Fat, pregnant or can’t tell?

This is the question I have begun asking D every time I get dressed. “Do I look fat, pregnant, or can you tell?” Bless his heart, he usually says “can’t tell” and has never once answered “fat.”

But I can tell. I’m at that super awkward phase where I definitely have more belly, but it’s not obvious that I’m pregnant. In some outfits I really do look pregnant. In others, I just look like I’ve had too many cheeseburgers. And in others it’s hard to tell a difference at all. Ever since I started “showing” (I use that term loosely, since in the beginning it was just bloat, and I’ve been poochy since about 6 weeks), I’ve been leaning more toward the third category: wearing bulky sweaters, loose fitting tops, or shirts with empire waists. And a strategically placed scarf has been my best friend. But you know what? I’m getting sick of wearing the same 5 things over and over again, so lately I’ve been breaking out some of my normal clothes again. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, I’m not too worried if someone gives my midsection a second glance. But I’ve come to accept that some items of clothing are going to need to be retired indefinitely because they are just NOT flattering anymore. Each morning is trial and error, averaging about 3 outfit changes. Today I’ve settled on a pink and black striped shirt, that definitely clings to the belly more, but the stripe pattern makes things not quite so obvious from the front, and I slipped a black cardigan over it, which hides the belly from certain angles. You can still see a belly from a side profile, but at least I can wear my belly band underneath, which smooths it out some and makes it look more pregnant and less muffin top. At least, I think…