• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • Meet Tara
    • Family Photography
    • PR & Advertising
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
  • CRAFT
    • Wearables
    • Home Decor
    • Kids
    • Papercrafts
    • Printables
    • SVG Cut Files
  • PARTY
    • Baby
    • Back to School
    • Birthday
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Graduation
    • Halloween & Fall
    • Mother’s Day
    • Patriotic
    • St Patricks Day
    • Summer
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Wedding
  • Home
    • Nehil Home Tour
    • Basement and Garage
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Entryway
    • Kitchen
    • Living Room
    • Office
    • Outdoors
  • LIFE
    • Blog Life
    • Favorite Products
    • Mom Life
    • Organization
    • Travel
Spot of Tea Designs

Spot of Tea Designs

Maternity Essentials: Clothing and Comfort Items

in Favorite Products, Lifestyle, Mom Life, Pregnancy

Try as you might, you’ll most likely need at least a few maternity basics during your pregnancy. I’ve already written up this list of my favorite maternity essentials to several first time mom friends so it’s now time for my SOTD readers to benefit on my experience!

Maternity Essentials: from clothing favorites to comfort items. #pregnancy #maternity | spotofteadesigns.com

DISCLOSURE: Some of the links in this post contain affiliate links. Know that I only promote products I personally use and stand behind. To learn more about my affiliates, please review my disclosure policy here.

Forward this list of maternity essentials to a recently announced newly pregnant friend or buy her something off the list and help get her prepared for the months ahead!

CLOTHING:

I’m not a fashionista by any means so I was always looking for basics that I could comfortably wear and mix and match in different ways. TIP: Give in and create a spot in your closet/drawers specifically for all your maternity wear options. Yes, it will most likely be small selection, but it will cause you a lot less of a headache to have all the things that actually fit you in one location instead of sifting through a ton of clothes you won’t be enjoying again for months.

  • TOPS:
    • These Old Navy Maternity Rib Knit Tanks are great as you can wear them with a cardigan on top in cooler weather, pair with shorts for hot summer days or rock them with skirts for dressy/casual look. Check out their website to see the larger colorful collection and make sure you sign up for their emails to take advantage of discounts and coupon deals!
    • Not all maternity tops have to have rouching on the sides to make it fit months down the road. I have several Liz Lange ones from Target that I love since they look like regular shirts. I can’t find a link to them on their online store so try checking in person.
Maternity Essentials: from clothing favorites to comfort items. #pregnancy #maternity | spotofteadesigns.com
  • BOTTOMS:
    • These Old Navy Fold-Over Skirts were great as they could be dressed up or dressed down. I have it in both black and grey and wore them all summer long the first time around and have mixed them in when I could for number two. (Side note: it seems harder to wear dresses or skirts when you’re chasing around a toddler!)
    • As mentioned prior, I was REALLY against the full panel pants concept prior to my first pregnancy. But then I got to experience how COMFY it really is! I have two pairs of low panel skinny jeans from Old Navy but found they were only good for the beginning of your pregnancy and got uncomfortable around my belly really fast. I was able to wear these full panel skinny jeans much longer, even into the warmer summer months.
    • On the same note, I love my Liz Lange jean shorts from Target with the full panel covering. (Again, no online link). You can see me wearing them at 7 months pregnant when we attended a really HOT Nascar race this May.
Two #Pregnant best friends with a "Future BFFs" sign for their unborn babies | spotofteadesigns.com
  • LOUNGEWEAR:
    • I have three pairs of these fold over waistband yoga shorts that I wear to sleep, over a swimsuit in summer, or as seen in the above photo, I rocked them in the hot summer days in 2013 when I was overdue! They’re SUPER comfy and grow with your growing bump. (Ok confession, I never stopped wearing these to bed, even after I lost all my baby weight from the first pregnancy. They’re just that comfortable!)
    • When in need of some warmth, I opted for these Maternity Roll-Panel Yoga Pants which were just as comfy and soft as the yoga shorts, just in a full leg length.
Maternity Essentials: from clothing favorites to comfort items. #pregnancy #maternity | spotofteadesigns.com
  • DRESSES: I actually wore two regular pre-pregnancy dresses throughout my first pregnancy without stretching them out forever. But I also loved this one from Old Navy buying it in both blue and black. I wore this black one to my Colorful Baby Shower (seen above) and am now sporting it for my weekly pictures with baby number 2.
  • SWIMWEAR:
    • Once you’re at a certain point in the pregnancy, it’s probably obvious that you have a pregnant belly shape and didn’t just indulge in too many sweets. If you’re up for it, rock a bikini and show off the bump! Tip: Buy maternity swimsuit bottoms (I like these from Old Navy) and a new bikini top (since you’ll most likely need to go up a size).
    • If you want to cover up a bit more, I also had this maternity tankini that I wore with the same bottoms mentioned above, but I warn you that this doesn’t really fit nicely until your bump is a little larger. I wore this at 24 weeks pregnant with my first on our babymoon and it was a bit loose on me.
  • IMTIMATES: I rarely read much about this category of maternity clothing favorites on blogs so hopefully you can benefit from the below info!
    • Chances are you’ll need a new bra cup size pretty early in pregnancy. You’ll upgrade and soon realize that you also needed to get a bigger width due to an expanding rib cage! To get the most use out of these new bras, I bought this Maidenform Women’s 3 Hook Bra Extender Pack and was able to gain a few more inches of width instead of investing in yet another set of bras for a hopefully not so long period of time.
    • I never went the maternity underwear route so I can’t speak about it’s magic, and instead stuck with my favorite brand, Victoria Secret. I purchase a larger size of their string bikini style, which I was able to wear up into my 9th month, since the string style allowed for room to stretch around my growing bump.
    • Like many of your maternity items, sleep bras will be also be great once baby comes so it will have a longer life than 9 short months. While pregnant, you will probably want something to support your growing boobs at night and a soft, cotton Medela Sleep Bra will do the trick. Once baby is here and your milk comes in, you’ll need a soft sleep bra like this, or shelf bra nursing tank, in order to keep your disposable breastpads in, due to leaking. For that situation, I recommend Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads.

