Do You Really Need Maternity Clothing
If and when you need maternity clothing comes down to personal preference and comfort. Some people can wear their regular clothes for much of their pregnancies. This is especially true if they are pregnant for the first time and already have a closet full of maxi dresses and other loose-fitting or stretchy items.
Others may not have to invest in maternity clothing until the third trimester. Meanwhile, some find that it’s hard to look put-togetheror feel comfortablein anything but maternity clothes almost from the get-go.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong. Every body, how it changes during pregnancy, and each person’s clothing needs and tastes are unique. If you can find something that fits and feels good in your closet or your partner’s closet, then go for it. But it’s also always an option to buy some maternity clothes so that you’ll have something to wear that fits well, feels good, and looks good.
Remember that wearing tight clothing during pregnancy is generally not recommended. Aside from feeling uncomfortable, constricting garments also can lead to a host of health issues, such as pain, reduced blood circulation, and even yeast infections. If your clothes are starting to feel tight, it may be time to raid your partner’s or friends’ closets or shop for some maternity clothes.
Raid Your Spouses Closet
Im not kidding. Your husbands closet is a goldmine for comfy pregnancy wear.
If your husband has an overflowing dresser and closet, sweet talk him into opening his closet to you.
T-shirts, casual button ups, sweatshirts, winter coats or even sweats. There are so usually many great options.
I know because I absolutely used all of these clothes from my husbands dresser/closet during my pregnancies, especially towards the end.
Maybe its a last resort, or maybe they become your wardrobe staples second trimester on. Whatever the case, your husbands closet is a great option to avoid buying maternity clothes!
Related: How to Be A Supportive Husband During Pregnancy
How To Dress Fashionably When You’re Pregnant
This article was co-authored by Chloée Ohayon-Crosby. Chloée Ohayon-Crosby is a Costume Designer and Wardrobe Specialist in Los Angeles, California. With over eight years of experience in fashion consulting, Chloée specializes in personal, film, theater, and commercial styling as well as image consulting and costume design. Chloée has worked as an assistant designer for the distinguished fashion house Chloée and as a freelance stylist with Glamour Italia. Chloée studied Fine/Studio Arts at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and Fashion Design and Merchandising at the world renowned ESMOD École Supérieure des Arts in Paris, France.There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 57,628 times.
Pregnancy is no longer considered a time in a womans life when she has to wear baggy clothes. Many celebrities have made it fashionable to proudly show their growing stomachs, and the general public is following suit. The number of clothing outlets selling maternity clothes is another growing trend, as many popular retailers have launched maternity clothing lines. So head to your favorite retailers that carry maternity clothes, and you might find its easy to put together some fashionable outfits that maintain your sense of style.
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Dressing During Pregnancy Without Maternity Clothes: 5 Proven Tips
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I avoided buying a ton of maternity clothes for the most part during my pregnancies, borrowing from friends for earlier pregnancies and my later ones, getting by with just 5-6 maternity tops and one pair of good pregnancy jeans .
Everything else in my pregnancy wardrobe was pieced together using these tips.
Five kids later, I know now that I could have easily done without the maternity clothes if I really wanted to. Although Im not gonna lie, the one thing I probably would cave and buy again would be a good pair of maternity jeans.
So without further ado, here are my best tips for avoiding maternity clothes during pregnancy.
Related: When Youre Feeling Unattractive During Pregnancy 7 Practical Tips
Buy Items That Grow With You
When shopping, keep in mind that the size you are now is not the size you will be at 34 weeks or later. So, make sure if you’re going to purchase something that you select an item that will grow with your changing body or that you can grow into. You don’t want to buy several pairs of jeans at 20 weeks and have to turn around and buy more at 30 weeks. Try to pick items that will expand or stretch as you expand and stretch.
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How To Look Pregnant Enough To Do Literally Whatever You Want
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While Im at home, enjoying my maternity leave, Im reflecting on all of the great looks Ive worn throughout my pregnancy. Let me tell you, maternity fashion isnt as easy as it may seem. But, take my advice, and you too can look like the most adorable mom-to-be out there. I say, be proud of your bump. Accentuate your bump. And you will see all the bump can do for you.
Everlane The Easy Chino Long Short
Shorts aren’t really my thing, but these Everlane options have the length and stretch I need. I wouldn’t normally opt for something high-waistedit’s not possibly going to fit over my bumpso these sit below the bump, with the bottoms rolled up and a little more leg coverage than on the model. This is an option that’ll work for postpartum too, when you won’t be thinking about how to pull outfits together. The Easy Chino series also comes in a pant and skirt version, if that’s more your speed. I may never go back to non-elastic waistbands, TBH.
