So many people told me not to buy maternity clothes or if I did to definitely not spend much money. I listened for a little bit but by 14 weeks none of my jeans were fitting comfortably any more. Even that silly little hair band around the button trick just wouldn’t cut it.

I bought some inexpensive maternity jeans from a big online retailer and hated them. I wasn’t sure if I was an under or over the bump type of person and bought a pair of each. Nothing felt quite right. (Turns out I just never liked the over the bump style which shouldn’t have surprised me as I’m just not a fan of tight things on my belly even not pregnant).

And then I met Hatch and all of my pregnancy dreams came true. They had boyfriend jeans and white tee shirts. Basically my go to uniform but in the pregnancy version. By week 15 I was just feeling fat and a bit sluggish. Hardly anything fit anymore and I was living in my yoga leggings (thankfully I was teaching prenatal yoga and fitness so this was totally acceptable!).

So I splurged. I bought the expensive jeans and expensive white tee shirt. And I felt so much better. I had something that felt like me. Not the pregnant version of me. Just me. Then I bought the faux leather legging and silk camisole- my go to date night outfit- again in the bump friendly edition. I even felt sexy!

I may have spiraled from there but I wouldn’t have changed it if I did it again. Pregnancy may have lasted 40 weeks (well 39 in my case), but I wore my maternity clothes for at least 4 months postpartum too. That’s the thing no one really talks about. It takes TIME, lots of it, for your body to start shifting to put all of the parts back into place. 9 months in, 9 months out is a good reminder to give yourself time to slowly shift your body into a place that feels right to you. (I personally hate the term “bounce back” because you and your body are different! There is no back. It’s only forward!)

A power tip is to find and invest in bump AND nursing friendly clothing (if you’re planning to breastfeed). Some of the pretty tops and dresses I bought were not nursing friendly and sadly they are shoved in the back of my closet until my next pregnancy. I wander around shops wondering “Could I get a boob out of that?” and sadly beyond button downs and wrap dresses, the answer is usually no. I did discover Loyal Hana and Teat and Cosset that are both bump and nursing friendly! Both brands have cute styles that don’t scream “I’m breastfeeding!!” with hidden zippers. I’m in love with the cashmere sweaters from Teat and Cosset (I had been searching for quality cashmere to last me through the winter and a stylist friend posted a picture of this sweater. I was instantly sold)

For a more budget friendly option, Target has some great picks from Isabel Maternity. I actually shot a lot for Target at the end of my third trimester and found a lot of cute items! They are inexpensive and many will last beyond the bump. I heard from friends, stylists and others that they loved Asos (however I personally never found anything that I liked).

So buy that cute dress or jeans or whatever makes you feel like you again. Pregnancy is only for a short period of time but how you feel during that time sticks with you for a lifetime.