Has anyone managed to hide pregnancy for a long time?

[babybellymum]

Recently found out I am expecting again. We want to hide it as long as possible due to only just coming off maternity leave with first DC and we just want to keep it to ourselves for a while.
When did you start showing with your pregnancy's? When I had my first I was tiny and didn't show until around 25 weeks. Some people were still only just realizing when I was practically due. I have gained a lot of weight since then so worry I will show a lot sooner because I have a tummy on me anyway whereas I didn't before...

I read something online about a businesswoman who hid it until 6 months! I have a little belly at 12 weeks.
Are you WFH? I am and realised that now my colleagues only see my head and shoulders it'd be easy to hide!

7 months. People just assumed I’d put on weight and I wore strategically placed clothing

I think it probably depends on summer or winter, some people didn’t notice with my first when I was nearly full term due to winter layers. This time around my cousin has already guessed at 16 weeks despite wearing a flowy smock type dress (To be fair my bump is quite big!). You might be ok as it’ll be autumn time before you start showing and you can wear scarves etc.

I'm not working from home and I have quite a physically demanding job which worries me and my uniform is already feeling tight. I don't even know how many weeks I am. I think I'm only a few weeks but I don't actually know so I could be further along than I think. I would love to just give birth and be like 'surprise I had a baby' but I know that isn't realistic with my first I couldn't wait to tell the world but this time around I really love the idea of just enjoying this news to ourselves.

I was 20 weeks with first and much further with second. Going into autumn it will be easier to hide. But some people will be able to tell from your face.

Can you sporadically say youre still battling the baby weight?

I am coming up to 27 weeks and have only just started telling people. Second baby. Not one had guessed and my stomach is still as it was before I was Pregnant. Maybe rounder lower down. 🤷‍♀️

Most women typically show much earlier with their second pregnancy as their abdominal muscles have already weakened\stretched during the first pregnancy.

I was around six months first time around, had gained half a stone within two weeks of a positive test second time and obviously showing and being asked by 14 weeks. Was pretty annoying.

I hid it until I was 20 weeks during lockdown . It was my second pregnancy I was properly showing but nobody saw me 💁‍♀️

Then when lockdown relaxed and I emerged everyone was shocked . It was a fun way to tell people, though my family, boss and close friends knew already .

No one knew until 26 weeks with my first

I'm 19 weeks with my second. It can be obvious or not depending on what I wear

If you gained lots of weight, then you might actually be able to fool people a bit longer, by not eating for two, so that you don't put any extra weight for the first 6 months (do check with GP/midwife, to make sure it's safe! but when my sister got pregnant, she was overweight from the start, and followed medical advice to keep her weight stable: she slimmed as the baby grew, so overall looked the same for a while)

My second was a winter baby and so many people didn't know I was pregnant until I was around 35 weeks. After dc1 I wore lots of baggy tops and jumpers anyway, I'm tall, carry small, and I think people assumed my belly was from dc1 and didn't want to be offensive. A small age gap makes that easier I guess.

@Kaiserin I say I gained lots of weight but in reality I'm still quite slim, just much bigger than I have ever been before. Before my first pregnancy I was a size 6 and then size 8 throughout pregnancy and since giving birth I've gained about a stone or more since and am now a size 10 so to everyone else I am still slim but to me I feel much bigger than I probably am because I'm not used to it. I don't over eat anyway I think just the hormone change since giving birth is not helping me since I've been eating well most of the time but keep gaining weight. I've been moaning a lot about my weight to everyone for months so I'm hoping they'll just assume that I'm just gaining weight, unless I have a pronounced, round tummy in a few months realistically I would like to get to around 25 weeks before I tell anyone! Just hoping I don't have every single pregnancy symptom like last time because then everyone will definitely know for sure!

@TheBabyAteMyBrain I've been wearing baggy clothing since giving birth first time because I've not felt comfortable in any clothes I used to wear (tight fitting tops etc) so hopefully this will help me through this pregnancy because everyone's used to seeing me in baggy clothes

Is there anything you can do to tone up your abs? I ised to do a lot at the gym so my first pregnancy wasnt noticable until around 35 weeks due to all the muscles keeping the belly in place. Before that I just looked like I'd gained a bit of weight.

My second baby bump started showing at 11 weeks, which meant I had a hard time hiding it for much longer. I had also just returned from mat leave with baby 1 and when I did tell people (mat1b form etc etc) a couple said they'd guessed. You should tell your line manager though as they need to do risk assessments etc- especially if physical job.

Is there anything you can do to tone up your abs? I ised to do a lot at the gym so my first pregnancy wasnt noticable until around 35 weeks due to all the muscles keeping the belly in place. Before that I just looked like I'd gained a bit of weight.

Don't do abs exercises once you're already pregnant!

@terriblyangryattimes I want to leave telling my line manager until I tell everyone else because she is the biggest blabber mouth! Everyone would know within a few days of telling her. She's the type to 'accidently' let it slip to everyone.