Ah, the third trimester, where you become so big that you are comical to everyone but yourself. So let’s talk about what you can do to get you thru this most awkward stage. Dressing became a joke the last few weeks for me. My biggest tip or third trimester dressing is to keep a smile on your face. For me, the third trimester was harder than the other two both physically and fashionably. I was ginormous by the time I gave birth. I’m 5’3″ and I had a 9 pounder. I was HUGE. So keeping a positive attitude definitely helped when I would stand helplessly in front of the closet.
I loved taking a button up blouse and tying it up over my belly with a dress or skirt. You can see it in a couple pictures above. It helped give me more tops to choose from because I could continue to wear shirts that fit my top but not my belly.
I continued to belt most my outfits thru the third trimester. I thought it gave a more flattering pregnant silhouette and showed off the growing belly.
I also added a lot of cardigans and vests to my outfits. Sometimes the side curve wasn’t the most flattering, so it was easy to cover and look better with a simple sweater.
Be comfortable. This doesn’t mean wear sweats to the store, but wear comfy fabrics. You can look great and still feel like you are wearing pajamas. All the outfits above were really comfortable! I loved jersey dresses and my Old Navy maternity pants!
When you reach a point that nothing fits, give in and go buy yourself one of these. I love mine! And I still wear it postpartum.
Next time I have a baby I want to make more clothes for myself! Being the first time I had to dress a baby bump, I had no clue what I was going to be like, so I didn’t know fully how to make something that would continue to fit me thru the rest of the pregnancy. There are a ton of maternity tutorials and patterns out there, and next time I plan to take full advantage of those, and also try to create new things myself.
I loved being pregnant. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and feel Max moving around inside me. I really do miss that. But I like cuddling him in my arms much better. And dressing the bump was much more of a challenge and also more fun than I anticipated it would be.
What are your tips for dressing for the third trimester?
Check out my first and third trimester tips here.