January 14, 2011
these days, the people who see me in the morning see a different girl than those who see me at night. which is basically only grant as far as nighttime goes. because really, is there any reason a pregnant lady- or anyone, for that matter- should want to be out on a bitterly cold night in the dead of winter? not to my mind. once i get into a nice, warm house i don't leave until it's absolutely necessary. (namely, to go to the gym.) and that, in a nut shell, is how i survive minnesota winters.

anyway, the story i'm trying to tell here is the phenomenon of my two different tummies.

when i wake up in the morning, i still feel quite little. if i have a t-shirt on, standing in front of the mirror to brush my teeth feels like oh, hello old self. you really had everyone fooled with that baby thing, right? and as i get ready for school, i might be barely showing in my winter layers. i've heard a couple people say "oh, look how little she is!" (you are so kind!) but they have no idea what lurks ahead for this torso. after i eat lunch, you can watch me grow. just like alice in wonderland! and as the day goes on, as glasses of water are downed (read: retained) and meals taken in, i swell. big time. by the time i'm ready to go to bed at night, i feel downright plump. tummy tight as a drum.

it's a good thing i pulled out my fat jeans from the bottom of the shelf this fall. i didn't even realize they were fat jeans before. who knew they'd be so perfect for my maternity days?! not me. i can't believe all the room i must've had pre-pregnancy. have you read the story of marta's fat jeans? you totally should. and i couldn't agree with her more: do yourself a favor, and get yourself a pair. anyway, i still fit without much strain into my normal jeans (unbuttoned of course), but the fat jeans.. they're my hero. they are 2% spandex, and i am realizing how wonderful that is. fat jeans to the rescue.

the other thing that has saved me from days of discomfort and having to buy any maternity clothes yet is the be band. i love this little piece of fabric with all my heart! the most swelling-friendly item on the market. what a life-saver. and money-saver. thanks to this, there haven't been any buttoned jeans around here since thanksgiving. what did girls do before these came on the scene?! my sister in law says overalls. i am hugely thankful to be spared that fate. we were going to pay bigger bucks online for a bella band, so i'm really happy we stumbled onto these cheaper bands while browsing at target. our checkout girl for that shopping trip was the first one to find out we were pregnant. :) i wonder how often this happens? she probably doesn't remember it as much as i do.

so far i'm not a big fan of any of the maternity jeans i've seen/tried.. anyone have any brands they'd like to recommend?! or any other fabulous clothing for a growing tummy? yoga pants that you love? what should i look for when i start to shop maternity for reals? all of you moms out there are the experts, and i'd love to hear your wisdom on the subject!!

23 comments:

lucinda snyder said...

summer,
i loved in my seven for all mankind maternity jeans. loved them.
so excited for you and grant!!

Hannah said...

I don't believe that there are good maternity jeans out there. (Well...in my price range. I wasn't willing to spend a lot of jeans that I'd wear for 3 months.) I lived in a jean skirt from the GAP.

Moments and Impressions said...

My mom bought me the self belly super stretch from motherhood. I only had one pair. I wore them constantly. I would wash them and put them right back on. They held up great and I wore them home form the hospital too.

I bought a pair of cords from old navy on sale and they were nice.

I bought a pair of "normal" pants a size up from the thrift store and, although not as comfy as the others - they worked great until the end.

Diana Hulme said...

congratulations on your pregnancy! :) how fun. it's been extra fun to read your posts because i am a little ahead of you...i'm 25 weeks with a little boy on the way.

anyways, i thought i'd pass on my thoughts on jeans. early on, i liked loose low waist stuff and i thought i'd never want to wear full-panel pants. but, at about 4.5-5 months or so, i totally popped out and discovered that full panel pants are so so so comfy! i wear dress pants from motherhood maternity every day to work, but on the weekends i wear gap's full panel sexy boot jeans. i discovered them over christmas break and it's been wonderful! the motherhood jeans were cheaper but none of them fit right - either too tight or too bulky, yuk. enter gap maternity jeans...perfect! these black ones were on an additional 40% off in store, so i got a great deal:
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6019&vid=1&pid=776700
i also picked up a pair of regular dark wash since i loved the black ones so much:
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6019&vid=1&pid=761864
one more note - pre-pregnancy, i wore a size 4 in gap jeans, but even though i've only gained 10 lbs so far, the size 6 maternity jeans fit perfect.

phew...long comment! good luck! :)

Anneliese said...

