MY PREGGO WARDROBE
This moment hit me at the store register. Chris had taken me out to lunch and to go shopping for a few of my first maternity clothes (what a keeper). I love to experiment and have fun with my wardrobe, so I was so excited to dress up my bump and begin a whole new fashion experience. I’d gathered up the best I could find, had a mediocre experience in the change rooms, and stood there with a pile of new clothes I was about to buy saying “I guess these will do?” What a foreign thing, spending money on things that gave me a sensation of “meh”. News flash; this was not going to be easy. It can be a challenge finding things that serve their belly purpose and still make you feel good about yourself. Even well-known brands that used to serve you well, seem to have let their maternity section be a fashion after-thought. Pregnancy can take a toll on your emotions in a millions different ways and call me superficial, but I think feeling comfortable and stylish (whatever that sense of style may be) helps to boost a person’s overall morale. Sure, it’s what is inside that counts, but sometimes an outfit can serve the purpose of being an outward representation of what’s inside. And wide legged pants, with pockets that buckled at my ever-widening hips and a thick piece of belly fabric that scrunched up around my first trimester belly… was not the vibe that I was looking to put out there to the world. I’ve always been a loose and flowly type of fashion gal, so one solution I found was to incorporate non-maternity pieces. Which worked great! But it was also important for me to find and invest in fashionable pieces that were made for my new body. A complete list of stores will be posted on my Go-To Shop List - Maternity Edit blog post coming soon, but here are a few of my favourites…
legging life is the life for me
I love leggings. I loved them before baby, I loved them during baby, and I’m confident I will continue to love them long after baby. However, there is not much worse than leggings that don’t fit properly. I heard amazing things about the Lululemon Align leggings, and I feel that the hype was worth it when it came to the first trimester, postpartum and beyond. They are a little pricier, but worth the investment when you consider their quality and lifespan. But, they did not serve me the best when it came to my second and third trimesters. I was in a physical state that craved support, but also comfort. I wanted to feel smoothed, not contoured to the point I questioned if my baby was going to be born with a smushed face. Also, I LOVED my bump and wanted to be able to show it off. Enter… blanqi (insert choir of angels here). Their maternity leggings were a bump-loving mama’s dream. They are made of a soft, smoothing fabric that is designed to contour around your belly. They even have built in back support (say whaaaaat!), eliminating the need to wear one of those bulky support bands. Trust a girl when I say, giving a pregnant woman an option to eliminate bulk, is a kindness so good it’s hard to describe. All of their support tanks, shorts, and maternity wear offer the same support, and their Maternity Cami slip even has cooling technology. Stop it blanqi, now you’re just showing off! The products in this brand go beyond pregnancy (see My Postpartum Musts blog post), including both postpartum and nursing wear. And, pro tip, a few times a year they will run a sale that’s ‘Buy 1 Get 1 Free’ and/or ‘50% off’ making it even easier to stock up.
knixwear eh
An incredible Canadian brand on an incredible journey to make the biological perks of being a woman that much more manageable in everyday life. Allow me to introduce you to Knixwear. They are responsible for designing some of the most stylish and functional leak-proof undergarments on the market, and their company mission statement could give a girl goosebumps.
We believe it’s time that all women lived totally, unapologetically free. Free from judgement. Free from self-doubt. And free to be yourself.
That’s why every intimates product that we design (and redesign and redesign) is made with one goal in mind: to make you feel more comfortable in your own skin.
Incase no one told you, another interesting side effect of having all those pregnancy hormones surging through you body is… excess discharge. Fun, right? And I may be wrong but I don’t think there are a lot of women out there excited to start their return-to-the-pad any earlier then they have to. Leak-proof underwear are the perfect solution. They come in a variety of prints and cuts, and they even have thongs! They also have an entire collection devoted to postpartum * sigh *. My personal favourite were the leak-proof nursing pads. I wore these to a wedding where I was a bridesmaid with an overactive milk supply and my not-quite three month old baby was a flower girl. I carried her down the aisle and held her against my chest for the most intimate, let-down inducing ceremony one can imagine. If I’m not going to leak through my dress then, trust me when I tell you that these are the real deal.
making me pink blush over here
I’ve been a fan of Pink Blush since long before I was pregnant. They sell both maternity and non-maternity wear, and even offer plus size sections for both categories. They also have items dedicated to both petite and tall body types. Newsflash world, women’s bodies are incredibly unique! It can be hard enough to shop on a self-proclaimed “good day” let alone when you throw a fetus fanny pack into the mix. So, it’s amazing to see a company recognizing that. Pink Blush maternity made up a good chunk of my pregnancy wardrobe, because they sell everything an ever-expanding woman could need. Pyjamas, work wear, swimwear, flowy dresses... you name it and they sell it. Plus their selection is HUGE. As of this post they have 21 pages of just dresses! They have gorgeous options for your baby shower, and the styles vary a lot (consider it like an online Winners). Another huge perk, is that they always have some kind of promotion going on. It’s almost impossible to not get at least 20% off your order. And shipping is FAST. I have even ordered a few crossover items (relaxed fit, bump friendly, non-maternity wear) since giving birth. FYI those items came in extremely handy when trying to dress my postpartum abdominal saddlebags. A few of my favourites include:
Ivory Striped Pyjamas - soooo comfortable and sign me up for anything with pockets
Cami Maxi Dresses - I actually bought this in a few colours because it was so comfortable, and they are always re-releasing it in new colours and patterns (like that neon pink that just dropped and is calling my name)
Sleeveless Ribbed Dresses - I also purchase a few of these, the ribbing was perfect for hiding any little figure imperfections. I really loved the midi-length styles like this one here
Sleep Dress - I brought this with me to the hospital and wore it under my robe after delivery. I also proceeded to wear it every night after because it was so soft and comfortable, and the spaghetti straps made it easy to slide a boob out in the middle of the night (to nurse… obviously)
Vacay Top - a little something fun, I love a graphic tee and they’re not easy to find in maternity
