In light of this, I present to you the Preggy Chronicles Volume 1: Hiding the Bump. Traditionally, the 1st trimester is shrouded in secrecy due to the risk of miscarriage. It's only after this period that you usually tell all your friends and coworkers. So what happens if you're like me and start developing a bump sooner than you're ready to tell?
Here are some tips that I've found helpful:
- Avoid stretchy knits! They show every little bump - even if it's just a big lunch. Wear wovens instead. They have a tendency to be a little more voluminous and will mask tummies.
- Tuck in and puff out blouses. The tucking allows you some shape definition and separates top from bottom. The volume of the puffing hides your bump.
- Blazers are your new best friend. Blazers (leave unbuttoned) help visually slim a flowy blouse while still hiding your bump in the side view.
- Wear front ruffles (from neck to tummy) or scarves. The added volume camouflages very nicely!
- Photo tips - shoulders forward and butt back. Whether you're a blogger or someone who is posing for a photo, I've found that if you lean forward a little bit while holding your rear back, you'll keep your tummy from sticking out. Note that this really only works in photos (and not from the side!). Otherwise people will wonder why your posture has morphed you into a duck :)
- Set up a system for side-sleeping. I am a back sleeper but baby gets the best blood flow if you sleep on your side (left is optimal but either is better than back or of course belly). I have tried ten million pillows and only one has met my needs - addresses ear pain, is firm, and is at the right height - Side Sleeper Pro (but buy it at Bed, Bath and Beyond stores for only $20).
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
congratulations!!!! If you're willing to, update us on the gender of the person in your growing belly.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first pic i've seen of your son. He's sooooo cute!!!! He looks like he's going to be a heartbreaker. I can already tell. aaw, look at his shirt.
I've been wondering if there were any petite pregnant blogs out there. Fantastic news for both your family and blog.
Congratulations!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aubrey...you have such a cute boy! I love his hair. :p
I never knew about sleeping on your side! Glad you found a good pillow!
Congratsss! How exciting! Your boy is super adorable. I am going to follow your footstep soon. We're planning the second one in the next few months. Thanks for your tips. I will definitely keep that in mind.
ReplyDeleteO-M-G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is so exciting! Congrats congrats congrats!!!! Can you tell I'm excited!??? YAY! And ur son is adorable!!!! I hope you will still be blogging thru-out your pregnancy!! Must keep us posted!! So happy for you!
ReplyDeleteCongrats SPG!!!! You're the first pregnant blogger that I follow, so I cannot wait to see all your mommy-to-be outfits. What brands work best, what shoes, etc. This is so exciting!!! I'm so happy for you and your family. Stay sane amidst all the excitement and keep us updated!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!!! Haha, your son looks adorable with his shirt. Tips are great too for those who are pregnant!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!!! Can't wait to see the progression of the baby bump. ;)
ReplyDeletePetite maternity shopping tips perhaps?
AHHH Congrats congrats!
ReplyDeleteBur really (what bump?), thanks for these very helpful tips. Should I ever be pregnant I'll print this out and tape it next to my bed! :)
Congrats again!
I'm so excited for you! Congrats! That is a handsome little boy you have. I honestly didn't notice a bulge at all.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! What exciting news for your family.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Your boy is too cute!! Great tips. I'll have to remember these for [much] later lol but still! I really would like to see you blogging throughout. I'm sure find petite clothes preggo is even harder!
ReplyDeleteWHAT bump?! hahaha I don't see one yet! ; ) CONGRATULATIONS!! This is so exciting. Your son is super adorable and I'm sure he'll be a great big brother. He's gonna grow to be a very handsome boy..I can tell :P hehe Congratulations again! Keep us posted : )
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I didn't even notice the bump until you mentioned it! LOL. Does that mean you'll be doing a petite maternity series?! =)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I am a few months ahead of you, 20 weeks along, and also petite - 5 foot tall and about 80 pounds before getting pregnant. I found the first trimester difficult too but thankfully spent most of it on a 3 week Xmas break from work! Right now I am loving current fashion's addiction to flowy shapeless tops - as I'm still too small to fit into maternity clothing, though I've outgrown all the wonderful petite clothing I bought in USA on holiday (I'm in Australia).
ReplyDeleteWow I hadn't noticed a bump at all but CONGRATULATIONS!! That is so exciting. And after seeing your first little bundle, I know you sure will have a cute little kiddo!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I'm still getting to 'know' you, so I didn't notice. In fact, have I seen your pic? I've been so half-asleep in blogland lately! You're little guy is too cute!
ReplyDeleteI, too, waited until I was past my first trimester, but so many I know tell as soon as they find out. Our friends told everyone when she was at five weeks and I was at 13 weeks and still hadn't told. When we finally told people, there were some who would tell me that I was so big. How rude! They were comparing us and I was two months ahead of her.
The funny thing about sleeping on your back is that I would NEVER sleep on my back before I was pregnant, but I wanted to when I was. It was weird. I didn't high for the reason you mentioned.
