Dressing your body during pregnancy and beyond

Congratulations, mama — you’re pregnant! There is so much to do. Decorate the nursery, register for baby essentials, and my favorite: shopping for clothes to fit your changing (and growing) body. I’m in my third trimester with my second child, and my pregnancy style has changed a lot this time around. 

For my first pregnancy, I bought a ton of maternity clothes. Dresses, tops, sweaters, shorts, jeans. 

All. The. Things. 

Personally, I found maternity clothes to be very hard to shop for: Lots of strange patterns, flowy cuts, cheap material — and high price tags. Unless you are able to shell out a pretty penny on fashionable maternity wear, styles are surprisingly reminiscent of the 1980s. Isn’t there anything sexier? Yes… pretty much everything. 

As I was pulling my maternity stash out of storage for this round, I wasn’t super excited about what I was seeing. Looking through them, I realized that I wasted a bunch of money on clothes just because they were maternity, but not because they made me look or feel good. 

This time, I got a couple of maternity staples, but everything else is non-maternity! Not only have I felt good wearing the pieces throughout my pregnancy, I’m looking forward to wearing them afterwards. If you have struggled with issues as your body grows and changes (widening hips and ass, swelling legs and feet), please just do yourself a favor and buy what makes you feel good. 

Here are my other recommendations: 

4 maternity must-haves

Parts of you (ahem) will swell that you never could have imagined, so frilly little Victoria’s Secret panties will likely be banished to the back of your drawer for a while. For now, invest in some good cotton maternity underwear. Stretchy, breathable (so important!) and comfortable. These cuties from Jessica Simpson are my favorite. 

Speaking of growing and getting wide, the chafe is real. There is no amount of Body Glide that will save your thighs. I looked high and low for anything that would provide some protection and relief, and I finally fell in love with my Spanx Mama Short. They are slimming and the waist comes up high enough so that you don’t have to worry about your love handles spilling over the sides. Winning! 

When it comes to pregnancy wear, I prefer dresses or dresses with leggings if it’s cold, so I didn’t buy a lot of pants. For the days where pants are required, do invest in a few good pairs of leggings and jeans because you will likely wear them for a few months postpartum. 

Also, did you know your breasts will go up two to four band and cup sizes during pregnancy? Try squeezing those suckers into old underwire bras. During my first pregnancy, I discovered the Simple Wishes SuperMom All-In-One Nursing And Pumping Bra. I loved it because I didn’t have to change out of my regular bra and put on a pumping garment to get the job done. Don’t forget that you are a sexy gal, and you deserve a functional and attractive bra that does it all.

Non-maternity faves 

I’m not trying to hide my growing belly — that’s why I’m all about a good bodycon dress. You can get them anywhere, but my favorite is the Leith Ruched Body-Con Tank Dress. They come in a ton of colors, and there are also styles with sleeves. Add a jacket or kimono and BAM you have an outfit that will make you look and feel good through your third trimester and into postpartum.

Kimonos are all the rage right now and for good reason: They instantly make an outfit and can be dressed up or down. Plus, they are super affordable. Both that I’m wearing are from last season at Target. 

I may not ever go back to clothes with zippers or buttons again. And I may not have to because I love a good stretchy skirt. While I might have once worn these lower around my waist, now I just pull them up over my bump and it’s like it was meant to be! This can be done with a long pencil skirt earlier in pregnancy, but as your due date nears, you will need more room. 

Layering is your best friend during pregnancy because, when done right, it takes your look up a notch and can help you bridge the gap if you are between seasons or sizes. Here, I did it with another Leith dress and a shirt that I could not get over my belly. I just tied the shirt in the front and tucked it up underneath! 

It’s hard to feel like yourself when you are growing a tiny human inside you. While this season of your life will not last forever, the memories (and photos) will. You are a rock star, damn it, and you deserve to look and feel your best. Wear what makes you feel good and love your body.