Post-Natal Wardrobe

[LilacWine7]

First baby due in September. I'm planning to BF but not sure about buying special nursing tops. Are they worth it? I've bought a belly-bandit to help get back into shape but aware it takes some time to get back to pre-pregnancy clothes.

I want to put together a post-natal wardrobe now, to save time and stress once baby's here. What are your tips for looking stylish (and being comfortable) in the weeks and months after having a baby?

What is a belly bandit?

I didn't bother with BF clothes, vest tops were my staple when breastfeeding! Button up tops/ dresses and the wrap style ones were what I mostly wore.

What is a belly bandit?

It's a stretchy support thing that wraps around waist and hips and fastens with velcro. Supposed to help you get back into shape more quickly and supports back and abdominal muscles after birth. Like an adjustable compression layer.

Yeah right, diet is the only thing going to get rid of the belly, don't put the weight on in the first place is my advice

My top tip is yoga pants with the wide turnover waistband which you can turn over as you shrink! My faves were the Dashka ones by Braintree as the fabric is so thick and they look great after loads of washes. I had a couple of nursing tops but found them fiddly to use. My best purchase were super stretchy vests (bought a size larger than I thought I needed) which I could wear under any top and just pull down. Buy lots in different colours. The Primark ones have lasted three babies! Then I wore looser tops or shirts over the top.

Newbrummie doesn't it still take a while for the stretched skin and muscles to go back into place? I haven't gained any weight other than baby-bump (due to HG) but not expecting figure to revert to normal straight away.

You don't need special nursing tops.

Buy a few cheap spaghetti strap vest tops. Wear under normal tops. To feed, lift up normal top and pull down vest to under boob.

Works in all but 'high summer'

WLondonMum thanks for the tip! I have a few pairs of yoga-pants with turnover waistbands so will keep them handy for after the birth! I like the idea of shirts over vest-tops too, sounds more comfortable than nursing tops with hidden holes!

Lots of string tops to go under nice loose flowy ones for BF (flowy top hoicks up, string top hoicks down but covers belly). Neutral colours or patterns that won't show up baby sick. Colourful scarves to brighten things up and disguise the general belly area. Skinny soft jeggings with a nice high stretchy waist (I had a CS so didn't like any waistbands around that area). And nice funky earrings to make it look as though you are glam and making an effort when you are, in fact, dead on your feet from exhaustion. Exceptionally comfortable shoes.

Stretchy vests are critical. Then loose-ish tops, button up shirts or cardis over the top. Or just two vests if warm.

Leggings good, roll top yoga pants excellent too as mentioned above. I avoided dresses but was tandem feeding twins most of the time so slightly different logistics! Nice loose light scarfs are handy too if some thing feels more revealing than you expect

I like uniqlo for vests/cardis/sweatshirts etc. maternity leggings good initially and then after that hush were excellent. You need a good high rise, right up to the belly button.

I had a belly bandit and it made a massive difference to me, I'm not skinny, but I have no hangover on my tummy at all and that's after 2 baby's in 2 years with one emcs.

I used the feed me mummy vest, I popped that on under shirts or, loose light weight tops. I found I was pretty hot so didn't want anything too warm on. Yoga pants or similar are perfect until your brave enough to try jeans, but the belly buster will get you back in them quicker (it was about 2 weeks after normal birth and 4 weeks after section for me).

For the first few days I wore dh's shirts so that I could just unbutton it easily and it was really useful for keeping dignity for skin to skin, but we were in nicu, at home you don't have to worry the same.

I'm doing what WLondon recommends.

Works fab & is very comfortable.

All the advice about stretchy tops a layering vests is superb.
However a word of warning - I remember doing re same on my first - guesstimating I would pop back to a size 10 (usually an 8) after baby- lovely size 10 trousers had to wait a few months for things to go back to Normal- and I hadn't put in extra weight - but your body changes and shapes changes and yes it takes a while for muscles to regain their tautness. Also immediately post birth you could be a little fluidy. So allow for sizing and tbh I wouldn't buy too much as you ll find in the fee weeks post your size and shape will change a good bit. Get a minimum and maybe ear mark a favourite shopping lost on Pinterest / or your face sites that you can order for delivery post baby as your body changes back.
Rather than getting lots of stuff you won't wear.

I ve been eyeing nice wraps/ poncho s too for feeding and a few nice scarves. Luckily they seem to be in for next season

I didn't buy any special breastfeeding clothes either. I just wore shirts and blouses that I could unbutton, or T-shirts I could hoik up.

I found that my uterus was back to normal size after 10 days because I was breastfeeding and I could get back into my jeans when DD was three weeks old. Breast feeding uses up a lot of calories. Once the MW gave me the go ahead I was religious about doing stomach exercises and, as we lived on a steep hill, walking up and down that with a pram got me into shape pretty quickly.

I mainly wore stroppy tops under looser tops, as recommended here, but I also bought a couple of nursing vests and nursing tops/dresses from H&M and Jojo Maman Bebe, and I have to say that the Jojo striped nursing dresses were the best thing ever! Comfy, non-iron, washed well and looked surprisingly "put together" over (maternity...) leggings.

I found that feeling that I looked (relatively) stylish when bf really helped my confidence. I don't mean literally looking stylish at the actual time of feeding, BTW - I just mean that in those first few months when it's all very new and you don't know what you're doing, it's good to feel like that you look like a human being, with facets other than milk production!

I spent a few days in a dressing gown. After that I just wore my maternity clothes for about 2 months after baby arrived- Jersey yoga type trousers with the fold over band from for other Perkins and some maternity tops (some happened to also be suitable for nursing). But I had a traumatic delivery and was depressed and didn't know it at the time.

Thanks for great advice everyone

I also bought flattering yoga pants and leggings a few sizes larger. Then within a week I was in M&S buying stretchy jeans. Abound a month later I was back buying a smaller pair... And so on until I was back in my size 12s. At £20 a pair it didn't break the bank. But I think my first pair were a size 18 to cope with all the fluid etc in the few weeks after birth. In my experience, the weight didn't drop off with breastfeeding and it took a while for my stomach to get flatter. Go easy on yourself, it will all get back to normal in time
And I echo the stretchy vest top advice - no need for annoying feeding tops

I was boiling whilst I was breastfeeding! So lots of strappy tops are needed. Leggings and jeggings for stretchiness.

I wore my maternity clothes for the first couple of weeks.

I am 4 weeks postnatal and still wearing my Maternity jeans- oh the joy! Also use strappy vests and looser tops for feeding. Bought a couple of these to try here for under crossover or button up tops so I can pull top down and the bandeau up to provide a bit of top boob covering when feeding. Also it might be less hot than wearing a full vest under everything.