Before we dive in to the clothes and dressing I want to give you another tip. Studies have shown that when women are pregnant they tend to touch their belly very often. This happens naturally from the moment we get aware of the pregnancy and right til the end. So make sure you don’t let people know unintentionally. Keep them hands off the baby bump.

Another thing you might want to consider is your boobs. For some women the boobs get bigger very quickly in the beginning.

It was like that for me. People didn’t see that I was pregnant because of my growing belly, but because my boobs got like two cup sizes bigger in just a few weeks. If you’re serious about hiding your pregnancy you need to keep track of your chest size and maybe wear a minimizer bra.

7 tips on how to hide a pregnancy belly

1. Long and loose shirts

This might be the most convenient and comfortable tip. Leggings and a long shirt has been on trend for quite some time so you probably already have some items that will work in your closet.

See examples of oversized shirts →

2. Go black for that slimming effect

You probably already know that black is the most slimming color. This applies to early pregnancy bloating as well. The black swallows the light making you a black hole to the eye. Great belly stealth. If you get a maternity shirt you can wear it all through your pregnancy and beyond. No one will know.

Check out black maternity shirts →

3. Wear layers to hide the curves

I have done this when I managed to put on some weight as well (without being pregnant). And it works very well. An open cardigan also hides the sides and the side view. You can easily wrap it around you and literally hide your body. You probably have some you can use already. For even more disguise wear something black underneath that isn’t skin tight.

Find cardigans on pinkblushmaternity.com →

4. Tuck it in and pull it up

That is how you create “the poof effect”. People will think the poof is from the shirt and not the belly. Works best with shirts with a bit of structure. I think it’s also called a french tuck. It probably will never go out of style. There are too many of us out there who need to hide a belly at one point or another.

There are also a lot of other shirt and blouse styles that will hide a pregnancy for a long time.

Check out shirts and blouses at ASOS.com → 

5. Patterns trick the eye

The busier the better. This does not include stripes. They have the opposite effect.

See more patterned dresses →

6. Distract with accessories

Accessories are from now on your best friends. Anything bold that will draw the attention from the bump. It could be a scarf, a necklace or some kind of headwear. I like places like Light in the box. They have rather cheap and fun accessories.

Check out accessories from lightinthebox.com →

7. Use Shapewear

Shapewear will smooth out the belly. It usually doesn’t grow that much the first few months as the fetus is still really really small. But your tummy might get substantially bloated from all the pregnancy hormones. That can create an unwanted “illusion” of a pregnancy. Shapewear will help to slim you down a bit and hide that belly. And don’t worry about the baby. It will absolutely not harm it.

Find the best shapewear on amazon.com →

6 outfits that hide a pregnancy belly

Here’s how to hide a pregnancy belly in 6 different stylish ways. Most of the items can be used both during pregnancy and for nursing, or are at least nursing friendly. Some of them can be worn for years to come. That mean you don’t have to spend too much money on unnecessary things.

Hide it with a fashionable Scarf

A scarf might be the absolut smartest thing to wear when you want to hide a belly. Especially when the belly is a little bigger. It will tick several of the hide-the-tummy-boxes at once. Choose one with a pattern and it will not just physically hide your body but distract a lot from it. You probably already have a couple of scarfs to use but if you’re looking for one I found a cheap beauty on Amazon with top notch reviews. Marked an Amazon Choice.  It’s also large enough to wear around your shoulders on a chilly night. Choose between 12 different colors and patterns if you don’t fancy my choice.

Check out tons of scarfs at amazon.com →

A jacket or a blazer

If you need to hide a pregnancy belly you definitely need a blazer or two in your wardrobe. From the side it hides the belly perfectly. Pair it with a scarf or a loosely tuck in shirt to hide the bulge further. I would go for a black or some other standard color. Then you can pair it with a lot of different shirts and accessories to get tons of different looks.

I really like this blazer from ASOS. It’s not too pricy, high quality, nice cut and easy to dress from causal to smart (or even party).

See all blazers from ASOS.com →

A draped top

An old trick is to wear a loose top and partially tuck it in to give it extra drape that hides the belly. I chose this one because it’s elegant and gives the illusion of a tuck. Even if your don’t actually tuck it in.

This is better because later when your belly is bigger and you want to use maternity pants or a Bella band, there’s nothing to tuck the shirt into. The normal pant cut will end above your tummy instead of under it. This way you can wear it all through your pregnancy AND hide the belly for longer.

Pinkblush maternity has a lot of tops and dresses in the draped front style. If you get a maternity one you can wear it all through your pregnancy. Heck, you can wear it after you pregnancy, because no one will know. That’s the beauty of the style.

Check out all drape front clothes from pinkblushmaternity.com →

Button down shirts

Button down shirts naturally gives a straighter silhouette that hides a bulge in a nice way. It’s super obvious that the woman in the picture is pregnant. But her belly is also big. She’s probably in her third trimester. And that’s really hard to hide.

A smaller belly, like a first trimester bloat, would not be visible at all in this button down shirt. Especially if you’ve gone up a size. And you might have noticed that I once again have chosen a print. A darker color would probably hide it even more.

Check out button down options at pinkblushmaternity.com →

Empire waist top with skinny jeans

Another smart “how to hide a pregnancy belly”-outfit is the empire waist. I’ll give you two reasons for this. First, the empire waist perfectly hides a growing belly as the flow of fabric below the belt looks natural. The illusion looks even better with skinny jeans. Secondly, an empire waist will probably fit you all through your pregnancy. It is the ultimate pregnancy item.

You can buy any empire waist shirt you want, just choose a long one. Otherwise your belly will peek out in the later stages. I’ve chosen a maternity top with nursing abilities. It’s always smart to think ahead. It’s available in lots of different colors.

Check out the top from pinkbluchmaternity.com →

A fit and flare dress

I love fit and flare dresses. Pregnant or not. I think they’re feminine and gives a very flattering silhouette to so many different kinds of figures. I don’t think I have to explain in what way these designs works great for hiding pregnancy bellies. The flare-part kind of speaks for itself.

The fit and flare dress have been very trendy for a couple of years, but unfortunately not anymore. That makes it quite hard to find these days. The next best thing is something like the dress in the picture. It’s similar to the empire waist. A tighter top and a looser bottom part. This one is also a wrap design, which makes it perfect for nursing as well.

Check out the dress at amazon.com →

One last tip for the road…

Keep working out. Or if you haven’t been working out before, try to give it a go. If you need to be motivated, here’s 3 reasons.

1. Strong abdominal muscles will hide your belly for longer

2. Exercising will keep you from putting on extra weight/belly

3. You’ll feel better and get less bloated

I hope this leaves you with both a sense of ease on how to hide a pregnancy belly and and a sense of style for the rest of your journey. If you have any other tips and tricks up your sleeve, please share with the rest of us in the comments. I will add it to the article as well.

And if you’re looking for more inspiration for maternity wear, check out where to get the best prices and designs. Take good care of your growing bumps lovely ladies.