A Journey Through Maternity Halloween Costumes

Update: Fresh links added August 2018!

It’s getting cold and pumpkiny out. The stores are filled with candy and I got invited to two apple-picking outings on the same day. All this can mean only one thing — Halloween is coming. Of course, there’s a big costume party. But this year, I’ll be about five months pregnant. As fun as those awesome baby-belly-painting costumes are, I don’t think I’ll be quite big enough for that this time around.

Bun in Oven Belly Costume Belly Bump Painting

Nope. So, I looked up other DIY costume ideas for pregnant ladies.

Fat Bastard Maternity Costume Mermaid Pearl Maternity Costume

Although some of them were pretty neat, I didn’t exactly want a costume that screamed PREGNANT! Or one that murmured the age-old pregnant or fat? question behind one’s back. So I moved on.

There were a few maternity costumes at the costume store, but I decided that none of them were my style:

Update, August 2018: I found these new ones that are pretty classy! (Okay, one of them is just a cool dress, but you can pair it with cat, bat or witchy accessories!)

Ideally, I wanted a costume that I could wear while pregnant, but that didn’t require a belly to be a good costume. I looked for costumes with empire waists. And, being a thrifty lady of style, my price tag is under $40. Here are some options I found (click on image for item info):

A lot of these are cool and pretty, but I like a costume with a back story. I mean, “Greek goddess” sounds great, but which goddess should I be? I hate to admit it, but the last time I remember studying classics was in elementary school, when I made a life-sized Aphrodite out of construction paper. I just don’t have a good connection to any of these. (Update, August 2018: I added the Daenerys from Game of Thrones costume above — it’s not under $40, but seems like a cool choice!)

And of course, there were some costumes that would work, but just weren’t what I was going for. Maybe it’s the hormones, but I just feel like being girly this year. Here are some I liked, but vetoed:

I also thought it would be funny to wear a midriff-exposing outfit, like one of these. But again, I don’t think my belly is big enough yet for it to make sense. So, ladies with big tummies, consider one of these sexy options before painting your bellies — or wear it with a maternity shirt or belly band underneath:

Yes, I could just make a costume. I often have in the past, but this year I’m feeling a little too busy, hungry and tired, and tired and hungry. In the end, I decided what I want to dress up as and nothing I can find works for maternity. So, I’m planning to buy a regular costume and alter it myself, or find an empire-waisted dress that fits the bill and add accessories. What did I decide on, you ask? Well, I’m keeping it a secret till the big costume party. I’ll let you know once it’s over!

Update, August 2018: They didn’t have as many fun maternity Halloween t-shirts when I first wrote this post. Here are a few I like!

Update, August 2018: Also, these costume ponchos and capes are pretty rad!

Update, August 2018: I rocked one of these pajama-style costumes when I was post-pregnancy last time — these are so cute and comfy, and should have room for a medium-sized baby bump. The kangaroo one could be super cute for pregnant ladies!