Maternity Monday: Short-Sleeve Midi Maternity Shirtdress
This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Spring has slowly sprung in the D.C. area. If you’re expecting, this breezy shirtdress looks like a great option you can dress up or down.
This lightweight, short-sleeved, midi shirtdress has a full button front so you can nurse or pump with ease after your little one arrives. The self-tie belt means you can wear this dress long after your pregnancy.
Add a blazer for the office and swap that structured topper for a denim jacket for the weekend.
This dress by Isabel Maternity by Ingrid & Isabel is $36 at Target and comes in XS-XXL. It’s available in black or blue.
Building a maternity wardrobe for work? Check out our page with more suggestions along both classic and trendy/seasonal lines.
Sales of note for 5/1/25
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – 20% off select Dyson hair tools with code + select clothes, shoes & more up to 50% off
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event: 30% off your entire purchase, including new arrivals (ends 5/4) + 40% off 1 full-price item (5/1 only)
- Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% everything + extra 25% off
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off all sale + $19 & up spring sale
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off must-have styles + up to extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + extra 60% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Up to 25% off almost everything. Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – $20+ select favorites + 40% off 1 regular-price item + 30% off everything else
I have a question and this is partially lighthearted in nature.
I feel like everywhere, and even on this very helpful board sometimes, there is a lot of conversation from an early age on exceptional, smart, gifted (in the real sense and/or in the testing sense), 90th percentile one’s kid(s) is.
It sometimes makes me wonder…where are all the academically average kids now? Or has social media just made everyone/their kids the genius main character?
I was always a solid student, above average, typically mostly As, but also not as distinguished as many here. I definitely had years/classes in late middle school and high school where I struggled (like borderline C, not an A-) and needed extra help (e.g. tutoring). I remember distinctly working my tail off in (non-honors) pre-cal to get an 88 at the end of the semester and sobbing when the teacher (rightfully) wouldn’t bump my grade to an A.
DH was similar. We both had to start “studying” earlier than many of our peers where things came easily/naturally to them. Even my major in college wasn’t one known for rigor (like engineering) but I had to study to get my As, and couldn’t go to the bar the night before a test and get the good grade like many of my peers (trust me, I tried, and learned fast that I could not).
I also had extra-curriculars where I was good, not great, worked part-time jobs, had friends, etc. DH and I ended up going to college and law school, passed the bar, and live a pretty comfortable life now.
Do you ever just … not want to take care of your family anymore? I am sick and tired of cooking, cleaning, getting woken up at 1:00 a.m. by sick kids who don’t need anything except to make me share in their sleepless misery, managing my husband’s financial anxiety, meal planning for special diets and picky eaters, not getting to focus on my priorities, and generally just being everyone else’s maid and punching bag. It can’t be burnout because I’ve already stepped way back at work. I just think I don’t love them anymore and wasn’t meant to live with other people.
Have any of your kids enjoyed chess tournaments? My 7yo is super into chess. He’s by no means a chess genius but he’s reasonably good. I’m wondering if a tournament would be fun for him, or just stressful — since I have never been to one I don’t know what the vibes are like. Is it “everyone is cheering each other on and making friends” or “VICTORY AT ALL COSTS”?
for those in the thick of it – my kids dont have school today and we had a miscommunication with our nanny so i ended up working from home this morning with my 6 year olds without childcare and they managed to play nicely for 1.5-2 hours without me checking in. our playroom might be a disaster zone, but they were creative, solved conflicts, and had fun
I live in a SEUS city where it is very common for people to send their kids to private school because of “school choice.” We recently moved to an area of the city with a good public elementary school– we would love to keep our kids in public for middle/high school but will see how it goes at that point.
DS has a March birthday. I am hearing that many parents hold back boys with spring birthdays to get a better chance at getting into private school and that in public elementary schools where a lot of the kids end up going to private, the boys with spring birthdays are still held back. Is this normal in other areas of the country? At my public school growing up, it was common to redshirt boys with summer (June/July) birthdays or if they were immature– but the idea that a boy with a March birthday should wait until 6 to start kindergarten seems bizarre to me.
Crowdsourcing good babymoon recommendations for somewhere I can float around in a pool or similar, preferably East Coast US please!
For those with school age children, when your kids are absent are you required to give a reason? Are some reasons considered “unexcused”?
My kid is home sick today so it’s on my mind. If she is going to be out for any reason besides medical (sick or Dr. appointment) it’s “unexcused” even though a parent calls to confirm. I guess at some point too many “unexcused” would trigger a truancy investigation. I don’t recall excused absences being limited to medical when I was a kid— if my mom called then it was “excused.” Isn’t it odd to distinguish in this way? I don’t routinely take my kid out of school for no reason, but on the rare occasion it happens (once last year we took her out of school 35 min early to catch a flight) I’m a little irritated that it’s considered “unexcused.”
does anyone have a rec for some kids walkie talkies?
Anyone have tricks to make sunscreen easier? We use Blue Lizard mineral sunscreen. I like that it’s mineral especially since they wear it every day. But my 4 year old in particular hates it so much. Do the bars work better? What are others using for sunscreen? Help!
My 2.5 year old is no longer napping at daycare. She didn’t nap at all of last week, and she is exhausted and cranky in the evenings. This weekend she took a 3 hour nap both days, so she clearly needs it. She hasn’t changed classes, but the teacher moved the cots around when a new kid joined and maybe that’s bugging her? I trust our teacher but feel kind of helpless to do anything about this except move up bedtime. Has anyone gone through this? It feels early to drop her nap and she clearly needs it. She apparently just wants to play but will sit quietly with her lovey for a while. She can’t play because it disrupts the other kids (who all nap).
Seeking inspiration for gentle April Fools Day pranks for my 10 yo or husband. They both get really into it and it’s cute to watch. My bright lines are nothing that is mean-spirited and nothing that has a risk of injury — and everyone should be able to laugh about it including the victim. For example, one year I turned the milk blue with food coloring. Another year kiddo and I changed all the preset radio stations in DH’s car to one he hated.
Has anyone ordered anything from the brand Oso and Me? I’m interested in picking up something sweet for some family photos and I like the look of some of the more old-fashioned pieces.
A Buzzfeed style poll based on a conversation I had with my son this weekend…when I moaned about living in the country.
Are you a City Salamander, Here and There Hare (happy anywhere), or a Country Capybara? What about your partner and/or kids?
We have one of each (City me, Hare – kid, Country – husband). We left the city for the country/burbs in 2020 and I HATE it. I’ve been promised we can move back into the city when my son goes to university or I get an academic job in a city, whichever comes first.