Fashion Tips and Options

Let me start by saying that I hate maternity clothing!!!

My Pregnancy Body and Fashion Tips and Advice:

I will start my fashion advice by explaining that your body is going to be weird for a long long time (unless you are a super model or at least eat and train like one).  

Stages of Your Pregnant Body and Beyond:

Stage 1 - Is she pregnant? She looks like she's put on a few pounds! Maybe she just ate too much during the holidays! Before you actually look pregnant, you will go through the stage where you looks chunky and out of shape in your tummy area. This will be about the first 3 - 5 months... Your hips may be widening at this point and you may go a size up in pants. At this point you will not want to wear any shirt that are tight and show your tummy! Its all about flowy tops and hiding the jelly belly! 

Stage 2 - Strangers think you are adorable!  People will stair at you and smile as they notice your perfectly round and tight baby bump! People act nicer to you! It is true! Some weirdos may even ask to touch it! EWE! Once you have a real "bump" showing, you will have a nice tight round belly that is cute and fun to show off. You will be happy to wear tight shirts during this time and will look adorable in them. You may even sport a bikini proudly like I do... 

Stage 3 - You make people a bit uncomfortable because you are so huge that they expect your water to break at any moment.  Your fears of child birth are gone and you just want that baby outa there no matter how it happens! At the end of pregnancy, about the last two months, you will be so huge that your maternity tops are starting to be too short, and your belly might try to peek out, but you won't feel like buying new ones since you are almost done... This is when super long tank tops come in handy for you to wear under your tops that are just a little too short.  

Stage 4 - Your new freakishly stretched out tummy! No, it doesn't go back to normal right when the baby comes out! Sorry! On the upside, if you never had much in the way of boobs, they will look AMAZING!!! After you have the baby, it will take some time for your belly to go back to normal.  It will be flabby, it will be gross, you will avoid looking at it in the mirror at all costs! At that point, you will want to go back to the flowy tops of early pregnancy to hide your bowl full of jelly belly! I do promise that as long as you treat your body right, your belly will get back into shape! Eat right, exercise (even if its just a little bit), and stay positive and you will be back in your cute tight fitting shirts again before you know it!


NOW FOR ALL OF MY OPINIONS AND POINTERS ABOUT DRESSING YOUR NEW BODY:

1.)Ruching is a terrible idea!  Ruching is that weird gathered elastic they are sewing into the sides of T shirts for preggos and regular people. On the surface it seams like it would be super flattering and comfy on a pregnant woman with a cute bump. It is not!!! It also accentuates any sort of muffin-top situation you may have in the back and it overall just looks awkward... ALL of the maternity stores are doing this and it sucks!!! Nordstrom's regular (not name brand) women's clothing area has been doing this ruching on the side just for regular women and it is terrible too! Skinny, chubby, pregnant, it doesn't matter, side ruching is bad! If you don't believe me, go and try one on! If you think it looks cute, you may be a crazy person! 

2.) Goody Brand Hair Elastics are the best thing ever (pony tail rubber bands)... These are the best inventions ever! Loop it through your button hole in your pants and around the button... Now you are wearing your regular pants for longer and they aren't super tight on your growing belly and have more room for you to bend and move.  I am in week 32 and with my one size up from normal shorts and pants, I am still wearing normal (non maternity) bottoms.

3.) Maxi skirts and dresses are the most comfy things for pregnancy and after pregnancy!!!  They are comfy, they are stylish, and they don't show all lumps and bumps of your beautiful pregnant and after-pregnancy body.  

4.) Target's Mossimo brand $8 Tees and tanks are nice and long and can fit over your cute bump with ease!  They are soft and cheap and I love them - pregnant or not!

5.)  LOW RISE ONLY!!!  Many of us wear mid-rise pants these days instead of low rise (like if you are around 30 and don't have a perfect body and are avoiding muffin-tops)... Anything besides low rise pants will really hurt and you won't be able to wear them long! If you buy any non-maternity pants, trust me, get the low rise styles! 

6.) YOGA PANTS!!! The second I come home from work or anywhere that requires that I wear normal clothing, I put on my yoga pants... I have a few pairs of light weight capri yoga pants that are cheap from Target (Champion brand). They are so comfy and don't itch or indent my giant round belly. I feel like the second I put these on, I can breathe better! Any time I can get away with wearing them, I do! I like to pretend I am just a sporty pregnant mom, I wear the capri yogas with my running shoes and a cute T shirt. I wear this look almost everywhere! I don't look like a complete slob because the pants are cute and fitted and I always wear them with a cute long fitted T shirt. I venture to say though that the "What Not to Wear" people would be so pissed at me! Although I doubt Stacy or Clinton has ever had a giant round belly that contained a child!