Pregnancy Essentials – Maternity Clothes

As promised in Part 1 of Pregnancy Essentials…I’ll now discuss Maternity Clothes!

In the beginning of my pregnancy I didn’t gain a ton of weight. Mostly I just felt bloated all the time and I desperately needed new bras by about week 8. Otherwise, I was able to wear my regular jeans and clothes for the first 3-4 months (depending on the items). Sometimes I would unbutton my jeans and use an elastic band to secure the top together giving me an extra few inches (especially at the end of the day or after a big dinner). I also wore the bellaband a lot with jeans and a few pairs of work pants. I found myself wearing a lot of loose shirts (for example flowy silk tank tops) with cardigans to hide my mini-belly.

Eventually, it was time to start wearing maternity clothes all the time. Only problem was that cute maternity clothes are not all that easy to come by!

I had a lot of success at Gap Maternity for jeans and basic tanks, tees and long sleeves. They also had some great sweaters for the winter. Some of the items are a bit pricey, but they run the friends and family discounts pretty often so you can get 30% off. I also got some work pants there which worked for my entire pregnancy.

Old Navy has a ton of maternity clothes, but most of it is not offered in the stores. The selection in the stores was pretty icky. I ordered some items online a few times and found they had some great leggings, sweatshirts and T-shirts. I also got another pair of jeans from there.

Motherhood/Destination Maternity has some okay stuff if you pick through it. I got some work pants and a few sweaters for work there that did the trick. I found a few cute dresses there for my baby shower and for Easter. I thought I’d be able to wear them to work a lot during this last month, but since it’s been 50 degrees in May that hasn’t worked out all that well!

Baby Shower Dress from Motherhood

Target didn’t have a ton of clothes in the store, but I did find a few really comfy T-shirts and long sleeve T-shirts there. They also have a decent selection of nursing bras. Remember, you are only going to wear this stuff for awhile so not every item has to be the best quality.

Hubby got me a pair of Lululemon pants to wear at home, running errands, etc. for Christmas and I am pretty sure I have worn them every single day. They have worked out great even though they are not maternity pants. I highly recommend having a few pairs of go-to comfy pants and shirts for wearing at home. I always think that coming home and getting comfortable after a long day is the best feeling and this only becomes more true when you’re pregnant.

Lululemon Pants / Gap Maternity Shirt

As for workout clothes, I found that most of my capris fit me for my whole pregnancy because the waistline falls below my belly. Most of these are also from Lululemon so maybe it’s their material that just stretches really well! I got a few shirts from For Two Fitness which makes super cute (and comfy!) workout gear for pregnant women. I also got a few shirts at target that were a long and a size bigger than I would normally get as well as a few sports bras in a size larger than I normally wear. Otherwise, I was good to go!

For Two Fitness Shirt /Lululemon Pants

I have to admit, I thought I was going to hate wearing maternity clothes, but I did find it fun at first for a few reasons. 1) Elastic waistbands are really comfortable. 2) When only certain items fit you, it’s a lot easier to get ready in the morning. I would pick one of my standard outfits and be on my merry way instead of staring into the black hole that is my closet.

I think the hardest part was in the beginning of my pregnancy where most maternity clothes were too big for me, but my regular clothes were too small. I have a feeling that the first few weeks post-baby are going to be similar. Fortunately, at that point I will be home and in comfy clothes instead of struggling to find things to wear to work. 🙂

Any tips on where else to get great maternity clothes?