I’m 39 Weeks Pregnant, And I Still Haven’t Bought Maternity Clothes

I’ve come to discover that pregnancy is an interesting time — it’s 10 months (Not nine — Google it!) of strangers rubbing your belly, trying to distract yourself from a 24/7 sweet tooth, and witnessing your body changing in all kinds of ways. Your walk can go from 2Pac’s “Put a little twist in her hips 'cause I'm watching” to the waddling penguins of Happy Feet in a matter of weeks, your bra size get supersized, and your expanding belly means that you have to say au revoir to a whole host of other body parts (anyone else miss their ankles?). What’s “normal” during those 40 weeks can be so out of the ordinary — it's nice to do things so you still feel like yourself throughout it all. For me, that meant holding onto my personal style, even though I couldn’t wear most of my clothes anymore.

I'm now 39 weeks pregnant, and I haven’t purchased any maternity clothes. Even though it'd be easy to lay down money for clothes that are tailor-made for big bellies, I can't bring myself to spend so much money on something I wouldn't want to wear outside of these 40 weeks. Limiting myself to maternity wear takes the fun out of shopping. Not shopping maternity also makes me feel like I'm still in the game. I'm shopping for things that I’ll be be able to wear after I give birth, and will continue wearing, despite any more life changes, and that's a mindset I’ll continue to have long after I pop. Right now, it’s important for me to feel like life is continuing as normal (or at least as far as my closet is concerned).

It was challenging at times, but I found that the same kind of problem solving I used to figure out how to take my day outfit to night because of that phone call, or not looking like a hot mess for a meeting after hot yoga applied, too. Here are some rules I’ve been “maternity” shopping by — illustrated by Instagram pics of myself in the actual outfits I've been loving lately, as well as pregnant celebrities (if you're into that kind of thing!).