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What Tips Would You Give A Mother To Be On How To Dress The Bump Stylishly
Stick with your pre-pregnancy style. You are already experiencing so many changes with your body, it is important to feel like yourself as much as possible. You can find great flowy dresses and tops for most of your pregnancy so that you arent investing too much money in maternity clothes that you cant wear after baby.
Maternity Monday : How To Dress The Bump Stylishly
Hi friends! As I mentioned in my announcement, this pregnancy was a total surprise and frankly I never expected to be pregnant. So, I really had never paid attention to maternity style. I was pretty clueless as to how to dress stylishly while pregnant.
While Im still figuring it out, I have learned a few things already. What Ive come to discover when it comes to my growing belly is that comfortable clothing is of the essence. Anything restricting or giving even a slight feeling of discomfort has been pushed to the back of my closet until post baby. What has moved forward in my closet are the flowy dresses and tops, the form fitting, yet stretchy, dresses, and the looser fitting pants.
Personally, I havent bought any true maternity pieces yet Im simply buying a size or two up from what Id normally wear or sticking to the aforementioned flowy items. I havent found dressing my bump all too challenging just yet, but now that the bump is growing more and more by the day, that might change we shall see.
Keep on reading for tips on dressing while pregnant, favorite items, and more from these five stylish women.
Read Also: Can You Get Postpartum While Pregnant
A Little Caveat About Womens Bodies And Pregnancy
You might already know this, but every womans body responds differently to pregnancy.
I had friends who had the cute basketball bump. Some of these friends worked out during pregnancy others didnt.
Other friends who were petite before pregnancy gained a ton of weight all over.
Even pregnancy to pregnancy, your body can respond differently. I gained fifty pounds with my first pregnancy, and my subsequent four pregnancies only 25-30 pounds.
While yes, you can watch what you eat and exercise throughout your pregnancy, you only have so much control over what your body decides to do while growing another human.
Some women can easily wear their pre-pregnancy jeans with a bella band right up to delivery. Other women need to ditch the jeans in their fourth month.
Bottom Line: Skipping maternity clothes can be trickier for some of us than others. But its still possible no matter how your body responds to pregnancy to avoid buying maternity clothes if you cant or dont want to do so.
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A Classic Black Maxi Dress
Stick to solid colors to look pregnant, and avoid crazy patterns and stripes to look like Fatty McFatterson. I love a black maxi dress because it hugs your bump, and if you pass out drunk in it as I often do, its soft and comfortable enough to sleep in. Also, if your belly accidentally slips low, its less obvious since the maxi drapes all the way to the floor.
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Embracing Your Changing Body
For some people, the thought of gaining weight and becoming curvier as their pregnancy progresses is exciting. For others, putting on the needed pounds and experiencing the many other changes in their bodies that occur during pregnancy is difficult.
Some pregnant people feel unsettled by the way their growing bodies feel on display. Combine this with the fact that many people feel free to make insensitive comments like, “Wow, you are getting big,” and it becomes clear why some people feel uncomfortable in their pregnant bodies. Some people even try to hide their pregnancy for as long as possible.
But you shouldn’t let the fear of getting bigger keep you from embracing your pregnancy and your beautiful body. It may help to make a conscious effort to change your mindset.
Embracing Your Body After Baby: How To Dress When Youre Postpartum
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The lyrics of an early noughties Britney Spears song drift through my mind as I stare at my new postpartum frame in the full-length mirror. Im not a girl / Not yet a woman / All I need is time / A moment that is mine / While Im in-between.
In the first few weeks after giving birth to my daughter, my body seemed to evolve on a daily basisshrinking, shedding water, developing an impressive double-D decolletageafter which it settled into a semi-permanent state of in-between. While I was lucky enough to recover from my delivery fairly quickly, a genetic anomaly Im not. Fifteen stubborn pounds have taken up indefinite residence on my body, converging in the form of a jello-like floaty around my abdominal area that appears to have no plans of departing. After weeks of attempting to evict it through a variety of restrictive measures, Ive been forced to come to terms with the fact there is nothing I can do but wait and let nature take its course. For now, Im in a transitional stage: no longer pregnant, not yet my old self. Like Britney, all I need is time.
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Should I Stick With Natural Fabrics
While Smith says not to stress about buying only clothes made purely of organic material, natural fibers like cotton or bamboo are much more breathable, which can help with babys temperature regulation. She also urges parents to throw new clothes in the machine before wearing, since harsh chemicals and dyes can seep in during the manufacturing process.