1.maternity tank tops (just like classic "wife beater" style) from target! (i still wear them) they are long & stretch as much as you need! actually, tank tops in general are my key item. you will wear them constantly! easy for nursing/ under things so your stomach doesn't show/ easy to change when you get spit up on :)
2.jeans from gap or old navy. i got mine on sale so it was a pretty good deal. my hint: buy them sooner than later! i bought a size (or maybe 2) up jeans from charlotte russe b/c they are so inexpensive. good idea-but once you put on those jeans with a stretchy waistband-you will wonder what took you so long :)

marta said...

YOU ARE A DOLL. i love this post. (thanks for the link!!) funny thing is, i just pulled on my 'fat jeans' an hour ago (we're heading to a playdate, otherwise i'd be donning my yoga pants - i love target or tj maxx finds, however i'm looking at the yoga pants in victoria secret catalogue and they look promising).

so yep, i'm wearing the same GAP pair i've loved this whole time. they are baggy but perfect for just hanging out. comfort is key. so glad you have a pair of your own! yay. plus i've worn out SO many knees in my 'good jeans' after having a baby; you'll see. so much bending, kneeling, crouching down.. suddenly the knees are all wearing thin. i only save my best jeans for special occasions now; and the days that i haven't eaten three warm cookies in a row. oh, i am horrible.

hope you have a spectacular weekend, i'll keep my eyes out for good finds. H&M MAMA stuff was my favorite, if you can get your hands on it..

xoxox. mart

summer said...

yaaaaaay! thank you ALL! i'm loving these great wardrobe tips-- please keep them coming!

yours, summer

Unknown said...

You're lucky! I haven't fit in my pants comfortably for about 2 weeks now! I bought a pair of indigo blue maternity baths at motherhood maternity. I love love love them. They are stretchy through the legs, but are cut really close to my old style of jeans. And the belly is amazing...no more feeling squeezed! I haven't worn another pair of pants since I bought them. Good luck!

nataliep. said...

love the post summer! i never had much luck with maternity jeans/clothes. i did try one pair of jeans on that i loved but they were $100!! YIKES. i left the store empty handed. i just went to charlotte rouse and aeropostale. i found comfy sweat pants there that i lived in! i also wore my be band all the time! on the plus side, the style for shirts these days are pretty long and stretchy. i didn't wear any maternity shirts with james! good luck. so happy for you, my dear!

Anonymous said...

I am 22 weeks pregnant with our first (a girl!) and just popped around week 19. I adore these Gap skinny maternity jeans. They have a little spandex and look amazing on!

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6017&vid=1&pid=776701

For shirts, I've found that anything with the rouching on the sides fits me better, since I've got a pretty small belly still. I am swimming in the simple Gap tee I bought, but will probably fit into it in a month or two :)

Christina said...

I don't like the full panel pants, but that might just be because I've always been pregnant in the summer. The extra fabric is SO itchy and hot! The low-rise Gap maternity jeans are the best. Of course they're kinda expensive, but you just might be able to score a pair or two second hand.

Old Navy and Target tend to have cute and comfy maternity tops for a fairly reasonable price though there isn't a ton of selection. Check your thrift stores and yard sales! Sometimes the off brand tops are surprisingly cute too.

Last time I was pregnant I wore cotton non-maternity tank tops in a size larger than I'd normally wear through my whole pregnancy. They make a great layer under the inevitable scoopy necklines, plus the stretchy, snug fabric around the middle helped keep all the low-rise elastic waist jeans from sliding down my big, slippery belly. : )

Oh, one more thing. If you haven't invested in some really good lotion yet, do it! It really helps with the itchiness if not the stretch marks...

Miss to Mrs said...

