How to Dress a Curvy Bump

i've received lots of questions about dressing a bump, especially from all of my pregnant curvy gals! there's not a ton of us "inbetweenie" {sizes 10-14} bloggers/influencers out there to begin with, so that means there's even less to look to for pregnancy style. i hope over the past nine months or so if you're pregnant as well, you've been able to find some pieces you love that i've worn, but i wanted to share my tips and tricks for dressing a curvy body while pregnant all in one place. let's get started!

don't focus on buying maternity specific clothes
first things first, you don't need to buy actual maternity clothes. a few key pieces here or there will do {like a pair or two of maternity denim}, but i'm going to share what worked best for me below and why i think it'll work for you, too! that being said, there's also not a ton of curvy/plus size options in maternity wear that are trendy, cute, affordable, etc. my favorite maternity brands were as follows: Motherhood Maternity, Hatch Collection {only goes up to about an xl though}, ASOS {lots of curvy/affordable style}, Target's maternity lines {love Ingrid and Isabel}, and Madewell denim. towards the very end, it was nice to have a few affordable maternity dresses on hand for occasions {Robbie's birthday, baby shower, church, etc.}, but i always just found those via ASOS, which meant they were super budget friendly.

wear/support size inclusive brands
this is some of my best advice for all you curvy gals in general, but especially while pregnant. support brands who support you! what do i mean by that? if you're curvy and wear mostly a large or xl, it gets really hard when you're pregnant if you only shop stores that go to those sizes. i've had a lot of luck while pregnant continuing to shop the brands i typically wear and love as a curvy inbetweenie because i can just size up! for example, Aerie and American Eagle go to size xxl online, so i sized up to either the xl or xxl towards the end of my pregnancy. ASOS has so many incredible options for curvy/plus too that aren't maternity, so i could just size up there as well. same goes for brands at Nordstrom i love like BP and Leith who carry the exact same styles in straight and curvy sizes. i can't say this enough: support brands who support you!!!!

pay attention to your materials
this one is HUGE and something i talk about regularly, even when not pregnant. curvy girls have to pay attention and shop materials that will work for our body type. for example, a dress without stretch and made of 100% polyester is not going to be forgiving and most likely won't work. it'll be tight on your arms, pull at your chest, and definitely won't stretch over a bump. look for fabrics with stretch! cotton, knits, spandex/elastane blends, etc.

shop fitted styles
there's certain styles that, in my opinion, are hard to make work when it comes to curves and oversized anything is one of them. on me, they just tend to make me look bigger. i always aim to shop more fitted styled that accentuate and hug my curves! this doesn't mean you need to wear items that are super tight {although i love a good bodycon dress, pregnant or not!}, but instead think of it more as shopping for items that fit well.

wear the right undergarments
i wrote a blog post solely dedicated to pregnancy undergarments, but this rings true whether pregnant or not! wearing the right fitted bra will change your life and make you feel like a million bucks. same goes for finding the perfect underwear that comfortable. i did wear "shapewear" during my pregnancy too, and that also helped me feel confident and beautiful in my outfits, especially the more special occassions like my baby shower, maternity photos, etc. be sure to check out my post about my favorite undergarments here. these shorts were my fave during my third trimester and these Spanx were ideal when i needed a little extra oomf.

have fun with it!
lastly, dressing a bump can be really fun! if you don't typically wear bodycon styles, now is a great time to experiment with them and show off your new figure. i was pregnant during the hot hot hot summer of Arizona, so i lived in jumpsuits, dresses, and swimsuits. i loved wearing clothing that was cool, but also showed off my shape! also, don't shy away from colors or patterns or dressing up. i felt my best pregnant when i got dressed and put myself together!

linking a few clothing items below that i would purchase for a bump:

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i wanted to share some of my favorite pregnancy looks down below! most of what you're seeing are not actual maternity clothes, but i used the above info {sizing up, wearing specific stretchy fabrics, etc.} as my guide for dressing my pregnant bump! let me know if you curvy mamas have any questions! xx