Since youre likely not sure whether baby has sensitive skin out of the gate, Price recommends saving the brightly dyed outfits decorated with character designs for older babies. When theyre new and youre hardly leaving the house, they dont need the adorable outfit with Mickey Mouse on it, she says. Plain, soft clothing is ideal.
How To Look Pregnant
This article was co-authored by Chloée Ohayon-Crosby. Chloée Ohayon-Crosby is a Costume Designer and Wardrobe Specialist in Los Angeles, California. With over eight years of experience in fashion consulting, Chloée specializes in personal, film, theater, and commercial styling as well as image consulting and costume design. Chloée has worked as an assistant designer for the distinguished fashion house Chloée and as a freelance stylist with Glamour Italia. Chloée studied Fine/Studio Arts at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and Fashion Design and Merchandising at the world renowned ESMOD École Supérieure des Arts in Paris, France. This article has been viewed 178,033 times.
Youve just gotten the role of a lifetime, but you have to appear to be pregnant. In addition to the pregnant belly youll need to wear, youll have to be aware of the different ways of walking, sitting, and standing that typifies pregnant women as they get close to delivery. Put together the physical markers of pregnancy and work on your movement youll be able to convince your audience that youre actually pregnant.
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How To Find The Perfect Maternity Wedding Dress
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First comes baby , then comes marriage! While there’s no shortage of celebrities who have said “I do” with their baby bumps, it can be a bit tougher for non-famous expecting brides to score the perfect maternity wedding dress without access to an expert tailor or designer. Planning a wedding with a bun in the oven is hard enough with pregnancy hormones thrown into the mix, but factor in finding the dress of your dreams that can also accommodate your growing bump and it might feel like you’re faced with a dilemma worse than morning sickness.
To help alleviate some of the stress that comes along with wedding dress shopping while pregnant, we reached out to a few experts to dish some tips on finding the maternity wedding dress that’s right for you.
What To Wear In Pregnancy
When a girl becomes pregnant, a lot changes for her it is because you have to make changes in your food, habits, lifestyle, and on top of it all, you have to change many things in your wardrobe. As the baby pump starts getting more prominent, you can no longer wear tight-fitting clothes, and oversized outfits arent a good option either. So, here we have gathered some great styling tips for you. Follow them and look your best throughout pregnancy!
Here we bring 26 striking outfit combinations for pregnant women this season. Whether you are in the early weeks of pregnancy or last weeks, we bring some stylish maternity outfits in this collection. From casual maternity style to formal look, you can get a lot of ideas from this collection. Scroll down to see how these pregnant women dressed up in chic looks. And for your post-pregnancy wardrobe, do check out our collection of trendy Outfits For Mums.
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Use Your Prepregnancy Jeans Longer With The Hair Tie Thats Always On Your Wrist
Me: Yes, you one hundred percent *can* squeeze the last bit of wear out of your favorite jeans.
You: Um, how?
Me: Feed a hair tie through the slit in the waistline of your jeans, then loop it around the button to keep your pants done up as your belly grows. Note: When this hair-tie trick becomes uncomfortable, its time to look into maternity jeans , but until then, wear your usual pants as long as your bump allows.
Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
It can be easy to worry about how your body looks in comparison to other pregnant bodies. However, every body is unique and beautiful and you don’t need to look like anyone else. Comparing yourself to others often leads to insecurities or overall dissatisfaction with your body. Research shows that negative body image during pregnancy can adversely impact psychological well-being.
Instead, remind yourself that this is a season in your lifeone that you won’t be able to repeat. So, don’t spend your time comparing yourself to others or lamenting the size or shape of your physical self. Live in the moment and appreciate how your body is changing to accommodate the little life that is growing inside of you.
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Choose Your Lingerie Carefully
More than the best dress to wear after having a baby, you should be concerned about wearing the right kind of lingerie after having a baby! A change in breast size was perhaps the first thing you would have noticed in your pregnancy, and it will seem even more obvious now that you are feeding your baby. Wearing the right bra is the first step to looking good in your post-pregnancy dresses. Choose comfortable maternity bras that will help you to feed your baby easily and also keep you in good shape to suit various outfits. A soft cotton lining, wider straps, and extra hooks is what you need right now to feel good. If youre wondering how to dress to hide your post-pregnancy belly, maternity briefs will help you support your soft tummy. Choose lively colours and pretty prints if you wish to feel uber-feminine and sexy!
