During pregnancy our bodies do amazing things! The creation and growth of a baby is so special and our bodies change, morph, grow, and stretch in ways that takes us by surprise. I had no idea what to expect when it came to the way my body was about to change. Asking friends only helped so much since we all have varying body types. What I did realize was my pre-pregnancy clothing would only last me so long since I have a preference of wearing tight fitting clothing. Even more surprising was that I couldn't rely solely on maternity specific brands since I am very particular with my clothing.
I always expected that I would fill my closet with an entire new wardrobe. Before I was pregnant I searched for styles online or would longingly look at the maternity stores and sections at the mall. However, when the pandemic hit, the only place I went was on walks in the park near our townhome. When I found out I was pregnant in the fall, nothing in my day-to-day life changed in regards to my outings except now I had appointments with my doctors and midwives more regularly. But who needs to get all fancy for those?
Honestly, regardless to whether there was a need for less clothing because of my limited outings or not, it's in my nature to aim to find outfits that I would enjoy wearing even after baby came. I don't like investing in clothing with a one time or short term purpose. Therefore I primarily was going to be looking for dresses since those felt to me to be the most forgiving during each stage of pregnancy. I was lucky that smocked dresses were in style! My go to designers/stores were Ba&Sh, Lost and Wander, and Pink Desert. I sized up one size and invested in a few of their dresses.
Dresses weren't my only option though. If I was home, I spent most of my time in pajamas anyways (I just sized up). And for those days that my morning sickness wasn't draining me completely I only needed a couple pairs of workout pants and tops for short walks. For lounge or working out I loved the maternity pants and tops from Zelle (at Nordstrom).
Looking back, sometimes I feel sad that I missed out on dressing up my bump with cute outfits. I didn't get to share in the excitement of growing a baby with others as much as I would have liked since we were socially distanced. The most I put on real clothing was when we were in Florida.
Another reason I limited my purchases was that for me, trying to buy clothing online when I had no idea what size I needed felt like a nightmare. Honestly, pre-pandemic I rarely shopped online because I prefer going into local stores. So this was an extra challenge for me. I am so excited for the day I can go into local baby shops!!!
Despite these barriers or reasons not to build up my maternity wardrobe, that didn't stop me from accumulating a list of maternity friendly stores and designers. And while I missed out on the cute bump outfits and pictures, that doesn't mean you need to do the same now that our lives are starting to engage the outside world again.
I would like to emphasize though that adding a few pieces that you really like and make you feel confident in yourself is a good idea. Many people have a hard time with their bodies changing shape and weight during pregnancy. This is totally normal!!!! We work so hard to accept our bodies as they are and now all of a sudden we have a new body every day to accept! On top of that, despite all the media and advertisements and books, our bodies do not necessarily go back to pre-baby body even after delivery, no matter how much time passes. Our bodies are amazing and we need to accept and celebrate them. I hope this list will help you on your journey of feeling confident in your evolving body that is housing a little miracle.
Be sure to share below any additional stores you have liked! Let's help our fellow mama's to be feel confident in their new bodies and wardrobe.
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