When Your Maternity Clothes No Longer Fit…

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Hello! I’m Allison. I’m 33-weeks pregnant with my second boy. I have a confession: I’m so big that my maternity clothes no longer fit. Did I mention that I still have six (!) weeks to go? Seriously, I don’t know what I’m going to wear anymore.

With my first pregnancy, I felt cute, generally pretty spunky, and proud of my “bump” the whole nine months. This time around, I’m feeling sluggish, frumpy, and sore. Also, I’m pretty sure you can’t call my baby belly a “bump” anymore – it’s honestly more of a boulder sticking out of my usually petite five-foot frame, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. At my doctor’s appointment last week, they told me that they think the baby is almost six pounds already! Yikes.

I’ve read that you show much sooner with your second pregnancy, which I definitely did. But I was happy about it! The weird “in between time” when you just feel chunky but you don’t yet look pregnant was much shorter. I threw on my stretchy Old Navy maternity shorts a couple weeks early and was thrilled that I wouldn’t have to worry about swimsuit season this summer. I’ve always wanted to be pregnant in the summer, wear a cute bikini and show off my belly – the one time in your life when an exposed little Buddha belly is totally acceptable on the beach!

Fast forward to where we are now, the end of summer and I’m in my bikini: my exposed belly is large, in charge, and feels especially graphic when my baby is doing flips in my stomach causing my skin to move and stretch in creepy ways, looking like I’m housing an alien in there. I would wear my one-piece maternity swimsuit but there is NO WAY that I can even pull it up over my legs. And trying to take a wet one-piece off? Forget it! The last time I attempted this, I moaned and groaned so loud that my neighbors probably assumed I was in labor.

My once comfortable stretchy waistband shorts are now digging into my sides. The rouched maternity shirts now expose my weird belly button. My cute g0-to maxi dress now has a hole in it. I mean, really! It seems too late in the game to spend money on more maternity clothes for just a couple of weeks. What’s a girl to do?

Of course, I may only have myself to blame for growing out of my maternity clothes so soon. Maybe I don’t need to eat ice cream every night. Maybe I could eat less carbs. But you know what? The baby gets what the baby wants! This is the last time I plan on being pregnant (we’re stopping after two), so I’m trying to remember to enjoy these nine months and the cheeseburgers that accompany it.

To combat my current insecurities, I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping for my post-baby body. I remember after having my first baby the second weird “in between time” when your stomach is still sore and stretched out from pregnancy but maternity clothes are too big and your normal pre-baby clothes are too tight. It’s amazing how much clothes can impact your mood and self-esteem! When my jeans wouldn’t fit and I wore yoga pants for two months straight, I remember not feeling like myself. After this second baby, I want to make sure that I have some cute, comfy clothes that make me feel semi-normal even though I’m exhausted and my boobs are so sore. In the past couple weeks, I’ve purchased some pretty bralets for nursing, leggings with interesting details (beyond my typical black ones), and new loose tshirts for Fall layering.

This is in no way meant to be a complainy post. I am thrilled to be pregnant and am SO HAPPY that my baby boy is growing so nicely in there! But there has to be other mamas out there at the end of their pregnancy, trying to survive this Charleston heat that can relate, right? What are you wearing to get you through these last weeks? I guess I’ll just keep rocking these sweatpants and my tshirts that no longer fit and maybe just never leave the house…

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Allison – A good friend shared your post with me this morning thinking I may have similar feelings as I am due with my second on November 1. I have more than similar feelings – I have the EXACT feelings!! Shew! Number 2 has definitely been different than my first pregnancy. I work in an office so getting ready in the morning – I still shower 🙂 and wear wedges etc. But my outfits are on repeat – like every other day repeat! I’ll be happy when this little guys arrives too and we are all done after this one. Hang in the mama!

    • Krista! I’m so happy that I’m not the only one feeling like this! Here’s hoping to a quick, easy, fun last month of pregnancy for you – I definitely won’t judge you for wearing the same outfit every day 🙂

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