How to Hide Your Pregnancy Bump for 9 Months: 10 Tips with Illustrations
There are a myriad of reasons for a woman to wonder how to hide a pregnancy bump for 9 months. This could be because she values her privacy or because she’s concerned about the reaction of her employer. She could have relational issues. She may not want to disclose the information for fear of miscarriage.
Whatever the reason, keeping a pregnancy private for the full nine months can be difficult. Along with pregnancy come aches, pains and a new level of exhaustion. Not to mention the annoying side effects like morning sickness and the constant need to pee. When you add in the pregnant belly that seems to increase in size by the hour, hiding your bump can feel impossible.
Depending on your stature, it may very well be impossible to hide your growing baby bump. Your first pregnancy is by far the easiest to hide. But the good news is that there are many practical tips and tricks that can help cover it up for as long as possible.
Wardrobe Tricks to Hide your Pregnancy Bump for 9 Months
There are plenty of wardrobe hacks that will help you hide your pregnancy bump. You won’t have anything to worry about during your first trimester. But as your weeks of pregnancy progress, it’s amazing what loose clothing, accessories, and bright patterns can help you hide.
#1 Loose clothing
A great way for pregnant women to avoid showing is to avoid fitted clothes, including most maternity clothes. Maternity clothing tends to show off your bump, so if you’re looking to hide your pregnancy belly, it’s best to avoid it (1). Instead, wear looser clothes that are one or two sizes bigger. That way, you’ll be stocked up on clothes to wear throughout and after your pregnancy.
Can’t give up your maternity jeans? Hide the soft belly band with layers of clothes, like a long cardigan. Wrap dresses and flare dresses will hide your burgeoning bump. Don’t forget about maxi skirts. Use skirts with a yoga waistband, which will help hold the skirt into place while staying comfortable. Also, wear black leggings. These are slimming and will help disguise your growing belly.
#2 Accessories
A little accessory can go a long way. Try buying yourself a few big bags, and use them to obscure your little baby bump. Wearing big necklaces, long scarves, and bigger earrings will pull the eye upwards. This will lead people to focus on your face instead of your baby bump (1).
How do you feel about makeup? Would you ever grow your hair out or try a different style? These are both techniques that will also help lead the eye upwards, distracting from your belly.
#3 Flashy Patterns
Flashy patterns go a long way in obscuring a pregnancy belly. Ruffles and tunic-style clothing also work well to distract the eye. If you’re not a fan of colorful patterns, stick to dark colors. Avoiding solid, bright colors will help hide your growing bump as well.
Disguising Your Doctor Appointments
Pregnancy comes with many, many checkups. Taking trips to the doctor is obviously a good idea – you want to be sure your baby is healthy and all is going well. Multiple appointments can be difficult to disguise, though. To keep family members or coworkers from becoming suspicious, you may have to indulge in a couple little white lies.
#4 The Dentist Excuse
Try using the dentist excuse. Oftentimes dental work requires many trips to the dentist. Make up a procedure that gives you a reason for recurring visits. That way, you have an excuse for your repeated visits to the doctor (1).
This technique also works well if you use a medical excuse. Come up with a believable medical condition that requires that you make many trips to the doctor. That way, you can disguise consistent appointments.
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Drinking Excuses to Hide Your Pregnancy
If you’re known as a party animal, close friends will likely notice when you stop drinking during your pregnancy. With a few techniques, you can avoid drawing attention.
#5 Be the DD
Volunteer to be the designated driver for your best friends. That way, when people question why you aren’t drinking, you’ll have your excuse ready.
#6 Try Fake Drinking
Bring your own alcohol container with Ginger Ale or another beverage. This way, you’ll avoid trips to the bar and no one will be any the wiser (2). Also, you could simply order non-alcoholic drinks from the bar. People may not even ask for a reason why.
#7 Go on a “cleanse”
Another good alternative would be to tell people you’re on a cleanse. This will give you an excuse for not drinking, and will also help if people question why you’re not eating foods that you usually eat.
Hiding Your Pregnancy Side Effects for 9 Months
Carrying a baby for nine months is not a comfortable thing to do. You’re likely experiencing pregnancy side effects, and those can be difficult to hide. Check out these tips to keep people from becoming suspicious.
#8 Morning Sickness
Morning sickness isn’t always in the morning. Sometimes early pregnancy symptoms can feel unmanageable. After repeated trips to the bathroom, it wouldn’t take a detective to figure out what is wrong.
Try acupuncture bracelets. These bracelets are sold at most drug stores and hit pressure points on your wrists to help ease nausea.
Carrying crackers around in your bag can also help. If people begin asking questions, use the food poisoning or stomach flu excuses. These won’t work every time. So if your morning sickness is recurrent, you may have to come up with different excuses (2).
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#9 Disguise Your Constant Bathroom Breaks
A growing baby means less space for your bladder. If you’re frequenting the bathroom and people are beginning to notice, tell them you are suffering from a urinary tract infection. You could also try timing your bathroom breaks. Use the bathroom in times when your coworkers are away from the desk. Carrying a large water bottle around is also a great excuse. Not to mention staying hydrated is an excellent idea in general.
#10 Hands Off Your Belly
To keep your pregnancy private, you must try not to stroke your belly. This is almost a primal urge – something pregnant women often subconsciously do. To keep your hands from cradling your growing babe, try sticking them in your pockets. If you have a dress with pockets, put your hands in them and pull the fabric away from your belly. This helps keep your bump from showing while keeping your hands away.
Hiding your pregnancy for the full nine months may seem impossible. Use these tips to keep your pregnancy a secret for as long as you can. You may be surprised at how well these simple solutions work. Don’t forget to enjoy this special time in your life. Just because you’re keeping it a secret doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the miracle of life growing within you.
Sources
- Guest Contributor. (2021, March 30). How to Hide a Pregnancy for Nine Months. Enjoy Mom Life. https://www.enjoymomlife.com/how-to-hide-a-pregnancy-for-nine-months/
- BG Staff. (2020, October 5). 15 Ways to Hide a Pregnancy for as Long as Possible. Babygaga. https://www.babygaga.com/15-ways-to-hide-a-pregnancy-for-as-long-as-possible/