I found out I was due right around Halloween with my second kid, and I remember standing in my closet at 32 weeks trying to figure out if I could still be “half” of a couple’s costume when the other half of me was, well, a whole extra person.
Most costume roundups just slap a pumpkin belly on a maternity shirt and call it a day. That works fine, but it’s also the same photo you’ve seen 400 times on Pinterest already.
If you’re pregnant this October — or your partner is, and you want to be a real match instead of just “supportive husband in a plain t-shirt” — this list is for halloween costume ideas for pregnant couples that go past the basketball-under-a-shirt bit.
Some of these lean funny, some lean genuinely cute for maternity photos, and a few are built specifically so you’re not sweating through three layers of costume at 30 weeks pregnant, because comfort matters more than people admit when you’re carrying extra weight and your feet already hurt by 6pm.
I’m going to walk through 21 ideas, what they actually cost to pull off, what to buy versus DIY, and a few mistakes I made or watched friends make so you don’t repeat them.
If you’re also parenting older kids this season, my guide on costumes for a family of three pairs well with a few of these once the baby arrives next year and you want a matching set.
A Quick Note on Comfort Before We Get Into It
Before the list — a pro tip that applies to literally every costume below: buy or make the belly piece with stretch fabric and a wide waistband, not elastic that sits right at your bump. My friend Danielle wore a “20 weeks along” onesie situation in her third trimester with elastic that dug into her ribs the entire night, and she took it off after an hour of trick-or-treating. Spend the extra $8 on something with a soft waistband. Your future self at hour three of a Halloween party will thank you.
1. Pumpkin Patch (The Good Version)
The lazy version of this is an orange shirt with a green stem hat. The good version has you as the “pumpkin patch” — a green shirt with felt vines and leaves sewn or glued on — while your bump gets a costume of its own as the actual pumpkin, with a curled pipe-cleaner stem taped just above your belly button. It reads as clever instead of costume-store-generic, and it photographs really well for a maternity announcement shot if you haven’t told everyone yet.
How to do it: Green fitted shirt, felt leaves (about $6 for a pack), brown yarn for vines. Paint or draw a jack-o’-lantern face directly onto an orange onesie stretched over the bump, or use fabric paint on your actual shirt if you’re not into the onesie-over-clothes look.
Pro tip: Skip puffy paint for the face — it cracks and flakes by the second wear if you’re going to two events. Use fabric marker instead; it stays crisp.
2. “Bun in the Oven” — With an Actual Chef Partner
This one’s a classic for a reason, but most people phone in the “oven” half. Do it properly: cardboard oven front (spray-painted black, with a foil-lined “window” cut out) worn as a torso piece over the belly, oven mitts as accessories, and a tiny embroidered bun peeking through the window opening. Your partner goes full baker — apron, chef hat, flour dusted on the forearms (cornstarch works and doesn’t stain).
Cost: Under $25 if you already own a plain apron. The cardboard oven front is the only real build, and it takes about 90 minutes with a hot glue gun.
3. Basketball and Basketball Player (But Make It a Joke, Not Just a Ball)
Skip the plain orange-shirt-with-lines version everyone’s done. Instead, your partner is in a full basketball jersey and shorts holding an actual clipboard labeled “Coach,” and you wear a shirt that says “Due Date” with an actual scoreboard countdown drawn or printed on it. It’s the same joke everyone knows but told slightly differently, which is the difference between people laughing and people just nodding.
4. Two Halves of an Avocado (One of You Is the Pit)
This is genuinely one of the better maternity-bump costumes because the bump becomes the pit naturally — round, in the center, done. Green felt or a green dress for the “flesh,” brown for the shell edge, and a big round brown pillow or foam ball strapped over the belly as the pit. Your partner wears the matching other avocado half.
What to buy: A felt avocado costume kit runs $20–35 online, or you can DIY the whole thing with felt and a foam ball for under $15.
5. Ghostbusters, But One Ghostbuster Caught the Ghost Internally
This is the joke-forward option for people who want their Halloween costume to actually get a laugh out loud instead of just a smile. Full jumpsuit, proton pack (cardboard and PVC pipe, or a $30 kit), and a small ghost plush tucked visibly under your shirt like it’s been “captured.” It only works if you commit to the deadpan bit — don’t explain the joke, let people figure it out.
