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Here’s a simple, pretty maternity dress from Rosie Pope, with 5% spandex for a bit of stretch. We’re featuring the indigo floral pattern, but it’s also available in emerald and navy. It comes in sizes XS-XL and it’s machine washable, tumble dry. It’s $178 at Nordstrom. Rosie Pope ‘Audra’ Maternity Dress
Here’s a plus-size option.
(L-all)
Building a maternity wardrobe for work? Check out our page with more suggestions along both classic and trendy/seasonal lines.
Sales of note for 9.10.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Extra 40% off sale styles
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 40% off everything
- Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
Frozen Peach says
Happy Monday to those of us in the office today…sigh.
Weird Monday here. Some friends of ours are staying with us for a few days and just got in late last night. We used to live in the same city and hang out all the time, but them staying in our small house is definitely a new level of closeness in our friendship. So we spent the weekend on Project House, which now feels amazing– our guest room is all put together and shiny after months of being a half-finished project, and the rest of the house is clean and at least relatively tidy. But I need a weekend to recover from my weekend. Trying not to be incredibly resentful of those with workplaces that observe federal holidays.
H says
I need someone to come visit me to give me motivation to get my guest room in order! It currently serves as a dumping ground. But we never have guests so it’s not a priority,
Frozen Peach says
Yes! it’s been on my to-do list for like, a year. But these weren’t close friends who could care less about sharing space with my unfinished projects, so I was like NOW IS THE TIME.
FVNC says
Even weirder for me is that some of our company s i t es have a holiday today, and some don’t. So although I’m enjoying the relatively slow day, I’m definitely feeling a little resentful that I’m not enjoying a vacation day!
Anon says
Kat, wrong photo.
anon says
I can’t be the only one struggling with this, but I desperately need to get back into a fitness routine. I’m pretty good about being active when the weather is nice, but winter is rough and my mental/physical health is struggling. My problem is making time to actually do it, without it becoming a giant imposition on our family’s routine or taking time away from the kids. I know we’re not supposed to guilt trip ourselves about self-care, but whatever. I have only 2.5-3 hours with my kids on weekdays; the thought of reducing it further only stresses me out. So, seriously — how are other full-time working moms finding the time to do it? If I read one mom blog that tells me to fit in my gym time while my kid is at preschool, I’m going to scream. I know myself well enough to know that I’m not willing to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to go to the gym, which is what it would take to accomplish a morning workout. I’m already up at 5:20 every day and leave the house at 7:00.
Running Numbers says
The only way I workout is early and the only reason is because I have friends to meet. To be fair, I was in that routine even before my son was born but I had to train myself to do the early morning thing. I learned that I felt much better and my day would go much better if I ran in the morning, and that’s what I focus on even when I don’t want to get up. Many days, an hour of running will give me more energy than an hour of snoozing. It’s hard to give you any other tips without knowing if there’s something you can do to minimize the morning routine and/or go to bed earlier. I have to have everything I can ready the night before – clothes laid out for workout and work, meals prepped, etc.
anon says
My biggest issue with morning workouts is the logistics. My gym opens at 5 a.m. and is 15 minutes away from my house, so a quick 30-minute workout turns into an hour with travel time. By the time I get home, showered, and dressed, I’m already behind for the day. DH could wake up earlier to help get the kids ready but it makes the morning feel rushed and like a marathon for everyone. We already do a decent amount of prep the night before and are already pretty efficient, which is why I hesitate to switch it up too much.
I know, I know. Excuses. I’ve made several attempts at making this work over the years and I’ve never been able to stick with it longer than a month. I need to find something that is a better fit for my existing routine.
NewMomAnon says
You could skip the gym and just go running, or get an eliptical/treaadmill/exercise bike for home. That cuts half an hour from the workout. It’s probably not “as good” as what you were doing at the gym, but that’s the tradeoff.