COMFORT ITEMS:

Besides the obvious need for new clothes during this growing season, you’ll also want some other items to help keep you comfortable in other ways.

Mama Mio #Pregnancy Skin Care line as reviewed by spotofteadesigns.com @Mioskincare
  • In your first pregnancy and your belly starts to stretch, it’s itchy! I used the sweet smelling Mama Mio Tummy Rub Butter to combat this issue which both stopped the itchiness and moisture my expanding belly. I preferred this to that cocoa smelling brand!
  • This is the number one thing I tell pregnant friends to get when they first share their news and something I included in my Second Pregnancy: What I’m Doing Differently This Time Around post: Get a pregnancy pillow! You may think stuffing your bed with a ton of pillows will do the trick but these special pillows are shaped to help support your growing bump, back and give support to your legs during sleep. I love my Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow and am pretty sure I’m going to have a hard time giving it up post pregnancy!
  • In the beginning weeks of pregnancy, when you’re probably hiding your bump, or even once you do reveal the joyful news, a Belly Band can help you wear your pre-pregnancy pants but still be comfortable. I have one in black that I got at Target (again, no online link) and wore it often in the beginning!

Some last piece of advice/warning: you’ll wear a lot of these items after baby arrives too. Yes, you’ll loose weight at birth and hopefully more in the days/weeks/months after, but it does take time. It’s ok if you have to wear the maternity clothes (that you are no doubt stick of by then) but it’s just the nature of what happens. Wear it when the weight is going on and wear it as it’s going down. Make sure you read the Post Baby You for more advice on your body an mind after baby.

Save

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

in Favorite Products, Lifestyle, Mom Life, Pregnancy

Spotofteadesigns.com Signature Design showing ways to socially follow this DIY/Parenting blogSpotofteadesigns.com Signature showing how to follow on twitter. Username: spotofteadesignSOTD2019SignatureFollow4FacebookSpotofteadesigns.com Signature showing how to follow on pinterest. Username: spotofteadesignSpotofteadesigns.com Signature showing how to follow on instagram. Username: spotofteadesignsSpotofteadesigns.com Signature

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicole says

    July 27, 2015 at 9:45 am

    I used my old maternity tanks to make discreet nursing tops after having my babies. I found the clothing that is for nursing to be expensive, cheaply made (they didn’t really hold up well and stretched out), and not very discreet depending on the design. I cut two vertical holes in the tanks. Since they are knit you can just cut the holes and not do anything about the raw edges. You just layer a stretchy top over the tank and then you can pull the top up and unhook your nursing bra. This way your tummy is covered and the shirt covers the top of your boob and you get to wear real clothes rather than the nursing tops which aren’t necessarily fashionable. :)

    Reply
    • Spot of Tea Designs says

      July 27, 2015 at 7:31 pm

      Thank u so much for sharing this tip/technique Nicole! I need to look into this if I need more nursing tops when #2 arrives!

      Reply
  2. Jamie says

    July 28, 2015 at 9:14 am

    Great tips! I was pregnant this entire past winter, and it was a cold one in the northeast. Once I could no longer zip or button my coats I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get away with just leaving my coat open. Maternity coats are slim pickings and I couldn’t even find plus size options that were not hideous. My first intuition was to get an a-line swing coat but they made me feel like I had a tent on! My tip – look for a coat that has a drawstring at the waist (some are even internal that you cant see from the outside). I sized up, but made sure the shoulder area was not too large. I was able to adjust the drawstring as needed and it gave me a waist, and helped the slighly big coat compliment my growing bump. I actually got tons of compliments while staying warm and comfy.

