From Workwear to Loungewear

When I think of maternity clothes, I often think of bows, big flowy blouses, more bows, and unflattering sweat suits. But as someone who has scoured the internet desperate for maternity clothes that in any way resemble my “normal” attire a whopping three times, I can assure you, it doesn’t have to be that way. I am happy to report that you can, indeed, make it to 40 weeks without having to dress like a centerpiece.

This time around, I, like most pandemic-dwellers, am spending the majority of my time at home, so I have focused my purchases on more cozy, affordable items from places like Old Navy, and H&M, but I also invested in some higher-quality, wear-them-every-day-type pieces from higher-end shops.

Below, I’ll break down some of the items I have purchased and loved, for this pregnancy, and previous ones. I also included a section at the end of this post about other items that are far from high fashion, but were crucial to keeping me comfy, and in tip-top shape, especially late into the third trimester.

The Only Non-Maternity, Maternity Leggings You Will Ever Need

Let’s cut to the chase: They’re called the Lululemon Align Pant, and I wear them EVERY, SINGLE DAY. My current routine is to wear one pair in the AM for my workout and the park, come home, shower, and swap ’em out for another, clean pair to wear while chasing the kiddos around for the rest of the day.

I own both the 28 inch (ankle length) and 25 inch (crop), and wear both of them often. Lately, however, I’ve been enjoying the longer fit, as I have some pesky vericose veins in the ankle region and I like the tiny bit of compression I get from the longer fit.

While these pants are not maternity, they are very, very stretchy, and have comfortably accommodated my growing belly throughout all 3 pregnancies – all the way to 40+ weeks with my 9.5 pounder! AND, these pants are such high-quality that despite wearing them every day while super pregnant, they shrunk right back down to their regular size after I gave birth, and also continued to serve me well as the coziest, high-waisted post-partum leggings.

Honestly, I am constantly shouting my love for these leggings from the rooftops. They are pricy, but they will last through every phase and stage of motherhood and are undoubtedly worth the investment.

You can buy them via the link below. Seriously. Do it.

Jeans

I have bought a lot of bad maternity jeans. And one pair of good ones. These Madewell over-the-belly maternity jeans are on the expensive side ($138), but they honestly fit and look just like my most-loved non-maternity jeans, and I will definitely continue to wear them long into the post-partum period.

Loft Maternity

When I was working, I bought all of my maternity clothes from Loft. They have really great blouses, dresses, sweaters, etc. that are perfect for the office, the classroom, or a casual night out. They’re great quality, and many of my Loft items held up for four years, and throughout three pregnancies. I’ve linked a few of my favorites below, but they rotate their selection often, so it’s worth checking the website as well.

H&M Maternity

H&M Maternity makes my favorite non-legging maternity pants – the mama treggings. When I was pregnant with my first two kids, I wore these stretchy black pants (the perfect jeans-legging hybrid) basically every day to work, and during most winter weekend outings. They are super cozy, slim-fitting, and versatile. They can be paired with a fancy top for dressier occasions, or worn with a t-shirt and cardigan for a more casual outing. I ended up buying two pairs (sized 6 and 8) to accommodate my weight gain and enormous belly towards the end of both pregnancies. I also wore, and continued to love, these pants during the first few months postpartum.

I also own and love the mama joggers (they’re my go-to weekend pant and I plan on either wearing or bringing them to the hospital for post-delivery), and wore the mama slacks often when I was still working, but not as much at home.

Gap Maternity

Gap has great maternity sleepwear, loungewear, and basic sweatshirts that have been perfect for a pandemic pregnancy. A lot of these items will also be great for the postpartum period, when its comfort or nothing at all.

Old Navy Maternity (and baby)

Old Navy is great because they have a LOT of options, and great maternity basics. Their kids’ clothes are also adorable, so you can throw some baby stuff in the cart while you’re at it. I have a black bodycon maternity dress from Old Navy that I wear with a cardigan pretty much any time I want to look “put together.” I also love their basic maternity t’s, and oversized (non-maternity) sweatshirts. I’ve bought a few maternity coats from Old Navy as well, as I appreciate that I don’t have to shell out an arm and a leg for a coat I know I will only wear for one season. Linked a few of these faves, as well as some items I ordered for the new little man.

