The Journey in Accepting an Ever-Changing Body
Buying maternity clothes can be an extremely daunting process for some or an incredibly exciting experience for others. Many women experience a range of emotions when it comes to creating their nine-month wardrobe capsule. For some, they are elated and can’t get their hands on fun maternity pieces fast enough. For others, the thought of having to change their style in order to accommodate their growing body is overwhelming and discouraging. In whatever camp you fall into, it’s important to hold space and grace for yourself. New mothers should always take the time to take inventory of how they can feel their best in their new and changing bodies. Is it fashion? Is it comfort? Is it about finding a new mom style or more about staying true to the you that you already know? Only you can answer these questions for yourself. All we can say is how and when you do choose to buy maternity clothes, makes sure it includes some staple pieces that are good quality, timeless, and feel true to you and wherever you’re at in your journey of accepting your new and changing body. Good quality maternity clothes are hard to come by, and not all are created equal. It’s important to find pieces such as a nice maxi dress, a quality pair of jeans, good pair of maternity leggings, or longer, flowy shirts that can help you build a capsule for your maternity wardrobe.
The Post-Partum Body
After the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to build a maternity clothing capsule, you may find yourself wondering what to do with them after you’ve given birth. For one, it’s important to remember the fourth trimester. The fourth trimester is the twelve-week period following the birth of your baby. This is a time when every mother and newborn baby is going through a period of immense physical and emotional change. The baby is getting used to a new life outside the womb, and the mom is getting used to their new life and role. Far too many women are so hard on themselves to “bounce back” after birth, and this can be a really unhealthy mindset to carry. Instead, young moms should be focusing instead on recovering, getting enough sleep, focusing on mental health, bonding with their baby, enjoying newborn cuddles, learning their new role, nourishing themselves, embracing their new family dynamic, and appreciating their bodies as is. This last part is the most important. You should find comfort in wearing those buttery soft maternity leggings into your fourth trimester. That’s what they are there for. You might not fully recognize your post-partum body. There may be more loose skin and stretch marks than you’re used to. But it’s also important to recognize and honor your body for bringing a human into the world.
At the end of the day, it is okay to still wear your maternity clothes postpartum. Give yourself space to heal during your fourth trimester. In the same way, your body grew and expanded throughout pregnancy, your postpartum body also needs the space to be loved on and treated with gentleness. Finding maternity leggings that will expand and shrink back down post-pregnancy is important. Leggings that are not a tight compression, but instead that are soft, supportive, and flattering. Hold space for maternity pieces that can support you in postpartum with features such as a highrise non-elastic waistband that can stretch over your bump all the way up to your boobs while you’re pregnant, and rolls back down for C-section-friendly post-birth wear afterward.
What to Do with Maternity Clothes After Pregnancy
At the end of the day, it’s up to you what you choose to do with your maternity wardrobe capsule. There may be pieces you keep, and pieces you don’t, but we’ve compiled a short and comprehensive list of creative ideas of things that you can do with your capsule.
1. You can save the bulk of your more timeless maternity clothing pieces for your next pregnancy.
2. You can continue to wear some of the maternity clothes post-partum and when you need scratchy pants.
3. You can sell some of the better pieces online on a reselling website (such as Facebook Marketplace or Poshmark) or to a local consignment shop.
4. You can donate them to someone in need or give the maternity clothes away to a friend that would wear them.
5. You can create something new with your old maternity clothes, and re-use the fabric for other projects.