Dressing Your Bump

One of my most favorite indulgences in all the world, is a good outfit.

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However, when you're pregnant outfits like this become harder to pull off as the weeks go by.

Here are the two most common mistakes I made and noticed other pregnant women make when dressing their bump:

1.Wearing too loose of clothing. While most pregnant women want to disguise their bump, they commonly hide their whole body-arms, legs, etc. which makes them lose their figure all together and the distinctiveness of the baby bump. 

Solution: If you're not comfortable wearing form fitting bump couture, opt for something that is form fitting in the chest and arms or legs and loose in the stomach. 

2. Buying maternity clothes too quickly. (Oops, was guilty of this one!) While it may be easy to get overly excited about dressing your new shape! You likely won't need a new wardrobe in the first trimester. You'll first notice a snugness in your pants. You can extend the life of your regular pants, by investing in a belly band. Once that becomes uncomfortable, invest in a few pairs of maternity jeans (or shorts depending on season). Get some you really like, because these will be staples throughout your pregnancy. Buy too many clothes too early-you'll be sick of wearing them long before your pregnancy is over!

Solution: Shop your own closet! Start organizing your longer tops, tanks, tunics so you know what you have already. If you're pregnant in the warmer months, set aside maxis (ones that are shape friendly, see mistake #1) and longer skirts you may already have with a stretch waist band.

Now once you avoid these two mistakes, you can move on to dressing that cute new figure!

The First Trimester:

Although you may notice your belly starting to bow out towards the end, you likely won't have a full bump yet. Stick to wearing loose fitting tops, until your bump takes on a more distinct shape.

The Second Trimester:

Ah, the honeymoon trimester. This is likely when your bump will be at its cutest and you'll still feel like dressing it! 

Show off your bump by belting it...

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Wearing maxi's or dresses that are form fitting, so your shape is not lost.

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Embrace current trends. Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you can't wear the latest fad! Just make your sure your wardrobe is mostly staples, with a few trendy pieces too!

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Layering. Layers always make an outfit look more composed, just don't hide all your limbs under a huge mumu inspired frock.

Here's a great example of maternity layering, she's layered up top in fitted garments and is still showing off her legs.

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Third Trimester:

In the beginning of your third trimester, you can carry over a lot of the second trimester style tips. However, the bigger you get the more comfy you'll want to be. 

Opt for leggings, jeggings-basically anything that ends in "ings". Your growing belly will help your legs look like slim.

I love these blue jeggings I scored from Motherhood Maternity.

Embrace stretchy tops and tunics. If you're pregnant in the summer, you can wear basic long tees and tanks. In the winter, pair a cute long tee with a cardigan for a polished look. 

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And don't forget the footwear and accessories! With so many cute flat shoe choices, it's easy to jazz up a dull outfit with a pair of cheetah loafers or bold ballet flat. 

I hope these tips help you. When you're pregnant it's easy to envy all the girls who seem to have bagel waists, but embrace dressing your figure for the next few months! At 35 weeks pregnant, I find I feel a lot better about myself when I make the effort to put my best dressed foot forward. And yes, it's okay if you want to sit at home in your tights, UGGS and  husbands sweatshirt some days too!