Maternity Clothes

From the time I got pregnant everyone has been asking, "Are you going to stretch out your shirts as long as possible?" Or telling me to just buy regular clothes in a size up or to just wear Mike's t-shirts. I have dreaded buying maternity clothes. . .but it is time. . . I have issues with clothes and body image. After all, I did do Slim4Life and lost 50 lbs and you just don't shake away those feelings and you keep that distorted body image even after you lose the weight. So up until now I have been wearing my regular shirts, but did get maternity jeans. The shirts were just not cutting it anymore. Some of them I had to keep pulling down over the bump and they just made me feel like a fat blob. Even my Columbia I had when I was larger that I couldn't justify getting rid of because it was expensive. . .it was becoming increasingly difficult to zip it over the tummy much less be able to move. I felt like a giant pink marshmallow in it. And I hate clothes shopping to begin with because of the distorted body image. I'm certain I'm going to be a large or a size 13 still and really I'm a medium and a size 6 or 8. :P So Mike and I got to MOA bright and early this past Saturday and hit Old Navy which used to have a pretty impressive maternity section, years ago, when I was not pregnant, and now it was rather disappointing. Just a couple racks of shirts and pants, a few dresses, two different styles of sweaters. And of course, a medium in one cut of shirt did not fit the same as a medium in slightly different cut, so I had to try on everything I was thinking of purchasing. Shirts were super cheap tho, $7 so I couldn't complain about that. So I got a few shirts there. Then we made the voyage to Motherhood Maternity which has adorable things, but expensive prices. I got a pair of yoga pants which I desperately needed. The gym was another place I felt like a GIANT. My pants were cutting into my stomach and my sports bra is too small so I'm pouring out over the top and underneath so it looked like I had three rolls of fat between my bra and my pants. Very unflattering. And I'm at the point where people are looking at me and I can't tell if they are looking because they think I am fat or looking because they can tell I'm pregnant. Let's face it, everyone looks at a pregnant belly when you know its pregnant. :) So I also got a new coat which makes me feel so much better and some much needed correctly cut and sized maternity bras and underwear. I now feel like my clothes fit and accentuate my pregnant belly and I don't feel fat, but pregnant. It is a good feeling. :)