What To Wear

Maternity clothes. That used to be a dirty word--or two--in my vocabulary.
I experienced my first three pregnancies back in the '80s. Then, my maternity clothes were whatever my twin sister or my friends passed around. Like a lot of women, I managed the first trimester with baggy clothes like my husband's t-shirts and sweat pants.
By the time I was pregnant with Christa, my maternity clothes were long gone--and good riddance! My blouses had all the style of a Coleman tent--except most tents aren't pastel colors and don't have little red bows or stork appliques. My pants were either polyester with a polyester tummy panel, or denim with a polyester tummy panel.
I dreaded the thought of donning maternity clothes. I told Rob, "If I'm going to be a 41-year-old-pregnant woman, I am going to have new maternity clothes." No hand-me-downs for this go-round.
Wise man that he is, he didn't argue.
I discovered a fashion revolution occurred during the twelve years since my last pregnancy. Maternity clothes had style exceeding your basic pink and blue material. Maternity clothes were in--specifically, they were in Old Navy!
Several friends went with me to shop for a few outfits. They kept their laughter to a minimum as I modeled pantsuits and dresses--and insisted I invest in the embroidered jeans and matching top. Thankfully, no one suggested I try a belly-baring ensemble. My stretch marks are my business--no one else's.
I enjoyed having a sense of style as my tummy expanded. Even so, I was sick of my maternity clothes--new or not--by the time Christa was born. I was more than ready to pass my outfits on to another pregnant woman. Only this time, I gave my clothes to my friend's twenty-s0mething daughter-in-law.