If your baby’s due date is approaching, you’re probably in full-on “nest-making” mode. From getting the nursery ready to stocking up on newborn diapers to prepping to be the guest of honor at your baby shower, the third trimester feels like the final stretch in a marathon.
Hold that sprint, though! You want to finish the race strong, but you’ll also want energy for that post-race time that marks the start of another beautiful and even longer quest. We’re talking about your baby’s growth and development. Time seems to fly as we watch them grow and blossom from adorable, tiny humans into lovely, not-so-tiny-anymore adults.
With your mom-to-be instincts in full-blown nesting prep mode, don’t forget to fill your postpartum wardrobe with pieces you love. That’s why we’ve gathered our best wardrobe hacks, fashion tips, and style tricks of the trade when it comes to the pregnancy-to-postpartum wardrobe transition.
We’re here to keep your fashion sense running playful and creative through the race, past the finish line, and well into the future.
Third and Fourth Trimesters: What To Expect
When you go from mom-to-be to mom, a lot of shrinking and growing happens alllll over the place. Some parts of your body that were growing before are shrinking instead now (hello, uterus), but some parts of your body are still continuing to grow (peep the tender, full-to-the-brim boobs).
Despite all your awe-inspiring bodily changes, with a little planning ahead, you won’t have to make many changes to your postpartum wardrobe in those first few months with your new mini-me. When you curate your third-trimester maternity wardrobe with clothes perfect for both your third and fourth trimesters, you set yourself up for a smooth style transition.
The best way to plan ahead is to hunt for clothes in your third trimester that can both grow and shrink, just like your bump. Look for some trendy fashion pieces that expand until your due date and then shrink back down with you afterward. Then, you can rock all the glitz and glamor of motherhood in all its stages and keep that “baby bump glow” even after your bump is no longer the main accessory.
Let’s go on a wardrobe tour and take a look at some third and fourth-trimester staples essentials that will grow and shrink with you.
What To Wear in the Third and Fourth-Trimesters
In your third trimester, the most obvi bodily change is your striking bump. By the late third trimester, your bump will be an absolute head-turner — ravishing, out-of-this-world sensational. Naturally, you’ll want some clothing pieces to show off this glamorous part of you.
There are some other bodily changes that, while not as noticeable to others, are certainly noticeable, or should we say totally tangible, to you. Fluid retention can cause your legs, ankles, and feet to swell. Additionally, the weight of a tiny human inside of your ever-expanding mighty uterus can cause your back, pelvis, and hips to ache.
In your fourth trimester, aka the period after birth until your infant is three months old, you’ll likely notice tender nipples as your breasts fill with milk. You might also have a delicate, sore belly as your uterus literally shrinks in size from 2.5 pounds to two ounces.
But good news — you’re already set on clothes that will grow and shrink with you since you did a great job curating your third-trimester wardrobe for this transition! Whether you’re nursing or pumping or neither, recovering from a vaginal delivery or a C-section, we’ve got you covered with some staple postpartum pieces.
Let’s take a look at a few of our fave, best-selling options below.
Shirts
You’ll want to pick out some clothing pieces that still scream fashion yet are of the utmost, pillowy and buttery soft comfort level to cushion your changing body through that race finish line.
You don’t have to say goodbye to your favorite business casual pieces. Rock the Classic Buttdown in your third and fourth trimesters. The collar is as crisp as the cuffs. The hem and inverted pleat at the back are the picture of flattering. Unbutton when you need to feed babe or when you just want to air out your bump.
Jumpers & Dresses
We take “dress for success” literally here with The Softest Rib Nursing Dress. You’ll want to put this one on your shower registry yesterday. This dress is so soft and breathable that you can wear it to bed — night sweats have nothing on this nylon/elastane fabric combo. And if you wear this to bed and then out to run errands and then back to bed, no one will ever know. You’re. Just. That. Chique.
It’s time to jump for joy (as much as your preggo belly will allow): Check out The 24/7 Feeding Jumpsuit. That’s right! This is a jumpsuit that’s nursing-friendly and mom-friendly. Your baby will love that this jumpsuit unbuttons for snacks on the go. Moms will love that it has pockets, is machine washable, and totally darling.
Fun Yet Functional Underwear
The Essential Nursing and Pumping Bra takes the quintessential nursing bra and turns it oh-so-cute cute. In colors like steel blue, bordeaux, and classic neutrals, this bra isn’t only function. That being said, it’s also so much more than just fashion.
The adjustable straps, easy nursing clasp, and sleek pull+down design make nursing or pumping a breeze (well, definitely breezier, at least). Finally, the bra is OEKO-Tex Certified so that you know no chemicals are getting near you.
Let Chic AND Comfort Guide Your Style
Just because your body goes through some major transitions from preggo to postpartum doesn’t mean that your wardrobe has to lose its chicness. You can still have a remarkable sense of style, stay up to date on all the latest maternity fashion trends, and feel glamorous in your body, all while popping a tiny beautiful human out and navigating the postpartum recovery phase.
When it comes to the pregnancy-to-postpartum wardrobe transition, the most important thing to remember is that as long as you feel beautiful and cozy in your outfit choices, that’s all that matters.
Stock your wardrobe with a few dynamic maternity essentials, aka pieces that grow with your bump and shrink with your postpartum body changes. That way, your clothing options won’t have to change much, and you can spend more time transitioning from mama-to-be to mama, prioritizing your self-care and your time forming a new special bond with your little one.
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