff, including over the hips. |
| Positive pregnancy test | Negative pregnancy test (taken at least 7 days after your last period was due) |
When do pregnancies start to show
Most pregnancies start to really show between 18 and 22 weeks.
However some women will start to find the waistbands on their trousers getting tight from around 12 weeks.
If you are pregnant with multiples (twins, triplets or more) then you may start to show much earlier compared to a single pregnancy.
Early pregnancy signs
The very early signs of pregnancy can begin even before you’ve actually conceived!
When I was trying to conceive and had got to grips with my exact cycles, including ovulation day, I could actually feel some cramping on the days I ovulated. Being able to pinpoint this is, I think, one reason I fell pregnant so quickly with both of my kids!
Once you have actually conceived there are some very early pregnancy signs that you may notice even before you’ve had a positive pregnancy test.
Bloat
Some mothers-to-be swear they started showing early in the first trimester.
But rather than this being a sign of a growing baby, it’s often actually bloat caused by the slowing of the digestive system.
The bloat tends to calm down towards the end of the first trimester. Bloat is typically softer than a pregnancy bump.
Excess gas
Thanks to the bloat and slowed digestive system you may also experience excess gas in the early stages of pregnancy.
Nausea
Some call it morning sickness, which is misleading as most pregnancy nausea can take place at all times of day.
Pregnancy nausea can involve feeling sick or actually vomiting in more extreme cases.
This is also connected to the hormone changes that occur in early pregnancy.
You may like these tips for surviving 24/7 pregnancy nausea.
Swollen and tender breasts
Changes to the breasts are one of the earliest changes during early pregnancy. It’s likely you’ll see your breasts change and/or get bigger long before you see a pregnancy bump.
Your boobs may feel so tender you struggle to get to sleep at night, especially if you are usually a side sleeper.
Changes to the shape and size of the nipples also occur in the early months of pregnancy.
Fatigue
Those pesky pregnancy hormones can cause you to feel extremely exhausted.
One of my earliest pregnancy symptoms with my first baby was a wave of dizziness and extreme tiredness that came on the day before I had my positive pregnancy test.
Mild cramping and spotting
Implantation bleeding is where the embryo embeds into the side of the womb. This can cause some mild cramping and a little bleeding in the very early stages.
I experienced a lot of spotting during the first trimester of pregnancy with both babies.
More frequent urination
Pregnancy hormones can be to blamed for this too! If you’re experiencing bloating then this may put more pressure on your bladder which causes you to need the loo more often.
Reasons for a fat belly (that aren’t pregnancy)
If you’ve noticed a sudden change in the shape around your belly then you may be wondering what’s caused this.
There are a number of things that can lead to a larger belly that are not pregnancy:
Your age
You may well be ageing gracefully, but as the clock ticks we do see many changes in our bodies. For women the menopause can particularly cause a number of changes.
One of those is bloating.
And generally speaking as we age the elasticity of the stomach decreases which can lead to more bloating.
Stress
Your mood can also influence the size of your tummy.
For a start there’s stress eating, which can occur without you even really realising. With stress eating you crave more food, and often less healthy foods, which can lead to an upset and bloated stomach.
Stress can also slow down your digestion which also leads to bloating.
Postpartum changes
If you’ve already had a baby then this can cause changes to the muscles in your belly.
Diastasis recti – or abdominal separation – is where muscles in the tummy have become over-stretched during your pregnancy.
They should be examined after you’ve given birth to diagnose whether this has happened, and the problem can be easily rectified with exercises to fix diastasis recti.
Food intolerance
A swollen tummy can be caused by IBS or intolerance of particular foods.
It happens when too much gas is produced in reaction to certain foods. Your stomach may feel tight and painful after eating, plus you may hear gurgling sounds coming from your belly.
Poor diet
A diet high in fat and sugar can cause a larger tummy. High levels of alcohol consumption, including wine and beer, can also cause a more swollen belly.
What does a pregnant belly look like early on?
A pregnant belly in the first trimester is unlikely to look much different from before conception.
The mum-to-be may notice some bloating in the early stages of pregnancy, but generally speaking a pregnant belly won’t start to pop out until well into the second trimester.
Many mothers do not start to show until after week 20 of their pregnancy.
Is a pregnant tummy hard or soft?
A pregnant tummy is usually hard. In my experience it will be very firm by the end of the third trimester.
Although a pregnant belly is softer in the second trimester – once you’ve started showing – it will still feel firmer than a fat tummy.
Final thoughts
If you’re still trying to decipher whether you have a fat belly or a pregnant belly then the quickest way to figure it out is to take a pregnancy test.
You’re highly unlikely to have a false positive, but you could get a false negative. If you still think you could be pregnant then wait a week and try again.
