Realistically, I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but hiding a pregnancy sounds really sexy.
Picture, if you will, a person who find themself pregnant. It could've been an accident. Could've been planned, but now they're ashamed. Or maybe they just want a thrill. Regardless, they want to keep it, but they want nobody to know.
It's easy at first. Their bump is barely visible, hardly even a swell below their belly button. The symptoms of early pregnancy are easy to chalk up as feeling under the weather. Of course they'd feel nauseous, it's flu season! They're only tired and hungry 'cause they work hard. They're gaining weight from stress. So on, so forth.
The next few months are tougher. They have to wear layers now, composed of baggy clothes and a slouched posture. That swell is getting bigger and they can already feel the kicks starting to thump, thump, thump on their bladder. They have to really be mindful of their hands, resisting the urge to rest them on their rounded tummy.
Then they hit that final stretch. Either they're really good at keeping secrets or people are good at minding their own business. Their belly is rotund, ready to pop any day. The waddle in their step is not easy to turn into a normal walk. The kicks are full on rolls and wriggles, their belly warping under their multitudes of shirts and hoodies.
They probably don't even reveal their condition while in labor. Their womb contracts, heaving with the urge to push out their overdue child. They hold back their moans, wiping sweat from their brow as they struggle to keep their legs together. People ask if they're okay and they play it off with a simple smile.
Next thing they know, they rush home and birth a huge baby all by themself, watching that swollen bump squeeze and roll with each contraction they tried so hard to ignore. Suddenly, the next time their friends see them, there's a bundle of joy in their arms they had no idea about.
Perhaps that thrill might entice them to do it again, loving the challenge and the privacy of their little miracle growing in their belly.
