Bump Diaries: Maternity pants, where have you been all my life?

Being pregnant is kind of like becoming a living science experiment on display for everybody else to enjoy. The other day a 60-year-old woman, who is typically pretty conservative, told me, “Oh my goodness, your boobies are HUGE!”

Yes ma’am, I agree – they’re one step away from getting their own zip code.

(10 Weeks)

And I get it. I’m in on the joke. It is really strange to watch your body expand and change shape by the day. Or the hour, depending on if I had Mexican food for lunch. I’m kind of intrigued about just how big I’m going to get. And how I’m going to keep from toppling over.

(13 Weeks)

But there are still those weird expectations I place on myself. I’m sure I’m not the only one. Like, most of what I read said a first-time mom won’t show until around 16 weeks. And so, for some reason, that number has been in my head as the ideal time to start a bump. Unfortunately, my body decided to start growing a bump around 10 weeks. So I got six weeks of “Wow, you’re showing EARLY!”

And now I’ve magically hit the 16 week mark and I feel like I can finally be proud of this round belly of mine.

(14 Weeks)

We girls and our arbitrary rules. For this reason, I’ve avoided buying maternity pants, instead surviving off a belly band (man, those things are wonderful), and each week my pants zip a little less.

Last week Mr. Right brought me home some maternity capri pants that are work appropriate, and I decided to give them a try on a warm January day. IT WAS LIFE CHANGING. Like, the greatest thing ever. So great, in fact, that I wore those capri pants when it turned bone-chillingly cold. It didn’t matter – you couldn’t rip those maternity capris off my cold, dead body.

(15 Weeks)

And so this weekend I finally broke down and went to the pregnant lady store (which is SO unfashionable – but that’s another post), and bought two pairs of maternity skinny jeans and one pair of dress pants. And I am in heaven. I haven’t been this comfortable in 10 years.

(16 Weeks)

I have a waistband that rises all the way to my arm pits, and I’m okay with it.

 

 

14 Comments

  1. I absolutely adore reading these Bethe! Wish I had documented my pregnancy like this. You look amazing and the maternity clothes never get better! Although I noticed the other day target had some cute items. Enjoy every minute of this pregnancy. I never felt better about my body; even now. Pregnancy I was happy and content to just let my baby grow.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the kind words Adra! I’m enjoying watching these changes in my body – even more so on days like today where my nausea isn’t there to distract me.

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  2. I love you ! And yes, maternity pants ( clothes in general) are very comfy ! I have some “old lady” pants that come close that that comfort level. Can’t wait to see the “bump”. Does she have a name yet ?

    Reply

    1. Love you too Cindy! No name for Baby Girl yet… we fall in love with a name, and then fall out of love a few days later. Haven’t found one we can commit to yet.

      Reply

  3. Girly, i showed super early! like 8 weeks and i was already out of my regular jeans:)

    adra is right; my body was never more lovely than when God was using it to put my baby together. pregnancy cured me of almost all my body image issues…how could i criticize God’s creation as anything less than perfect after the amazing experience of carrying my child inside of me?? i am excited for you to experience that same joy…the physical expression of the miracle inside! its so awesome and i cant wait to do it again:)

    Reply

    1. Glad I’m in good company, Charis! On days when I feel kind of lumpy, I think about what you said when I first told you I was pregnant, about how you felt most beautiful when you were pregnant, and it encourages me. Thanks for being a dear friend!

      Reply

  4. Well, I think your bump is super cute and you are quite the fashionable pregnant woman! Also, I will go on record saying that I wish I could still wear maternity pants! I looooved them. However, it was not fun to shop for maternity clothes…reading this reminded me of a post I did about it way back when. Not sure if you read my blog then…if not, here’s the link: http://love-is-golden.blogspot.com/2010/02/maternity-clothes-fun.html

    Reply

  5. You look adorable!!! Can’t wait to watch you grow!!!! SOOO glad that you are feeling better!
    AND where my friend did you get that beautiful rug in your bedroom? I just have to have one!!!

    Reply

    1. Joy–Pea in a Pod looked pretty expensive–like $95 for a pair of jeans (even though they were peach skinny jeans and they were totally calling my name). The pants I got were from Motherhood Maternity and I’ve gotten tips from Target and Loft (thanks to Christmas gift cards and sales). Everything is just so plain–very few interesting shapes or features.

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  6. adorable! love your sense of fashion, even in pregnancy! Keep it up!

    http://www.ordinaryinspirations.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-i-wore-wednesday-via-pleated-poppy.html

    Reply

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