• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Pregnancy Logo 2018

Pregnancy Magazine

Pregnancy and infancy news, tips, and reviews

“Great
  • Pregnancy
  • Labor & Delivery
  • Baby
  • Breastfeeding
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • mom

Style during pregnancy – It’s important to your mental health

by Randi Zinn Leave a Comment

Randi Zinn Style Beyond Mom Mental Health

I’ve always been keen on my personal style. Not just because I like pretty things, but because it feels good to look good. How we feel on every level (our body, our mindset, our emotions – all of these parts of ourselves) works together. A funny thing can happen when we enter pregnancy. Our hormones kick in and even before our belly and hips start to swell and we start to wonder if we “look good” anymore. Our clothes don’t fit like they used to and we question if it makes sense to invest in our style because pregnancy is so “temporary.”

Why should we invest in our pregnancy style?

During my first pregnancy I took the “I’ll use what I have” approach. I used leggings, big tops, and dresses that had wing span. When I needed to look nice, I began to sweat. What in the world could I wear that would not only fit, but make me look like the “glowing” pregnant person I thought I was supposed to be? I kept seeing all these maternity styles popping up in boutiques, but I couldn’t justify spending the money on them. And the funniest thing happened. By the time I reached seven months, I simply couldn’t take the makeshift wardrobe anymore. I broke down and bought myself some pretty, properly fitted maternity dresses and pants. I felt the best in my last few months because of those few simple purchases.

When my second pregnancy came around, I didn’t hesitate to invest in a “capsule” of cute, seasonally-appropriate items I could turn to any day of the week.  It was obvious that I felt more confident, less anxious, and more “myself”. The difference being that I knew it was important to invest in myself during this temporary but very powerful time.

You see, how we “dress ourselves” is how we navigate any moment in our life. It’s not simply the clothes. It’s how the clothes represent our inner life….and how our inner life is made better when we’re willing to love on ourselves a bit more.

I’d like to offer that our willingness to invest in ourselves on the outside and inside is a practice that will take us through pregnancy way into motherhood. Motherhood is only balanced and happy, if we know we must be a whole individual too. These early moments are simply the beginning of navigating that reality.

As the founder of BeyondMom.com and the author of Going Beyond Mom, I’ve had the opportunity to befriend some amazing women who are stylists, designers and entrepreneurs all in the motherhood space. Here are some of my favorite insights and tips from their experience….handed with love, to you.

Insights and Tips for Investing in Yourself

  1. “Even the most stylish among us can feel overwhelmed by pregnancy. Your body is changing constantly which can really do a number on your emotional state, and it doesn’t help that all of those pregnant women you follow on Instagram always look so put together! Instead of trying to stretch your regular clothes or sizing up in non-maternity, treat yourself to a few “real” maternity pieces that fit properly and make you feel confident and beautiful. It will be worth every penny when you have that “go-to” outfit at the ready all pregnancy long.” – Jessica Pallay, Co-Founder, WellRounded NY
  2. “Women go through many transitions throughout life, but motherhood is one of the most profound. There is a (re)birthing process that occurs for mama too so it’s critical to stay aware of the shifts to ensure self-expression is authentic to the growth and evolution. This means taking care of your personal style. While it may be more complicated to dress a changing body, feeling beautiful from the inside out is vital for a healthy sense of self and confidence. Self-care is a key element to being a strong role model for your child and motherhood begins the moment you conceive.
    TIP:
    Invest in your personal style though the changes. And that means financially too. While your body may be flexing in shape, ensure you have items in your closet that help you feel like your most beautiful self. You don’t need to break the bank for the temporary shifts, but there are strategic ways of shopping for pieces that work with a changing shape.” – Jenny Greenstein, Founder, Your Soul Style, personal wardrobe stylist
  3. “Embracing your style during pregnancy is all about accepting your body, being comfortable with change and going though your journey with self confidence. Our body physically and hormonally changes so much during the 40 weeks. It’s easy to feel scared or uncomfortable, but remember, this time is to celebrate the life you’re creating inside you! I would remind every woman whether pregnant or postpartum that when you feel lost, uncomfortable or scared, to take time to go to your happy place. Take time and focus inward and find your authentic self through your style, projects, exercise, whatever it is that gives you back your balance. Validate you and who you are.” – Shelley Suh, Founder of Loyal Hana, clothing for maternity, nursing and beyond.
  4. “Don’t skim on spending money on yourself. Once you become pregnant, all the thoughts and money focus is on the baby – what stroller, crib, baby outfit, monitor to buy and before you know it, you are ‘surviving’ your pregnancy feeling fat, ugly, and not like yourself. Postpartum is even worse – you have no time to think about yourself. You can ‘survive’ wearing what you have but make sure to invest in some key pieces that cater to different stages of your motherhood journey – pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond. Clothes that are designed by moms who have gone through the journey have little tricks that just make your life a lot easier and make you feel beautiful and like yourself! People often dismiss fashion as vanity, but it actually has an important place in people’s lives, not only as a means of self-expression but also as an important factor in instilling confidence and empowerment.” – Yoko Shimada, founder of Mitera- Elevated and Easy to Wear Essentials for Modern

Filed Under: Pregnancy Lifestyle Tagged With: invest, mental health, pregnancy, style

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Peaceful Discipline by Sarah Moore

More to See

parent coaching

Parent Coaching: 3 Ways to Create a More Joyful Home

By Sarah Moore

The perfect workout for pregnant women (sponsored)

By Isa Herrera, MSPT CSCS

how to be a good mother

How to Be a Good Mother: 5 Ways To Raise Children with Love & Respect

By Sarah Moore

Aligned Parents webinar

By Paul Banas

Footer

Copyright 2023 Pregnancy Magazine Group

Emails powered by Wishpond: PregnancyWishpond

Dedicated WordPress hosting: PregnancyFlywheel

WordPress Theme: PregnancyTheme

This website provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for an examination by your healthcare provider. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

 

Recent

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Gentle Parenting: 5 Ways to Lead with Love
  • How to Be a Good Mother: 5 Ways To Raise Children with Love & Respect
  • Best Parenting Books: 28 Books That Will Change Your Life for the Better
  • Aligned Parents webinar
  • How to make sure your home is ready for the new addition to your family

Search

© Copyright 2023 Pregnancy Magazine Group · All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT