Pictured above:
- For maternity: I love this crepe pencil dress with a shawl neckline and side pockets. It’s available in black and tomato for $85.74 at ASOS — lots of size options. ASOS Maternity Pencil Dress In Crepe With V Neck
- For working moms: Every season, Karen Kane comes out with new patterns and prints for this faux wrap/cascade dress, but the basics stay the same: it’s washable, affordable, and flattering on most. There are a ton of options right now at Bloomingdale’s, 6pm, Amazon, and Nordstrom; the pictured dress is on sale at Bloomie’s — was $128, now $83. Karen Kane Retro Print Cascade Wrap Dress
- For working moms: If you’re like me, you’re constantly switching bags — from a tote bag to a smaller shoulder bag to a diaper bag to a clutch for that rare date night — I’ve come to rely on tiny little bags to make my essentials easy to grab and go from one bag to the next. I’m loving this set from LeSportsac; it’s $48 at Amazon. LeSportsac 3 Piece Travel Set
- For everyone, part 1: Whether you’re pregnant, recovering, or just “over it” when it comes to uncomfortably high heels, I’m a fan of these low pumps from Stuart Weitzman — I think they’re more comfortable than flats. They’re a classic style, offered in tons of colors at Amazon, Zappos, and 6pm — the pictured pair are marked from $340 down to $187. Stuart Weitzman Poco
- For everyone, part 2: I was intrigued when readers at Corporette started recommending JAG pull-on jeans — weren’t they kind of like pajama jeans? I saw some marked down, though, and decided to try them out, figuring hey, I just had a baby, I can wear pull-on jeans if I want to. They’re comfortable, they hold their shape, and the waistband tends to stay high and comfy — I think they’d be a great option for other postpartum moms, for women early on in their pregnancy, or other folks who just want comfy jeans. The pictured jeans are $69, but note that Nordstrom has a ton of options in this line. Jag Jeans ‘Malia’ Slim Leg Stretch Jeans
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Famouscait says
What should I expect to be wearing in the weeks after birth while home on maternity leave? I’m due mid-November, so I’m actually shopping now for post-baby clothes. There is NO WAY I’m going to want to brave holiday crowds at that time of year (plus, I plan to be home with the baby, duh) but I want to be sure I have whatever clothes I’ll need. So far, I’m planning on leggings with some sort of t-shirt, which I can put a long open cardigan over if I need to be a little more presentable.
I always struggle with casual/weekend clothes, so it makes me feel better to think ahead on this one. Also, since I’ll be on maternity leave over Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays, I will be seeing a lot of family and friends, and I want to look marginally pulled together. I’ve read that immediately following birth, your body still appears about 6 months pregnant, so I’m buying with my current (5 month-ish) size in mind. Thoughts? Does this sound like a reasonable plan?
Meg Murry says
If you have a body type like your mom or aunts, ask them how they were postpartum – did they lose weight quickly, take a while, or lose it all but the tummy quickly, etc? Chances are if you have a body like them now, you will follow similar postpartum patterns.
Are you planning to b-feed? If so, my go to was nursing tanks, comfortable yoga type pants, and a cardigan/ or hoodie. For me, for the first 6-8 weeks postpartum for days at home life was much easier if I was always wearing something I was comfortable climbing in bed and sleeping in immediately (so I could follow the “sleep when baby sleeps” advice) and I would change every 12-24 hours without regard to whether it was bedtime, etc – basically, lots of yoga pants. Foldover skirts with leggings were comfy and looked a little bit more pulled together too. For some of my other mom friends, the idea of being in their “pajamas” all day didn’t work for them, and they made a more clear line of day clothes vs sleeping clothes.
For looking more pulled together, dresses with a deep v (faux-wrap style) paired with a short cami/stretchy bra I could pull up to nurse with worked (look at Target type places now for some of their maternity/nursing dresses), or skirts with an elastic waist, nursing tank and cardigan. I never bought specific nursing clothes other than nursing tanks.
ANP says
So — in the last month of my second pregnancy and for the first few month+ thereafter, I lived in black maternity yoga pants from the Gap. I then transitioned to a non-maternity version for the remainder of my leave. Both my babies were born in winter (so I was pregnant or postpartum right around the holidays) and these were great with a long tee + cardigan + statement necklace. My other uniform was leggings and a dress (if you’re BF’ing, then postpartum you want this to be v-neck or easily pulled down for baby access) or tunic with flat boots. Very forgiving.