6. Beehive, With the Bump as the Hive
Yellow-and-black striped dress or shirt for you, felt bees pinned or glued around the belly, and a simple pointed “hive” shape if you want to go further with a stuffed fabric dome worn over the bump instead of just a striped shirt. Your partner is the beekeeper — mesh hat, gloves, the whole look.
Pro tip: The mesh beekeeper hat is the single most photogenic prop on this list and costs about $12. Buy it even if you skimp on everything else.
7. Planet and Astronaut (“Orbiting My World”)
This one’s sweeter than funny. You wear a fitted dress painted or appliquéd to look like Earth (or Jupiter, if you want the “big planet” joke, which pregnant people tend to find funnier than anyone else finds it), and your partner dresses as an astronaut “orbiting” you with a tether made of ribbon or cord connecting your costumes. It’s an easy option if you want something that works well for a gender reveal party too, since you can swap the planet for a “world” theme in blue or pink depending on timing.
8. Gumball Machine
The bump becomes the glass globe full of gumballs — a clear or sheer overlay stretched over a bright, colorful base layer with pom-poms (gumballs) attached in a cluster over the belly. Silver or metallic fabric forms the “machine base” around your hips and legs. It’s one of the more visually striking options on this list and does really well in photos because of the color.
Cost: Pom-poms are cheap (under $10 for a huge bag), but the sheer overlay takes some trial and error to get the drape right. Practice on a mirror before the actual event.
9. Piñata
Bright tissue paper fringe in layered colors covering a base dress or jumpsuit, worn by the pregnant partner, with the joke being “don’t hit me, there’s candy inside.” It’s loud, colorful, and — unlike a lot of costumes on this list — genuinely warm if you’re trick-or-treating somewhere cold, since the tissue layers add real insulation.
Mistake to avoid: Cheap tissue paper fringe sold pre-made falls apart after one wear if it gets any moisture at all. If there’s rain in the forecast, either seal it with a light hairspray coat or make your own fringe from crepe paper streamers, which hold up better.
10. Under the Sea — Pregnant Mermaid, Partner as Fisherman “Reeling You In”
A flowing skirt in ocean tones with the bump area styled as a giant pearl inside an oyster shell (felt or foam shell halves glued around the belly, pearl-colored fabric or a round white pillow in the center) makes for one of the prettier options if you want something that leans elegant rather than jokey. Your partner as a fisherman with a net and rod completes it without being corny.
11. Two-Person Domino Costume, Bump as the Center Dot
Black rectangle costumes (foam board or fabric-covered cardboard, worn like a sandwich board) with white dots painted on — except your dots are arranged so your bump becomes the center dot naturally when you stand facing forward. It’s a genuinely clever visual trick that people notice and comment on, and it costs almost nothing to build.
12. “Nugget” and “Ketchup” (For the Couple Who Wants Something Genuinely Silly)
You go as a giant chicken nugget — beige felt in an irregular nugget shape stuffed lightly for texture — and your partner wears a full red bodysuit as the ketchup. It’s not elegant, it’s not going in anyone’s maternity photo album, but it is one of the funniest options on this list and it’s genuinely comfortable, since nugget shape costumes tend to be loose and roomy, which matters a lot in a third trimester.
13. Sunny Side Up Egg, Where the Yolk Is the Belly
White fabric or a white dress as the “egg white,” with a bright yellow circle (felt, foam, or even a yellow throw pillow secured with a belt) positioned directly over the bump as the yolk. Your partner can go as a frying pan, a chef, or a simple “bacon” costume as the side dish. This is one of the cheapest options to execute — under $15 total if you already own a white dress.
14. Two Bowling Pins and a Ball (For a Group of Three, One on the Way)
If you’ve got a toddler or a friend joining, this one scales up nicely: white cone-shaped costumes with red stripes for the “pins,” while the pregnant partner’s belly gets a black-and-white bowling ball design. It’s a good option if you’re also figuring out a matching set for a group of four or five at a family gathering.
15. Cops and Robbers, “Baby on Board — Literally”
Simple striped shirt and eye mask for the “robber” bump, holding a tiny bag labeled “loot,” with your partner as the officer chasing you down. It’s an easy costume to throw together from things you likely already own — a striped shirt, black eye mask, toy handcuffs for your partner — and works especially well if you’re headed somewhere cold, since you can layer real jackets over both costumes without losing the joke.
