A Sack with a Belt or "Maternity Fashion"

Ok So "Maternity Fashion" is a bit of an Oxymoron. Sure you can spend hours on Pintrest look at stunning pregnant women dressed to the nines but the truth is....it's all a lie!

Fiction (Photo 1)

Reality (Photo 2)

Thank you random internet woman!

Ok but seriously let's dive into Photo 1...You are going to wear your stilettos? Don't be ridiculous. I fall over now when a strong wind blows. My feet swell and I already bought some bigger shoes. Now the black leggings I will say are on-point. Comfort is key. You are also going to want a longer shirt to cover your bum because your are defiantly wearing some "sexy" maternity underwear. Hide those lines ladies! Now the deep cut V-neck (or is it just an unbuttoned button-up? I don't know fashion) ANYWHO. What I do know is that your boobs have taken on a whole new personality. If you are anything like me you ditched the underwire long long ago and opted for something that matches those granny panties...oops mean "sexy" maternity underwear. 

Now lets check out random internet lady in Photo 2. I wont lie...I went through a ton of photos to find this. Here is the thing. Yah sure, I  could find some dumpy looking lady who looks like she just wants to curl up and sleep (and believe me that's how I feel some days!) but this look is the goal if you ask me. Let's break it down. Maternity Jeans...ladies once you go maternity jean you will question everything in your life and never want to go back. I personally opt for "full panel" which means that there is stretch fabric that goes all the way up over your bump. (Time out for a confession)

CONFESSION TIME:

Hi my name is Alyssa, and I have belly envy. No really it's a thing. As a woman of larger proportions my bump is not like you find in the magazines. It is not as...perky. Also my belly button hasn't popped into that tell-tale "Oh man, that lady's not fat, she's pregnant!" look. Believe it or not it makes me very uncomfortable. Now I don't have this but I was very worried I would. There is situation that they call the "B belly". Most pregnant women have a nice round capital D shaped belly. In many plus size women you can actually get a B shaped belly or a double belly. (Which does sound 10X worse than double chin). This was a very real concern of mine in the beginning. I know that is silly and that pregnancy is beautiful in all shapes and sizes, but for me this was a personal challenge that I was really unprepared for. Maybe now that you know you can prepare yourself and not be as self-conscious as I was.

(Ok time in!) So the full panel rounds out and smooths the belly and makes me feel much more comfortable. It also provides some support for your back. (Kind of like a good pair of spanx but actually comfortable). Next let me point out the layers. I go from boiling to freezing in the blink of an eye. My nose also bleeds if I try to tie my shoes...so you maybe opt for some slip-ons. Lastly see how she drew attention to her "waist" AKA smallest part of the body right under the boobs? Once you switch over to those wireless bras you will want this. Just because you are pregnant doesn't mean you don't want a shape. (I know round is a shape but now I am embracing this body in all of its pregnant glory!)

Ok so here are some of my outfits. The first one was what I call the sack with a belt. It's comfortable and belted at the skinny part. It doesn't sound glamorous but it's comfortable and I didn't hate it too much. This was right around 18 weeks when I was still getting used to not fitting into normal cloths. FYI this is a tough stage because people look at you like....hummmmm fat or pregnant?

OK so here is the next one where I could still wear my T shirts but need Maternity pants. As you can see by the inclusion of my face in the picture, I am starting to feel better. I am also wearing a belly band. It turns out, I hate those things. If you have a short torso...forget it. They roll like pantyhose.

BIG MOMENT- The half way point. Can you tell I feel better? Check out that definition at the "waist".

OK so yes, I have more pictures than that but I just wanted you to see the progression and that actual maternity cloths do make a difference. I was very lucky and my mom wanted to take me shopping. You will see lots of articles about how maternity cloths are a "waste of money" because they can be pricey and you only wear them for a short time. My advice is to shop the sales and get essentials- jeans (2), leggings (2), dress pants (3), flats (2), some nice tops (6-8), and sweaters (3-4) to mix and match. Old Navy, Target, and even Amazon have some great deals. (DONT FORGET YOUR 'SEXY' UNDERWEAR AND BRAS). I will say my favorite items are from Motherhood Maternity. Just a word of warning, they sell Motherhood Maternity at Macy's...Macy's coupons and sales do not apply because they are a boutique....learn from my mistake. Just go directly to the online store and shop their sales. Avoid Pea in the Pod. Holy Moley. Their prices are outrageous, the sizes are limited and you will be bullied into making a purchase. That all being said, I felt so much better once I had real maternity cloths. So for me it was 100% worth it.





So that's it that is my crazy rant about Maternity cloths. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!? See you next time!