Sizing is a little harder but not very as long as you’re going with elastic-waist, stretchy stuff. I was a solid medium, occasionally a large, before my first baby. After my second, I was firmly in the large camp after about two months postpartum. You could also try purchasing from places with awesome return policies (Lands End, and they have great casual clothes) and not washing the stuff until you have your baby and can assess the, um, damage.
Good luck!
Lyssa says
I had mine in December, and for the first few weeks, wore maternity yoga pants and drawstring pj pants almost exclusively (they started to feel a little gross after a while, though) for the first several weeks. You’ll need maternity for the first few weeks at least, then maybe down to a roomy pair of regular pants, particularly if they have give to them.
On top, I found cardigans worked best, since I was b-feeding, but cold. I’d usually wear a larger but not maternity cardi with a nursing tank. – you will get milk and spit up all over them, so make sure they’re not super nice.
Mostly, just get used to the idea that you’ll be wearing the same few things over and over again for several weeks. (This makes more sense while you’re still on a round the clock schedule – you’re not going to have the neat day/night divisions that you are accustomed to for a while.) I found I didn’t care as much as usual about what I was wearing around other people, if that helps – they understand! I even wore nice maternity yoga pants (the Gap ones are great) to visit my office the first time (to show off the baby, not to work). I did wear a nice maternity dress and leggings on Christmas (1 week pp).
Good luck!
Famouscait says
Thanks everyone – this is really useful. I love the idea of being able to roll into bed in whatever I’m already wearing, and the leggings/t-shirt combo I’ve got planned seems comfy for this. I’m not sure yet about b-feeding, so I’ve basically been buying 1) things I can easily return in 6 months and 2) things with either a V or low scoop-neck. I’m already shaped pretty differently from my mom and sister (who are both tall and lean; I’m petite and with more curve) so I’m not sure how similar their experiences would be for me size-wise post-postpartum. (I don’t know if this will hold, but I think I’m carrying weight pretty evenly across my body – I keep getting told I barely look preggers at all and am simply wearing one size up in “regular” clothes). One of the other benefits of buying clothes now (off-season) is that they’re all super cheap! I got 12 pieces off the clearance racks at Kohl’s for less than $70 total, so I’ll have no qualms about tossing them out afterwards!
Diana Barry says
+1, I wore maternity pants, nursing top, and a hoodie over. I wasn’t back into regular clothes for 3 months and then it was 2 or 3 sizes up from my regular size for another 6 months or so.
(former) preg 3L says
My baby was born in early February. In the cold February/March weather, I wore some fleece sweatpants (my aunt found them for me at TJMaxx), nursing tanks from target, and a zip up jacket. You’ll want some sort of cardigan/sweatshirt that has a zipper down the middle. If you plan to bfeed, you’ll probably live in a nursing tank + some sweatshirt over it. Buy light colored tops – baby spitup is white so if you have a black cardigan, it will quickly get stained/gross-looking. If you plan to pump, many nursing clothes won’t work quite right for pumping (because they only allow access to one side at a time), but regular nursing tanks are great. You’ll also probably sleep in nursing tanks & pants. I didn’t have patience for any of the cute button-down or snap-front night shirts. Here’s a link for nursing tanks: http://www.target.com/p/gilligan-o-malley-women-s-nursing-cotton-cami/-/A-12250744#prodSlot=large_1_7
(former) preg 3L says
Oh also make sure you have comfortable slippers/house shoes so you don’t have to put on real shoes. Maybe that’s just a personal thing, but I loved my slip on moccasins with a fuzzy inside (and found them at target for like $15). I also found it VERY useful to have pockets in whatever pants I was wearing, because I always wanted my phone with me to take photos of the baby! (and my hands were full with said baby!)
Lyssa says
Just a note on zippers – I started in a hoodie, but my baby seemed really bothered by the zipper rubbing against him, and it interfered with feeding. So I wound up switching to a cardi. I don’t know if that’s a common problem for newborns or not, but it might be an issue.
Anonymous says
Mine hated zippers too – I bought a ton of long washable cardigans (lots from old navy but some from splendid or three dots) on sale.
