Postpartum Style Essentials

You just had your baby, which means your body has changed yet again and you are on the look for what postpartum styles to utilize. You just gave birth, but your body does not just bounce right back. Once the baby comes, your uterus is empty but you will still look pregnant for at least a few weeks after. For many women it will take some time to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight and comfortableness. During this transition you will want things that are comfortable as well as baby and breastfeeding friendly when it comes to style. We have put together a number of outfit options and helpful advice to help with style and clothing options during the postpartum period!

The Postpartum Belly

When you first become pregnant, you tend to love and enjoy every second of your belly becoming larger and larger. Once you have your little bundle of joy in your arms, you may not feel the same way about your belly after. You will find that you are probably very exhausted from a lack of sleep, milk leaking out of your boobs, and recovering from the birth itself. For a while after birth, you will notice your belly is quite a bit jiggly and might cause even more discomfort.

Utilize those Maternity Clothes

Don’t go throwing your maternity clothes out right away, you may find that you want to use some of them for a little while longer. This is especially the case for maternity pants that offer you a little more stretch and even a little more support within the belly region. That elastic waistband will continue to be your best friends for the weeks right after birth as your pre-pregnancy pants won’t fit you again just yet.

Another maternity item you may want to repurpose are your maternity underwear, they will help to offer a more relaxing environment down there while you are still healing. If you had a c-section you might want to look into postpartum underwear that is designed to avoid your scar while it is healing.

Stretchy Clothes – Enough Said

If your maternity clothes don’t quite fit or work anymore, look into clothes with stretchy and breathable fabric. You might want to pick up some cheap yoga pants or basics that you can wear with a cute top. Leggings or tunics are also good options, especially during the summer time. They will help to give you the room and air that you will want during the postpartum days.

You may find yourself leaning towards black colored bottoms during your postpartum period. These are a great option as they will help to slim you down and help to hide a lot of the newfound stains that will pop up during this period. Remember that after childbirth you will find that you have some postpartum bleeding for a few days to a few weeks, so black pants can help keep any leaks hidden with all the visitors you may have coming by.

Be Kind to the Ladies

For the first few weeks after your baby is born, your boobs will be going through a lot. They will be huge, leaking, and feel quite achy. This is the time to go to the store and buy something that you will thank yourself for, for weeks to come! Avoid your old pre-pregnancy bras and find something that works for now.

You’ll want to invest in a good quality sleep bra, two or three of them, that will help you with the first few weeks. Your boobs will be leaking, especially if you are pumping or breastfeeding, and you may find yourself needing to change bras a few times throughout the day.

Look for something soft and comfy. You may even want to invest in a few nursing bras or bralettes that are comfortable, but that work a little better with everyday clothing. Something quick and easy, so that you can pop your breast up to feed your baby, then return it right back after without much fuss.

You will want to avoid underwire as your breasts will be very sensitive and this can cause issues during their fluctuation. Try to find something that offers you support until your body stabilizes and you can go back to your pre-pregnancy bras.

Nursing Friendly Tops are Your New Best Friend

When it comes to finding nursing friendly clothes, it can get quite expensive. However, there are a lot of inexpensive options out there for you if that is what you are looking for. Look for tops that are simple and that will help make running errands and nursing more convenient.

A great place to start is going back to the basics. Stock up on a few neutral colored nursing tank tops that you can pair with a cute cardigan, or get a few nursing t-shirts that will work with yoga pants (or jeans if you are feeling adventurous). Once you find something you like, stock up on it. Much like your nursing bras, you may find that you will leak through onto your tops. Or if you aren’t leaking through, you may notice you are covered in spit up, pee, or poop after your errands… it will happen! A great way to help hide some of these stains is to look for clothes with patterns, as they can help some of the stains blend in and appear less noticeable!

If you do not want to purchase nursing tops, look for tops with easy access. Tops with functional buttons, a crossover bodice, or even an elastic neckline will help you to nurse or pump quickly and easily. You can even get flowy tops that you can lift up easily over your little one. Your top is basically doubling as a nursing cover now and you are good to go!

Nursing Covers/ Scarves

You do not need to invest in a nursing cover, it is your right to feed your baby wherever you need to and however you want! However, there are some that do not feel comfortable letting the girls out in public for feedings. If that is the case, you may want to invest in a nursing cover or scarf.

There are quite a few companies out there that offer many different designs! There are covers that also act as a carseat canopy, a grocery store cart cover, and a scarf for yourself when its cold. You can find many different styles and designs out there to fit your personality and bring a little fun into the mix!

Invest in Comfy Shoes

During pregnancy, many women find that their feet are swollen for a lot of the third trimester. Well, after the baby pops out a lot of women report to having had their feet actually grow a size or two! To help prepare you for this, have a pair of comfortable flip flops or open toe shoes ready after birth. There is nothing more uncomfortable than walking around in shoes that are too small for you!

This will help to allow you the freedom to do the errands you need to and to avoid running out of the house wearing your slippers because they are the only thing that fits! It make take some time to figure out if your feet will stay this larger size, or shrink back down. During this time of transition find what is comfortable for you and try not to worry too much… you may just have a shopping spree in your future! 

Accessorize to Hide that Postpartum Hair Loss

One of the many joys of childbirth comes with…postpartum hair loss and baby hairs. We recommend to try and invest in a good deep conditioner to help with the hair loss. But in the meantime there are ways that you can hide it or at least make it all a little less noticeable.

Invest in some cute headbands to help hide the problem. There are so many different styles and designs out there now that you could have one for each look! Let’s face it the messy bun will probably be your new favorite look, a headband and a cute scrunchie are great ways to help dress it up and take the attention away from your hairline!

Flaunt Your Assets

You may notice that your postpartum body comes with some new assets you did not have before. Perhaps your boobs are quite a bit larger than they used to be, or you finally have that butt you have always wanted! Embrace the new curves and buy yourself something that makes you feel sexy!

Maybe that looks like new low cut tops to show the girls off or a bodycon dress that accentuates your new curves. It can even be a lacey nursing bra that is just for you and your hubby. Just because you just had a baby, doesn’t mean that you can’t feel sexy!

Go ahead, splurge on an outfit that you can wear for your first date night out after your baby is born.

Try to Remember

Keep in mind that it took your body 10 months to get to where it is, so try to be patient with it on your journey back. Things may settle into a different way than how you began. It will take about six – ten weeks for your uterus alone to get back to your pre-pregnancy size. Postpartum is a time of constant learning, hormones going crazy, and enjoying your little one; remember to give yourself the love and patience that you deserve.