Getting dressed when you're growing a human - #2

Part 2: How to prioritize and stay comfortable (as much as possible!)

This is part 2 in a series about how to maintain your sense of style, curate the right pieces and feel like yourself when you are growing a human. You can read Part 1 here.

I have entered the point in my pregnancy (honestly, I’ve been here for a while) where physical comfort is fleeting and hard to come by. This has been a physically challenging pregnancy for me — by far the hardest I’ve had! I had nausea that lingered well into my third trimester, and still seems to rear its ugly head from time to time (although I am going on over two weeks without having thrown up, which is a relief!). Now, in addition to extremely annoying heartburn that wakes me promptly at 4AM each morning, I am just uncomfortable. My back aches, my chest feels tight, I’m out of breath basically all the time, and I have a baby using my bladder & inside of my body as a trampoline. I know I am incredibly fortunate overall to be having a very healthy pregnancy; I am very aware of how fortunate I am and feel immense gratitude for it. I am also ready to feel more like myself again. Pregnancy is incredible and amazing, and a gift, and also can be hard as f*ck.

One of my most distinctive memories from having my son is the IMMENSE SENSE OF RELIEF I felt in my body moments after delivery. Despite all the other craziness happening in the immediate aftermath of childbirth, and the new things I had to worry about (don’t worry I won’t get into those just yet!), it felt amazing to not be carrying a baby inside me anymore. My back didn’t hurt. I could take a deep breath. So, yeah, I look forward to that feeling!

This is a very long-winded way to rationalize my first principle for approaching maternity clothes, which is: Comfort is KING. Your body is changing, maybe slowly, maybe rapidly, and you have no control over what, when, or how. Your body is on a program, doing its thing to grow a baby. And when your body changes, the way your clothes fit, whether they even fit at all, and how they feel on your body is going to change too! Choosing clothes that feel good on your changing body is not going to fix all the variables involved in feeling comfortable during your pregnancy. While the clothes you wear can help make you feel great and feel like yourself, they will not (sadly, because I wish this wasn’t the case) solve for the physical discomfort, symptoms, or hormones that are coursing through your body for 9+ months. But, anything that helps, helps!

In Part 1, our focus was a capsule-style approach to basic staples that will get you through your whole pregnancy. In Part 2, our focus is on the pieces that bring real comfort into your life — what are you wearing and using at home when you don’t want to feel like a total slob, but you don’t want to be in “hard” clothes. And, how can you maximize those pieces so you can also feel great hanging out in them on the weekends, running errands, playing with your kids (if you have them), and maybe even getting away with a (gasp!) Zoom meeting or two in them.

I’m not above wearing (stealing) my husband’s sweats. I lived in one of my husband’s very excellent wool sweaters this winter, and regularly wear my favorite sweatshirt of his to hang around the house and to sleep in. But, I’m not typically chomping at the bit to wear his ratty sweats outside my house. As you know from many of my newsletters - getting dressed is something that is super important to me - pregnant or not! Don’t get me wrong, I definitely go out in athletic clothes, but I still like those clothes to reflect my style and leave me feeling put together and “dressed.” When I was growing up, my mom would never let us go to school with sweats on. Honestly, I’m not sure I owned a pair of sweats until I got them as “swag” from my high-school sports teams, and leggings were not what they are today (dating myself, but leggings were something embarrassing my mom wore to her exercise classes, or they were SUPER low rise, hardtail rollover flared yoga pants). I don’t think it was until I got to college that I realized that it was actually an option to wear sweats (or even PJs) outside your home. See, not so hard to connect the dots to how I got to be who I am today!

SO!

There is no time to bother with fussy clothes when you’re pregnant - your clothes should make you feel good figuratively AND literally. What is comfortable and feels good might change over the course of your pregnancy. Overall, the goal should be a budget-friendly approach and I don’t want you to feel like you need a million things, but there are some needs that will emerge and evolve as your pregnancy goes on. In all of my pregnancies, as time passes and I get closer and closer to my due date, I have experienced a progressive aversion to having any sort of pressure on my belly. At the beginning, I was happy to wear leggings that come halfway up my belly - my Aligns and Beyond Yoga leggings worked great (see below). But then, there is a certain point at which I cannot tolerate the pressure in the middle of my stomach, and I move to either having nothing on my stomach or full pressure (seen here in the form of a jumpsuit!). You’ll have to figure out what feels best for you, and buy things as you need them!

Growing baby, changing legging preference!