I have this problem too and I'm not even pregnant. Sigh! At least you have a good excuse!

kristin said...

i have the daily swell as well. i'm 15 weeks and still wearing some pants i tried to return to GAP after wearing them around my house and found they were too big once some time passed. they lady didn't believe me and told me to keep them. at first i was so bummed, and even cried at the time because she didn't believe that i only wore them once. now i'm thinking God wanted me to be able to wear some *normal* jeans for a while. phew! every evening this past week i think, hunh, this may have been my last day to wear these pants, and the next day they fit just fine!

i have had gap/old navy patns for my maternity experience. they last for a while (and for me, i need them after the baby is born for a couple of months). the shorts i bought at motherhood maternity got all weird when i washed them (that was 4 years ago, though). my husband made an "oops" this summer while we moved and donated all of my maternity clothes that i had in a bag (three pregnancies worth!) and so i'm off to find a new pair of maternity pants as well, but will most likely get them at GAP.com.
now i have to look at the Be Band!!

Anonymous said...

Here, here on the be band! Loved mine...and it's great for postpartum too,(only for a while though:)!) when you're easing your way back into normal clothes, so that your baggy stuff doesn't fall off your hips. Anyway...yes the maternity pants thing is frustrating. You might get by for quite some time just using the be band and a size bigger regular pants if needed. Otherwise, and unfortunately, maternity clothes are way overpriced, and pants seem to be funky fitting. The only pair I've found that I love were on clearance at Old Navy (in their maternity section of course). Hope that helps!

Nichole said...

If you have friends/relatives that offer to share their maternity clothes with you, take them up on it. Even if you don't think it will be your style completely you can always save those items for when you are working at home. Also, try not to buy all super trendy maternity clothes so that you can reuse with next pregnancy and they won't look dated. It's amazing how fast maternity clothes look dated. Spend money on some decent basics and just a few trendy pieces. You will be in a big shopping mood about 2-3 months post pregnancy so be prepared for that : )

Maryclayre Dick said...

1. I found some great maternity clothes (jeans, capris, dress and shirts) at Kohls! (and I don't ever like clothes from there...)
2. Mothers Special Blend Oil (or bio oil from walmart) But my midwife gave me some samples, and then I bought the bottle...you don't use much so it lasts a long time! Lotions didn't help me...and this oil is REALLY helping my posypartum stretch marks!
3. My whole pregnancy I lived in Targets maternity V-Necks...they are about $9 and come in every color! They are long, soft and comfy...and super cute!
4. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea...after my first trimester, I couldn't get enough of this...it is so good for your uterus and all that before, during and after pregnancy! I like the traditional medicinals brand.

I am so excited for you!

Sarah said...

i love my bella band. bought mine off ebay.

Miranda said...

Funny little coincidence: the checkout girl at Target was the first person to find out that I was pregnant too. Even before N8tr0n. But it was more of an uncomfortable, oddly intrusive moment instead of anything endearing. :)

Tesa said...

Ditto on Anneliese's comment about the maternity tanks from Target--GREAT layering piece--LOVE them-- still wear them!!

This last pregnancy I LIVED in a great pair of basic black yoga pants-from Old Navy. (They were not off the maternity rack... the stretchy waist band just got pushed under baby as my belly got bigger.) Super comfy!

Laura Railing said...

Old Navy has LOTS of cute options for both pants and tops. they have lots of fit options tummy wise (like no panel, small panel, full panel) for their maternity pants. I got lots of stuff second hand too. Some of the flowy styles of shirts work just as well for maternity shirts as they do regular. Low waisted jeans are amazing too though. If you can find some with stretch that sits really low, you can get away with wearing it most of the pregnancy. For stretch marks, I've heard that bio oil works really good. Haven't tried it though.

sheena said...

gap gap gap.

Plus--shirts are sooooo long these days, you can get away with alot of normal, non-maternity clothes.

happy shopping:)

http://www.affordablematernity.co.uk/ said...

The information you have posted about choosing a right maternity clothes helps me a lot on what to wear during my pregnancy period.

maternity clothes said...

The information you have posted about choosing a right maternity clothes helps me a lot on what to wear during my pregnancy period.

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about this blog

Hello, I'm Summer. A people-loving introvert whose hope and life is in Jesus. His promises are my passion and my ministry is homelife. This blog is a place for me to write about everyday things. Especially food. My favorite thing to do is sit around a table, lingering over a long meal with good conversation. I live with my husband and our 2 littles. We like blizzards, thrifting, grammar, guacamole, cheerful hearts, nice manners, good movies, and making simple, real, nutrient-dense food.

"If Christ be anything, He must be everything."
-C.H. Spurgeon

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