The Clothing Items You REALLY Need While Pregnant

I recently did a bit of a poll over on my Instagram (if you’re not following me then what are you waiting for?! 🤣), and the majority of people said they wanted to see more mum life and parenting related posts on the blog. Of course I’m stoked about this as this is what I am loving about writing at the moment!

After spending 9 months of my life pregnant, and experiencing all the changes my body has gone through, I wanted to share with you a few of the clothing items that I’ve found super helpful. There are so many maternity clothes on the market and it can be really hard to work out what you need and what you can skip, as everything seems to marketed as a “must have”. It’s really easy to buy into the hype that you need this or that to be happy during pregnancy, but the truth is that there’s only a handful of items that I would consider to be essentials.

If you are pregnant or are hoping to be in the future, these are the items I 100% recommend you purchase to make the nine months of bump life just that little bit easier and a little more comfortable.

Slouchy Pants

Slouchy pants were my lifesaver since the middle of the second trimester as they are just so comfy. Luckily they are also really on trend at the moment, so you don’t have to sacrifice fashion for comfort. Look for pants that have both an elasticated waistband as well as a drawstring so you can adjust them as the bump grows and they can also then be worn after pregnancy (as, let’s face it, you’ll probably live in them for a week or two after bubs arrives!) These ones from Betty Basics are my favourites.

Maternity Leggings

This was one purchase I made at around 16 weeks and I’m so glad I did! My regular leggings were starting to get super tight around the bump, so I bought a double pack of cheap ASOS maternity leggings. I wore one pair around the house and the other pair I kept to wear under dresses and tunics when I went out. Look for leggings that have room for your bump to grow and are a comfy lightweight cotton. I also wore these right after my c-section as they didn’t rub my scar. Nine weeks later I’m still wearing them around the house as they are so comfy! Well worth the money in my opinion!

Comfy Pyjamas

I sort of didn’t really think about pyjamas until there were a few nights there during the early third trimester where I felt my PJ bottoms were cutting into my middle. It definitely is hard to sleep when you are uncomfortable! I’ve found nighties really good as they are loose fitting and give you room to move (these ones are my faves), and I also love these slouchy pants from The Warehouse. I’ve wore these to bed at night as well as around the house when I was just chilling and they are SO comfy! They have the drawstring and elastic waistband so are adjustable around the middle, and the cuffs on the bottom stop them from riding up while you sleep. These have been one of my favourite purchases this year and I’m still wearing them after pregnancy too.

A Wrap Coat

If you are pregnant in winter, then you’ll probably find that one day you will wake up and suddenly none of your coats fit. Sure, there are maternity coats, but again it’s a purchase that you’ll likely only wear for a couple of months and can set you back well over $100. Instead I opted to buy a wrap coat in my regular size. As my bump grew, I just wrapped it a little looser and it continued to fit me right through. Since I bought my normal size, I also am wearing it after baby. A couple of my favourite wrap coat options are this one and this one.

Comfy Undies

I also never thought about undies when pregnant. While you can get maternity underwear, I just opted to buy a few pairs in a size up from my regular size and I’ve found these to be great. I love the boyleg style undies, and always make sure you opt for cotton in order to prevent any infections downstairs (which you are more prone to during pregnancy – fun fun!). As the bump grows up and out, you’ll find most undies sit under the bump anyway, so buying maternity specific ones really aren’t necessary! I buy these el cheapos from Kmart, and I find them just as good as more expensive underwear!

Maternity Jeans

I wrote about my experience of shopping for maternity jeans, and I wore them right through my pregnancy and even a week or two afterwards. They grew with me, and it was nice to have a pair of pants that were a little more dressy than leggings or slouchy pants. If you are an jeans addict like myself or are pregnant during winter, I highly recommend you invest in a pair of these as you will well and truly get your wear out of them! My faves are from Jeans West.

Tunic Tops/Floaty Tops

In all honesty, for a good chunk of my pregnancy I felt really awkward in pretty much the majority of my clothes. For the first 5-6 months I was in that in-between stage of not looking pregnant but just looking like I had ate a larger meal and in all honesty, I didn’t like how it looked. As my bump grew, I also tended to lean towards more oversized floatier tops as I found they suited me best.  I generally avoided tighter clothing at all costs, and wore so many tunic and floaty styles of tops and dresses. I was lucky as I already had heaps of these in my wardrobe anyway (I’ve always been a flowy top, tighter pants kinda gal), but if you are not quite ready to show your bump off to the world then a floaty top is a must. Plus, again, they are super comfy and very flattering and can be worn after baby too!

A Comfy Dress

A dress is an excellent way to stay comfy and stylish during pregnancy, and I highly recommend investing in at least one dress that you know will work throughout your whole pregnancy. Look for something in a neutral colour (you seriously can’t go past black/grey/navy), and something that you can dress up or down depending on the situation. Many dresses are also great for breastfeeding, so if this is something you are planning to do, try and look for a dress that offers breastfeeding access as this will allow you to wear it for even longer!

If you’ve been pregnant before, what were your maternity clothing must-haves? Let me know below!

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