One of the first things I did when I found out I was pregnant was to start checking the maternity racks at various department stores. The hubby went with me to help me try on some clothes but it was pretty much a failure. I picked up some maternity jeans and that's about it. I was still too small (about 8 weeks) to really fit anything these stores were offering.
I haven't really been back to any maternity stores until a couple of weeks ago. Mostly because my regular clothes are still fitting me. My pants have gotten a bit snug, but I usually just wear the maternity pants, which are kinda baggy on me still, or use a rubber band to keep my regular jeans fastened. Nice lil trick I learned from the sister in laws. Take one end of the band to put around the button, take the other end and slip it through the button hole, and then bring it back to wrap the other end around the button too. It's definitely been helping my jeans last a while.
I thought it might be nice to go back to the maternity sections to get a cute outfit for my baby shower, but the whole experience was just blah. First, there aren't as many maternity sections out there as you would think. But the clothing options are also pretty atrocious. Many women are already feeling very self conscious about their looks during pregnancy, and the clothing options for pregnant women doesn't really help any. Here are a couple of culprits below:
1. Tacky prints. I have seen way too many shirts that have the most gaudy prints on them, like pregnant women get knocked up and then go on a cheesy hawaiian vacation. As if the growing tummies don't get enough attention, we need clothes to just scream LOOK AT ME!!!!!
2. Loose clothing and ruffles. I am a firm believer that just because you are pregnant does not mean you have to dress in garbage bag clothing. Sometimes the most comfortable clothing is stuff that fits snuggly to your growing tummy, almost like its protecting/shielding you. Although I definitely opt for loose clothing for the sake of comfort, sometimes it makes me uncomfortable because it makes me look three times bigger than I actually am. And don't get my started on the ruffles. I think that just might be a personal preference though. I just can't stand the placement of them or how much ruffling they put on a shirt. It makes pregger ladies look like oversized ostriches.
3. Stripes. Now, it is general common sense in the non-preggo "fashion world" that stripes can make you look wider/bigger than you are. So it's interesting to see the large amount of striped shirts that are made for pregnant ladies. They can sometimes be pretty cute but sometimes they also make you look like a human sized bumble bee.
4. Prices. I personally think that one of the best shirts for pregnant women are empire waisted. They grow with your belly, are pretty comfy, and come in lots of fun/cute patterns. But one of the downfalls of maternity clothing is its price. This shirt below is pretty cute, but also costs 94 dollars. Like it isn't enough that your budget is suddenly gonna double due to all the baby expenses, maternity stores want to rip off vulnerable mommy-to-bes by making them spend a ridiculous amount of money on clothes that they will only wear for like 3 or 4 months. No gracias!!!!
So after making the rounds to Old Navy, Motherhood, JCPenney, Macys, and who knows where else, I found a nice top at KMart. And not in the maternity section either. See below.
It's a cute lil tunic, stretchy, dress made by Sofia Vergara (the hot latin lady on Modern Family). Turned out to be the cutest, most comfortable thing I tried on. A lot of her clothes were pretty comfy because she makes clothes for the more voluptuous/curvy women. But it was also comfy mainly because it was a tunic, so the long length will be useful as I get bigger, especially thanks to the stretchy material. The floral pattern wasn't too gaudy. It's colorful but still dark enough to help me "look smaller," if I were to care about that. And its nice to either wear casually or to go out. It was super cheap too! What was key is that I feel like this is an piece of clothing that I can STILL wear when I lose my pregnancy weight. And I think preggo women, especially those with a tight budget, really need to consider that when purchasing clothes. Don't be too hasty in buying clothes because you might fit into a lot of your clothing you already have in your closet. No need to get new clothes until you actually need them!
The most important thing to remember is that when you are pregnant, you are beautiful. No one is gonna think you're gross, and even if they did, they certainly wouldn't mention it to you. If they do, punch up in their baby makin parts. Getting bigger, especially when it is out of your control, can be really rough. And sometimes going clothes shopping just makes you feel worse about it. The important thing to keep in mind is it is not permanent. With healthy eating and some exercise you will lose that weight again. Also, you tend to lose a lot of weight when you breastfeed. So in this time of growth, remember that your belly is beautiful, clothes are dumb and superficial, and you have something so much wonderful to look forward to than crying in the middle of a department store because you feel like you look like a whale.
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