I posted my first official bump photo on Instagram yesterday and shared a bit about how fast I “popped” this time… Without being super repetitive, I’m feeling a little insecure because – although I’m not quite 14 weeks pregnant – I have the belly of someone who is more like 5 or 6 months along right now. You guys were SO sweet with your comments about showing so much faster with the second pregnancy etc. and made me feel so so much better – thank you for that!!
Really, I shouldn’t be surprised. My stomach wasn’t flat to begin with (not even close), and I was big early even in my pregnancy with Sam. Plus, my mom is tiny and she was HUGE with both of her pregnancies – sorry girl – so it’s just in my genes to not be a dainty little pregnant gal. But still, seeing your body change (and putting up with all the incredibly insensitive and crazy things people say to you) when you are pregnant, can be tough. This time, however, I decided early on (like 8 weeks early) that I wasn’t going to go around feeling miserable in my clothes, so I made some changes to my wardrobe ASAP and have slowly but surely embraced maternity wear once again…
I can re-wear many of the things I wore with Sam but, truthfully, my style has changed a lot in the last four years and maternity options are SO much better now than they were. SO, I’ve been trying to make some practical, classic purchases that will last me the next six months (or so) but won’t break the bank or overwhelm my closet… SO, for the next couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the basics I’m “investing” in to make a simple, but somewhat fashionable and very comfortable, maternity wardrobe fit for the mom who has to get up every morning and look presentable (i.e. can’t live in yoga pants and hoodies – don’t I wish).
Since I can (mostly) still wear my regular tops right now, I’m starting off with my most beloved form of pregnancy attire – otherwise known as God’s Gift to Pregnant Women – MATERNITY PANTS! There is no denying it, I love them!! Truth be told, I would wear them all the time if it was more socially acceptable (and I did wear them until I was almost six months postpartum with Sam).
Here’s what I look for when buying:
1. Can be worn for work OR play. Ain’t nobody got money to buy two separate wardrobes. I need something that I can wear to teach all day and to the playground or swim lessons in the afternoon. Heck, bonus if I can also sleep in them. (Just kidding… Kinda.)
2. Full panel if possible. You’ll notice that one of the pairs below is only a “demi” panel, and that’s just because I couldn’t find a pair I liked with a full. But, in general, I’m all about the full coverage! Rock it while you can ladies!!
3. “Skinny” or “Fitted”. Obviously, there is nothing skinny about me these days, but that doesn’t mean my pants need to look like M.C. Hammer. Since most maternity tops (or even the loose tunic tops I’m wearing now) are bigger, I think it’s important to wear something a little tighter and form fitting on the bottom. (Just not so tight that you’ve got underwear lines and/or cellulite. Just no.)
4. Versatile. You’ll notice I chose four pairs of pants in very basic colors with only one “fun” look (and even if that isn’t too wild). I like to be flashy sometimes too, but – at least for me – pregnancy isn’t the time for that. I want my wardrobe to be minimalist and, therefore, items need to go with a lot and be easy to mix and match etc.
5. Inexpensive. As a general rule, I follow the “cheaper the better” principle when it comes to maternity clothes. I’m just not going to be wearing them long enough to make it worth spending lots of money on. I think my black pants were about $40.00 and that’s the MOST I would spend on any one item. The other pairs were less than 30 – now we’re talking.
And, here are four pairs I consider “must-haves” for the (pregnant) working mom:
Gap Demi Panel Skinny Pants (True Black) – Black pants are ESSENTIAL for work. In all honesty, I will probably wear these three out of five days most weeks.
Old Navy Maternity Full-Panel Skinny Cords (Winter Wine) – I love wearing skinny cords in the fall/winter when I’m not pregnant, so these were a must for me. Plus, I like that the color is fun, but still neutral enough to wear with lots of tops, etc.
Old Navy Maternity Full-Panel Skinny Jeans (Dark Wash) – Obviously. I will LIVE in these things every Friday thru Sunday from now until at least next September. 😉
Target Maternity Over Belly Skinny Pants (White) – Because I’m not afraid to wear white after Labor Day, and these go with so much. I found mine on clearance about a month ago and have already worn them TONS.
*I also plan to wear A LOT of leggings with very long sweaters/shirts and boots as it gets cooler. I just ordered these from Old Navy, so we’ll see.
