Camouflaging Pregnancy Belly Until End of First Trimester

I am about 10 weeks along with my third pregnancy and look like I did at 4 months with my first! My last pregnancy ended in a miscarriage that was discovered at 13 weeks so we are trying to keep this one quiet until we reach the end of the first trimester safely. However, it is getting harder and harder to disguise my belly. I have nearly outgrown my pants (I'm using the rubber band through the button hole trick) and think I may have to move to my maternity wear soon. Any tips on how to keep the belly camouflaged/hidden/sucked in while around family and friends?

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So What Happened?™

Thank you everyone for the tips! I will be checking out the Bella bands at my next stop to the store. Thanks too for those who had thoughts on our situation. We had many serious discussions about whether to tell anyone with this pregnancy before we were even pregnant and throughout the early weeks of the pregnancy and keeping it quiet seemed to be the best option for us. Unfortunately, one family member's reaction to the miscarriage was to try to "figure out" what I had done that caused it and started analyzing what I had eaten, what activities I had done, what cleaning products I had used, medications I may have used, whether I missed a prenatal one day, etc. I was already blaming myself for the loss and didn't need more blame. In order to avoid the extra scrutiny and stress during this pregnancy we thought it best to keep it to ourselves. It's been hard not sharing with my mom (although I'm sure she's figured it out already and just has the good grace not to say anything) but we didn't think it was fair to tell one set of parents and not the other. Thankfully we only have about 3 weeks of "secrecy" left. Thank you to those sending prayers our way--they are very much appreciated.

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S.L. answers from Kansas City on March 30, 2009

T.,
I've lost 3 babies. I know how terrible it feels to have people ask about the baby and to have to give the bad news. It's rough. But trust me, not telling anyone isn't really any better. If it happens you will feel just as crushed. I think you need to embrace this baby and allow yourself some more of the excitement. You can take comfort in the fact that it's rare to lose a baby that late. I was 13 weeks 2 of the times I lost a baby. So I get it. BUT, the chances are really good this baby is a keeper! Try and enjoy this time and the next 3 weeks will pass quickly.

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C.A. answers from St. Louis on March 30, 2009

The people who love you, grieved with you, so let them be happy with you as well. That is what family and friends do with one another, dont lock them out now.

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B.B. answers from Topeka on March 30, 2009

Hey there...sorry to hear of your miscarriage. We had 2 and I know how hard it can be. We opted not to tell many people also but I will say it was just as hard because no one knew we were grieving after the miscarriages so it's hard to say whether it is better to tell or not...guess it depends on the person. We waited until we heard the heartbeat with our current pregnancy to announce (I am 10 weeks too!) and I am definitely showing more this time as my oldest is just 7 1/2 months old. I just tried to camouflage as best I could and not worry. You and I are lucky that we are home most of the time! I agree with another post-you probably notice your shape changing more than others. Even if they do notice, most people have enough sense not to say anything. Just do your best and don't worry about it-enjoy your pregnancy!

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A.S. answers from Kansas City on March 30, 2009

Baggy t-shirts, sweaters, jackets, etc. Might also want to try a Bella Band or something similar (Target sells a generic brand. Here's what it looks like: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001710F9C/booksto... It helps to hold up your pants in that weird in between stage of rubberbands/regular pants/maternity pants, and another bonus is that it provides a little extra belly support - you can even use it after delivery.

Other than that, I'm not sure what to suggest. Try to remember that you probably feel like you look bigger than you really do. If others notice, they might not say anything, thinking you're just bloated or gaining a few lbs (I hate that stage of pregnancy!).