maternity essentials

Merrick is both a blog friend of mine AND a real life friend. We actually met for the first time when I invited her to my wedding reception!

Merrick is pregnant with baby #2 and is the greatest at knowing how to look like a babe 24-7 on a budget. Today, she is sharing some of her wisdom (which I will definitely be using next time I'm pregnant)!

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Hi there! I'm Merrick from Merrick's Art. I'm a mom of a busy little two-year-old boy, and seven months pregnant with baby boy #2, and I blog over there about personal style, sewing and refashioning, and family life.

With baby number two on the way, I wanted to share my top five maternity style essentials (although most of these can carry into non-maternity style), as well as some maternity wardrobe tips I learned from my first pregnancy and amended this time around.

1. maternity jeans. For me, maternity jeans are a must. With both my pregnancies I haven't gained a ton of weight, but I've carried pretty low which forces my jeans to be completely unbuttoned and unzipped by about 18 weeks. The rubber band around the button trick, and those bella bands just don't cut it for me. Constant adjusting, too many layers, and weird bumps and bunching. No thanks. Get over your pride of being able to wear your regular jeans at 35 weeks, and just get yourself a pair of jeans that is meant for a huge belly. Also, this time around I invested in two pairs of great maternity jeans, and then cut my old pair into shorts and also made myself a pair of maternity shorts. At the end of my first pregnancy, I was wearing my one (yes, one) pair of maternity pants every single day. Four options would have been really great right about then. My favorites are h&m (here and here), and I've heard old navy and shade have great ones too.

2. target v-neck tshirts. These simple t-shirts from Target are my favorite top, pregnant or not. They are so comfortable, can be dressed up or dressed down, and come in a zillion different colors. My current favorite is my neon pink one.

3. stretchy skirts. One of my new favorites is a stretchy pencil skirt. Paired with a simple graphic tee and sandals, it can be really casual, and a good alternative to shorts in the summer. Another favorite stretchy skirt is the popular maxi skirt. They are super easy to make (or of course there are tons of options in stores right now) and they are so comfortable for running errands, or spending the day at home. I mean, who wouldn't want to wear a blanket around their legs all day?

4. belts. Many of my non-maternity tops work with my pregnant belly, but a shirt that stretches from my boobs to my stomach with no definition in between is not exactly my idea of flattering. While belts can define your waist when you're not pregnant (which I love), they can also define at your empire waist when you're pregnant, and just that little bit of separation and definition makes a world of difference for me. Plus you can buy them in a million different colors, patterns, and widths, which add interest and variety to every outfit. I buy most of my belts at cheap places like forever 21, or the thrift store, and love the braided kind because they can be adjusted to any circumference when your belly is growing by the second.

5. tunics and leggings. I owned one tunic during my first pregnancy, and only wore it a handful of times. This time around, I have five or six, and wear them all the time. After finding a pair of leggings that was really soft and comfortable around my waist, I realized how easy, comfy, lightweight and cute these outfits were. I made a few tunics (here and here), and bought a couple more, and they are a perfect summer maternity or non-maternity staple!