Reasons why bump size DOESN’T equal baby size

As soon as your bump is noticeable, everyone and their mother suddenly have an opinion about the size of your baby. There you are, feeling proud of your baby bump until someone comments on how big or how small it is- which can send you into a spiral of worry. And then the questions creep into your head:

‘is the baby growing properly?’, ‘have I been eating healthy enough?’ or ‘will I be able to get this baby out? ‘.

But there’s really no need to worry. Pregnancy bumps come in many different shapes and sizes. Here are some of the reasons why;

If you’re tall your baby has a more growing space than someone who is small. Your womb will tend to grow upwards rather than push outwards, resulting in your bump looking smaller. If you’re shorter, there’s just less space, which means less room for the baby to grow upwards, so they grow outwards instead. Result: your bump will show earlier and look bigger.

If it’s your first little one (how exciting!) you’re likely to have a more compact bump because tummy muscles haven’t been stretched before- holding your baby snug and high. If it’s not your first- you might notice your bump showing much earlier and looking bigger. This doesn’t mean your baby is a different size, your body has been through this already.

Little one’s move around and change position often in the womb. And as they grow, your tummy will change shape and size depending on the position your baby is in.

Sometimes it can be easy to forget that it’s not just your baby in there- it’s your baby, placenta, umbilical cord and amniotic fluid. And then there are the rest of your organs that need to fit in there somewhere too!

Obviously the actual baby size affects the size and appearance of your bump! The size of your little one at any stage during pregnancy is down to genetics. If both parents are tall, then the baby will probably have the same traits. If both are average size, the baby is more likely to be petite and not very long.

The truth is, no-one, not even a doctor or midwife can judge the size of your baby simply by looking at your bump. As your body changes at each different stage of pregnancy, you can’t compare yourself with other women either. Every pregnancy is unique. Every pregnancy is different.

So try to ignore the opinions as best as you can, and don’t worry!  The size of your bump doesn’t  reflect the size of your little one.