Running Numbers says
I would absolutely never go to the gym if it was a 15 minute commute so I understand that! If you’re interested in running at all, particularly outside, you eliminate the commute and it’s an amazing way to wake up. There are few things I like more than leaving the house when it’s totally dark out and returning when the sun is rising. It feels very special to be outside for that in the morning. And there’s lots of ways to run safely in the dark: a multitude of lights and reflective gear, Road ID, friends, dog, etc.
anon says
I know you’re right. I have been running in spurts since the kiddos were born and really should make it more of a regular thing, simply because it requires almost no special equipment at all.
CPA Lady says
Well, for me, I don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And by that, I mean I exercise 1x per week because that’s what I can manage right now and it’s better than nothing. I leave work a little early the same day each week to take an hour long tennis lesson. Before I started private lessons I was doing a tennis meetup (I signed up through meetup dot com) that met once a week at 6:30 pm. So I’d leave work, pick up our kid, take her home, scarf down a light quick dinner, and then head back out to work out.
For the first two years of my daughter’s life I did absolutely nothing. Spending time with my friends is a much bigger priority to me and my mental health than working out, so I do that fairly frequently. I doubt I’ll ever have a “perfect” workout routine, but I like doing what I’m doing now.
NewMomAnon says
Second this – I didn’t have any workout routine for the first 2 years, and that was OK. A long walk with kiddo in the stroller or an occasional drop-in yoga class was the extent of it. Then I realized I could make a 45 minute window twice a week, then found another 45 minute window twice a week, and now I’m able to get in 4-6 “workouts” a week. I put that in air quotes because those sessions are not as intense or difficult as I used to think “exercise” should be; for a couple of those, I aim to not break a sweat so I don’t have to shower.
I’ve also found that exercise is not more for my mental health than my physical fitness. So a 25 minute jog with stretching afterward is fine.
NewMomAnon says
*now more for my mental health….apparently I need to run more
FTMinFL says
“I don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” x1 million yes!
I got pregnant with my first exactly 45 days after completing an ironman triathlon. To say that my perspective on what constituted a workout was skewed is quite the understatement! Once I got it through my head that a 15-20 minute HIIT session is definitely a workout, the frequency went way up. That said, I hear you 100% on not wanting to take additional time away from my husband or kids.
What is working for me now is lunchtime workouts using the Beachbody on Demand iphone app. Today I changed clothes and streamed a 25 minute HIIT workout including warm up and cool down in an inconspicuous place behind the parking garage at my office. We have showers at the office, but I often don’t get sweaty enough to even need to re-do my hair. It’s quick and it re-focuses me for the afternoon, plus the exposure to sunshine midday does wonders for my mood. Good luck finding something that works for you!
anon says
That’s a good idea, especially when it’s cold/windy/otherwise unpleasant outside.
H says
+1 I feel like even if I’m taking a walk (when I used to go to spin) at least it is better than sitting on the couch.
NewMomAnon says
Two thoughts:
1. Have you tried working out closer to the office? I know that I’m not going to leave the house again to go work out once I’m home at night.
2. If your job has any flexibility at all, consider borrowing from your workday instead of your time with the kids. I’ve found that my job is much more flexible than my daughter. I’ve been running in the morning after kiddo is dropped off at preschool, and getting into work an hour later. I do lunch at my desk then. But I have a ton of work flexibility (and I probably abuse the flexibility a bit).
Pogo says
I work out at lunch; we have a gym at the office and during nice weather I run. Yes, it eats up an hour of your workday. But I find I’m much more productive in the afternoons when I’ve worked out. I also tell myself (truthfully) that I almost never take lunches to actually go get lunch/be social like a lot of people do. It’s also part of our office culture; one of the senior directors blocks his lunch hour off every day to run, so I understand I’m really lucky in this regard – no one looks down on me for taking a lunch.
Caveat: don’t actually have a kiddo yet, but this is what I plan to keep doing. Other moms I know work out in their basement on a treadmill/elliptical when kids are sleeping (so early morning or late at night). I agree that taking up precious weektime to work out is tough on the other spouse and on the few hours you get with kiddo.
Anonymous says
DH and I take turns getting up with the kids on weekend mornings (until 11am). I get up on Saturday, he gets up on Sunday. I found a 9:00am yoga class on Sundays nearby. I still get to sleep in a bit, change into church clothes at the yoga studio and meet DH at church with the kids for service at 11am. Not my favorite class ever but the time works for me. DH usually goes for a run with one of his buddies on his morning off.
