Maternity
Looking For The Right Maternity Clothes
When you are pregnant, the whole notion of “does this outfit make me look fat” takes on a whole new meaning. Not only do we not want to look fat, we want to look beautifully pregnant without looking like we put on extra weight. We want curves to show in the right places, but we don’t want our bottom to look as big as our belly! More than ever, this is a time in a woman’s life where smart shopping is key to building a stylish, functional and flattering maternity wardrobe.
The average weight gain for a pregnant woman is between 25-35 pounds. This weight gain starts to occur in the middle of your first trimester, unless you have severe morning sickness, and continues to the day you have your baby. Not only are you putting on more weight overall, your weight gain might shift to new places on your body such as your arms, thighs and even feet! Nearly every pregnant woman finds their bust size increase by a cup during Pregnancy and oftentimes more during nursing. Women who never gained weight in their bottom or hips suddenly find they have more to address than just an expanding belly. On the bright side, being pregnant can have some huge shopping perks, because now is the time you have the license to buy yourself a new wardrobe so why not have some fun with it!
If you want to find some great fashion that is comfortable and doesn’t break the bank, shop first for some good basic mix and match pieces. Here are a few tips to keep in mind in building your wardrobe:
- The sooner you start your maternity wardrobe, the more mileage you will get out of it and the more comfortable you will be in your clothes. Once you stop trying to squeeze into your seemingly shrinking regular clothes with increasingly tight waistbands, you will no longer feel bloated and overweight. Others will also recognize you are pregnant and stop worrying about your weight as well! Also, you are less likely to feel morning sickness from comfortably fitting maternity clothes.
- Remember that maternity sizes should be roughly equivalent to your normal, pre-pregnancy size. However make allowance for your weight gain. If you find that you are gaining at a quicker rate than average, you might find going up a size is more comfortable. Oftentimes overseas brands such as Ripe Maternity and Noppies Maternity will run slightly smaller than many American brands such as Japanese Weekend and Maternal America. If you are shopping online it is a good idea to check out the size chart and description to see if there is any note of the item running large or small. You can also call or email customer support on brand fitting information.
- When in doubt, always go up a size. Now is not the time for sizing vanity. You are pregnant and expected to gain weight and you will be much more comfortable in a size that fits you with room to grow. If you buy an item that barely fits you today with little room to grow, you will find yourself staring at it in your closet for the remainder of your pregnancy. Remember you will get bigger until the day you have your baby, you will not be going on a diet while you are pregnant! Look for comfortable elastic waistbands that have the same color waistband as the rest of the pant.
- Never buy a tight maternity or nursing bra or undergarments. Not only will a maternity or nursing bra be uncomfortable, if it is too tight it can also lead to clogged milk ducts and mastitis when you are nursing. Also, your breasts need to have room to grow even after delivery of your baby. Some women go up another cup size after their milk comes in.
- Invest in a good maternity jean. There are stylish and comfortable maternity jeans at every price point. If you do want to splurge a bit on one item, do it on a well fitting maternity jean, particularly if you are jeans person. Aside from sleepwear, this is one fashion item you will get the most mileage from, so it is worth it to spend a few extra dollars to find a pair that will last and stretch you through your pregnancy. Many maternity jeans, such as the Noppies 4 Pocket Jean, looks like a regular jean as it does not have an elastic maternity band and fits below the belly with an internal waist adjuster. This type of jean can also be worn as a transition jean after the baby.
- In cold weather dress in layers. Buy lighter weight clothing than you would usually wear as you will find your overall body temperature higher when you are pregnant. Even in the winter months, and particularly in places like an office space, an overdressed pregnant woman can easily overheat. By dressing in lighter layers you can shed or add clothing as needed.
- Don’t wear restrictive clothing, if you we must wear pantyhose, buy maternity pantyhose, such as Noppies Maternity Tights. Maternity pantyhose will allow belly support and allow for better circulation. Maternity leggings are a good non-restrictive and trendy option over pantyhose. Japanese Weekend, Maternal America and 1 in the Oven all make a high quality legging in a variety of styles and colors to choose from. Leggings look great under a maternity tunic, dress or skirt!
- When shopping, look for similar color families than can be easily mixed and matched and are layer friendly. Tanks and camis make an excellent first layer as they are comfortable and add a light layer of warmth. Also, camis and tanks can be worn alone in the warmer weather and many are made with support bras. There are also many transitional camis and tanks out there, such as Glamourmom’s maternity/nursing tank, that can be worn for maternity as well as for nursing after the baby is born.
- Look for transitional maternity tops and maternity dresses that can double as nursing tops and dresses which can be worn after the baby. There is now a wide variety of fashions available for transition wear. Japanese Weekend has an excellent selection of transition wear nursing tops including a very versatile office-friendly Cross Over Top Maternity/Nursing top. Majamas has a whole line of transition wear clothing including their super soft yoga pants that can be worn throughout pregnancy and beyond. The Maternal America Nursing Dress is a beautiful new dress by Maternal America which can be worn throughout your pregnancy and does not look like a nursing dress.
