After all the excitement of finding out I was pregnant, a little bit of me was worried about how was I going to dress my changing shape. I feel bad actually saying that as I’m sure people believe that the little bundle of joy I will be getting at the end of the 40 weeks makes up for any doubts about my future Maternity fashion choices….but I really couldn’t help it.
With being a pear shape I am used to emphasizing my waist in my clothes, generally opting for skater style dresses, so I was back to the start figuring out what would suit me best and make me feel most confident (and comfortable)in maternity wear. A main factor in determining my pregnancy clothes choices was that I wasn’t crazy about showing off my baby bump ( a personal choice of course).
It was inevitable my shape and style would change and, even though I was never a fan of jeans, to my surprise each morning I was reaching for a pair of maternity jeans and teaming them with my favourite maternity top or a long cardigan.
I found this combination more flattering for my pear shape. The division between a pregnancy top and pregnancy jeans broke up my silhouette, a v-neck maternity jumper was also much more flattering on a growing bust size than a round neck. Layering was also a life saver for me, my body temperature was all over the place so being able to take off layers or put them on is essential.
It turns out I haven’t bought a huge amount of maternity clothes. I was lucky to fit into most of my normal clothes up until about 23 weeks but I also didn’t want to spend a fortune on maternity clothes that I wouldn’t be wearing for any longer than a few months. So I invested in a few maternity wear pieces which I interchanged to create different looks. Everything I bought I got online, I found, to my frustration, that stores have a really limited maternity clothes selection and a lot of the sizes were not available. What I’ve learned along the way, contrary to some advice I had be given, is to stick to your own size when buying pregnancy clothes. Some people just go up a size in normal clothes when shopping but maternity clothes are specially designed to accommodate your bump. You are still spending money on new clothes, that you probably won’t wear again, so you might as well purchase maternity clothes that are the best fit!
My Must have Maternity Clothes
- A pair of black and blue Maternity Jeans
- Maternity Bra (under wires are most definitely not your friend anymore!!) and support top (ps make sure you get measured properly for your nursing bra )
- Trainers or comfortable boots especially for the last few weeks
- Loose fitting vest top or over sized jumper (if you don’t like anything tight across your bump)
- One nice but affordable occasion Maternity dress
If you are not an online shopper and prefer to go to an actual Maternity Clothes Shop, Maternity and More, Dublin Street, Longford is a great place to start !