Since I have (hopefully) 10 more days of being pregnant (!!!), I thought I'd reflect a little bit on this lovely pregnancy and share some tips and tricks for anyone who is prego, or would like to be very soon!
First up: maternity clothes!
I could not have been pregnant without the following:
I can't stress how vital these are. I've been living in these lately! I only bought 2 pairs (and I'm still trying to squeeze into regular-size leggings) and I wish I had bought more. Gap's are def the best, but Old Navy sells them in a convenient 2 pack and they're pretty good too.
I had 3 (two like the one above, and one with skinnier straps); I wish I had bought a few more, especially since they're so cheap! Also, these are the only things I ordered in extra-small that still fit (they are SUPER long)!
These (and statement necklaces) are an easy way to mix up your wardrobe, and you can wear them when you're not pregnant too!
Regular (not maternity) cardigans...
that way, you can wear after baby!
A good pair of flats (that you have broken in before getting pregnant)....
because you will not be able to pull on your boots or tie your shoes easily after about 34 weeks. These Tory's have been my go-to shoe throughout this pregnancy!
My favorites are these from Gap. I bought a pair of Paige's and a pair of AGs off eBay, but I haven't been able to wear them since about 28ish weeks. :(
A good little black dress
I love this one, because it is so versatile and still fits me now!
And tunics.
Lots and lots of tunics (to wear with those leggings that you will be living in 3rd trimester).
A few tips about buying maternity clothes:
-Wait as long as you can before buying. I was SOOO excited to wear maternity clothes, I bought most of them in August and September when I was only about 4-5 months along. Needless to say, many of those clothes barely fit me now. I should have waited until October/November to buy the bulk of my wardrobe. The only exception: when I bought a maternity winter coat on sale in June. Best $20 I've ever spent!
-That reminds me...if you'll be hugely pregnant in November-February, you will need a maternity winter coat! Your old North Face will stop zipping up around 28 weeks...trust me. And with this Polar Vortex crap, I sure am happy to have a warm coat that zips!
-If you are at a store where they have the fake bumps, put the bump on. You will get that huge (sorry), so better make sure those clothes will fit you!
-Never, ever buy maternity clothes in an extra small, even if your size pre-pregnancy is extra small. There is nothing extra small about carrying around an extra 30 (or in my case 40) pounds. (Just look at my bumpdate pics...that white shirt is an xs, and does not fit!)
-Buy jeans a size or two bigger. I mentioned above that I bought 2 pairs of jeans that I can no longer fit into, which is sad. Just to give you an idea, pre-pregnancy I was a 0/2 or 25/26...the Paige's and AGs are both 26 and my Gap pair is a 4. The Gap pair is the only pair that fits me now.
-There are two kinds of pants: Demi panel and full panel:
I wish I had only bought demi panel pants...the full panel pants agrivate my itchy belly and don't fit over my big bump! Demi panel pants are wayyyy more comfy for me right now!!
-Don't waste your money on maternity cardigans (I've been able to fit into regular cardigans the whole time), maternity tights (I just don't like wearing tights in general) or workout clothes (I was able to squeeze into my regular tshirts and shorts pretty much the whole time).
-I bought pretty much all of my maternity clothes at Gap, Old Navy and Motherhood Maternity. Motherhood's clothes fell apart on me very quickly, Old Navy's got a few holes along the way, but everything I have from Gap is still flawless. Get quality clothes, because you will be wearing and washing them a ton!
So there you have it, my take on maternity clothes. While they are super fun, and for the most part, comfy to wear, I am really excited to put on some real pants that zip and button again!
Posts