Side note: When it comes to baby clothes, never buy white, the jammies should always ZIP and have FEET, and when the inevitable poop stain does happen, a good rinse and an hour in the sun will get it right out.

Nordstrom

I got many of my favorite maternity dresses and cardigans (a cardigan never needs to be “maternity,” so don’t fall for that one) from Nordstrom. The dress in the image below is what I plan to wear for my final maternity pics towards the end of this pregnancy. I’ve also gone to Nordstrom at the end of each pregnancy to get fitted for nursing bras. If this is your first baby, I can’t recommend doing that enough (even in a pandemic). Having a comfortable, and well-fitting nursing bra is crucial postpartum, and with how much your boobs (and ribcage) change during pregnancy and postpartum, this can be hard to do on your own. (You can also get this kind of fitting done at Motherhood Maternity or A Pea in the Pod). Nordstrom online also usually sells all the other “pregnancy accessories” you might need, like bellybands and compression socks. I’ve linked the dress pictured, as well as a few other things I’ve purchased from Nordstrom during this pregnancy, below.

Maternity-Specific Brands

I also purchased a few items from maternity-specific shops like Pink Blush and Storq. I have really enjoyed the maternity overalls from Storq in particular, as they are adjustable enough to fit (and fit well) throughout an entire pregnancy. Pink Blush also has a ton of cute (more fashion-forward) maternity items, and while many of them skew a little too feminine for me, I have purchased three of my favorite maternity sweaters there.

Amazon

Ok, so I know that this maybe isn’t the most responsible place to shop, but sometimes you need something, and need it quick, and a few of the staples I’ve bought on Amazon lately have actually been pretty crucial parts of my maternity wardrobe.

Firstly, I have three of this t-shirt. Two white ones, and one black one. And I have two more of a size up in my cart right now because I’m finally (at 31 weeks) growing out of the OGs. I love these shirts because they were loose-fitting enough to conceal the first trimester bump, but long enough to continue to cover my belly well into the third trimester. I have been wearing a small, and will be ordering the medium as well.

I have also bought a few other maternity shirts, including this short-sleeved striped tee, and this long-sleeved striped tee, that helped me get to 30 weeks, but most will need to be sized up in the near future.

Socks, Belts & the Practical Stuff.

1. Belly Support Belt: I have this cheap version from Amazon, as well as the more expensive one from Belly Bandit, and, honestly, they’re both pretty similar. Starting around 28 weeks with baby #3, I have had to wear this when walking and working out. I have had symphysis pubis dysfunction with all three kids, and a belly belt is really the only thing that quite literally holds me together…
2. Compression socks: I’ve tried a LOT of brands of compression socks, and the best, by far, are Comrad Compression Socks. I am not sponsored by them. They don’t know I’m writing about them. I just really love them. These have dramatically improved my night-time sleep (they help combat the good ol’ restless leg syndrome), and have helped relieve some of the pain from my varicose veins.
3. Delivery and Postpartum Robe: With my first, I used the hospital robe. With my second, I made sure I had a better robe of my own. After giving birth, things move around a LOT, and it’s nice to have something loose and breast-feeding friendly at the ready. This time around, I purchased this Parachute cotton robe–it looks like the coziest thing in the world, and will serve me well long after baby is born.
4. Hospital Shoes: Hospitals are gross. Hospital bathrooms are even grosser (They’re actually not–they sanitize the F out of those things, they just feel gross). And after you’ve had a baby, there are a lot of extra fluids that might somehow make their way onto your shoes when you’re in the bathroom at 1, 3, and 5 am. So, I highly recommend bringing shoes that you can wash (maybe even sanitize?) with you to the hospital. For me, that would be a trusty pair of crocs.

I hope you found some of these suggestions helpful, and, as always, thanks for reading friends!