Glowing While Growing

   Today I want to share something that is close to my heart - maternity fashion! It is always a challenge when you gain 15, 20, or 30 pounds to still look & feel "in style". I adore clothes & I especially do at this special time in your life. Last year when I was pregnant, I told one of my youth girls to tell me when I got to the place where you could really tell I was pregnant. Thinking it would be weeks till she told me this, she came up to me the next week & said "Julie, you are GLOWING"...which was her code phrase that sounded nicer than "Hey, you look fat"!! So, I had to name this post Glowing While Growing! In all reality though, I don't stress too much over how much weight I gain during pregnancy. As long as the baby is healthy, the weight will come off later...hopefully!! :)

   So, here's the dilemma I face while needing new clothes during pregnancy - maternity clothes are SO expensive!!! Here are a few tips I stick to while I'm growing (or glowing)!

1. I attempt to wear my normal clothes for as long as possible. You will actually be surprised at how much you can wear even until the very end. I usually have to wear maternity jeans/pants quicker than anything else.
2. I like to wear form fitting clothes(aka tight clothes!) while pregnant. The looser it is the bigger you will look.
3. Invest in some good pants(jeans)/leggings & undershirts. This doesn't mean they have to be expensive you just need a good fit.
4. Belts are a great accessory while pregnant! They help accentuate that precious baby!
5. Places I LOVE to shop maternity...you guessed it...ROSS! I also buy a lot from Burlington Coat Factory & some regular pieces from Old Navy in a larger size.
    Now, let me show you some examples of some of my favorite outfits.

   These were taken between 16-22 weeks pregnant. All of these are regular clothes.

   Now let me show you some where I was getting a bit bigger. In the first picture, the dress I was wearing was a regular dress. The second, third & fourth pictures show me wearing a maternity shirt & a regular skirt. These were taken between weeks 24-30.

 

Ok, now on to the big belly! These were taken the last 10 weeks. The very last picture is delivery day!!!

Most of the dresses came from Burlington or Ross. My black leggings from Burlington were a life saver! I wore them ALL the time. I also wore my blue jean shirt from Ross a ton & my black maxi skirt from Burlington!

  Two things I love...being pregnant & fashion. Together they are loads of fun! I hope today helped give you some ideas of things to wear while being pregnant. :)