6 Tips for Stocking your Maternity Wardrobe
Updating your wardrobe to accommodate your ballooning bump is an exciting part of your pregnancy journey. But don’t get carried away – you are likely to splash money on several unusable pieces if you don’t consider how they will fit into your new lifestyle.
Here are six tips to consider before you hit the stores:
1. Cotton, cotton, cotton:
Select items that are 100 per cent cotton, including your underwear. Cotton is natural fabric, so it has several advantages. Cotton will stretch and wrap around your growing bump, which means you can wear cotton items throughout your pregnancy. Cotton is gentle to your skin. And most importantly, cotton allows your body to breath. Your body will overheat as the pregnancy progresses. Private summer,they call it. Fabrics like polyester, nylon and wool retain heat, cotton doesn’t. The beauty about cotton is that a single layer will keep you cool during hot days, and multiple layers will keep you warm during cold days.
2. Forget the lumpy sweaters, woollen scarves and trench coats:
You won’t need them. You will overheat as the pregnancy progresses because of an increase in your metabolic rate and blood flow – half the time you will be wondering how to cool off, not get warmer. Instead, chose throw-ons in a single layer of cotton, crocheted kimonos, ponchos or kikoys. Add some fun by having them in bright colours that contrast your other ‘base’ items.
3. Choose dresses over tights and maternity pants:
This is a personal preference because I was prone to UTIs before my pregnancy. One of the reasons was because I was constantly in well-fitting jeans. So I chose to dress my bump in dresses instead of tights and maternity pants. Dresses also meant that cool air flowed easily up and around my belly, and the unwelcome pregnancy odour didn’t have a chance to brew. For some women, the pouch in maternity pants offers great support to their bump, especially during the third trimester. Get your pants and tights in your regular pre-pregnancy size.
Read more: 6 Sexy ways to reinvent your Pregnant Body
4. Opt for slip-ons and thongs over strappy sandals with sling-backs:
When choosing sandals, avoid the strappy ones. Go instead for a simple sandal that comes as a flip flop or slip-on. Strappy sandals are definitely dressier and make your feet look sexier (especially when you’ve coloured your toes in wild shade of neon blue). They also offer great support to your feet when you are walking. But on the flip side, strappy sandals become impractical as your pregnancy progresses. Second and third trimester means a ballooning belly and swollen ankles – you won’t be able to bend to strap up your sandals. Neither will they comfortably fit around your ankles. Slip-ons and flip flops will easily and comfortably take you through your pregnancy without breaking a sweat. Also chose thick straps over thin ones as they will handle the weight of your foot during your pregnancy.
5. It’s never too early to buy maternity bras:
Sometime during your second trimester, your breasts will move into the Double D category. Your regular bras will be too snug. It’s not too early to start investing in some good quality maternity bras. They aren’t as unsexy as you imagine. And they will transition you from pregnancy into motherhood/pregnancy. Buying bras in a bigger size is also an option, but they’ll get in your way later when you are breastfeeding. Sports bras work just as well as maternity bras, consider this option.
6. Lastly, don’t buy too much:
Pregnancy teaches you that you can make do with a few items of each: a few dresses, a few tights, a few throw-ons, a few pairs of sandals. Even one black bra can take you through your pregnancy. (OK, maybe two, not one.) As long as they fit comfortably and make you feel good, you may as well wear them more often than you normally would any wardrobe item. The trick is to mix and match. Most of these items won’t be usable once you give birth, what with resting going back into form and breastfeeding.
