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While my family is escaping the Florida heat by escaping to the mountains of NC with all of their beauty and unreliable internet access, the lovely and gloriously pregnant Katherine is here to share some maternity clothes wisdom…
Great Maternity Clothes that Aren’t (Actually Maternity) by katherinebowers
It’s topping out in the upper-90s here in western Mass (land of the few-and-far-between window A/C units), and as of this week I’m six months pregnant. My husband and I are graduate students having this baby, one Pip, on a shoestring budget. This gives me all authority to preach on the best bits of wisdom I’ve received about dressing for pregnancy without going broke.
Non-maternity clothes are often cheaper, and there’s certainly a wider selection. Plus, you’ll feel less lumpy wearing them post-baby as you grow back into your old clothes.
- Bra extenders. I needed to buy new bras around 18w (actually long before that, but I limped by in denial), and these would have helped. Then, when some of my new maternity bras began to grow snug around the rib cage, I finally bought some of these puppies. I can’t remember now who recommended these, or if it was merely the discovery of many long, oversnug evenings.
- Stretchy non-maternity skirts. Buy up a size or two from your pre-pregnancy size, and go for elastic waist (either the fold-over jersey kind popular right now, or cotton ones with waistbands generally reserved for toddler wear). This recommendation comes from elizabethjoyhooker and has been a lifesaver for the lava-like library where I work. If you choose the right cut (I’ve had success with knee-length-ish), you can slide the skirt above or below your belly as you grow — keep in mind this doesn’t work as well with maxi skirts, though they do save you shaving. I have this one, and have also found some nice ones on Old Navy clearance racks.
- Comfortable flats. I knew my calves were swelling a bit in the afternoons, but I didn’t even realize my feet had begun their descent into largeness until I switched to hiking boots, thanks to my summer uniform of moccasins. I stand and walk a fair bit for my job, and my ultra-comfortable moccasins haven’t sent impact jolts coursing through my shins and knees, but do adjust to accommodate my swelling feet. I have these.
Katherine Bowers blogs about her adventures with an outdoorsy husband and bouncy dog at shouting hallelujah and as a librarian-type at The Cardigan Librarian.
You might enjoy reading Katherine’s last guest post at Carrots: 10 Children’s Lit Titles on the Shelves of Downton Abbey Nursery.
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