Preggy and Pretty - Maternity Wear Basics

When I got pregnant for the first time, I didn’t anticipate what was coming in the months ahead, except for my little baby of course.

Month after month, I steadily kept putting on weight while my dear husband kept encouraging me to put on more, telling me how wonderful I looked. And I believed him! By my ninth month, 40 weeks later, I had put on 23 kgs! Can you imagine what I went through just trying to keep myself properly clothed! My mom did tell me I would need something that would expand a lot since my tummy would keep growing, but the priceless look on her face, disregarding the fact that she didn’t recognise me when she saw me in my ninth month; told me even she didn’t anticipate how much I was going to expand :)

It’s my third pregnancy now, and this time around, I’m pretty certain about my clothes and would like to share how I got prepared with my wardrobe.

The Bust-Line

First off, an increasing bust line which actually made me suspicious about the pregnancy. Make sure you pick up at least two well fitted bras in the first trimester of your pregnancy since your bust size would have changed. If you feel any kind of discomfort or ill-fit (tightness) after that, you know it’s time to go in for newer ones. Towards the end of your pregnancy, it’s time to pick up some good one-size bigger (to accommodate nursing pads) ’nursing bras’ that will be your friend when feeding your baby.

My love: the slightly padded ones with an under wire for the first months and nursing-bras with clips on the shoulder straps.

The Hip-Line

As much as you need to be mindful of a comfortable bra, you need to also understand that your hip is also expanding. That means, time for some new panties. Again, pick up a few only when you feel that the ones you currently have are getting too tight.

My love: cotton, Jockey bikini cut!

The Waist-Line

What waist-line?! Of course, there is no waist-line anymore…but if you are like me and prefer low-waist pants, then anything that goes anywhere above your hips just gets way too uncomfortable. However, you can continue using your pants/skirts for the first few months depending on the weight you put on. My zips began refusing to close little by little. Soon, I had to use bands to hold the button and the loop together. Do this by sliding the band through the loop and then wrapping both ends around the button. Make sure you wear a top long enough to cover your little experiment, lest someone accidently finds out :)

When it’s time to invest in some new bottoms, anything with an elastic is a great buy. Fabrics that stretch will work not only during the pregnancy but also after.

My love: Stretch jeggings and leggings from AND.

Your Body-Line

The first time I got pregnant, I purchased a few clothes and my mom got some tailored for me. These helped in my second pregnancy too since the two weren’t far apart. However, this time around, I chose to use a couple of clothes from my previous pregnancies, borrow a few from my sister and purchase some. I will share in coming posts of how I combine different pieces to get different looks :)

Having a couple of dresses and a few tops with gathers or an empire waist looks and feels terrific. The idea is to have outfits that fit beautifully around your shoulders and bust but glide over your tummy for comfort. These work not just during the pregnancy, but also post-pregnancy and sometimes, even longer. Fabric is extremely important and like before, cotton is best.

My love: tunics that are well fitted around my chest, flow over my tummy and go beyond my hips.

All in all, you don’t really need to only stock up ‘maternity wear’ when pregnant. Combine various tops and bottoms…try layering! My body temperature drastically changes when I’m pregnant and I tend to feel the heat far more than everyone else around. When clothes are layered, I am able to use my clothes effectively according to my body temperature.

I’ve seen that women can really look gorgeous when pregnant. It’s just another opportunity to show off how well you can carry yourself, while carrying another precious little life. Remember to feel pretty while being preggy!