I make an extra effort to do something special with on Saturday mornings so I don’t feel guilty about missing half of Sunday morning – make cookies, finger painting activity, skyping with my sister and her kids across the country etc.
Anonymous says
Also, once a week, after the kids are in bed – we go down to the basement and I walk or run on the treadmill while he rides his bike trainer – just light exercise so we can chat a bit too.
Anonymous says
Most of my runs on weekends are with the kids in a jogging stroller. I have recently started jogging to work (which I recognize is not an option for everyone), and that is a game changer. I’d love to go to classes, etc. like I did in a previous lifetime, but the points you mention above make it such that I’ve never managed to get around to this since having a second kid over 2 years ago…
Anonymous says
Commiseration. About a month ago, we hired a sitter to pick up my son from daycare three times a week and watch him until 7 so I can go to the gym after work, and while I’m glad to get the exercise, I really, really miss time with my child. It’s so hard.
anon says
The choice comes down to what’s good for my well-being, and what’s good for my children. The kids usually win. I realize that’s not a great long-term strategy and sounds completely martyrish, but it’s just a reality of having only so many hours in the day and needing to prioritize. I try to compensate by eating well and walking everywhere, but I know it’s not really enough.
Lillers says
Although going to the gym is ideal from a workout perspective, it doesn’t sound like it would be feasible to fit into your schedule. Do you have an area you can do workouts in your house? I don’t have any kids, but my sister has a 1.5 year old and manages to do a few YouTube videos a week after the baby goes to sleep.
I also want to say that even 20 minutes is something great! If you can find something you like to do at home, you could always wake up a few minutes earlier just to get moving. I find mornings (although they suck at the time) are better for me because a) it makes it into a routine and b) I’m going to shower anyways, so it avoids taking a second shower later in the day.
Best of luck, I know it’s hard to find time, but you can do it!
PhilanthropyGirl says
Like a few other women have said, the first two years of my child’s life I did almost nothing – a walk to the playground in nice weather, and that was about it. Kiddo hit two, we went through a major move and now I’m trying to find my balance. I value my time with my kiddo so much that I refuse to take away time from him, and I feel the pinch of only having a few hours with him.
But, at age 2, I’m finding there’s more I can do with him. My fitness level is currently about zero, but I’ve started doing the following things: a walk after work with kiddo as long as it’s not raining or below freezing; I’m aiming for twice a week. Open swim at the community indoor pool on Saturday afternoon. A short hike on a Sunday afternoon. Kick around a soccer ball or shoot hoops (he’s obsessed with playing “basketball” at the moment).
My next step is to look at physical fitness things I can teach him: toddler yoga, bear crawls or crab walks, hopping, skipping, jumping. In a year or so we will try to add in riding bikes or jumping rope. It’s my hope that as I make time in our family life for physical fitness, it will become a habit for my son as well as for me and that I can instill in him a desire to be physically active (something I didn’t get growing up – life was about participating in team sports rather than taking care of my body).
Outside of time with my son, I’ve started engaging with a fitness app called Rally (it works through my company’s insurance program). It’s encouraging me in other self-care things – time to read, getting enough sleep, taking my medication regularly, in addition to using my phone’s pedometer to track my steps. I have a goal to hit 8,000 steps and then bump it up to 10,000.
I’m in a baby steps phase, but it’s better than not doing anything.
anon says
These are great ideas. Thank you. I so agree that it’s important to teach our kids lifelong fitness skills. Looking at your list, I’m wondering if I’m doing better than I thought. We do family bike rides, soccer games, walks, etc. Obviously, this happens a lot less during the winter months.
