What clothes will I need 4-6 weeks after birth?

[MyThumbsHaveGoneWeird]

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this, but its where I usually hang out so I'm a bit scared of going off to parenting or something!

I live abroad and am going home for the birth in December. All being well I am planning to fly back abroad when baby is about 4 weeks old (do you think that is realistic? DH will only be able to stay until baby is about 2 weeks old so don't want to spend too long away from him). This is my first, so I have absolutely no idea what is in store. The thing that is bothering me at the moment, randomly, is what clothes do I need to take for myself? Will I still be wearing maternity clothes for those 4 weeks after? Or do I need to take normal clothes?

All advice gratefully received!

I was wearing normal comfy clothes iyswim. So jersey tops and trousers that stetch wiht you. I have been able to get my jeans on but they were a bit tight so not comfy iyswim

I couldn't wait to get out of my pregnancy clothes (mostly black). Mind you I still wear some of the nicer tops.

Em, let me think. Dc2 is now 9 weeks old and I suppose I'm one size bigger than pre-pregnancy. With my first child I was back to pre-pregnancy size within 4 weeks.

I suppose what I'm saying is that you could be any size but you may not want to wear your maternity clothes even if they do fit/are nice any comfy.

Solution - buy what you need in the January sales.

I wore a tarpaulin for 12 months post partum. I had to shuck it off every time Greenpeace tried to roll me back out to sea but it was warm and comfy inbetween times.

Yes to maternity clothes or stretchy jogging bottom type things.

I think I had a loose pair of wide jeans that I managed to get into a couple of weeks after birth, but mainly liked my yoga trousers and tracksuit bottoms. Nursing vests and a couple of cardigans should come in handy.

My maternity trousers were too big 4 weeks after birth, but a friend of mine was still wearing her maternity jeans 4 months after birth. Just depends on your body.

Loose, stretchy clothes will be your best bet to cover all possibilities

SOBS
Will be sure to put a tarpaulin on my christmas list.

Also, make sure they are clothes that wash easily and you don't mind vomit and milk all over! If you are BFing then tops which either button down the front or otherwise allow easy access. Plenty of maternity tops double-up as such.

Plus plenty of big (as in granny-style) knickers.

Sorry, but them's the facts!

dressing gown
slippers
giant bloke's t-shirt
um.....
no, that's it.

Should also add, that you may well be back into your normal size within a very short period (that depends a bit on how much weight you have (or not) put on during your pregnancy), it could just be days, but I wouldn't bother bringing those with you. If they fit, you can look forward to wearing them when you get home or buy a few things in the sales.

I'd suggest vests that you can pull aside to bf, with a looser top over. Go for baggy clothes all over!

(are you sure about getting passports etc within your timescale?)

I could get back into my jeans within 2 weeks but found them very uncomfortable as they had no 'give'. I preferred to wear my maternity jeans with the over the bump soft jersey panel, especially as I had sections with my children and normal trousers rubbed on my scar.

You will need Big Pants to hold your maternity pillow pad in and avoid your scar if you end up having a C-section.

It will probably be pretty cold here in December so layers are the way to go as if you want to breastfeed you won't want to be stripping off big jumpers. I had DD1 in December and wore nursing bras, then a long sleeved thin T-shirt, then a short sleeve T-shirt over that and then a cardigan if out. That way you can lift up the long sleeved T-shirt to feed and keep the short sleeved one over you a bit to keep you decent and warm!

Regarding flying back home with your baby, as long as the baby is fit and well flying at 4 weeks shouldn't be a problem. You would need to apply for a passport as soon as it's born.

It all depends on how much weight you put on I think. I'm only a size 10 but put on a good two and half/three stones with my DD and had a stone to lose after birth - it took a lot of shifting and I expected to be in my jeans within 6 weeks of having her. Far from it! 9 months on and 9 months to shift it.

If you are like some of the girls on this thread and snap back into your old jeans good for you but don't expect it or be hard on yourself if you don't. I'd have a good selection of empire tops or baggyish tops to hide your mummy tummy as I had a load of tight tops which i felt so self consious in. Leggings and tunics great as very current trend and comfy and hide many things!!