A quick reference question put out to those in the audience who would actually know.
Pregnancy: When does it start to show on people (on average) and when does it become restricting (again on average)?
Research information for a game. :)
Pregnancy: When does it start to show on people (on average) and when does it become restricting (again on average)?
Research information for a game. :)
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In the last month or two, the kicking of the baby can produce serious discomfort and can be felt quite strongly through the baby. I put my head on the ex-wife's belly once and got kicked in the ear - it didn't hurt me, but it was uncomfortable. And I experienced the kick through the padding of the abdominal muscles.
One of the most common and annoying symptoms of pregnancy is constant pressure on the bladder. Some women lose the ability to prevent their bladders from leaking in late pregnancy.
You'd think so, wouldn't you? If the woman is quite fit or athletic, a firm abdominal wall tends to hide pregnancy for longer. Condition of the abdominal muscles and torso length are more likely to make a difference to "showing" than simply being thinner. I know women at either end of the spectrum: both are extremely thin, one started showing obviously at 12 weeks, the other not until about 7 months.
I beg to differ. ;)
She's an unusual case, though.
If my previous experience with weight-belts is anything to go by, she'll be setting records a week after she gives birth.
For example, I started showing at 12 weeks, which is pretty early for a first pregnancy. Many first pregnancies show much later than that - usually around 4-5 months, some as late as 6 months.
Second and subsequent pregnancies tend to show earlier than first pregnancies.
A pregnancy doesn't truly "show" until at least 12 weeks have passed - until then, the uterus is tucked behind the pubic bone. However with subsequent pregnancies the added pressure in the abdomen combined with weakened abdominal muscles mean that a woman may have a pooch earlier - around 8-10 weeks.
If it's for a game character, you'd be well within average ranges if you had your character showing around 4-5 months if it's a first pregnancy, or around 3-4 months if it's a second or subsequent.
(*heh* - can you tell I'm pregnant right now? *grin*)
As to being restricting - what do you mean? There are various restrictions all throughout pregnancy. In the first trimester (that is, up until 12-13 weeks) women tend to be extremely, bone-crushingly tired. Dragging oneself about miserably kind of tired. Exhausted. Did I mention tired? This tends to lift in second timester, which is the free-est trimester of all, usually: the morning sickness and tiredness pass, but you're not so big or bloated or heavy that anything's a problem. From the third trimester, women become gradually heavier, have to pee (even) more often, and start to get tired again (though at this point it's just from lugging extra weight around). Some women find pregnancy not restricting at all (see Jana Pittman: currently a week off delivery, and still running track): others find themselves retaining fluid and tired from around 7 months.
It would depend a lot on the character you're developing, but you have a lot of leeway. =)
I should add that her waist may thicken a bit before then, but it won't look like pregnancy. It will just look like she's gained a little bit of weight. Women can bloat a bit from as early as 6-7 weeks, but again it doesn't look like pregnancy - just like a little extra weight.
Truly, this is a thread that should be read by all freeform authors.
And these are just the normal pregnancys, once you start looking at the weird stuff like abdominal pregnancys (out side the uterus) which survive etc. it gets VERY weird.