Back when I was pregnant with Lilly, I shared this blog post about my favorite maternity staples. It was warm weather season during my second and third trimesters with Lilly so I mostly wore dresses. The majority of this pregnancy is during the winter, so it’s been interesting to see how differently my style has been. These days the only types of clothes I feel like wearing are leggings, oversized sweaters, and dresses. It’s a little difficult to wear dresses in Ohio in January and February, especially when there is 16 inches of snow on the ground, but pants are just not comfortable for me right now!
In my blog post I wrote back in 2018, I focused on my favorite maternity staples. This blog post focuses on what styles I buy maternity and what styles I buy non-maternity.
Pants/Denim
Once I start showing, I switch to maternity pants. However, I’ve never loved maternity jeans. But I also can’t stand wearing my regular pants once that bump makes its appearance. I’ve tried so many different brands and this time around I finally settled on two pairs of treggings (leggings with pockets that look like jeans) from H&M. They are more comfortable than denim jeans and still appropriate to wear in public. I did find a great pair of white denim jeans on Amazon and so far they are fairly comfortable. My favorite places to buy maternity pants are Gap Maternity, Pink Blush Boutique (they have the best leggings), and H&M.
Dresses
When I’m shopping for dresses, I usually buy a mix of maternity and non-maternity styles. For maternity styles, I love to shop at Pink Blush. They just fit so perfectly. If I’m looking for a looser fit, I typically shop my normal stores (J.Crew Factory, Gap, Old Navy, Amazon, small businesses) and just go up one size. Once I’m done being pregnant, I plan on getting the non-maternity styles taken in to fit my post baby body.
Tees/Tops
For t-shirts, I tend to go for fitted, maternity styles. I love to shop Target, Gap Maternity, and Old Navy. For flowy blouses and tops, I do a mix of maternity and non-maternity. Again, I just size up if I’m wearing non-maternity.
Lounge wear/Pajamas
It feels like I’ve been living in lounge wear and pajamas. For these styles I do a mix of maternity and non-maternity. Things like sweatshirts and sweatpants, I just size up one size in non-maternity styles. But for items like nightgowns and pajama sets, I tend to purchase maternity. Many maternity styles can transition to nursing and that is a huge plus. I love to get my maternity nightgowns and pajama sets from Lake Pajamas or Pink Blush.
I’ve broken styles down into a list to better help you in your decision making and shopping.
Maternity
Brands: Gap Maternity, H&M Maternity, Old Navy, Pink Blush, and Target
Styles:
- Leggings
- Dress Pants
- Denim Jeans
- Shorts
- Fitted Dresses
- Fitted Tees
- Loungewear/Nightgowns
- Undergarments (bras and panties)
Non-Maternity
Brands: J.Crew Factory, Old Navy, Amazon, Target, Small Boutiques
Styles:
- Dresses
- Loungewear/Nightgowns
- Oversized tunics
- Oversized blouses
Some other maternity brands to check out:
I know this isn’t a crazy detailed list, but hopefully it provides some general direction if you are pregnant and not sure what and where to buy.
Slainte,
Shannon
A Dash of Solt 