The third trimester is definitely the time to repeat outfits that make you look and feel good, and to do so unashamedly! Find things that work for you and wear them as many times as you like. I've included 55 outfit ideas for the third trimester below, from both of my pregnancies. You can click on the links under the images to view more info about them.
Office Outfits:
In the third trimester, I still wore my ASOS maternity pencil skirts often, but the standout pieces were my wrap dresses. They were such an easy outfit that always fit the growing bump and never failed to look good. I wore wrap dresses a lot! I was able to find some regular non-maternity dresses in my wardrobe that still accommodated the baby bump too.
I've been wearing my maxi dresses a lot lately! They've just been the easiest option as they are instant outfits. I have a few black ones but the bright and colourful ones definitely get more wear.
If you follow my insta stories, you'll know it was a big day for me when I wore this! I had the chance to help out at the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) stall at the baby expo. While I'm still on maternity leave from my office job, it was nice to have a little bit of 'work' for the day for something different, especially as I waited for my re-application for Church Online to be approved so I could get back to working there.
I'm not the best at public speaking (my youtube channel is a way for me to practice!) and I don't like talking in a group or crowd situation, but it was nice being able to talk one-on-one to the people at the expo who stopped by the stall and tell them a little more about the ABA.
It was bittersweet meeting so many people who had a similar experience that I did. So many people didn't breastfeed their eldest as much as they had wanted to (for various reasons) and so were looking for some support or information to reach their goals the second time around. One of the breastfeeding counselors I worked with on the day was the same lady who had answered that exact query for me a little over a year before when I was pregnant with Baby Boy! She was wonderful and it was good being able to refer people onto her when they had questions outside of membership that I couldn't answer.
Hubby and the boys came to the expo in the morning with me and then after lunch I went to help out at the stand when the boys went home. This nursing maxi dress was a pretty and practical outfit, with the added benefit of my teething necklace generating a lot of enquiries from people. Although I hadn't known it beforehand, we had a little shop within the stall with teething necklaces for sale for fundraising. I showed the selection to a few people. This Balenciaga day bag easily held my water bottle and things inside while sitting in a corner of the stall too.
This was another ABA-related outfit! Blue everything to meet the 'matchy matchy' style challenge on Intagram. Except the black and tan sandals. Sometimes I think I'd like blue sandals...I already have a few colourful flats I don't wear nearly enough though. I've worn this Balenciaga day bag together with the maxi dress before, it's a great combination.
Wore this to head out to the local ABA mother's group. The meeting topic wasn't one that was particularly relevant to me as I'm past the newborn stage, but it was good to get out and have some morning tea and a chat with the other mums.
In the afternoon we popped out to grab a few quick groceries too. While maxi dresses can feel a little more formal (and I wear them for evenings out), they are so comfortable and easy to wear that I wear them for everyday too, no special occasions needed.
Don't be afraid to wear bright accessories with a bright outfit. You can pick complimentary colours like pink and blue, or go monochrome and match your bag to your outfit for an easy, fail-safe match.
If you're pregnant or a new mum or both, I'd suggest checking out your local Australian Breastfeeding Association group. You can go to one without becoming a member, if you want to see what it's like first and how good the cakes are. In my experience though, the cake and the conversations are well worth the small $70 annual membership fee. 😂 Not a sponsored post, just wanted to share more about a group that's been a large part of my life this past year.
A mix of outfits - slightly dressier outfit with a maxi dress for a birthday dinner, and a more casual maxi skirt outfit to run errands and do the day care drop off / pick-up.
I adore this maxi dress, I really do! It's a maternity/nursing dress, and I wore it heavily in the second and third trimesters of both pregnancies, as well as wearing it post-baby too. It was the last pregnancy outfit I got photos of for the blog. It's nice to wear it again without the bump, and appreciate the ease of breastfeeding in it! In the early weeks, your wardrobe needs to accommodate your changing postbaby body as well as being easy to pull up or down or sideways to allow for easy breastfeeding too while you and baby master the art.
Wore this out to a family birthday dinner. I'd usually pick a clutch or smaller bag, but I had all my stuff in the speedy bag from the last time I wore it and didn't have the energy to swap out for an evening bag I'd have to juggle with a newborn and toddler. No extra accessories either, just a simple pull on and go outfit.
