Any good tips for disguising bump?!

[Panickypants]

Don't want to tell work for a good few weeks but my trousers no longer do up! Any good ideas? Are dresses best I wonder? I had a colleague who got to almost 30 weeks by wrapping a huge pashmina round her (but everyone clocked the bump!) x

I think separates are better - my little bump shows much more in all-in-one garments as my proportions aren't broken up. And as I have discovered, people are much less perceptive than you give them credit for!

Scarves/pashminas - worked well for me especially as I always felt the cold and wore them pre pregnancy. No one guessed - 1st time round I told work about 17/18 weeks, 2nd time about 14 as I couldn't be bothered to hide it! And yes, separates probably the best - get into those maternity skirts/trousers...you'll be much more comfy and you can still disguise the fact they're maternity by draping your top or scarf down over your bump.

Maternity trousers actually flatter more than give away I second (third) the scarves. We told people at 26wks with dc2 and 22wks dc3, only told our parents before that. Yes I agree, people are not a bit observant

Swing dresses hide all manners of bumps and lumps!

Thanks girls. 26 weeks, fab! I'm conscious they are going to be hacked off as I've not long been back from mat leave! X

I want to make it another week to get to my 20 week scan. Staff know but parents and children don't. I've spent the last few weeks standing behind things, sitting down or 'being busy' at collection times! It is pretty noticeable in certain outfits. Scarves and big cardigans are your friend.

I'm pretty sure you need to tell work at 25 weeks if you're taking maternity leave. I think a lot depends on how you carry on how much you can hide. Saying that though I was a size 8 and all bump and people didn't even notice late on! Baggy dresses,wrap dresses, long tops are quite good for hiding and staying in your own clothes on the top half as long as possible. Maternity tops all seem to be stripey and highlight the bump

I would avoid maternity tops especially those that have pleats or draping or empire style that show off the bump. Go with tops in a larger size in a straight style.

Someone at work had trousers like these which were non-maternity but adjustable at the sides. She slowly let them out so that people didn't notice her suddenly getting a whole new wardrobe. She also went for non-maternity tops in a bigger size and nobody noticed for ages.

Non maternity clothes - I find all the gathers etc give you a bump earlier than you necessarily would have one
Black clothes
Patterns to distract the eye
YY to scarves

I think you could be quite pregnant in Holly's outfit and get away with it www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3040552/Pretty-pink-stilettos-Holly-Willoughby-flaunts-fabulous-post-pregnancy-figure-arrives-One-skin-tight-outfit.html

I had trouble with my trousers as well - way way before I had a bump.
I just had a big old cardi. I think if you try and stick to your normal clothes, unless people are actively looking for bump activity it's unlikely anyone will
notice your clothes have got tighter.

Turns out I can put on a stone and no one notice!

I'm trying this too!

My strategy is to wear outfits that I normally wouldn't as they make me look fat!

Today I have a loose sleeveless top with a drop waist and matching skirt (waistband sits above bump.

It is pale. One colour. I look big but not pregnant.

Go for the opposite of slimming clothes. No black. Big patterns. Nothing too fitted. A lines/ empire lines. Long skirts.

Good luck.

It depends on your bump. I was quite small first time round but now I'm 16wks and have a definite bump (although i think its 90% food!). I 'announced' this week but everyone had already guessed! Although that was partly all the sick leave too as I'm hardly ever sick. Oh well.

And yes, you need to let your employer know in writing by 25 wks, you'll get a form to pass to them from your MW, but that doesn't mean you need to tell everyone.

I went for dark non maternity tops that were a little big with floaty scarves and long cardigans. The whole tumny area was a complete mystery then X

There is no way I'd have been able t hide my bump at 26 weeks, mine was very obvious at 14! So glad I told work at 12 weeks. Do you not need to tell them by 25 weeks that you want maternity leave and give them your MATB1 form?

Loose fitting shift type dresses disguised mine at work until I told them at 15 weeks. Nobody was suspicious at all.

Avoid empire style - it often makes even skinny people look pregnant. Avoid pregnancy tops as they make you look bigger.

I hid my first bump until over 26 weeks (although boss knew and I was off work vomiting for much of that time) when I had a meeting with external contacts who were trying to arrange meetings for 3 months later and I had to say 'er guys...' They were shocked. So shocked that they told my team - who didn't know. I did have a tiny bump. I wore my own clothes - you can get extenders for the waist band of trousers from JojoMamanBebe. Cardigans and scarves help. Dark or patterned tops. Until the last few weeks of my first pregnancy I just wore tops 1-2 sizes up, with maternity trousers.

Posture is important - stand up straight and use your stomach muscles to hold in the bump.

I'm doing this too at the moment as while my boss knows, I don't want to tell colleagues or clients yet as waiting on 20 week scan all clear (or not) following some issues.

I find that sticking with non maternity trousers but those with a relaxed waist or a size up is better - the maternity jeans I wear at the weekend instantly make me look pregnant. Skinny leg trousers and a loose fitting jumper works best.

Jackets are also good, or flowing cardi with a dark top underneath, basically anything that breaks up your silhouette from the side on view.

I also got my hair cut quite a bit - has done a great job of distracting people and answering the 'there's something different about you'. Also helps that a colleague has announced pregnancy and looks really clearly pregnant at fewer weeks than me!

I got well past 20 weeks with loose cut dresses (cocoon type shape), scarves and jackets. A dark loose dress with a bright scarf was a staple.

I never bought maternity clothes; but I wore loose floaty tops and big baggy jumpers. With DS2, I was pg over winter and didn't come out of my big baggy jumper til I was 7m gone - so lots of people didn't know I was pg until then!

Sorry, forgot the lower half! I mostly wore trousers with wide knit-style waistbands, in a larger size than I would otherwise usually need. So comfy!

Don't change from normal style as will attract attention, I would notice if someone switched from trousers to skirts dresses, but not if someone wore a size bigger. So if wear trousers get maternity ones and longer floaty tops, itvis summer after all. I never wear trousers so disguised bump with dresses that a ruching at waist or or wrap dresses etc. Longer suit jacket also worked well for first few months.

My waist got thicker really quickly, even in my first pregnancy - I was a student then too, so couldn't afford to invest lots in new clothes. I threaded a hairband through the buttonhole of my trousers and looped it over the button to make a trouser extended, and bought a couple of long vests to wear under things - layering long things over that worked fine for a good few weeks. I did used to undo my trousers under the desk, though, when they started to pinch! Made it to 12-14 weeks each time, but couldn't have gone much longer.