So, there you have it.
What do you consider “basics” when it comes to pants? How early did you wear maternity?
E
With my first one, I was in maternity pants by 16 or 17 weeks. But since I found out I was pregnant with #2 a mere 5 months after #1 was born, well, I was into maternity MUCH earlier the second time. In fact, I looked 30 weeks pregnant by the time I was 12 weeks and stayed that way–my stomach just got harder as the pregnancy progressed. My dr. said it was because my uterus just stretched back out (given that it was so familiar with the position and all…).
I watched for sales at Motherhood Maternity and bought a few things from Old Navy. I only had a handful of maternity tops, because I learned that most t-shirts will stretch or one size up works, too. Plus those things are half the cost. Slap the word maternity or baby on an item and the costs increase astronomically!
I also plan on wearing my maternity pants for a few months post-partum. Last time I mistakenly thought I’d lose all my pregnancy weight the day I came home from the hospital (HA!) and was devastated to find out that wasn’t the case. This time, my dr. warned me that two close together meant to may take 12-18 months to lose baby weight and get my body back to its (albeit large) normal self.
Frankly, I think you look great in that picture. And I’ll tell you what I told myself: the fact that you are pregnant and carrying a child is a miracle. Your body is a wonder–and not one at which others should gawk. It’s amazing, and incredible, and functional. 🙂
I am totally a fan of full-panel pants…they suck in everything!! 🙂 I invested in GAP skinny jeans and skinny black pants. I almost got the cords, but they were the tiniest panel, and I didn’t love them. I LIVED in GAP leggings – I may have to try ON’s versions. Otherwise, lots of sweaters and dresses with cardigans and scarves!! I’m so excited to follow your second journey!!
I wore full panel for the duration of both my pregnancies. The low belly ones always fell on me and gave me a super saggy butt. I liked Target maternity jeans…they washed and wore well and came with a full panel that was thin and not so hot. I also really liked the Target maternity camis (they are still in my closet…don’t tell!) I wasn’t really in maternity clothes until 20ish weeks with Brielle, #1, but literally had to be in maternity pants by 10 weeks or so with Braden Reed, #2. Oddly, I gained very differently with #2 and was out of my maternity clothes pretty quick and just back into normal pudgy clothes. But with Brielle, I had to wear maternity clothes for quite a while after her delivery. In the end, it didn’t matter – embrace it and relish in eating out with expanding clothing!
I invested in a couple of nicer work pants from Motherhood Maternity but I was so surprised that Ross and Burlington Coat Factory had some really cute maternity options for cheap.. like $5-$10!. They are certainly not as high of quality, but I was able to get some more trendy stuff that helped my wardrobe not feel as dowdy! (I may or may not still have one of those maternity shirts hanging in my closet that I wear because I like the pattern so much… 🙂 If you have these stores near you, you might want to check it out!
Seriously, the bump comes out to play MUCH faster with subsequent pregnancies 🙂
I had a lot of good luck with H&M maternity clothes this time. Also, I was surprised to find that Wal-mart had some really good and cost-effective options online.
I totally agree about full-panel maternity pants being sent from God. I was so bloated during pregnancy (and it was my first!) that I had to start wearing my regular pants using the “hairbow” trick very early– like, 8-10 weeks. My favorite work clothes came from Motherhood, but I was able to borrow or get most of mine on consignment.
I”ve been feeling the same way about investing in quality items that will last through the entire pregnancy! However, when pregnancy can last through 3 seasons (spring – winter for me!) it is hard! I’ve done a bit of shopping, but now that the temps are dropping, I’d really like to buy some more!
I have the ON skinny jeans and the Target white skinnies and I love both of them! (both can be seen worn on my blog). I also bought a sleveless jersey dress from ON early on that I plan to wear with tights/cardis now that it is fall.
I just hit my 3rd trimester, so its hard to justify more clothes, but I’ve got my eye on ON’s maternity wrap-front jersey dress (longsleeve) and the fleece tie-belt cardigan…which have honestly been in my shopping cart for at least a month now waiting for me to just hit okay!
I thought you looked super cute in your Instagram photo! You are wearing that bump well!
I LIVED in those Old Navy skinny jeans during my recent pregnancy – great recommendations!