When does abdominal enlargement typically occur during pregnancy?

Abdominal enlargement typically begins to become noticeable around the 12th week of pregnancy. At this stage, the uterus grows and starts to lift out of the pelvic cavity, resulting in a slight but noticeable change in the abdomen's shape and size. This is often when many women first report feeling or noticing that their clothing fits differently.

In the early weeks of pregnancy, particularly up to around the 6th week, the uterus is still relatively small and contained within the pelvis, making it difficult to observe any significant abdominal changes. Although some women may experience bloating or hormonal changes that affect their abdomen prior to this, true abdominal enlargement from the expanding uterus generally does not occur until around 12 weeks.

By the time the pregnancy reaches the 16th and 20th weeks, the enlargement becomes more pronounced, but the key milestone for when noticeable enlargement first typically occurs is around the 12th week.