16. Two Wine Glasses (One “Full,” One “Cannot Drink”)
Cardboard or foam wine glass shapes worn as a sandwich-board costume, with your partner’s glass filled with red felt “wine” and yours labeled empty or filled with sparkling grape juice instead, playing on the fact that you’re the one who can’t drink this Halloween. It’s a costume that pregnant people specifically find funny because it’s an inside joke about the actual experience of being pregnant during a holiday built around parties.
17. Cactus and “Water Me” Sign
A green, textured costume (felt spikes glued to a green base, or a pre-made cactus costume for about $30) with a small sign reading “Water Me” pinned near the bump, playing on the classic pregnancy joke about hydration and cravings. Low-maintenance to wear, which matters if you’re going to be on your feet a long time.
18. Two Puzzle Pieces, One Missing (Baby Fills the Gap)
Foam puzzle-piece shapes worn as vests, cut so that when you stand next to your partner, there’s a visible gap where a third piece would go — the idea being the baby is the missing piece, arriving soon. It’s sentimental without being over-the-top, and it photographs beautifully for a “coming soon” announcement if you’re planning to share the pregnancy news around Halloween.
19. Popcorn Bucket and Movie Ticket
Red-and-white striped fabric wrapped into a bucket shape around the torso, with yellow pom-poms as popcorn pieces glued around the neckline and bump — a fun, textured option that works well if your due date lines up with a “movie night” themed party. Your partner as an oversized movie ticket rounds it out.
20. Two-Person Scrabble Board, Baby’s Name Spelled Out
Foam letter tiles pinned to a board-shaped vest, arranged to spell out the baby’s name (or “Due [Month]” if you’re not sharing the name yet) — a genuinely clever option for people who want their costume to double as an announcement without saying it outright.
21. Astronaut and Alien (“Out of This World Due Date”)
A simple silver jumpsuit for the pregnant partner with a round, glowing accent (battery-powered LED strip tucked into a sheer overlay) over the bump as a nod to an alien “cargo,” while your partner dresses as an astronaut discovering the “new life form.” It’s an easy costume to make weather-appropriate, since the base jumpsuit works over thermal layers if you’re trick-or-treating somewhere cold.
Which Costume Should You Actually Pick? A Quick Comparison
| Costume | Comfort Level (3rd Trimester) | Approx. Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin Patch | High — loose fabric | $10–20 | Photos, low effort |
| Bun in the Oven | Medium — cardboard piece adds bulk | $15–25 | Couples who like a build |
| Avocado Halves | High — soft foam | $15–35 | Group parties, kids love it |
| Piñata | High — tissue layers are light | $15–25 | Cold weather, warmth needed |
| Wine Glasses | Medium — cardboard vest | $10–20 | Adult parties, inside joke |
| Nugget & Ketchup | Very high — loose, roomy | $20–30 | Comfort priority, silly humor |
What I’d Actually Do If I Were Starting Over
If I’m honest, I overthought my own costume the year I was pregnant on Halloween.
I went with a version of the pumpkin patch idea because I already owned a green shirt and didn’t want to spend money on something I’d wear once, and it ended up being one of my favorite Halloween photos of that whole decade — not because the costume was elaborate, but because it was comfortable enough that I actually enjoyed the night instead of counting down until I could take it off.
If you’re picking just one thing off this list, pick the one you can sit down in for three hours without adjusting it, because that’s the one you’ll actually wear all night.
FAQs
Is it safe to wear a tight costume while pregnant? Avoid anything with tight elastic across the belly or ribs, since it can be uncomfortable and restrict circulation over a long night. Loose, stretchy fabric with a soft or no waistband is the safer and more comfortable choice.
What if I don’t want my bump to be part of the joke? Several of these — the puzzle pieces, the scrabble board, the astronaut-and-planet idea — work fine without drawing direct attention to the bump itself, so you can still match your partner without making the pregnancy the punchline.
Can these costumes work for a maternity photo shoot too? Yes — the avocado, sunny-side-up egg, and puzzle piece ideas in particular tend to photograph well in natural light and don’t rely on props that only make sense in a Halloween-night context.
What’s the cheapest costume on this list? The sunny side up egg and the cops-and-robbers idea are both easy to pull together from items you likely already own, usually for under $15 total.
How early should I start putting a DIY costume together? For anything involving cardboard, foam, or sewing (the oven, the domino set, the puzzle pieces), give yourself at least a week — most of these builds take one to two evenings once you account for paint or glue drying time.
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