5 Essential Wardrobe Pieces During Pregnancy

We are less than a week from Christmas!

Presents are wrapped, cookies are baked and I’m so ready for some relaxation by the Christmas tree.

I’m continuing to stay off holiday blog content this week as we are really down to the wire and I know a lot of you are “shopped out” or done with shopping.

If you aren’t, don’t worry!

I’m still updating the “Gifts Under $50” tab everyday and you can still find my “Holiday Gift Guide” tab at the top of my blog page if you still need gift ideas or last minute inspiration.

……………….

Moving on to today’s post which I’m SO excited about…why?!

Because when I first found out I was pregnant, I searched the web for essential pregnancy pieces to fill up my wardrobe and I was so disappointed on what I found. I wanted to continue to wear normal, non-maternity clothes but have basic maternity options for layering and I couldn’t find any type of post or articles online to help me with that.

What pieces did I need? What leggings were good? Should I buy a belly band and continue to wear my regular jeans?! Should I really buy $300 maternity Paige jeans?!

All these questions, not really a lot of answers.

Now I know that this post only relates to a small audience of women that are pregnant at the moment, BUT it’s my goal to share this information with the world wide web in hopes that it will be useful information for many months and years to come for all women everywhere whenever they do get pregnant.

Planning on getting pregnant at some point and find this post boring now?! Bookmark it. Trust me. You’ll want this information once you get pregnant!

So let’s jump into the essentials!

(Note: I’m currently almost 8 months pregnant and really have only bought a handful of maternity items, 90% of them being these essentials listed below. I’ve MAYBE purchased 1-2 extra maternity dresses and one other maternity top – that’s IT.)

1. \ LEGGINGS

Leggings are CRUCIAL. Why?! Because they are comfortable AND easy to dress up or down. Wear them with a comfy sweatshirt around the house or while you’re running errands OR wear them with over the knee boots and a sweater dress for dinner out with the girls. They are for sure more comfortable than jeans, but you want to make sure you get the right ones. I’ve LIVED in these ones since I was about 4 months pregnant (size small) and loved them because of the fact that they go over your bump. I also have these ones headed my way soon in the mail, so I’ll update the fit over on my Instagram page when they come. (I’m a size medium in all Spanx leggings). UPDATE: The Spanx mama leggings were INCREDIBLE! I wore them almost daily for the last 2 months of my pregnancy, even so much so, I invested in another pair. Worth every penny!

(Styling the leggings & the basic tee in this post here)

2. \ UNDER TANKS

So great for layering. Layer these under a blazer you already have in your closet, a cardigan, jacket or shorter sweater. No need to buy special maternity sweaters or jackets, just invest in these maternity tanks which are so much more affordable then buying new sweaters and jackets. They are only $10, stretch to fit your bump and come in all the basic colors you need. I’ve worn a size medium for almost my entire pregnancy and they still fit perfectly.

(Styling the tank & a pair of my main maternity jeans in this post here)

 

 

3. \ NURSING BRA

This was one thing I wasn’t too excited to invest in and honestly, I still wear some of my normal pre-pregnancy bras. With that being said, I know that when I have the babe in the next month or so that I’m going to have to completely make the switch since I’ll be attempting to breastfeed. I’ve bought two nursing bras so far – you can get them here – and I’m completely in love with them. They are comfortable, feel kind of like a sports bra and are super cute on. They do not have any padding, so if padding is what you are looking for, I would look else where, but for me, so far, I’m loving these ones. (If you read the reviews, they run big – I’m about a 34DD, ordered a size small and I feel like I’ll have plenty of room when my milk comes in).

4. \ BASIC TEE

If you’ve followed me on this maternity journey so far, you know that I can’t live without these long sleeve basic tees in my pregnancy wardrobe. Sure, they look like simple neutral long sleeve top, but trust me, they aren’t. They are flattering, stretchy, comfortable, long enough, the list goes on. I’ve found myself reaching for these tees over and over again throughout this entire pregnancy because they are literally the BEST layering piece. Just like the tank, you can wear them under jackets, blazers, vests or ponchos. If you are pregnant in the summer, they also have a short sleeve version here. (Get 15% off your order with code “ASHD15”).

(Styling the basic tee & my other favorite maternity jeans in this post here)

5. \ MATERNITY JEANS

Ok, now this was one of the things I was most concerned about when I became pregnant. I love my staple jeans and tee look so I knew that I would still want to style jeans even if I was pregnant. Let’s just say I was super shocked at how many options there were in the maternity jean department and when I found out that one of my all time favorite jean brands carried maternity, I was THRILLED. I’ve invested in two pairs of maternity jeans for this entire pregnancy, this skinny pair here & this destructed boyfriend style here. Both are under $100 and have been worth every penny. I got my pre-pregnancy size – I’ve always been a size 26 in jeans & I got my normal size 26 in both of these maternity jeans. Overall, I loved the fit and comfortability of the over the bump panel instead of jeans that went under the bump. But that’s totally up to you and your comfort level. There are so many options but from what I’ve learned, you really don’t need too many pairs!

(Styling the destructed boyfriend maternity jeans in this post here)

One last thing, if you are pregnant in the summer, you need to add this dress to your basic essential pregnancy wardrobe. Heck, you can wear it in the winter too with a moto jacket and over the knee boots! It’s SO good. (You can see how I styled it in this post here). The dress also comes in a long sleeve version for the fall/winter season that you can view HERE.

What have I discovered during this whole maternity process?!

You really don’t need to go and buy a whole new wardrobe once you find out you are pregnant. You really just need to stock up on some great basic essentials and then use what you already have in your closet to create some trendy, fashion forward looks.

Also, remember, accessories are your best friend. Change up your basic look with some fun new jewels, add a hat to create a different look, or throw on a scarf to switch up a basic tee.

Overall, don’t be overwhelmed about maternity fashion when you get pregnant. Have fun with it, layer it up, add accessories and stock up on basics.

You’ll look amazing no matter what stylish mama!