Great post!
Congratulations, SPG! You and your family must be very excited!
ReplyDeleteSPG, I'm so thrilled for you! Congrats on your pregnancy. I'm sure your first precious one will love being a big brother.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, Aubrey mentioned at a meetup she'd love to see a petite blogger through pregnancy and their change in attire. I like the variety of maternity lines now (F21, Target, Asos, Ann Taylor) but you're such a whiz at sewing I doubt you'll need to buy any maternity wear.
congrats on the second little one!! i would love to see you blogging through your pregnancy too so that i can see your fashion choices as your belly grows. and great tips on hiding the bump too although i never noticed it on you!
ReplyDeletecute & little
Congratulations! Don't hide your baby bump, instead showcase your expanding bump with bold statement pieces.
ReplyDeleteOMG Congrats!!!!!!!!! So amazing, so happy for you :) I'm looking forward to all your advice on how to dress as your body changes. Such great news!!!
ReplyDeletecongrats!!! i did not know you had a growing belly. must be so exciting to have a new addition to your lovely family. your little boy is so adorable. i can tell he's going to grow up and be such a handsome boy. lol
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I'm so excited for you. And omg your little boy is so cute.
ReplyDeleteOmg... congratulations!! I had no idea and did not see any bump at all. I hope your pregnancy goes smoothly and I can't wait to see you in stylish maternity wear! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats, please keep ups updated on your journey. I have to admit that I didn't notice your growing belly... even when I went back to check your recent pictures. Sorry if that's being a creeper. >.<
ReplyDeleteI think some of these tips are also great for those with a little bit of a belly.
Additionally, I passed on a Stylish Blogger Award to you! Check it out in my most recent post.
This is so adorable... congratulations! So excited we all get to be in on this journey with you!!
ReplyDeleteEveryone - Thank you so much for all the congratulations and for being supportive/interested in pregnancy posts! I know many of you are not really in the adding to the family phase so I'm incredibly touched (as always) by this community :) HUGS!
ReplyDeleteAubreyOhDang - Thank you for the congrats and kind words about our son! I definitely will be updating once we find out the gender :)
Michelle - Thanks so much! Hubby loves for his hair to look "cool" :)
Sydney - Thank you!! Ooh very excited to see your pregnancy looks! Baby dust!
Annie - Thank you - you are so very sweet! We are super excited too! Yep, I definitely plan on blogging throughout the pregnancy :)
Cee - Thanks so much Cee!! We were literally bouncing off the walls when we found out :) It's been so hard to keep this a secret!
Jarucha, Cat, Ski Petite, CynthiaC, Laura, Vicky - Thank you for the kind words!! They mean so much to me!
Kelly, Jackie, Jess - Thank you! I'll definitely be sharing maternity wear tips. In a world of predominantly S-M-L sizing, it can be challenging to not look lost in your clothes or much bigger than you are! I hope my experiences will be able to help somebody out there :)
Elle - Thank you! That is so sweet of you to say! :)
Jessy - Aw, thanks so much! I've been very choiceful of what photos to post the last few weeks but the bump is definitely there ;)
Naomi Eve - Thank you! Congratulations to you too! You're halfway there! Is this your first? I've found that throughout most of my pregnancy, I was able to wear my normal clothes as long as they were either stretchy or flowy. My absolute favorites are maxi dresses - so comfy throughout pregnancy!
Jen HaHA - Thank you! I didn't know you were a mama too! I've kept mum about both of my pregnancies until 12-13 weeks - it's just such a relief to get through it so you can feel free to finally tell people. It's so hard to keep it secret though! And I totally sympathize about being told you're big. My MIL saw me for the first time last week and said "Wow, you're huge! Are you sure you're not having twins? I don't think other people are this big at this timepoint." GRRR.
ReplyDeleteJean - Thank you so much! Our son does really enjoy seeing his baby pictures/videos - we're hoping this translates to seeing his sibling soon :) H&M also has maternity! For the most part, I find that maternity tops have a tendency to be extremely large and tent-like even in those last few weeks when I'm super-huge. I've actually had better luck with wearing normal clothes (aside from pants and skirts)!
Kileen - Thanks so much! Wait no further (LOL), I just posted a preggy edition of LOFT fitting room reviews :D
Anonymous - Thank you for reading and commenting! I am now fully embracing/flaunting my bump :) It's just the 1st trimester that I had to hide it for fear of being found out prior to being ready to announce.
Elaine, Liane, Aubrey - Thank you sweet ladies! We are crazy excited here and will definitely be posting throughout my pregnancy :)
Ping - Aww, thank you! Our son is our everything and we are so excited to welcome another child to our family! :)
Aki - Thank you so much! LOL about looking at the recent pics because that is exactly what I would do! :) Also thank you for the Stylish Blogger Award - that is so VERY kind of you! I am truly flattered.