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AIBU?

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Original poster

How long can you hide a baby bump?

56 replies

Hidethebump · 14/04/2018 14:25

Second pregnancy. Started to show about 14 weeks with ds, but I didn’t try to hide it either.
Aibu to think that I could keep this a pregnancy a secret until 24 -26 weeks if I try?
I’m fairly tall and size 10-12 slim but not toned.
Only my dp and dm know now, I haven’t had 12 week scan yet and just a little bloated at the moment. How can I disguise my bump?
I want to keep it quiet as certain people had me stressed In my last pregnancy with their unsolicited ‘helpful’ advice, and I think I Will be calmer this time if I just don’t have to hear it.

OP posts:
saison4 · 14/04/2018 16:17

I am tall slim and didn't obviously show with DC1 until 24/25 weeks. DC2 was obvious a bit sooner but with dresses and cardies, many people did not notice nearer 30 weeks. Guess a lot depends on how your bump expands. It usually happens quicker in subsequent pregnancies. but if you started showing at 14 weeks with DC1, 26 weeks with DC2 seems ambitious.

Dobbythesockelf · 14/04/2018 16:20

I can't I'm 29 weeks and have looked obviously pregnant since like 14 weeks. But I carry all at the front and nowhere else and I'm only 5'2" so I think it looks more obvious on me. It depends on how you carry etc. Floaty tops will work for a while I imagine.

Hughpughbarneymagrew · 14/04/2018 16:24

First pregnancy I could hide it by dressing carefully until about 25 weeks. Second pregnancy the bump came up much quicker, a few people guessed at 10 weeks, it was very obvious by 15.
I think it just depends on your body, and what your usual clothes are like. If you normally wear quite lose shapeless clothes you'll get away with it for longer. If your need to change your style all of a sudden then more observant people will wonder why, in my experience.

halfwitpicker · 14/04/2018 16:25

I managed it till about five months. Until then I just looked, ahem, portly.

BertieBotts · 14/04/2018 16:27

With DC2 I could only hide it until about 12 weeks and it was getting tricky. I told my boss at 12 weeks exactly and it was like my body went "Phew!" and it REALLY popped out then, unmistakeably.

I'm 21 weeks now and the only thing you can't tell in is when I'm wearing a thick jumper plus a loose coat with loads of stuff in the pockets.

bimbobrains · 14/04/2018 16:29

I've never managed to hide mine. My youngest is now 17 Grin

purpleorchidwhite · 14/04/2018 16:29

My friend was a lecturer and very long in the body so more room for baby.
She didn't tell anyone she was pregnant apart from those who had to know.

She left work two weeks before the baby was born and when she said she wouldn't be in for the remainder of the year she was asked why!

She really didn't show much, a flowing top hid it all. Some people just carry well.
I however, looked like a water buffalo from 20 weeks.

BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 14/04/2018 16:32

I was 26 weeks before I stopped hiding/people noticed mine last year (didn't hide it as such). 5th baby too so I was showing by 18/20 weeks.

Scotinoz · 14/04/2018 16:50

I didn't announce my first pregnancy until about 22 weeks. I'm tall I suppose, but had a reasonable bump and had been wearing maternity clothes for a while. My boss was genuinely surprised when I told him.

When I finished work at 37weeks another colleague, who I didn't see often, also looked surprised that I was leaving for mat leave.

I must have worked with a lot of unobservant people 😂

Strategic dressing helps, and scarves.

Loobyh · 14/04/2018 16:59

People knew when I was 10 weeks and not ready to tell anyone...even though I tried to hide it. It is not just the bump sometimes, the whole of me looked a bit bigger and puffy! 😟

fleshmarketclose · 14/04/2018 17:39

I'm only five foot tall so in theory it should be noticeable but in effect because of the sickness I lose weight (usually size 12) and any baby weight compensates for the weight I have lost. I'm always at least a stone lighter than I was before I got pregnant within a couple of weeks.

Allthewaves · 14/04/2018 17:43

Second pregancy most people at work guessed at 10 weeks even with flowing clothes and cardi. Only made it.to 8 wks with ds3 and work guessed

RainbowGlitterFairy · 14/04/2018 17:54

With DS i barely showed and wore baggy tops anyway as I find them more comfortable, I didn't tell people because I was very young and when he was born there were people I saw most weeks who genuinely hadn't known I was pregnant, my grandmother particularly was very shocked when I turned up at her house with newborn DS Grin she'd last seen me 2 days before he was born! Apparently I just looked like I was getting a bit podgy and was a very naughty girl for not giving her time to buy him anything. With DD even strangers could see I was pregnant by about 14 weeks, because the weight i put on was all bump.

