No matter what you see in celebrity magazines, the pregnancy belly doesn’t always disappear with the baby. It can be disheartening when you’ve overcome labour but still look six months pregnant, but rest assured that the belly will go down eventually. In the meantime, you can cleverly conceal your fourth trimester waistline with a post-pregnancy wardrobe. Thankfully, there are more options available, so you’re likely to find something that works with your staple style.
Jeans and leggings
Don’t throw out your good maternity jeans right away. Not only have they been a comfortable item for the past few months, but they are now one of the few pieces of clothes that will hide your muffin top without making your butt look saggy. The best part is, you no longer have to wear them with maternity shirts, so there are plenty of outfit combinations to try out. That said, you can’t go wrong with a good pair of leggings either. Find a pair that is super opaque, and doesn’t have the cheap-looking elastic hue. Your best friend is a high-waist version, or fold-over yoga pants.
Flowing dresses and shirts
You’re still a month or so away from being able to wear form-fitting tops and dresses again. Instead, choose tops and dresses that drape over and away from your tummy, rather than fitting tightly. Fortunately, bigger bellies don’t have to shop in the maternity section for this one; plus size dresses and shirts will do a very good job, and they have more cute designs available now. Be sure to avoid too many ruffles or pleats when you’re shopping, because excessive design can draw too much attention to the parts you’re trying to hide. Stripy patterns are a good idea because they add a bit of color to your outfit, but they can disguise your middle and camouflage milk leakage and spit-up stains
Button-down shirts
When you’re breastfeeding, quick access is a saving grace in public situations. If your belly still hasn’t slimmed down yet you might be a little uncomfortable pulling your shirt up to nurse, but button-downs can easily sort that problem. Going one size bigger can also hide your slowly shrinking waistline, but even so it’s nice having an oversized shirt in slightly warmer weather.
Deep V-neck shirts
Let’s be honest, even if their sole purpose is to feed your child, you can’t deny you like flaunting that motherhood cleavage every once in a while. V-necks are great for a quick self-esteem boost, but they’re also soft enough to provide comfort when your breasts are leaky. Also, once your belly slims down, V-necks are easy to push out of the way when you need to nurse.
Black is the new black
There is no magic quite like black magic; it slims those enhanced features, it makes the unwanted extra parts disappear, and it transforms your post-pregnancy body into something that almost resembles your pre-pregnancy body. You can also use you black outfit as a canvas for some brightly colored scarves, chunky necklace, or a comfortable sweater. This outfit is perfect for your first baby-free night out, so take all the time you need to plan it out perfectly.
Shapewear
If Spanx wasn’t your best friend before you had a baby, it certainly is now; it can hold in your stomach and hips and make you look smoother — maybe even smaller. Spanx is a good wardrobe essential for special occasions, or you can wear it around the house in case anyone drops in unexpectedly to say hi to the new bundle of joy. Obviously, no one expects you to look immaculate while taking care of a newborn, but wearing Spanx is a nice little confidence booster to tide you over until your old wardrobe fits again.
Don’t fear the tailor
The best way to save yourself several trips to the store, and the donation bins, is to make your current wardrobe fit now. If you consider how much a new wardrobe will set you back, a good tailor will save you a fair bit of money. Even if it’s not much in the long run, can you really put a price on a miracle worker? A tailor can take in clothing under the armpit on both sides, take in pants that are too big, and add removable side panels to pre-pregnancy items that you can’t quite squeeze back into (such as jeans). Later on, seams taken in and out, and stretchy panels added or removed, so you won’t ruin your clothes.