I Can’t Find Anything to Wear! A glimpse into a mom’s closet.

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a glimpseBefore having kids, shopping for clothes is a breeze. Do you like the outfit? Does it fit you? Perfect, I’ll buy it!

After becoming a mom, things get a bit more complicated…

Look into a new mom’s closet and you are likely to find clothing in every different size. The pre-pregnancy jeans are a mom-closet staple. These are the jeans that you keep around because they will fit you again one day or they will motivate you to get back down to that size. They may end up fitting you again, but odds are good that your body is different, your lifestyle is different, or the day you put them on you learn that you are pregnant again! In any event, these jeans will live in your closet for years. In the process of getting back down to that size, you might buy other cute jeans in slightly larger sizes. Anything to get you out of your maternity clothes rut! Those jeans will hang around as well. In fact, every pair of jeans in every size you have ever worn will reside with you just in case you will need them after your next baby is born. These jeans will become friends with the maternity clothes that will never quite move out of your house.

JeansSpeaking of maternity clothes, odds are good you are still wearing some maternity tops. You think that others can’t even tell or that they are helpful for nursing. If you are nursing, this becomes a huge factor in shopping for any tops. You look at every neckline and wonder how you could nurse in that shirt. V-neck shirts become a staple. You probably own a bunch of camis or tank tops as well. The color of your tops will also be influenced by your nursing status. What is least likely to show leaks or dribbles from messy eaters?

[quote]Gone are the days of “will this shirt make me look hot?” Welcome in, “will this shirt minimize potential embarrassment?”[/quote]

As a mother, your bra size could change by the hour! A look in your top drawer would probably reveal bras in all sorts of sizes, including sizes you never thought you would be. Next to that collection would be an equally diverse assortment of panties. The sexy, pre-baby panties, residing right there next to your giant, panty-liner accommodating, granny panties. After having a baby, you learn just how much your butt can change in size, even if it looks the same to you.

Some women love to have lots of shoes in their wardrobe because they love many different styles. As a mother, you are likely to retain diverse styles as well, but also diverse sizes! Many women will find that their feet grow during pregnancy and do not shrink back down. Why don’t people warn us about this?! So, you end up with a crazy assortment of shoe sizes. There are at least three shoe staples: the sexy pre-baby shoes, the third-trimester slip-on shoes (or other comfy shoes), and the athletic lose-the-baby-weight shoes. Since your feet grow with every pregnancy, you have to keep buying more of these shoes. The more kids you have, the more sizes you acquire. While you know you will never fit back into your pre-baby shoes, you have a hard time saying goodbye to them, so they remain in your closet with all the others.

Based on your shopping style, your closet may be overflowing (hey, lots of sizes takes up lots of space!) or you may have hardly any clothes at all (after all, why buy stuff you can only wear for a few months?). Either way, finding an outfit that you like AND that fits you has become A LOT more challenging now that you are a mom.

So, know you are not alone when  you have those battles in your head about keeping the clothes that don’t quite fit. But also know, (coming from experience) by the time you feel great in those pre-baby clothes/shoes…styles change or you feel like rewarding yourself and buy new anyway!

As you are gearing your closet up for the summer season, consider donating your maternity clothes to one of our great local charities so you know another mommy-in-need can benefit from your de-cluttering! Or want to make some money to buy some new clothes? You can check out an option here!

If donating, check out the list below. They are always accepting donations!

Miami Valley Women’s Shelter

Elizabeth New Life Center

St. Vincent de Paul Women’s Shelter