Sticking to the 12-week Rule? How to Hide Your Pregnancy

Pregnancy has an inconvenient way of presenting itself, via symptoms that can sometimes be hard to hide. There is much chatter about the “12-week rule” but if you’re opting to stick with the 12-week rule, or don’t feel ready to share your happy news just yet, you’ll need to navigate the suspicious minds who’ll start asking awkward questions. Here are our top tips for how to hide your pregnancy until you’re ready to share.

The “Virus” That You Just Can’t Shake

Let’s be clear here, you will be forgiven for telling a little white lie in these circumstances. So blaming your nausea and fatigue on a ‘virus’ is totally excusable in this instance. And it’s the perfect alibi for your symptoms. You could opt for the ‘hangover from hell’, but that will only see you through a day.

You’re Doing a Detox

That nasty virus that you just couldn’t shake, well clearly your system is down and you need to do a cleanse. So that will cover the booze questions. You can even use it as an excuse for keeping a low profile. It’s so much easier to eat well and drink herbal tea in the comfort of your own home. Once the ‘cleanse’ is over, you can extend it to a lifestyle ‘reboot’ and tell everyone your off to the gym, instead of Friday night drinks.

Go For The Man-style Jacket

If you find your waistbands are getting a bit tight, opt for a boxy man-style jacket so you can leave your top button undone. There’s no reason to go for slim-line tight-fitting clothes all the time. Embrace your inner bo-ho so you can cover that early pre-bump baby bloat with loose (and comfortable!) clothes.

The Oversized Handbag

The It-bag is still totally a thing and is the perfect place to keep your secret stash of ginger biscuits, rice crackers and any other plain dry snack that will help you deal with the spews. And it’s big enough you could line a section of it with a plastic bag in case you need to have a discreet little vomit.

Sometimes it can all be too hard and only you’ll know when you’re ready to share the news. So if hiding your pregnancy is really getting you down, talk to your doctor about when to share the news. Modern technology can help predict a pregnancy that’s at risk so you may feel confident enough to stop the stories and share your new status.