5 Simple Pregnancy Wardrobe Adjustments
You’ve spent years creating a completely cute wardrobe. So when you got pregnant, you were super excited to expand it, do some maternity shopping and show off your baby bump. But then your body started changing in ways that you totally didn’t expect. Now the chic, sleek top that looked fab on some preggo size 0 supermodel doesn’t seem like such a brilliant idea. It’s true that there are some things your friends don’t tell you about pregnancy, but don’t stress — and don’t toss all of your clothes in the “to be donated” pile just yet. What you need right now is to adjust, not eliminate. Check out these simple changes you can make to fit your ever-growing baby body.
1. Lose the lacy lingerie. Hey, no one is saying that you can’t be pregnant and sexy at the same time. But some of those frilly little friends that you whip out for special nights might not exactly look the same as they did pre-baby body. One option is to pull out the granny panties (they’ll certainly keep you comfy as your body grows and changes). Or you can go with something a bit more, um, stylish: Bikinis that sit low — in other words, below your bump — are both cute and functional through all three trimesters.
2. Say goodbye to buttons. At month seven, those skinny jeans that you absolutely adore are starting to look more like armbands than anything you would wear from the waist down. Anything with a button, a zipper or other closure at the top is most likely out of the wardrobe picture by now. If jeans are your everyday go-to, you have a few options at this point. There’s a simple fix: Buy maternity jeans. There’s a DIY fix: Sew an elastic belly band into the top of your favorite pants. And there’s a “totally get the button out of the picture” fix: Switch out jeans for a simple pair of leggings. No, not the “I just got out of yoga class” look. Instead, dress up black leggings with a long top, cute boots and a low belt (that fits under your bump).
3. Find form-fitting options in and out of the maternity section. There’s no rule that says you have to go for loose, flowy fashions during pregnancy. That said, your pre-pregnancy fitted tops will only marginally rest on top of your baby belly. While your bump is still somewhat small, you can get away with a tight top that’s a size or two bigger than what you’d usually wear. As your belly bulges out more and more, you can swap those for figure-hugging maternity shirts. Keep one thing in mind — it’s perfectly acceptable to bare your naked baby belly at the beach or pool or in a few keepsake maternity photos. But keep it under wraps (literally) when you’re out to lunch with friends, shopping or at work.