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When you get that good news you’ve been waiting for, it’s normal to be super excited! Whether you want to share the news with your friends and family or you want to keep it to yourself, it’s entirely your prerogative. Some people like to share the excitement with near and dear ones, while others are not comfortable sharing the news until it’s past the first trimester. It could be because the risk of a pregnancy complication, like a miscarriage, is highest in the first trimester (1).
Some also like to keep their pregnancy hush hush due to professional reasons. Women going to work might not always feel comfortable revealing to colleagues and bosses about their pregnancy too early on. There is the chance of being judged. And then in worse cases, even the career could be in jeopardy if people find out too early on.
So, if you want to wait for a few months before you share your pregnancy news with others, here are a few tips that could help you:
Getting Around Alcohol
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For those of us who drink every now and then, or on the weekends, chances are that we also have our favorite pals with whom we go out drinking. If you’ve been someone who enjoys the occasional drink or two (or a whole bottle *wink wink*), your friends and family might be surprised when you refuse to give them company. They might even get the hint that you’re probably pregnant, so here’s how you can avoid getting caught:
- Get There Early
If you’re catching up with your friends in your usual hangout spot, you’ll probably be familiar with the waiting staff. You could get there early and inform them that you’re pregnant. Tell them that you haven’t told your friends yet and request the waiter to serve you virgin drinks all night. Voila — your secret is safe! Your friends think you’re drinking and have no idea that your drinks have no alcohol.
- Order Your Own Drinks
If you’re at an event with an open bar, you don’t have to worry too much. Just order your own drinks, and you’re safe. Some water, soda, and lime, and you’re good to go. It looks like a cocktail, and your friends will have no idea. These days many non-alcoholic beverages are also making their way into the market. So just grab on to your non-alcoholic beer and pretend to be drinking away
- Tell Them You’re On A Cleanse
It’s not uncommon for people to switch to better habits once they realize that their drinking habits have been taking a toll on their bodies. Many people go on a cleanse after weeks of heavy drinking. Tell your friends that you’re on a detox after having a hectic week. Or tell them you’ve started reconsidering your drinking habits. Maybe you can inspire your friends to make smart choices about their own alcohol consumption.
Clothes Getting Tighter
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You can probably hide your baby bump during the first trimester, but you might start showing a little towards your third month. Your clothes get a little tighter because of the pregnancy weight, which might be a problem if you aren’t ready to tell anyone about it. Here’s what you can do:
- Wear Loose-Fitting Clothes
You don’t have to wear oversized clothes (unless that’s your thing). But what we mean is that you can opt for clothes that stylishly conceal your baby bump. Choose peplum tops, flowy dresses, or skirts and keep yourself comfortable. You don’t have to compromise on style or comfort just because you’re giving up tight-fitting clothes.
- Layer Up
Layering up is the best way to mask the appearance of a baby bump. Wear a trendy scarf, jacket, sweater, or kimono to look great and keep your little secret under the wraps (pun intended).
- Wear Black
Anyone who loves black will agree that one can never have too much black clothing. Your wardrobe is probably filled with blacks, and this is the perfect time to flaunt them. It makes you look leaner, and you can hide your small little belly bump too.
Make Use Of The Work-from-home Time
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The pandemic forced us inside our homes. Those of you working in the corporate sector know it well. A time arrived where we finally were able to work from the comforts of our homes, in our home clothes. Though it did leave us wanting to go out and meet people at work, we can’t complain that much as well. Working from home saved us so much time by not needing to do commutes or dress up. Now that offices are slowly reopening, people have started attending offices. But most workplaces have given employees the option to work from home also. If you’ve just become pregnant, this is a great time to stay home and work from home. Firstly it saves you from the daily commute and time giving you good comfort during the tough times of pregnancy. Secondly, if you want to keep your pregnancy a secret for some time, you can easily do so too.
Reduce The Socializing For The Time Being
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On one hand you want to keep your pregnancy a secret while on the other hand you also can’t stop socializing a lot. Well, the two things won’t really go hand in hand. The more you socialize, the more the chances of people somehow finding out about your pregnancy. Maybe you could cut down on going out and meeting people until the time you are ready to announce the big news. Besides, these days we have social media to stay in touch with people anyway.
It might be challenging to keep this exciting news from your close ones but remember that you only have to wait it out for the first three months, and then you can tell the rest of the world. Even if you don’t, they will find out because of your baby bump. So, enjoy this time in secret because that could be exciting too! Did you keep your pregnancy news a secret from your near and dear ones? Share your story with us in the comments below!