PhilanthropyGirl says
Winter is hard, and we live in a region that gets a lot of lake effect snow. Tromping in the snow can be hard work – so we try to get out and throw snowballs and pull the little one in his toboggan. Even a winter hike can be doable if you have access to a state park or something. I find that I need to stop making winter an excuse and try to turn it into an asset. It’s not easy!
farrley says
I love to run first thing, but have found since having a kiddo that a night workout (after kiddo is in bed) is the only way for me to regularly work out during the winter when it stays dark so long. I ride an exercise bike at home or do YouTube kickbox videos. Things are a little easier in the summer, when we can walk as a family or I can do a stroller run after work.
Anon says
Kid goes to bed by 7:30 and we both work out after– one during bedtime and one after bedtime. Either work out at home (high intensity intervals or weight bench), run, or gym (five blocks away). So.etimes I manage to work out at lunch in the company gym instead, but that’s not very often.
ChiLaw says
Is there anything you can cut between your 5:20 waking and 7:00 out the door? I am out the door at 7:00 also, but up around 6:00… we do lunch packing the night before, husband loads car while I dress kiddo, etc.
Also, is there a closer gym? Mine is like 3 minutes away and it is *not* the greatest gym but it’s 3 minutes away so if I only have 40 minutes to work out, I can spend 30 of them working out.
Anonymous says
I get up 30 minutes earlier and do one of Fitnessblender.com’s 30 minute/day 8 week workout programs in my living room. I only need extra time to put on workout clothes, and can pause to deal with my son if he gets up earlier than usual or something. I do this in whatever spot of clear floor space I can find in the living room. I wear the same workout clothes all week (yes, they stink) and don’t have special music or anything, and often have to work out while my son is watching a video and eating breakfast and my husband is sitting on the couch. It’s quick and functional. I can totally understand not wanting to get up earlier than 5:20 – oy! – but maybe you could do it at night?
Wehaf says
Have you tried HIIT (high intensity interval training) or Tabata workouts? There are tons on youtube. I pick one that’s about 12 minutes long and do it at home, in front of my computer. It’s more effective per unit time than most other workouts, so 12 minutes a day gives me more exercise than lots of my friends get in 45 minutes at the gym or on the treadmill.
NewMomAnon says
Ugh….I’m beginning to see the signs of seasonal depression hitting. I’ve been successfully fighting against it for months, but lately I’m finding myself missing deadlines, forgetting things, having a hard time getting out of bed or going to bed at night, and my house is getting out of control.
Besides sun lamp, Vitamin D, exercise and getting outside when the sun is shining, anyone have wise words for battling the winter blahs? I’m seeing a therapist, but he is pretty dismissive of CBT (which has been OK, but I CBT think would be helpful for this).
Frozen Peach says
Yes. I deal with it every year. Just climbing out of mine, actually. Magnesium at bedtime is helping. So is a lot more reading of positive things, be they online, self-help, or trash fiction that makes me feel good. And I’ve been treating myself to bottles of green juice in the afternoon, which really do seem to keep some pep in my step.
The more I avoid the news, the happier I feel. I want to stay engaged, but oxygen mask first. Drinking a lot of hot herbal tea and burning a ridiculous number of candles has also made the winter blahs seem cozy instead of just blah.
And this website! Support from friends, online or IRL, is key too!
lsw says
Can you talk more about magnesium at bedtime? Before pregnancy/nursing I was taking 1000mg /day (under advisement from neurologist) for my migraines. I will take it again when done nursing – curious what the thinking is on taking it at night?
Pogo says
Ha, my neurologist told me to *start* taking 500mg a day for migraines during pregnancy! I take it at night as well.
Don’t know that it’s help either with migraines (I’ve still had them), and I don’t really suffer from SAD. But the doctor said it can’t hurt, so I’ll keep it up for a bit at least.
lucy stone says
I think it’s safe to take while nursing as well. My OB and the pediatrician both okayed it for me since it helps wtih some other issues I have.
lsw says
Thanks! I got a confusing answer when I asked whether I could take during nursing and I didn’t follow up on it, since my migraines were so much improved during pregnancy and early nursing. They are starting to come back now though so I have been thinking I should probably get a straight answer and get back on it.
Frozen Peach says
Sure! A friend recommended magnesium glycinate for insomnia, and it really helped me sleep more peacefully with fewer wakeups. I liken the feeling to getting into a warm bath. Definitely not a sedative (I take a dose in the morning too), but it somehow seems to keep me…calmer. Easier to deescalate stress.