Pleasedontdrawonyoursister · 14/04/2018 18:23

On my third and didn’t tell anyone until 21 weeks. Baggy jumpers were my friend! But it all depends how you carry.

user1493413286 · 14/04/2018 18:30

I hid mine very well with long scarves although it was winter. Also I found that when I told people they’d look at me and say “oh yeah I can see it now” but they’d not looked at me properly to notice

Original poster
Hidethebump · 14/04/2018 18:31

I think I’m just going to have to wait and see how quickly I show.
I will defInitely have a look for some empire line tops and floaty stuff.
It would probably be an advantage being heavily pregnant over the winter but baby due late October/November so I can’t rely on a winter coat.....

OP posts:
0lgaDaPolga · 14/04/2018 18:32

I didn’t tell work until 19 weeks and no one guessed. A looked a little chubbier than normal between weeks 15-21 but not visibly pregnant, then the bump started to pop out more noticeably

NotTakenUsername · 14/04/2018 18:34

I think if you are already slim it is more of a challenge.

Olive1988 · 14/04/2018 18:35

I really wanted to keep it a secret from most people until after anamoly scan. I'm 20 weeks and scan is next week and I'm struggling to hide it but have been wearing baggy tops and just letting people assume I've got pretty fat. I really don't think I could go past 20 weeks as bump is starting to touch bottom of baggy tops now and if I stand at wrong angle it's pretty obvious. Good luck!! Xxx

Namechange128 · 14/04/2018 18:37

Number two and not toned... You could, but would also depend on your daily clothing. If you work in an office and are normally dressed in tailored and well fitting clothes, unlikely. All the people who hid forever always seem to be in more casual environments - also I always wonder if they really did get away with it, one woman at our work was obviously pregnant for AGES before saying, people just didn't think it was polite to ask, and she was shocked that noone was surprised when she announced at 22 weeks!

Good thing with number two is also that there is a lot less unsolicited advice too 😊

TruJay · 14/04/2018 18:48

Baby 1 I didn't show til around 7 months but I had told people anyway as I wasn't actively hiding bump. Baby 2 followed an early second trimester MMC so I didn't even acknowledge my pregnancy until around 26 weeks and no one asked me before that time, I wore looser clothing but mostly ignoring it seemed to not allow bump to 'pop'. My mum, dh and close friends knew. I was at playgroup one day with ds and an older lady who went came over to me, I was late 2nd tri and she whispered "Tru? Are you pregnant?" I said, smiling, "no, I just really enjoyed my dinner" Grin poor woman was mortified and began to apologise and was much relieved when I laughed and said I was joking and that yes I was expecting again. After that I figured this baby is sticking around this time, I better start getting ready. My whole pregnancy with dd though you could never tell from behind, I still had my waist and then I'd turn to the side and pow! There she was.
I drove my best friend mad as I wouldn't pack a hospital bag so she turned up at 39 weeks with one already packed for me, I love her.

Birdsgottafly · 14/04/2018 18:54

With a second baby, I would say around until 20 weeks. You'll get comments about putting on weight, instead, though.

frieda909 · 14/04/2018 18:54

I think it depends how you normally dress. My colleague is very slim and wears a lot of jackets and scarves all the time. One day she told us she was six months pregnant and we all went ‘Whaaaa...? Where?!’ And then she took off her jacket and she did indeed look like she was smuggling a watermelon under her jumper.

HumptyD93 · 14/04/2018 18:57

its difficult to know how long you can hide it....it all depends on how big your bump gets. But then if you dont tell people they would be pretty rude to ask (but that doesnt stop some does it)

its coming to summer.... theres usually some lovely long flow-ey maxi dresses which may hide a bump.

I was over 30 weeks when people twigged at school, only because I said ds wouldn't be at nursery as I had a midwife appointment...they were shocked when they found out how far on I was. But then I did get the "oh your bumps too small" comments. grrr

good luck x x

lookingforaline18 · 14/04/2018 19:02

I'm currently 17 weeks and have an obvious bump now which I manage to hide under baggy clothes. I'm quite slim so any extra weight is very noticeable. I saw my dad looking at my tummy today (he doesn't know yet) so he's either thinking a)She's put weight on or b)Is she expecting again?

Don't think I'll be able to hide it for much longer to be honest. Especially with the weather warming up!