Hi, everyone!
My name is Erin, and I am a health & wellness consultant, newspaper columnist, and the blogger behind The Grass Skirt. Over at my blog, I write about my daily life and how I stay healthy (while still eating doughnuts every now and then). My blog also includes recipes, lifestyle tips, and information about non-toxic beauty and home care products. Plus, I just got an adorable puppy named Lucy, and I'm expecting my first child (a baby boy) with my husband Michael in October!
Being pregnant has been the most exciting time of my life, and I've truly enjoyed every minute of it (even the heartburn, restless nights, morning sickness, and fatigue). In all honesty, it has become more enjoyable to shop for baby clothes than my own clothes, but even so, I still like to look cute while buying those diapers and onesies.
While I am not a fashion expert by any means, I have learned a bit about maternity style throughout the course of my pregnancy, and I thought I'd share some of my tips with you today.
Resist the urge to buy maternity clothes right away.
As soon as I saw that double pink line on my pregnancy test, I wanted to run right out and replace my entire wardrobe with maternity clothes. There were days when I really thought that I looked pregnant- even at just 6 weeks along- when I was actually just extremely bloated (one of the many unglamorous sides of pregnancy).
In fact, I remember wearing a pair of maternity shorts pretty early on while I was out shopping one day, and I didn't even come close to filling them out yet. I spent the entire day pulling my shorts up, and I'm pretty sure that I probably flashed a few strangers in the process.
Looking back, I would have enjoyed the extra time in my "normal" clothes because I miss them like crazy now!
Buy a little bit at a time.
Obviously, an expectant mother's size fluctuates throughout those nine months, and it is difficult to guess what size you'll be wearing in month nine when you're only at month three.
My advice is to fill your wardrobe as your belly fills out.
Know where to shop.
While you can certainly spend a fortune on designer maternity wear, many stores carry inexpensive (and stylish) maternity clothes. My favorite places to shop are Gap.com, Old Navy (not all store fronts carry maternity clothes, so I usually shop online), Motherhood Maternity (be sure to sign up for their mailing list in order to get sale notifications), and Target (I love their Liz Lange line). Some of these stores, such as Old Navy, even have outlet centers where you can find amazing deals!
Stock up on basic essentials.
Since I work from home, I'm pretty fortunate that I never had to worry about purchasing office appropriate attire. Even so, I'd suggest investing in just a few pairs of pants, shorts (if you're pregnant during the summertime of course), and skirts but lots of solid-colored shirts, tees, and blouses, so you can easily mix and match. It's always fun to throw a patterned dress or top into the mix too.
Oh- and I simply cannot forget to give a shout-out to the maxi dress. These have literally been a lifesaver during my pregnancy. They are stylish and super comfortable. You cannot beat that!
Spice up those basics with accessories.
Without some good statement pieces, I'd probably be bored to tears with my wardrobe by now. Chunky necklaces, earrings, rings, scarves, and hats are all great ways to make getting dressed more fun (especially toward the end of pregnancy when getting dressed starts to feel like a cardio workout).
I hope that you find this post to be helpful. If you have any tips to add, please share them in the comments!
Thanks so much, Erin for inviting me to do a guest post. I had fun!
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