Eight ways to hide your pregnancy for as long as possible

Once a woman gets pregnant, she has one important question. To tell or not to tell? As soon as she finds out she’s expecting, she may think of keeping her pregnancy a secret or share it just with close family and friends. Why do women think about concealing their baby bumps?

There are a few likely reasons. Most women decide to keep it a secret just for the first trimester, because of miscarriage risks or complications at work. Sometimes, if it’s a high risk pregnancy, your doctor will advise you to keep the news under wraps. Whatever your reasons, they’re valid. Let’s show you how to hide pregnancy until it announces itself, inevitably.

Tips on How To Hide Pregnancy

• Don’t Wear Maternity Clothes

Maternity clothes are designed to show your baby bump. They basically scream “Look! I’m pregnant!” If you don’t change your style too drastically, people won’t notice a change in your clothes. The idea is to buy clothes that are one or two sizes larger than what you usually wear and avoid slim-cut clothes. This is a very good option in emergency situations, such as interviews for jobs.

• Accessorize Like It’s Going Out Of Fashion

Accessories are a great way to distract the eye from your belly, and you can use them as styling tools. Use accessories to draw attention away from your baby bump, and bring attention to your face using big earrings. Also, gold accessories tend to draw more attention than silver, or black. Accessorize your way through pregnancy, and, for a little while longer, nobody will discover your little, or big, secret.

• Use The Dental Distraction

Pregnancy and doctor’s appointments go together like white on rice. You have scans, and you have ante-natal appointments, and you probably worry about raising suspicion at work. Use the dental distraction! You can tell your boss you have dentist appointments. You’ve got to have some teeth extracted or you’re putting a crown in. If you need more excuses for your doctor’s appointments, you can tell them you’re having some major dental works which requires more dental appointments.

• Use The Detox Excuse

Another healthy lie is the “I’m on a detox” excuse, and it’s a great one too. You can use it to avoid all kind of food and beverages that you’re not allowed to have during pregnancy. Instead of saying “I can’t drink wine. I’m pregnant,” use “I can’t drink alcohol. I’m on a detox diet,” and no one will figure out your secret. Using the “detox” excuse you can also avoid coffee and raw meat. You can also avoid soft cheese by using your diary-free diet. You only have to remember one word, “detox”.

• Hands Off Your Belly

Most pregnant women touch their tummies, and they do it extremely often. It’s probably the maternal instinct kicking in. Make sure you don’t do this in the presence of people you want to keep this a secret from. Just remember to keep your hand off, so you don’t draw attention to your belly.

• Play The Doctor’s Orders Card

You want to do what’s best for the little one growing inside your belly, so you must make those diet and lifestyle changes like changing your diet and avoiding alcohol and caffeine. Problem is, this could give away your not so little secret. If your friends invite you to your usual cup of coffee or cocktails, tell them you’ve had a rough time falling asleep last night. Your doctor suggested giving up coffee for a few days. You can also use a ploy and bring a travel mug with you. You can fill it with water and no one will ever know.

• Wear Loose Dresses

A loose dress is a great way to hide a baby bump that’s growing bigger and bigger. You can now go to the mall and start shopping for some new dresses. Choose pieces of clothing that skim over your body nicely. If the new dress will be too loose, you may draw more attention and you don’t want that. You could also wear a loose blouse or a cute shirt that has a banded bottom that hides your belly. By doing this you won’t have to wear loose clothes all the time, or people may start noticing the change in your style. Another great way to hide your bump are long tunics, or those loose dresses that have ruffles on them. Those ruffles over your belly are a great choice in concealing your baby bump.

• Big Bags Are Your New Bestie

You should buy one or two big bags or totes, so that they can hide your pregnancy. The “it bag” is a bag big enough that can easily hide your baby bump. Place the bag strategically to camouflage your growing belly. Carry the bag in front of your belly and no one will notice your little secret. You can also accessorize your bag with a trendy scarf. This will definitely cover your front. Combine your new fashionable big bag with standing behind chairs or counter tops when someone wants to speak to you directly, which usually happens at work. It’s all about covering your belly part.

This article was first published on AfricaParent.com