Congratulations to all those expecting mamas out there, I'm so happy to have you here! I'd love to be a resource for all of you. A little background, I am a mom to 2. I have a 2 year old son and a 1 year old daughter. They are 14 months apart. People often comment on how crazy we are to have 2 under 2. I have PCOS and it took us a few years to get pregnant with our first, so we didn't want to wait to have another. It's crazy at times but we wouldn't have it any other way! But with that, we are done having babies. While I don't have plans to become pregnant again, I have been plus size and pregnant and hope I can be a resource to so many of you that are navigating your plus size pregnancy.
For me, pregnancy brought a lot of doubt a worry about my body. And at the same time it really taught me an incredible lesson. My body is powerful. I made and grew a whole human! I spent so much time worrying about how my body would look pregnant. Would I have a "normal" looking bump? Would I even look pregnant? Or would I just look fatter? If I could go back, I wish I wouldn't of worried so much. Hopefully this post will bring you a little peace of mind if you are struggling with the same doubts and fears.
B-Belly
If you are a plus size pregnant person, then you already know what a B-Belly is. I had one while I was pregnant, so here is the best way to dress for your B-Belly. Three things you need, flowy tops, empire waist dresses, and really great black leggings. I avoided those side clinched tops all together and honestly jeans with the traditional belly bands didn't work for me. I need a supportive bottom to support my belly so that I could have a more defined bottom half of my belly. Side clinched tops just showed off my B-Belly. So Flowy or Empire waisted tops showed of the top part of my belly and then flowed right over the B. This gave off the illusion of a "normal" D Bump Belly.
If there is one thing you take away from this post, you need these pants. They are the best maternity pants out there. I've tired many other brands some at double the cost... but nothing compares. Theses are TOP notch. They are thick enough to pass off as leggings/black pants but they also hold you in! That type of structure helped support the bottom part of my B and helped to create a "normal" looking bump. I ended up with 2 pairs of these and wore them over any other pants through both pregnancies. They are linked below, the first item listed. I've also recommend a support tank top as well. I wore them underneath EVERYTHING! So comfortable and it really helped create that D bump vs a B Bump.
Investing in these leggings, a few basic tops and some trendy dresses and tops will set you up for a successful maternity wardrobe. Added in jackets and cardigans from your non maternity wardrobe and you'll have so many great options. Here I have a great black tank from Old Navy, my zella maternity leggings and a jean jacket to make this cute and comfy outfit.
I've linked a few other adorable maternity options for plus size bodies. ASOS, H&M and GAP's sizes run generous, so keep that in mind. These were my favorite places to shop for maternity options when I was pregnant. They have affordable and trendy items that worked great on my size 16 body while pregnant. I hope you love them!
PS- If you are pregnant and have to go to an office or be on your feet all day, I can't recommend a pair of birdies enough! They are like walking on clouds! SO comfortable! And were a LIFE SAVER for me!