- Buy an all purpose black pant that is comfortable to wear. Black goes with everything and is slimming as well so don’t forget to stock this basic. Also, make sure you have some comfortable loungewear pants for the house. 1 in the Oven’s Super Soft Ruched Fold Over Pant and Corduroy Lounge Pants are stylish enough to wear outside the house. They are very comfortable that you want to live in them.
- Make sure you spice up your wardrobe with a few fun patterns and flirty dresses. Remember, you will be living in this clothing for at least 6 months. If you plan to get pregnant again in the future, you may be looking at the many of these same maternity clothes in your closet. Make sure you have some fun and mix in some fashion pieces that you will enjoy wearing. Solids are important for your wardrobe, but they can get boring pretty fast if that’s the only thing you are wearing everyday!
Shopping is supposed to be fun, not a chore. So, have some fun with the wide selection of maternity fashions out there. You have a whole new and evolving shape to dress, so try some new looks, show some cleavage, and have fun shopping!
About the Author
Amy Jarman is owner of maternity clothes store
TummyStyle.com
, with brands like
Majamas
, Maternal America, &
Japanese Weekend.
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Leachco Back ‘N Belly – Contoured Body Pillow, Ivory $59.99 Leachco Back N Belly Contoured Body Pillow Pregnant mothers no longer need to struggle for comfort. A pregnancy pillow will help comfort and support both pregnant mothers and newborn mothers. The maternity pillow helps relieve many different types of symptoms which can occur with pregnant women. This Leachco body pillow helps relieve carpal tunnel, sciatica, gastric reflux and nasal congestion…. |
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Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow $44.95 Conforms to the natural size and shape of your body.Multi-positional so you get a perfect night’s sleep.Provides the back and tummy support you need during pregnancy.Elevates baby to the proper height for breast feeding.Removable / washable cover.Tummy support for pregnancy. Perfect for breast feeding. Infant support…. |
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Boppy Total Body Pillow, Neutral $40.00 Provides total body support in many different sleeping positions during your pregnancy.Your husband will keep trying to steal it because it is so comfortable. Stitched channels help keep stuffing in place. More comfortable than tubular body pillows.Sleeping:A good night’s sleep during the ninth month of pregnancy reduces your chance of a C-Section.Reclining:Fold the pillow to make resting in bed m… |
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Heartstrings: Visualizations for Pregnancy $12.00 Heartstrings: Visualizations for Pregnancy is a program of music-evoked visualizations specifically created for use during the prenatal period. Each visualization and spoken affirmation was carefully created by Board Certified Music Therapists to induce a peaceful and relaxed body/mind/spirit connection. When used in conjunction with regular prenatal medical care, a woman can feel confident she … |
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Belly Love – Meditations for a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy $14.90 Belly Love is a powerful meditation CD dedicated to helping moms have a happier, healthier pregnancy. Meditations provide moms with the skills to enjoy all the amazing changes coming their way by focusing on bringing peace, joy and health to mom and her baby. 7 different meditations include: Belly Love — Self Love — Body Awareness and Relaxation — Empowering the Body for Birth — Mat… |
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Pregnancy Relaxation: A Guide to Peaceful Beginnings $14.99 … |
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Yoga Journal’s Prenatal Yoga [VHS] $4.00 The best thing about this prenatal yoga program is that there is a model for each trimester. Instructor Shiva Rea demonstrates each of the stretches and exercises for the first trimester, and two pregnant women show modifications for the second and third trimesters (they’re even dressed in different colors for easy reference). This removes the self-doubt home-exercisers often have about the s… |
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Leisa Hart’s FitMama: Prenatal Workout [VHS] $2.49 If you’re a mother-to-be, but need some kind of exercise other than downward-facing dog and mountain pose, Leisa Hart’s FitMama may be the workout for you. Developed by the fitness instructor during her first pregnancy, the DVD involves not just stretching but salsa dancing, stretches, and breathing exercises shaped to ease some of the discomforts of pregnancy, get your body in its best physical f… |
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Jennifer Gianni’s Fusion Pilates for Pregnancy [VHS] $12.52 Discover how yoga infused Pilates can keep you in shape during and after your pregnancy. Jennifer Gianni’s Fusion Pilates for Pregnancy is the first Pilates based workout designed to give pregnant women a challenging workout, without compromising safety. When Jennifer Gianni became pregnant with her first child, she realized how little information was available on how to stay … |
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Prenatal Yoga $9.88 The best thing about this prenatal yoga program is that there is a model for each trimester. Instructor Shiva Rea demonstrates each of the stretches and exercises for the first trimester, and two pregnant women show modifications for the second and third trimesters (they’re even dressed in different colors for easy reference). This removes the self-doubt home-exercisers often have about the s… |