HM says
Soma pajama pants. A lot of them have pockets, which is invaluable for binkys, pump parts, phone, whatever you think you need, but no longer have hands to carry. And you can get super warm one that are great for the winter. They have enough stretch in them to be wearable after your body has returned to a more normal state.
I got this set for immediate post partum and loved it. Super soft for baby, comfy for me, and with a brightly colored tank underneath, I felt halfway presentable.
http://www.soma.com/store/browse/product.jsp?maxRec=104&pageId=3&productId=2570089914&viewAll=&prd=Embraceable+Scroll+Lace+Pajama+Wrap+Navybound&subCatId=cat40092&color=&fromSearch=true&inSeam=&posId=5&catId=cat4809276&cat=&onSale=true&colorFamily=&maxPg=7&size=
EB0220 says
Others have pretty much covered it, but I think that the combination of a nursing cami and cardigan or button-down is perfect for the early days. I usually wore maternity yoga pants on the bottom for comfort, but I am not a big fan of baggy sweatpants/pajama pants, etc.
Anon says
Buy enough yoga pants/nursing tanks/camis that you can make several wardrobe changes a day too! I sweated like a maniac for the first few weeks postpartum (it’s how you get rid of excess water weight, I guess) and it was so gross to get back in bed after a midnight feeding wearing drenched, spitty clothes. I also found that I was really cold postpartum and needed warm clothes, which was in direct contrast to my pregnancy clothes (while pregnant, I would turn on the AC in the car when it was -20 outside…poor husband). I love Target’s nursing camis because they are mostly cotton, so you don’t need to air dry them and they are soft.
Also note that you may need bigger shoes postpartum because your feet often swell. I couldn’t get into my sneakers until 3 months postpartum; I wore cheap ballet flats I bought at Payless and a pair of Crocs.
anon eagle says
Do you plan to breastfeed? You said you were going to be seeing friends and family– if so I recommend stocking up on nursing tanks and button up shirts. This way, you can unbutton your shirt a bit, unclip 1 side of your nursing tank and feed your baby discreetly. I feel uncomfortable if I have a t shirt that I have to pull up and expose my stomach and back. I like a Pea in the Pod nursing tanks because they provide more modesty. I have a very short torso and they run short on me. My favorite casual postpartum outfit is a navy blue/white gingham button up from JCrew Factory, navy blue nursing tank, and jeans. The navy top/jeans makes a column of color that makes me feel thinner. Also, depending on where/if you tear, you may not be able to wear jeans or anything with a hard seam for several weeks.
I feel so nervous posting! I am a long time lurker, but I am fearful of the grammar police. LOL. I’ve had 2 children in the last 14 months and I am back at work now. I feel like I could be a wise old oracle for this site.
anon eagle says
Dangit. This was for Famouscait.
anon eagle says
I have this Karen Kane wrap dress in 2 colors. I am currently wearing it and pumping with the Freemie pump as we speak. Fabulous. The dress is stretchy enough to accommodate the apparatus and I’m not shivering topless in my office. A+
Dhl says
Agree with all above – everything will be covered in milk and spit up, so comfort and washability are key. I lived in v neck cotton sweaters from old navy. Stock up on nursing pads if you’re planning to breastfeed, but wait to buy nursing bras until post baby, you don’t know how big your boobs will get. (I went to 34g from a c). Also recommend the Bellefit post partum girdle … I had my doubts and felt silly spending so much on a vanity item but I was back in my normal pants 3 weeks after a c-section and 9.5 lb baby.
Famouscait says
Gah…. that girdle looks so horribly uncomfortable, but I did watch a non-American friend wear something similar religiously after her first baby and she also got back in to shape very quickly. Apparently it was common practice in her native country/culture. Does anyone else have experience (positive of negative) with these?
Meg Murry says
I bought one but never wore it more than once or twice, and I suspect there are lots of other people like me, so you might be able to get a gently uses one off eBay or at a resale shop. Maybe I just wasn’t doing it right, but I couldn’t get remotely comfortable sitting in it – and bf requires a lot of sitting time. after a few weeks when some of the weight came off, I did feel more comfortable having something high waisted to hold in the extra jiggles and skin on my stomach. I used high waisted Assets (Target brand Spanx) in 1 size bigger than the size chart called for just for overall skimming/smoothing/ comfort.