I also get bad migraines, and anecdotally the magnesium seems to be helping reduce the frequency/intensity.
anon says
A 15-minute walk outdoors, even when it’s cold, helps me. Finding ways to just deal with the cold is better for me than becoming a shut-in during the winter months. Having social occasions to look forward to also helps — a coffee date with a friend, plans on at least one weekend night, and church on Sundays. I try to get out of my office for lunch a few times of week, too. I try to take advantage of the “coziness” of the winter season: wearing super soft, comfy lounge wear, lighting candles after dark, finding coffee shops/restaurants with a fireplace, drinking lots of hot beverages, reading. Winter will never be my favorite season, but it’s bearable when I’m doing these things.
PhilanthropyGirl says
I seem to have dodged it this year, since we had a lot of changes happen in December/January and life is all exciting and new at the moment.
I find that planning special milestones to celebrate throughout the dark months really helps. It gives me the “next thing” to keep me going. A three-day weekend, a trip to the spa, a girls’ night out – whatever you enjoy to give you something to look forward to.
I also indulge in a lot of Earl Grey tea. Bergamot is excellent for lifting the spirits.
NewMomAnon says
Hmmm, I decided to decaffeinate a few months ago but had been on an “Earl Gray 3x per day” plan prior to that. I wonder if that was helping.
PhilanthropyGirl says
I’ve also been trying to kick caffeine. I have a strong affinity for Twinings decaffeinated Earl Grey – it’s not as aromatic as some Earl Greys, but certainly seems to help!
lsw says
Travel-related advice for my EBF baby – my husband and I are traveling for four nights next month when our baby will be 8 months old. He does eat some solids (we are doing BLW) but definitely not that much. He is typically nursing 8 times a day when I’m home, and eating 7-8 a day during the week (I pump three times at work and he eats two bottles; he also nurses 4-5 times evening + night + morning). I am trying to figure out how to organize his pumped milk while I’m gone. My parents will be watching him and I think it would be easy for Mom to feed him All the Milk, so I am trying to plan it out. He eats 4 oz bottles during the day (with two one oz snacks in case he gets hangry) – but 8 4 oz bottles is 32 oz, which seems high (looking at KellyMom and other resources it looks like 25-30 oz is typical for under 6 mo and only goes down after). Maybe six 4 oz bottles and two 3 oz bottles? Am I overthinking this? Probably. I work so darn hard for that milk I just don’t want any wasted – and if I can tell Mom how much to thaw at a time that would really help.
Anonymous says
32 oz is probably more than you need. He’s probably not drinking a ton in the evening when supply is lower. Have your mom read some of the stuff on Kelly mom on how to bottlefeed a breastfed baby so that she doesn’t think he wants more than he does.
NewMomAnon says
I know this adds a layer of complexity you may not want, but I used to label the bags I pumped at night specially because night time milk supposedly has more fat to help baby sleep.
lsw says
Oh interesting! I can definitely tell which bags have more fat in most cases, so I should think about that. Thank you both!
lucy stone says
I exclusively pumped for 3 months and mostly pump now due to work. My 6 month old takes down 30-35 oz in a day even with solids twice a day. We pace feed and have from the beginning, she just likes to eat! I’d tell your mom to do 4 oz during the day and 3 oz at night. She can always defrost more if still hungry.
Ai says
I know this doesn’t help but I’ve just accepted that my parents will waste 1-4 ounces every time they watch our LO. It’s made it much easier for me to plan for it instead of being upset when it happens. They try their best but they (very nicely) always want to make sure she’s had enough food and that ends up with some defrosted milk that isn’t used.
JP says
Late but…since bmilk lasts in fridge for 6 days, can you use frozen milk the week before your trip and leave freshly pumped milk in the fridge that will last the duration of your trip (specifying which bottles/bags to use first)? Then she can fill in w frozen milk at the end if you run out, but if your baby doesn’t finish a bottle, it’s not like the rest is wasted like it is with thawed milk.