Recently, I got invited to go on a maternity TV programme with Joanne Peh as the host. Unfortunately, the email was sent to my other email box which is used for official emails but is not as frequently checked, so I missed it. 🙁

The discussion topic was maternity wear. Although I missed the opportunity, I thought I’ll share some of my thoughts here.

Long gone are the days of frumpy maternity wear. I believe they still exist but nowadays, almost every pregnant mummy wants to look hip and young. It’s bad enough that you have to walk around with a bowling ball tummy, why should you feel even worse wearing some oversized unshapely dress?

I know, I know…people are going to say that I have it easy because at five months, my tummy isn’t that huge and I haven’t put on a lot of weight. I don’t even have the headache of finding suitable work clothes because I’m not working.

Sure, I have the luxury of sticking to tees and shorts most of the time, but that doesn’t mean that everything I currently own fits. I can kiss all my fixed waist dresses goodbye temporarily. Even my favourite denim shorts are not an option anymore as they do not clasp below the belly. *sigh*

But fret not. It’s not like you have to go on a maternity clothing shopping spree the minute your baby bump starts showing. I have this thought that maternity clothing shops tend to mark up prices of their clothing because the clothing are specifically for pregnant women. And hey, I don’t want to spend additional money on clothes that I will only wear during this period and then have no more use for them post-pregnancy. So here’s what I look out for:

Shorts/Leggings
Anything that is comfy and sits below the belly. I got some light-weight shorts from Cotton On which were going at two for $30. I planned to check out the shorts there anyway, to replace some of my old faded shorts. Lo and behold, I found that they actually clasp below the belly. Score!

Unfortunately, my usual leggings are a bit tighter at the waist; the rubber band waist is a bit tighter. But I got a new pair while in Japan from the same shop I got my old leggings from. I didn’t check the sizing for this new pair too carefully. Instead of the usual M-L size, this pair is JM-L (jumbo medium to large I suppose). It’s a little larger but definitely more comfy for the growing baby bump. I can wear it over the bump and still feel comfy. Woohoo!

So moral of the story is to get pants that clasp below the belly or have a slightly looser elasticised waist band to comfortably fit over the belly.

Dresses/Tops
I go for tunic tops which would normally be paired with a belt or overall tunic dresses without a waistline. For the tops that I would normally wear with a belt, I just don’t wear them with a belt during this time.

 

If you really must go for dresses with waist line, try to go for the ones with an elasticised waist. Again, some of these would usually be worn with a belt, but choose the ones that look good even without a belt. Or just go for babydoll or high-waist tops and dresses.

All the above pieces can be worn even post-pregnancy. I just keep an eye out for suitable pieces in the blog shops I usually buy from.

 

However, I totally understand that some mummies do put on a lot more weight during their pregnancy and even the normal clothing sizes at blog shops wouldn’t fit. It doesn’t mean you have to end up with the frumpy maternity wear. There are some blog shops that sell trendy maternity wear like Jump Eat Cry and Joy Luck Club. (Disclaimer: I haven’t bought anything from these two shops yet, so I can’t comment on the quality of the clothing, but the prices at look reasonable and not too far off from what normal blog shops charge.) Or you can look out for clothing brand shops like ASOS which have a maternity wear section.

What I find most fascinating is the maternity shorts that look like normal denim shorts at the zip portion, but have a stretchable piece sewn at the top to accommodate the growing belly.

So there you have it, you can still look like a hot mama even with that baby bump!

PS: I’m into lolita fashion as well, and I just ordered this gorgeous high-waisted dress. <3