I’m sharing my staple maternity clothing items as well as my best tips for purchasing maternity clothes!
I wasn’t sponsored by any brand or company to write this post. I purchased all of my maternity clothes myself. Aside from basic affiliate commissions, I don’t receive any compensation for your purchases.
I know that maternity clothes are a touchy subject. Some women don’t want to buy any maternity clothes while other women buy every maternity item imaginable. I do think that it’s worth investing in a handful of staples you’ll feel comfortable wearing every day and buying anything you’ll need for special occasions.
I waited to write this post until I was six months postpartum so that I could discuss which maternity clothes I wore during the postpartum transition.
Before I share my specific recommendations, I want to share a few key factors that influenced my purchases.
I did not have a shoestring budget for maternity clothes.
I got pregnant with Annie while Jake was seven years into his post-residency job, and I was two years into making full-time income from blogging. If I’d gotten pregnant during his medical school or residency, I would have been on a much tighter budget and tried to get as much as I could secondhand, through donations from friends, and on clearance. I bought what I wanted but focused on buying essentials and not getting a ton of pieces.
Aside from a wedding, in which I was a guest, I wasn’t shopping for any specific occasions.
For the vast majority of my pregnancy, I needed casual clothes that I could wear out and about with the kids and working from home as well as a few pieces that I could wear for church. I didn’t need work clothes or anything too fancy.
We attended one wedding during my second trimester. I ended up wearing one of the Smallshow dresses and shrugs linked below with shoes that I already owned. I did end up buying new tights because I needed them, not because I needed a different size.
I didn’t need warm coats for most of the second and all of the third trimester.
I was able to wear my regular peacoat and parka during the first trimester and first half of the second trimester. By the time my peacoat got too tight, it was warm enough that I didn’t need it until I wasn’t pregnant anymore. I had Annie in August, so I didn’t need a heavy coat during the third trimester.
I wanted lots of items with a low waist fit.
As a life-long acid reflux sufferer, low-waisted pants, shorts, and underwear are my best friends. I avoid anything with a high waist or that ties right around the mid-section. There are tons of pregnancy clothing items that are designed to fit all the way over the bump. For many women, this type of fit is completely fine. For me, it’s really not. You shouldn’t feel limited to these options if an over-the-bump fit won’t be a problem for you.
I was able to keep wearing regular shoes, pajama pants, leggings, tights, and cardigans for the entire pregnancy.
Some women are able to keep wearing lots of their own clothing through pregnancy and postpartum while other women have nothing that fits for months. I’m very fortunate that my feet didn’t swell or change size and that my regular stretchy pants and tights and my cardigans fit through the end of my pregnancy. So these weren’t items that I purchased.
I didn’t purchase maternity clothes with breastfeeding in mind.
Mostly I wasn’t thinking about breastfeeding when shopping for maternity clothes because it was brand new territory for me. Also, if I’m being 100% honest, after everything we’ve been through, I never thought I’d make it that far. If you are planning to breastfeed, I encourage you to look for more pieces that will serve double duty than I did.
The one top and one dress that I bought through Stitch Fix were breastfeeding-friendly, and I wore them a ton the first few months postpartum. All of the Smallshow maternity t-shirts and long-sleeved shirts are very stretchy and worked well for breastfeeding, too.
My final piece of advice for buying maternity clothes is to buy items that fit your current style. It’s hard enough to feel comfortable during pregnancy. Don’t try to reinvent yourself.
T-shirts
The t-shirts that I wore by far the most during pregnancy were from Smallshow. They offer a wide range of colors and patterns. The ruching/stretch is perfect. I had about six of the Smallshow t-shirts and rotated through all of them every single week from April through October. They held up well through repeated washings and general summer wear and tear with warm temperatures.
Long-sleeved shirts
By far, two of my favorite maternity items are the GINKANA long-sleeve tops. The button detail makes me so happy. All of my Smallshow shirts and dresses have scoop necks, so the V-neck was nice, too. I only bought two, as I couldn’t justify more than that, but I love so many of the other colors. The GINKANA tops were awesome for the postpartum transition into fall weather. I love these tops and don’t plan to get rid of them any time soon.
I also bought a few of the Smallshow long-sleeved shirts, which are exactly the same as the t-shirts but with long sleeves. They’re lightweight and easy to layer with jackets and cardigans on cold days.
Sweatshirt
I bought one maternity sweatshirt, also from GINKANA. It’s exactly what you’d expect from this type of sweatshirt – comfortable and cozy with lots of stretch. Again, the colors and patterns are so good. The GINKANA sweatshirt was another item that was perfect for the postpartum transition to fall weather. If you’ll be second and third trimester pregnant through winter, I would buy at least one more sweatshirt. I’m keeping this sweatshirt for the foreseeable future.
Tank tops
I bought a few solid color AMPOSH tank tops. Typically, I wear this style of tank top under all of my shirts. I’m not sure exactly when I quit wearing tank tops under shirts during my pregnancy. But I definitely had by the third trimester. Then I breastfed for the first few postpartum months. The tank tops I bought weren’t nursing tanks, so I didn’t wear them under shirts then either. I did wear the tanks under cardigans or by themselves in the spring and summer.
I also bought one dressier Xpenyo black and white striped tank top. I’m a sucker for all things stripes and love this design so much. The fit is very comfortable.
Jeans
I had three pairs of the Signature by Levi Strauss and Co. – two dark washes and one light wash. I wore them a lot during the second trimester and then during the first couple of months postpartum. Typically, I buy short jeans (as opposed to regular or long), and I did have to cuff these jeans.
Shorts
I bought a couple of pairs of Signature by Levi Strauss and Co. jean shorts and a couple of pairs of fitglam athletic shorts. I wish that the jeans I got had the same waist as the jean shorts. It was much more comfortable through the end of pregnancy. I wish that the jean shorts were a little longer but otherwise loved the fit.
I ended up wearing the athletic shorts the most under dresses. My regular tights fit through my whole pregnancy. But the shorts were preferable during the hottest days of the summer.
Underwear
I cannot say enough good things about the Intimate Portal maternity underwear. As a lifelong acid reflux sufferer who is always looking for low-waisted clothing, the split waist of the Intimate Portal underwear is a dream. I know that maternity underwear seems like a really extra purchase, but you won’t regret it. I bought two sets of six and wore them almost exclusively through the majority of my pregnancy and first postpartum months. I still have them in my regular rotation.
Leggings
I was able to keep wearing my regular leggings during my pregnancy. But I don’t wear leggings very often, and the pairs that I did own were already old. I also wasn’t able to wear my maternity jeans during the final months of my pregnancy and wanted another pair of pants in rotation.
I love that the ODODOS leggings have the same cross waist or split waist as the underwear that I linked above. If you’re in the market for leggings that you can wear during pregnancy and keep wearing afterward, it’s a great option. As of publishing this post, the exact pair that I bought is currently unavailable. But you’ll find similar leggings with the cross waist or split waist in the ODODOS Amazon store.
Bras
I only wore the Momanda underwire bras during my pregnancy. They’re very similar to the bras I wear normally and offer a ton of support. They’re functional for breastfeeding but not amazing. I feel like the better the bra is for breastfeeding, the less support it offers. You have to be honest about what works best for you and your baby/babies. Per the standard advice for pregnant ladies, I bought bras that were one number size and one letter size higher than my normal size, which was a good fit for me.
Nightgowns/nightshirts
I bought three of the Ekouaer nursing nightgowns and wore them almost exclusively through the second and third trimesters and the first few postpartum months. They are so roomy and remained comfortable right through the end of my pregnancy. As I wore these nightgowns while I labored at home (you can see a picture of one of them in Annie’s birth story post) and during my first few days postpartum, I was ready for a break from them when I was able to wear something else. But I love these nightgowns and still have them in rotation.
Dresses
By far, my favorite maternity clothing item was the Kaileigh dress that I got through Stitch Fix. I only bought two maternity Stitch Fix pieces (the other item was a short-sleeved floral top). But I loved both of them so much. I wore the dress extensively through the second and third trimesters and first few months postpartum. It was so comfortable but also dressy and was fantastic for nursing.
I also bought a few Smallshow dresses, which are essentially long t-shirts. I wore them quite a bit through the second and third trimesters and still have them in rotation.
Shrugs
As the Smallshow dresses aren’t the fanciest, I bought a few of the Allegra K shrugs. They are so simple and add so much to numerous outfits. I wore one to the wedding we attended in the spring and had them in rotation for church all spring and summer.
Swimsuit
Finally, I bought a Summer Mae swimsuit for our annual Wisconsin Dells vacation. Personally, I like one-piece swimsuits, especially with my kids. I also find the whole concept of buying all swimsuits in two separate pieces to be overwhelming. I’m glad that I did buy a maternity swimsuit and loved the fit of this suit.
[Disclaimer: There are a few affiliate links in this post. Thanks for your support!]
Did you buy any of the clothes from my favorite maternity clothes post?
I’d love to hear about the items that you’re loving! Tag your images #RoseClearfield on Instagram or Twitter or post a photo to my Facebook page.
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