Spring 10×10: Maternity Edition
My Spring 10x10 Maternity Edition is in the books! It was dedicated time for myself each day amidst a lot of pregnancy preparations. 8 months pregnant proved to be good timing. It was right before my energy started depleting quickly & the aches and pains became more of a nuisance.
I wish I had more maternity clothes this round but all of the dresses made it easier. I daydreamed about trendy spring maternity looks. The physical discomfort and all this staying home triggered it. Oh well, soon we’ll be welcoming our little one into the world & I won’t need any of it.
Considerations
Pregnancy Growth | Now that I’m in my third trimester, this tummy is outgrowing everything. I need pieces that will stretch with me.
Weather | Mid-50’s with a mix of rain, clouds, & hopefully sunny days. Spring comes slowly in Michigan so while I’ve chosen lighter fabrics I still need layering pieces for cold mornings & wet days. I’m not including shoes or accessories in my count.
WFH Environment | I’m back to a work-from-home environment similar to the summer 10x10. It’s nice in the sense that I don’t have any events to plan for but it’s mentally harder to get dressed when you know you’ll be at home all day. All of the team Zoom calls should help with this, I like feeling put together for them.
Goal
I want to be positive and upbeat this challenge. I’ve struggled to celebrate my pregnancy for a myriad of reasons. This phase is soon coming to a close and I don’t want to let the celebration & happiness slip away. I want to celebrate what it means, & what is coming, thanks to my ever-growing bump.
10 items
Dresses
Yellow maxi dress (Nordstrom Rack)
Floral maxi dress (Similar)
Black midi dress (Target Maternity)
Sage jersey dress (H&M Maternity similar)
Tops
Lemon Lime loungewear set (Aerie)
Denim jacket (Anthropologie similar)
White sweater (Similar)
White graphic tee (ASOS Maternity)
Bottoms
Green skirt (Thrifted)
Day 1 Can’t go wrong with a little black dress. I don’t have many maternity-specific items for Spring, trying to just work with what I got, but this simple number from Target maternity was a good choice. Side-ruching in maternity clothes makes a big difference. My bump was supported & black always feels slimming. I added pops of color with my silk Saludos but my swollen feet weren’t digging them midday.
Day 2 This was a great outfit for a cold rainy day at home. It was a last-second add borrowed from a fellow Mama. I love this cooler green neutral for Spring by way of succulents & eucalyptus stems but never thought to incorporate it into my wardrobe. Love the new hue discovery!
Day 3 My banana suit! This was a 3 am purchase I don’t recall making but I was deadset on having matching loungewear for this final trimester. There are many things about being pregnant that are disorienting. The least I can do is pretend I have my shit together when wearing this set. Normally I choose the neutral version of anything but I intentionally chose bright lemon-lime. A mood booster for sure.
Day 4 I’ve had this dress for 4 years. It was difficult near the end to wear anything with a waistband so this empire waist was a dream for comfort. Adding the denim jacket layer kept me warm for a chilly day and the florals brightened my spirits. Getting ready has been a big challenge this round, especially after nights where baby girl is doing her womb gymnastics. Braiding my hair made it easy to be ready for the next day though, a twofer. Did I just come up with a good Mama trick?!
Day 5 – MVP This sweatshirt-skirt combo is my favorite look. I love the neon-deep green combo and how comfy it was to wear all day. To make a skirt work as an athleisure style was a fun discovery I’ve never tried before but will definitely be turning to more often. Everything is soft and laidback. It’s all about comfort for my skin & sore hips right now.
Sweatshirt | Skirt | Tennies
Day 6 Super chill for a Saturday morning walk. I switched out my denim jacket for a rain jacket due to the weather. It grounded this outfit more than the denim could. I can’t get enough of my Saucony Jazz originals for my poor feet. We started our virtual birthing class which was eye-opening, to say the least. I was lazy the rest of the day — watched The Mary Tyler Moore Show from bed & ate everything in the fridge.
Shirt | Sweatpants | Tennies
Day 7 Sunny and 60º Sunday. I laid out in the backyard in my sundress. The sun felt so good on my skin. I had a renewed hope about our little one, getting on the water this summer, this lake life we live. I didn’t want it to end. Added some accessories and curls in a high pony to take videos of opening gifts from friends in the nursery to send to them as a thank you. I love everything about this dress except the fabric is very itchy on my sensitive skin. Not great for napping but great for everything else.
Day 8 Hardest day to get ready. I pushed it too hard the day before so I was out of it most of the day. Luckily I didn’t have to think much with my go-to maternity dress. I was inspired by the other ladies doing this challenge to add a headscarf. Yellow is finding her way back to me & breaking my neutral ways. I loved the hue in college. Yellow makes me feel like myself and less of who people expect me to be.
Day 9 – LVP Sunny & warm enough to wear my Chacos without socks. I like the skirt & jacket in this look but I don’t like the graphic tee. I’d like it better if it had fitted ruching instead of flaring out at the bottom. My belly already makes me feel wide & the flare accentuates that instead of enhancing. At this point, I was over the challenge. I wasn’t sleeping well & the discomfort was increasing big time. Oh well, going to finish strong!
Day 10 Floral maxi with a sweater for warmth. Spring sure does come slowly in Michigan. I added a blush floppy hat and dreamed of all the places we want to take baby girl when she arrives & when quarantine is over. I’m sure it won’t be as dreamy as I imagine to travel with a newborn but it’s worth letting yourself be optimistic & look forward to things. Especially when you see cold rain out your window. It was a great end of challenge look — comfy with a silver lining.
I love this 10x10 exercise but next round I want to try something else. The formula is getting tired. I’ve seen fun ones on Instagram like #May30x30, #GraphicQuarantees, & #notbuyingnew but they’re all sustainability-related.
That’s awesome, of course, but I’m happy with how & why I purchase these days thanks to a few years of habit changes. I’m more concerned with style in the sense of positive body image & contentment. I’m craving a lightness & organic approach to the whole thing. Especially with so many physical changes that pregnancy & postpartum bring. It gets to a point where you just want to be happy & flow, not count costs per wear & all the other crazy documenting I used to do. Call off the search & just be.
All that to say, we’ll see about a Summer 10x10. I’ll probably be in the throughs of new mamahood and I have no clue what to expect. I always feel better when I dedicate time to myself though. Look good, feel good, do good!
The 10x10 challenge originated from Lee Vosburgh of Style Bee.
