How to Style Your Bump

The good news is you can still look fabulous at every point in your pregnancy (even if you don’t feel it). …without sacrificing comfort!

It feels like there has been quite a bit of baby fever going around. With friends’ pregnancy news, influencers putting together gorgeous (and comfy!) outfits and watching beautiful journeys to parenthood (how magical were @annstreetstudio photoshoots?), I wanted to put down some thoughts about maternity dressing.

At the start of my pregnancy, I browsed through many blogs and articles for maternity outfits inspiration (and created a Pinterest board of course). I discovered that many women I turned to for ideas did not shop for maternity-specific pieces but rather experimented with their regular pieces.

I am a firm believer in making my wardrobe work for a variety of situations and occasions, and that approach seemed great. Pregnancy was another style challenge I was up for! When thinking back to my style choices during pregnancy, I found it helpful to break it down into trimesters.

First trimester – Disguise the bloat

While you might not be showing, there is a chance that you are not feeling all that great. Morning sickness, new aches and pains, and a crazy sense of fatigue are the new normal.

You also have to get used to a different pace of things and your changing body. You might find that your breasts have gotten bigger and you have to do some emergency underwear shopping (me!), or you can’t be bothered dealing with high-maintenance outfits, so crease-free, fuss-free basics have to come to the rescue (also me!).

At this stage, you can make your regular wardrobe pieces work, but opt for those that make you feel comfortable. Your body has enough to contend with that chances are the last thing you feel like is squishing yourself into restrictive tops or diggy-in (new term!) pants that drive you crazy long before 5pm.

Wrap dresses could be in heavy rotation at this time, particularly during sticky summer! The good news is, you can continue to wear these throughout your pregnancy, especially if you opt for styles that can tie above your bump and have some stretch.

Second trimester – hello maternity jeans

You typically feel better (not always!), and your bump is starting to show. It’s such an exciting time. You have probably shared the news with your friends and family at this point and have a lot of plans for this next chapter. I found myself reading stacks of books on pregnancy, baby’s first month, breastfeeding and many more. You might be designing the nursery and be wrapped up in all the things it entails.

This is a great time to invest in a pair of maternity jeans. Your regular jeans will feel stiff and uncomfortable, whereas maternity ones have an internal elastic tummy band that can be adjusted as your belly grows.

Buy a few flowy tops from your favourite brands: you could make them work post pregnancy by wearing them tucked in or with a belt to cinch in the waist.

Additionally, recovery shorts can help with pregnancy back pain but have the added bonus of acting a bit like shapewear under your everyday looks. Mine were by SRC, but there are other brands out there. SRC shorts are also great post pregnancy to help your body get back in shape, especially if you have a C-section.

Third trimester – Show off the bump

Your maternity pieces are in full rotation by this stage. Invest in t-shirts that can stretch over your bump, some roomy tanks and a blazer that has some movement or stretch in the fabric.

Your pregnancy tees can be worn tied up to get longevity out of them post-pregnancy. If you have to dress for a corporate job, a bodycon dress or a maternity skirt paired with a blazer would serve you well.

Pregnancy is one of the only times I confidently embraced tight fitting tops and dresses. Usually I dress to cleverly disguise my lumps and bumps, but during pregnancy the goal is to highlight the bump, especially in the third trimester.

I found that no matter how prepared you think you are, there will still be things during your pregnancy that you didn’t expect – that’s life. I hope these tips for maternity style will help you make one area of your pregnancy easier and stress free.

Main image credit: https://fustany.com/