    Reply
    • Spot of Tea Designs says

      July 28, 2015 at 8:02 pm

      Thanks so much for contributing and helping out the winter mommas with this great tip! Having only had summer pregnancies I forget how hard it must be to find clothes to cover a bump and keep you warm at the same time!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Meet Tara

You can probably find me in my craft room, in front of a computer or behind the camera lens.
LEARN MORE

EMAIL NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

Sign up and be the first to know about new posts filled with printables, svg cut file designs and gift ideas!

Privacy Policy

VALENTINE INSPO

Printable Owl Valentine Pencil Holders - great allergy friendly classroom gift | spotofteadesigns.com

Owl Valentine Printable Pencil Holders

You're o-fish-ally a great friend printable valentine bag toppers to put over goldfish crackers or gummy fish! | spotofteadesigns.com

Ofishally Valentine Bag Toppers

Hugs and Kisses Valentine T-shirt using SVG cut file and iron on transfer vinyl | spotofteadesigns.com

Hugs and Kisses Valentine’s T-Shirt

Unicorn lollipop holder SVG cut file - great for valentine's day or a unicorn birthday party favor | spotofteadesigns.com

Unicorn Lollipop Holder

Non Candy Valentines Ideas with printables | spotofteadesigns.com

Non Candy Valentine Ideas with Printables

Shop the Spot of Tea Designs Amazon Store front | spotofteadesigns.com

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Tara Nehil is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

LATEST GRAMS

If the pirate's life is for you, you can grab this If the pirate's life is for you, you can grab this printable pencil holder Valentine in my etsy shop. 
.
Leave a ☠️ if you want me to DM you the link!
.
Pirate design: https://www.etsy.com/listing/666334193/pirate-valentines-pencil-holder-cards
.
.
.
.
#spotofteadesigns #pirateparty #classroomvalentine #valentinescraft #printables #printabletag #etsylove #etsydigital #etsyshop #childhoodunplugged #pirateslifeforme #pirateslife
Can we normalize houses without mud rooms and with Can we normalize houses without mud rooms and with non-pretty garages? 
.
This is by no means the most glamorous upgrade, but it was a necessary one. I picked up this new shoe storage rack at @wayfair and cleaned up the floor in our garage space. 
.
Not shown: installing the racks the first time and having the side brackets upside down and having to redo them. 🙈
.
.
.
.
.
#spotofteadesigns #organizedhome #organizing #wayfair #shoes #bhghome #styleathome #houseandhome #sodomino #huffposthome #housebeautiful #lovewhereyoudwell #howyouhome #makehomeyours #thisishome #betterhomesandgardens #showyourhomestyle #myhomevibe #myhome2inspire #goodhousekeeping #realhouse #actualhomesofinstagram #mydomaine #nehilsathome
How does your child's school celebrate 100 days? How does your child's school celebrate 100 days? 
.
In the past we've designed our own shirts, which they've painted with fabric paint or made using a @cricut and heat transfer vinyl, dressed up like old people with lots of dry shampoo, and made a vinyl 100 days rainbow for a teacher! I also offer these smarties themed printables in my shop if you're looking for a sweeter way to celebrate! 
.
Printable link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/678898558/100-days-of-school-smartie-pants-owl-100
.
.
.
.
#spotofteadesigns #vinylallthethings #cricutmsdemedoit #cricutlove #cricutmaker #teamcricut #100days #100daysofschool #teacherlife #kidcrafts #
This Valentine Tic tac toe design is available as This Valentine Tic tac toe design is available as a free svg cut file download from my blog!
.
Leave a XOXO and I can dm you the direct link 
.
https://spotofteadesigns.com/tic-tac-toe-valentines-free-cut-file/
.
.
#spotofteadesigns #svg #svgcutfile #valentinescraft #valentineshirt #cricutlove #cricutmademedoit #teamcricut #cricutmaker #Siserna #expressionsvinyl
Just can't get enough of this wood mosaic piece I Just can't get enough of this wood mosaic piece I made with a @dollartree knock-off Jenga game! 
.
See the full tutorial over on the @custompictureframes blog. 
.
.
.
.
#spotofteadesigns #getcustomframed #dollartreediy #dollartree #dollartreecrafts #pictureframe #woodblock #craftersgonnacraft #makersgonnamake #makehomeyours #makersvillage #homedecor
This love bug lollipop holder svg cut file was one This love bug lollipop holder svg cut file was one of my most popular Valentine designs last year. Plenty of room on back to address it to classmates or loved ones. 
.
Visit the link to grab it or leave a 🐞 and I'll DM it to you > https://www.etsy.com/listing/1119721214/love-bug-lollipop-holder-svg-cut-file
.
.
.
.
.
#spotofteadesigns #svgfile #svgcutfile #valentinescraft #valentinetreat #classroomvalentine #classroomexchange #lovebug #lollipop #etsydigital #etsylove #etsysellersofinstagram #heart
Follow on Instagram
2021 © Spot of Tea Designs
made by soulmuse