Note: So Blogger decided to go nuts last week and shut down. Which was fine as it forced me to be productive in other ways (like catch up on my online shopping), but not cool in the way that it erased this last post. Luckily, I had a draft saved elsewhere because I did not have the patience to rewrite it, but I still wanted to share.
I have received a lot of advice as a soon-to-be mama. I have also received a lot of incredulous looks from judgmental know-betters. I have had a lot of my boundaries overstepped by overzealous acquaintances and clients. I know all were with the best intentions, but most only aided in my escalating fear. So I’ve been compiling some tips from either those wiser than I, or things I’ve just figured out on my own. I will share them on here from time to time. I refuse to tell any of you to follow, consider, or even agree with them, but this blog is called Learning Love’s Life because I want to share lessons I learned along the way that worked for me. This will not turn into a pregnancy/mom blog so no worries… but it is something we’re going through and a little reflection before game time on
June 15th can’t hurt. Some silly, some not… but one of the ways I think I’ve survived this pregnancy thus far is that I’ve tried to keep a sense of humor about this whole beautiful and bizarre process of making a person.
1.
Wearing nail polish does not make you a terrible mother. Just don’t be ridiculous and paint them in a closet or other room that does not have proper ventilation thus making you and baby high on fumes. If you’re paranoid, there are safer options but the best piece of advice my doctor gave me was, “Your life is about to drastically change. Try living this time as normal as possible.”
2.
Heels are not the devil. Sure, I am not strutting in 6 inch stilettos with my balance all shifted from a bump but wearing 3 inch heels isn’t going to kill my baby nor I. Now if you’re terrible at walking in heels or just walking on the planet period, maybe don’t take this time to learn how. Just wear what makes you comfortable and won’t result in face/stomach planting anywhere.
3.
You don’t have to buy maternity clothes. I know, I didn’t believe this myself when first expecting. I was so excited to start wearing pregnancy clothes until I started looking at my options. They want you to pay what for that?? I was deeply discouraged in many of the styles that screamed “I look 15 years older than I am!” and what was stylish was more than I was willing to spend on something I may never get to wear again (what if our next child is born in the winter??). So I've just made do. I've been lucky enough to have a few new-ish mommies in my life that have lent me the basic staples and I have rolled with the rest. That means that anything new I am buying either has a billowy construction, empire waist, or is one size up in order to accommodate a burgeoning bump with a strategically-placed belt. I highly recommend H&M tanks and Forever 21 yoga pants; they’re fitted in all the right places, long, comfortable, cheap, and expand as you do. A
bella band is also amazing as it allows you to wear your regular pants for much longer. If you do have to be the one to provide all your own maternity wardrobe H&M,
Target,
Gap,
Topshop, and
Forever 21 all have some adorable maternity pieces.
What advice did you learn or have you heard for being a stylish mama?
* Motherhood Musing Part One here * Picture taken two Wednesdays ago