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1: Unitard: My obsession with this unitard is well documented on Instagram, and I wrote about it in my March Favorites roundup. I sized it up and it fits great. I tried a Bumpsuit, and it’s SO NICE, but ultimately went with the inexpensive option - If I was in my first pregnancy or if I thought I would wear it postpartum (I won’t wear it much in the summer heat!), I would definitely make the investment! But this is a great piece - comfortable and chic. Wear with a button-down, or a cropped T or sweatshirt, and even throw a blazer on top! $ / $$$ (pictured) / $$$

2: Romper: Single pieces are just great to have during pregnancy. Especially ones that button up - they make a great piece to easily wear home from the hospital and on repeat during those first few weeks postpartum! I have one from Hatch that I plan to live in between now and the end of May, and probably will wear after the baby comes. I’m also very intrigued by this one which I think might be roomy enough to wear pretty immediately postpartum and then all summer long! / $$ / $$$ / $$$ (pictured)

3: Workout leggings: I have tried so many leggings during my pregnancies, and every time I come back to my Lululemon aligns, or Beyond Yoga (Spacedye Caught in the Midi High Waisted) leggings. I wear these for working out and for daily wear. I know many love the Aerie line, but they are just not quite the same as the aligns, and I would rather go for a pair or two that I wear to death than have many that I’m only meh about! $ / $$$ (pictured) $$$

4: Bike Shorts: You’l make a call on whether or not these make sense for you based on the timing of your pregnancy! If you will be pregnant in a lot of warm weather, then I think these are worth it as a legging alternative. I’m obsessed with this pair and have been wearing them constantly! $ / $$ / $$ / $$ (pictured)

5: Cropped/Boxy Ts: I like oversized, slightly cropped, boxy tees to work as my athleisure tops when I’m pregnant. They work with leggings, bike shorts, unitards, etc., and then you can wear them postpartum! $ / $ / $ (pictured) / $$ / $$$

6: Long sleeves: I also like a roomy, slightly-athletic maternity long sleeve to have in my rotation. My preferred is from lulu-lemon (Sized up), but have also heard good things about the amazon dupe which is on my list for postpartum! $ / $$ / $$$ (pictured)

7 & 8: Sweatshirts: Wear with jeans, overalls and over simple dresses. Yes, you can steal from your partner, but you might also want a couple oversized ones that you love! I really like this very inexpensive non-maternity style and just size up! This is on my wishlist! $ (pictured) / $$ (pictured) / $$

9: Soft pants: For when you need a break from leggings! I like to size up in a pair of sweatpants, and then also live in them in the first few weeks postpartum! $$ (pictured) / $$$

10: Underwear: At a certain point, your normal underwear is probably either not going to fit, or it’ll feel super annoying. I typically buy a set of maternity underwear, and then also size up in a non-maternity style. For postpartum, I prefer a boy short style at the beginning (immediately post mesh undies phase), and then a more high-waisted/slight compression style. I also loved these last time and am planning to wear them again! $ / $$ (pictured) / $$$

11 & 12: Blue Set & Sweater Sets: A matching set makes sweats a chic outfit that will leave you feeling cute and like yourself, it’s science. A couple of these will get you really far in building your maternity wardrobe and making sure you are comfortable at every phase! $$ (pictured) / $$$ (pictured)

13: Sneakers: You are going to want comfortable shoes. They should be easy to get on, and they should be wearable in a variety of environments. Vejas and New Balance are my go-tos! $$ / $$ (pictured) / $$$

14: Robe: When all else fails, throw a robe on top and you will feel just a little put together! $ (would work great to bring with you to the hospital!) / $$ / $$$ (pictured)

15: Indie Lee Cream: I am addicted to this stuff. It’s sort of like icy hot without the hot, and delivers a cooling effect. I put it on my lower back every night, sometimes on my shoulders and often use it for headache relief. I always have a backup tube.

16: PJs: Okay, so a whole article could be dedicated to sleep while pregnant. Sweet, sweet sleep, which can be so allusive when you are pregnant, and truly a huge frustration! Again, the first rule of the game is BE COMFORTABLE. I’m laughing at this advice because there is basically nothing that makes me comfortable right now, but I am careful to ensure there are no comfort detractors that I am purposefully introducing into my life. And that starts with what I wear to sleep. I want no pressure on my waist, under the belly, soft, lightweight fabric. Lake PJs are amazing, including their maternity line - they make a great gift if anyone is looking to get you one! I always size up in PJs, so I have several pairs from Lake that I am still super comfortable in even though they aren’t maternity, and have worn two maternity pairs through three pregnancies and postpartum phases. Postpartum, I tend to be a sweaty, disgusting mess, so I also go the inexpensive route and have several pairs from target that work great! Having a cute PJ set makes a big difference for me - especially when I might be wearing pjs for the better part of the day, so I do think its worth having several pairs you love in your repertoire! Button up works great to be able to easily nurse or pump! $ / $$ / $$$ (pictured) / $$$

17: Slippers: Something supportive to wear around the house is key for me, especially in the second half of pregnancy! Bonus points for slippers that you can wash! These are my favorites! $$ (pictured) / $$

18: Wedge Pillow: Another sleep essential for me, this little wedge goes under your stomach to help relieve some of the pressure/weight of your belly. A game-changer!

19: Kidney Pillow: My friends and I have a sisterhood of the traveling pregnancy pillows, and this came to me for the first time this pregnancy and I’m fully obsessed. It provides support, but is much less cumbersome than a pregnancy pillow! I actually use both this pillow and the wedge together!

Thanks so much for reading! Share your thoughts in the comments and share with a friend who is thinking about their pregnancy wardrobe!