Maternity Wardrobe Basics

I recently talked to some gorgeous pregnant friends of mine and they are feeling frustrated with how their clothes keep getting tighter and nothing is comfortable. It breaks my heart to see beautiful pregnant women feeling bummed out about their glowing beautiful bodies that are hard at work creating little humans! My “style philosophy” has ALWAYS been comfort first! In my opinion, it’s impossible to feel cute if you’re uncomfortable. My mid-section has always been a trouble spot for me, so perhaps I have the advantage of years of experience with trying to be comfortable and look cute with the thick middle. (I used to think that I had to choose between comfort and style, but I’ve learned there’s a way to have BOTH!) My weight has always fluctuated and I value comfort, so when it comes to maternity options I already own a wardrobe that includes many stretchy items. However, if this isn’t the case for you, you can purchase some staples for maternity outfits. Guess what?! The best part is that these clothes will still fit your post-partum bod, and wherever you land after that ;-)

When you are comfortable and think that you look good, then you feel good, too! The biggest thing that I try to remember is that cute outfits don’t just happen on their own (at least for me they don’t). Cute outfits, maternity or otherwise, do require some advance planning! It takes effort to figure out what you have, what looks good together, etc.

If you already have a style that you love, you can easily translate that into maternity wear!

1. If you didn't experience the miracle of needing a larger cup size and instead have gotten bigger in all the wrong places as I have, you can use these amazing bra extenders to continue to wear all of your regular bras! Since new bras are at least $50 a pop, this a major money-saver.
2. There are some items in my closet that I rarely wear because they are too "booby" for my comfort-level. Some outfits that were flattering before may become less so with increasing cleavage during pregnancy. In addition to being SUPER comfy, the Genie Bras do a beautiful job of covering plunging necklines and making sundresses work-appropriate. 
3. As my friend pointed out, "chub rub" is never fun! These shorts are the perfect solution to wear under any dress to eliminate chafing and wick sweat in the hot summer months!
4. A couple of maternity tanks can extend the life of MANY shirts! Shirts that are creeping up a tad too short are quickly redeemable with a long tank. Personally I'm not a fan of the bellybands because they create a line under the shirt and never seemed to stay put for me. Plus, I still like a long tank even if I'm wearing pants with a full-panel and that doesn't seem to work with a bellyband. 
5. I love the full-panel, that's what's most comfortable and offers the best fit for me. One pair of jeans is probably all I needed, but I did get a pair of cropped jeans for the summer, as well. 
6. One pair of full-panel slacks is more than enough- I can pair them with many of my regular work shirts for a professional and comfortable outfit. Of course I'm sure maternity shirts will become essential, but for now they aren't!
7. I never used to wear dresses much, but now they are my primary go-to! Dresses fit so easily, look nice, and are quite comfy. What's great about dresses is that you can choose to hide or show off your baby bump! Select a dark solid color with a flowy style to minimize your baby bump OR choose a bright color, light color, and/or pattern with a more fitted style to show it off!
8. COMFY flats with some support are essential! These Earth shoes are a bit spendy, but it's SO worth it to have something that doesn't hurt your feet or your back and will LAST a long time.