Today I’m making the case for buying maternity clothing and sharing my favorite maternity clothes so far this time around! The first time I was pregnant, I really tried to avoid buying too many “maternity” pieces of clothing. I don’t really know why – I think I had it in my head that maternity clothes weren’t cute and I just fought it. I also remember thinking it was a waste of money and figured I could just squeeze into my own clothes as long as possible and then wear the same five things the rest of the time – which I did. Even if you know you want to have more than one child, for us midwestern gals it’s hard to say if you’ll be pregnant during the same seasons with your pregnancies, so if you do decide to buy yourself something you don’t necessarily know if you’ll be able to wear it the next time around.
With all that being said, I spent a lot of my first pregnancy being uncomfortable from a clothing standpoint, and getting frustrated when my body would change literally overnight and something that fit 2 days ago no longer did. (PSA – non-maternity pants don’t feel good when you’re pregnant- in fact, they hurt!) And I don’t know about you, but I am not one of those people who barely look pregnant or change sizes. My entire body grows – hips, butt, thighs, and obviously stomach. When your clothes don’t fit, it doesn’t feel good from a comfort or confidence standpoint – and so this time around I told myself I would buy more pieces, and I’ve been really happy I did.
You don’t have to spend a fortune on them either. I found a ton of great lower priced options at ASOS and Target, and then only picked a few pieces that I spent a bit more on. I plan on letting my friends borrow when I’m done and / or donating them.
Below I’ve compiled some of my favorite maternity clothes so far and a few of the items I’m eyeing to get me through the rest of it / postpartum.
Heads up – as an affiliate, if you click and purchase through some of these links I may earn a small commission.
We’re here to support all moms throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. If you’re new here, please check out the rest of our posts (shared by various mamas): https://motherhoodforme.com/all-posts/
Sweater Blazer
I bought this about a month ago and I'm still obsessed with it. I wear it almost everyday - with jeans, joggers, over t-shirts/tanks, dresses, as a coat, you name it. I especially love that I can wear it now (8 months pregnant) and I'll also be able to wear it post-baby because it's not actually a maternity piece. I know I'm eating my previous words a bit on why you should buy maternity specific clothes, but this is a great example of something that fits the bill even though it's not maternity. As an FYI - It does run big - I ordered a small (my usual size is medium) and it fits well / there's still plenty of room.
I would be buying this if I was due in Jan/Feb timeframe. It's hard to find a warm winter coat that you can zip up - this looks both stylish and functional.
I've learned that for me, I feel better if I wear something form fitting vs baggy. I just feel like it's more flattering. I've been wearing lots of versions of this dress all year - short sleeved / sleeveless this summer and now moving on to sleeved!
I bought this hoping I could wear it a lot but thanks to COVID, this baby made it's debut the one time I went out for dinner with two girlfriends. That being said, I got several compliments on it, it's super cute, would fit throughout multiple stages of pregnancy. PS - ITS HALF OFF (ONLY $36) RIGHT NOW.
I bought these in a dusty pink and loved them so much I bought the khaki as well. They are comfortable, cute, and can wear with t-shirts, sweaters, etc. THEY'RE ONLY $16 RIGHT NOW.
I ordered their support tank in both white and black with my first pregnancy and I still use them both very often (3 years later). They are a little bit on the pricer side but are excellent quality and have stood the test of time. My cousin was actually the one to suggest I get one - and I was so glad I did, I bought two. The tank is supportive, comfortable, stretchy, and I was also able to wear them when I wasn't pregnant as an under garment. I don't have a direct link for this one, but literally everything on their website is gorgeous and good quality stuff. Highly recommend.
I have these in the non-maternity version and I love them (I don't wear the non-maternity while pregnant- haha). If I was going to be pregnant all winter I'd buy these right now. At the beginning of the year (pre COVID and pre pregnancy) - Spanx became my favorite pant brand. I have a few of their leggings as well as a pair of dress pants I bought for work (when I traveled) and they're all amazing quality + stylish + flattering fit. I have to imagine their maternity pants are no different. Plus Sara Blakely is the bomb.
Ashley and her husband Ryan live in the suburbs of Chicago with their two daughters Palmer (5) and Remi (2). In 2018, Ashley left behind her corporate career selling software to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. She now works part-time as a Dermatology nurse, allowing her to do the work she is passionate about while also spending time with her daughters.
In her free time, Ashley can be found spending time with friends and family, geeking out about skincare, reading, or writing. She tries to be very honest when it comes to keeping a candid and raw lens on motherhood so less moms feel alone in the best (but sometimes hardest) journey of their lives!
“These are seriously the softest baby pjs ever! The material is also stretchy- so I know my little one is super comfortable. They’re the best baby pjs we own! Great purchase!” – Brie, Amazon Customer Review
“We just bought another pair of these jammies bc we loved the first so much!! They hold up unbelievably well after a ton of washes and we can’t get enough!! Thank you so much!” – Anonymous Amazon Customer Review
