If you’re a mom you already know this one, but if not it might be news:
You leave the hospital still looking about 4 or 5 months pregnant.
And you look that way for anything from a few days to a few months, depending on various factors (everything from how fast the swelling goes down and how much weight you gained during the pregnancy to how much water you’re drinking). The important thing to remember: it’s fine. It’ll come off when it comes off, and if that takes a few months…hey, so did growing an entire human being.
Still: getting dressed during the postpartum period is complicated.
Personally, I’d gotten used to my pregnancy shape, and was loving getting dressed every morning even at the very end…but this is a whole different thing. The combination of having recently gone through a fairly major physical trauma, suddenly having a completely insane and not especially comfortable shape (we’re talking size Gs, guys. Gs!), and having to be semi-nude with relative frequency, even when in public, has made me do a little reevaluating of what, exactly, I’d like to put on my body.
Basically, I can’t handle anything constricting anywhere at all.
But! I have found a solution. And it is this:
Super-stretchy, jegging-type pants (that do not need to be un-cute; see evidence above) + comfortable, oversized top that may or may not be one you wore while pregnant, as well.
This top – which is technically “maternity,” but which I would (and will) totally wear in my “regular” (non-pregnant, non-post-partum) life anyway – is a lifesaver: all that flowiness is not only flattering, but it sort of swathes you and the baby when you’re breastfeeding, so you don’t feel quite so exposed. If you drape a scarf around yourself as well (I don’t go anywhere without a pretty, oversized scarf these days), you can feel totally confident that random passersby won’t be able to check out any parts of your body that you don’t especially want them to see.
On Me: Rachel Pally Top from Destination Maternity; American Eagle Distressed Jeggings and Camo Flats; Foley & Corinna Bag; Tom Ford Sunglasses.
