Transition Wear -- Maternity Clothes for Post Pregnancy Too!

Often women do not want to invest in maternity clothes because it feels extravagant to spend a lot of money on something you can only wear for about 6 months. Also, there is a certain stigma to some about wearing some tented dress or obvious maternity support band pant after you have your baby and have not yet lost the “baby fat.” Every woman knows there is nothing worse than being caught in maternity clothes after the baby, or even worse, being mistaken for pregnant when you are not! Fortunately there are some new styles out on the market today, often called “transition wear” that do not look like maternity clothes and can actually be worn after the baby when you are no longer pregnant but not yet down to your pre-pregnancy size and shape.

Now there are many stylish nursing tops on the market today that are made to double as maternity tops with longer tummy styles and extra stretch in the fabric. Some brands that carry some excellent cross over style maternity tops are Japanese Weekend, Majamas and 1 in the Oven. Most of these maternity and nursing tops are labeled as such and can be worn throughout your pregnancy and afterwards. Often these styles come in ¾ sleeves which works well for all seasons of the year and can be layered with a sweater in colder months.

Lounge Pants or soft and stretchy Yoga Pants are now the new rage in everyday wear for both maternity and non-maternity clothes. It seems many women are looking for something easy and comfortable that they can wear all day be it running errands, going to the gym or puttering about the house. Some of these pants are so comfortable they can even double as pajama bottoms. Majamas and 1 in the Oven maternity lines both make an excellent transition wear yoga pant that do not stretch out of shape with pregnancy and can be worn after the baby without looking like maternity pants. The fold over ruched style pant by 1 in the Oven is especially versatile because it can be worn over the belly for more tummy coverage during pregnancy or folded down to be worn across the belly for postpartum wear.

Nursing and maternity sleepwear are a very good investment if you plan to nurse after the baby. Not only are they made with more belly room to comfortably fit you while pregnant but the easy nursing access at night it invaluable if you plan to nurse. As every nursing mom as found out at some point, trying to properly position your baby to nurse in the middle of the night through the tangle of a non nursing nightgown is next to impossible. Transition wear sleepwear is simply a whole lot easier to “work” with in nighttime nursing and also looks and feels better than a huge nightshirt or oversized pajamas when you are pregnant or just delivered.

Buy at least one versatile maternity and nursing dress. There is a very good chance that at some point while you are pregnant or soon after you deliver that you will need to dress up in an actual dress. More than likely there are more than one or two occasions for you to wear a dress during this time, so it is probably worthwhile for you to invest in a maternity and nursing dress than can be worn during pregnancy or after the baby. If you do plan to nurse your baby and maybe need to go to a christening, a baby shower or other such “dress up” event, a dress designed for nursing will make that day a whole lot more fun if you need to nurse your baby. Any woman who has tried to nursing while wearing a non-nursing dress can tell you the now humorous stories of having to disrobe in some cramped bathroom stall to attempt to feed her hungry screaming baby and keep her sanity in the process. The other advantage is that a nursing dress will actually play up your assets with a design for a nursing woman’s body which is usually a de-emphasis on the tummy and more room across the chest. Since many nursing dresses are designed for maternity as well, go ahead and buy one while you are pregnant to get your money’s worth and full enjoyment from your purchase!

One final thought of an absolute must-have for any woman planning to nurse after the baby is a few well made nursing bras. Like all transition wear clothing nursing bras more than serve their purpose as they can also be worn throughout maternity. Many of these bras are made with extra stretch and support to comfortably fit several band and cup sizes so they can continue to fit you even as your body changes throughout maternity and breast feeding.

The main advantage in transition wear clothing is that they are made to stretch and are designed to stylishly fit a woman’s body throughout the changes of pregnancy and postpartum. Due to this versatility and the much needed nursing access if you plan to nurse, transition wear clothes earn their weight in gold!