If you are a pregnant cosplayer, or just happen to be pregnant this Halloween and need ideas for baby belly-friendly maternity costumes, this is the list for you! I started with just 10 ideas but am currently updating and adding to this post with help from other cosplay moms.

For a long time, I had a file folder of ideas and references for pregnancy costumes, should that day ever come. I had a big section dedicated to Amidala’s pregnancy outfits. Then, Halloween hit, and I was eight months pregnant with no Star Wars costume in site. 

I don’t know if it was pregnancy hormones or what, but as I was looking through the costumes, I felt like that was the last thing I wanted to make since it seemed like everyone did those. So that started my search for maternity-friendly costume options!

Cosplaying While Pregnant

Wearing a costume while pregnant comes with several challenges, the top two being, “If I make or buy this today, will it fit my ever-expanding shape when I plan to wear it?” And “Will I be able to take this off to pee every 30 minutes?” I made and purchased several costumes over the course of my pregnancy and would like to share what I’ve found as far as options go for pregnant cosplay.

By the way, I also wrote a geeky kids book about costumes and comic cons! It’s available now on Amazon. Click the pic to see it!

Ideas for Maternity Costumes

1 – Padme Amidala

Padme Amidala is pregnant with the twins and has a few nice maternity costuming options including a blue nightgown looking outfit and a sporty pregnant Jedi. Both of these options are comfortable with plenty of belly room. Star Wars fans can also transform their belly into the Death Star when using suggestion #3 below.

Heather, @king_takes_queen, created her pregnant Padme cosplay with a sweater she found at a thrift store.

2 – Take it easy with a t-shirt

For me Halloween came in my first trimester, while I was pretty miserable with morning (afternoon and evening) sickness. So, I stayed home and handed out candy while wearing the easiest of all maternity costumes- the humorous t-shirt. Click here to check out a whole collection of fun maternity shirts for Halloween on Amazon!

3- Make the belly part of the costume!

For the more creative and larger bellied costumer, there is always the “belly as accessory” option. If you can’t hide it, might as well put it to good use!

Children’s book author Sharmilla and her family went as superheroes, and who can guess what’s in Riddler’s belly? Click here to check out Sharmilla’s books on Books for Growing Minds

4 – Lumpy Space Princess

If your belly isn’t quite big enough to be the focus of the outfit but is too big for you to wear your regular costumes, choose a costume that disguises the belly. I went with Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure Time. I figured she’s lumpy and so am I.

I got a lot of use out of this outfit from 2-6 months along because it was so comfy and stretchy! All I did was sew some tulle onto a purple cotton dress.

5 – Pregnant Zombie!

Halloween, horror fests and zombie walks are the perfect time for the gross zombie baby belly!

6 – Fairy Costume

I tried the Maternity Fairy costume from a costume shop, and I think most of these kinds of costumes are really just plus size costumes repackaged. I wouldn’t recommend going the packaged route. There are lots of pretty dresses on Amazon that look fairy-inspired and provide plenty of belly room! All you need to add is a pair of wings.

7 – Anything with an empire waist can be a pregnancy costume

I dressed as a pirate for the medieval fair. My top is just an empire waist dress over stretchy pleather leggings. I wore the Burgundy High Low Gauze Peasant Dress by Leg Avenue, and my pants are black liquid leggings by Elegant Moments. They were comfy and low-waisted, so they fit right under my belly. Whenever someone commented on my pregnant status, I just told them, “Blackbeard did it.”

8 – Most Fruitful Yuki

Most Fruitful Yuki is a comic book in the movie Juno, while is also a great maternity cosplay idea! (see that one at #9) Yuki has a big belly and carries all her babies around in a basket or sling.

9 – Juno

Juno is one of the most comfortable costumes to do and the bonus is your partner can go as Bleeker. You can probably find the pieces for this one in your closet or Goodwill.

10 – Daenerys Targaryen

Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones has a few very pretty pregnancy costumes to choose from.

11 – Pregnant Wanda Maximoff from WandaVision

In Episode 3 of WandaVision, Wanda (otherwise known as Scarlet Witch) is suddenly pregnant with twins. This makes for a great superhero maternity option.

12 – Bulma from Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball fans have several very comfortable pregnant Bulma looks to choose from.

Both Bulma cosplays below are by @AMHcosplays on Instagram, photos by Forest’s Edge Photography

13 – Spider-Woman from Across the Spider-Verse

In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse we get introduced to a very pregnant Spider-Woman who still charges into battle and kicks ass.

14 – Last of Us, Ellie’s Mom

In the finale for The Last of Us, you get the story of Ellie’s birth. Ellie’s mom is named Anna, and in this scene, she’s stumbling through an overgrown forest cradling her baby bump while running from an infected that’s close to catching her. She eventually finds safety in a rundown farmhouse but is attacked by an infected while in labor.

And remember, any character can be pregnant!

When you are far enough along, flaunt the bump, don’t hide it. For New Year’s Eve I wanted to be something pretty and elegant, so I went as the White Queen to an Alice in Wonderland themed event.

I made a flowy white empire waist dress. It was like wearing a nightgown, but I felt dressed up and it was obvious by then I was pregnant and not just lumpy. Or at least, I thought it was obvious until looking at these photos now and realizing I look like I had a big lunch. I felt huge! lol.

And Lis Wonder makes one of the most beautiful pregnant Wonder Women I’ve ever seen in a custom-made dress by @teamkyonlee, photographed by @the_bat_j.

I’d love to hear what you decided to wear! Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite maternity costumes were or are about to be. Or, if you have photos that would make a good addition to this article, please send them to candy@geekmamas.com along with your link and photographer credit if needed.

About the Author

Candy Keane is a digital content creator and long-time cosplayer, most well-known for being on the cover of the Star Wars documentary Jedi Junkies. After making costumes professionally for over a decade, she now writes about about geek culture and mom life, and continues to cosplay for fun, while sharing her love of costumes on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, was published in 2020 and won a Story Monsters Approved award for Excellence in Literature.

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