Want to Hide Your Pregnancy? Here's How
You get to make the rules, but if you want to hide your pregnancy, here are some tips.
Once you are pregnant, there are no rules about how or when you should announce your pregnancy. In fact, there are no "shoulds" at all about telling others about your pregnancy.
You get to make all the rules about how, when, or if you reveal any news at all about your pregnancy.
But if you decide you'd like to hide your pregnancy for any reason at all, such as possible concerns about miscarriage, work reasons, or as a personal choice, that's a perfectly valid option as well.
So if you're not quite ready to share your news with the world, here's how to physically hide your pregnancy, along with any early pregnancy symptoms you may be experiencing as well.
Related: 6 Ways to Keep Your Pregnancy Quiet Until You're Ready to Reveal It
How to Hide Your Pregnancy
If you're looking to hide your pregnancy in the first trimester, there's no telling how soon you will start to "show."
Every person and pregnancy is different and certain factors could impact how your abdominal area looks in early pregnancy, such as:
What number pregnancy this is for you
Your body shape
Genetics
How your uterus is shaped
Even before you have a physical bump from your uterus expanding with fetal growth, hormonal changes can cause bloating and relax your stomach muscles. The relaxed muscles and increased water can cause an early bump that you may need to accommodate if you're trying to hide your pregnancy.
Here are some tips you could try if you're looking to keep your pregnancy under wraps for now.
Avoid form-fitting clothing
If you're not ready to highlight your belly, avoid wearing tight shirts, pants, and dresses.
"Stick with clothes that look drape-y or deconstructed. Think flowy or slouchy," advises Amy Tara Koch, a style expert and author of Bump It Up: Transform Your Pregnancy Into the Ultimate Style Statement.
She suggests choosing a top with side-ruching or playing it safe with tunics. Empire-waisted items, which cinch underneath the bust, are "the magic silhouette" for pregnancy, says Koch.
Balance your outfit
Always pair loose items with form-fitting items for a proportional look. "If you wear something blouse-y on the top, wear something more fitted on the bottom," Koch says.
Bottoms like leggings, black tights, and skinny jeans are perfect options to keep your outfit proportional.
Related: The Best Maternity Leggings We Tested for Workouts, Lounging, and More
Add a scarf
When draped strategically, a scarf can also hide your pregnant belly. "Scarves are so easy to pop on—and they make you look longer, leaner, and taller," Koch says. She advises trying an oversized length for extra coverage.
Don't wrap it more than once," she adds. "And leave it hanging down." Black and blue scarfs can visually slim the body, while a brightly printed scarf adds a pop of color.
Accessorize with face-framing jewelry
"Accessories are styling tools," Koch says. They can draw attention to body parts you love—and take it away from places you're uncomfortable showing. If you're trying to hide your burgeoning bump, for example, Koch suggests bringing attention to your face and away from the belly.
Something to consider is bigger earrings like hoops, chandeliers, or anything that goes below the earlobe. "I think gold is more powerful than silver or black," Koch says. "And stones work too."
Drop your neckline
You obviously don't have to display plentiful cleavage, but if it applies to you, showing a little décolletage can draw attention from your midsection. Koch advises that you try shirts with scoop necks, V-necks, or boat necks.
Minimize Morning Sickness
While some people may not "show" much during the first trimester, symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and exhaustion can also be hard to keep from others. Your best defense? A ready excuse, says Juli Fraga, Psy.D., a psychologist in San Francisco who specializes in maternal mental health.
"Nothing is worse than getting caught with a bad case of morning sickness when you're not ready to spill the news, but remember, you've always got an out. Pregnancy isn't the only thing that makes someone feel seasick," says Fraga.
Some believable responses you could try if a coworker walks into a shared bathroom while you're having a bout: "My partner had the stomach flu and I think I have it too," or just a simple, "Ugh, must be something I ate!"
If you don't think a simple excuse will silence your more suspicious coworkers, here are a few more tricks that should work like magic.
Related: 15 Tips for Dealing With Morning Sickness
Be strategic with pregnancy products
Acupressure wristbands can help ward off morning sickness—but certain types designed for pregnancy may call attention to you. Choose brands that are more non-descript or can be worn discreetly to keep things more under wraps.
Always have crackers on hand
Snacking on something bland and easy to digest, like a cracker, can stop a bout of morning sickness in its tracks. At the very least, crackers will soothe your nausea enough to help you get through a meeting at work, says mom of four and M.D. Elizabeth Chabner Thompson.
She recommends keeping two-cracker packs of saltines (the ones you sometimes see at restaurants) in your desk and purse. Other solid options bets include sour candies, mints, and spearmint gum.
Sip something soothing
The smell and taste of peppermint tea can be energizing and calming to a sour stomach. The same goes for ginger, so steep some store-bought ginger tea.
Or, make some fresh ginger tea at home yourself with this simple recipe from Heidi A. Fowler, M.D., a mom and psychiatrist in Newport, Rhode Island: Pour boiling water over freshly sliced organic ginger and steep for 5 minutes in a covered pot.
Key Takeaway
There's no need to hide your pregnancy (or even announce it) unless you want to. But if keeping your new under wraps is important to you, you can hide any physical signs of your pregnancy with strategies like loose clothing, keeping snacks on hand, and sucking on peppermints to ward of nausea. No one needs to be the wiser until you're ready.
For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Parents.