I finally swapped my handbags over! I wore my Balenciaga day bag for a while post baby as that's the bag I had everything in when I went into labour. It was a bag that was easy to continue using while hubby had some time off from work to help us settle in. Now it's just me and the boys, a cross body bag like the Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere I wore above is an essential to keep my hands free. I'd had my eye on this saddle bag at Shopbop for a while and with the recent friends and family sale it was the perfect time to buy it.
It's a great size, so easy to wear when spending the day with two under 2, and really pops against a monochrome black outfit like I've worn it here. A nice easy outfit to do the day care drop off / pick up and a chance to wear my new bag.
I have a few pairs of Marc by Marc Jacobs flats now. They are comfortable, look cute and are easy to pick up on sale, just like I got these ones. I have this same style in silver so it was an easy choice to get it in black too when they were reduced and available in my size. I'm really pleased with them. Although I already have a pair of black ballet flats, I tend to favour neutral coloured shoes so I know I'll get a lot of wear out of these. Happy I bought them.
Every now and then I'll get a comment that someone who's short (but actually taller than me) wishes they could wear maxi lengths. You can! In some cases you might need to get things hemmed, or buy a petite length, but both the maxi skirt and dress I'm wearing below haven't been altered in any way to fit my petite 5"2 self.
A slightly more formal and more casual way to wear maxi lengths, both with Balenciaga bags.
I feel like I say this every time I wear this dress, but I loved this outfit. It is my favourite dress - even in pregnancy it never fails to make me feel good. Wore this to baby boy's dedication ceremony. It's like a christening, the baby wears a traditional gown but there's no baptising. You just thank God for the amazing miracle you have, welcome baby into the family and circle of friends and promise to tell them all about God. It was exciting having baby boy wear the same gown his brother did almost two years ago, it was my dedication gown too and it's been in the family for generations.
Wasn't sure if the weather was going to be as cold and rainy as predicted or not so added this cardigan. It was warm enough to take it off for the ceremony and the rain stayed away until later that afternoon thankfully.
I've worn a yellow bag with this dress before, it's a great combination. The style challenge for the day was 'lighter' so the bright colour and smaller size met the theme nicely. The clutch did spent most of the time in the baby bag though, as if I wasn't holding baby boy or toddler T or Cooper I had a camera in my hand taking pics.
A much more casual way to wear a maxi! This maxi skirt was an awesome buy when I was pregnant with toddler T. It stretched to accommodate two pregnancies (have to love an elastic waist!) and is still so comfy post baby. With this wrap top it was an easy breastfeeding outfit. Picked the purple scarf as I wanted a little something to keep my chest covered in the chilly morning after all the coughs and colds we've battled the past few weeks, and I really like blue and purple together. Ended up taking the scarf off in the afternoon as it got warmer.
Wore this for a relaxed day - went to view a house in the morning and then the in laws came over for dinner. The Converse and maxi skirt together met the 'kicks and skirt' Spring Fling style challenge prompt, and the black maxi skirt was perfect for the 'darker' theme of the TRMstyle challenge.
Nice comfy outfit to work from home on Thursday. Had to pop out to the doctors and the post office. Got my flu shot at the doctors, but didn't get the standard lolly afterwards. Bought myself a magnum on the walk home instead ;)
If my Havaianas could meet the dress code at work, I'd be wearing them all the time! They fit my swollen preggo feet well. Switched up a little and wore the aqua ones instead of my usual go-to black ones. My usual black ones do have silver embellishment on them though, do you think that meets the definition of "ladies dress sandals" allowed in our dress code?! I wish!
Casual Friday in the office and I decided to try the maxi dress approach again. Not very original, just doing the same thing I did a few weeks ago with the belted jacket over the top. It was such a lovely combination, I wanted to wear it again. Did try to change it a little by picking a different lightweight jacket this time :) I really like the cut-out detail on this one.
Had a busy Sunday! After Saturday's trip to Australia Zoo, I had another luxurious pregnancy massage booked in the morning to get rid of all of the anticipated aches and pains from all of the walking around. Then it was a spot of shopping with my sister, the baby shower at my parents, and a BBQ dinner at the in-laws.
The baby shower was really fun. Baby got so many gifts! We had put together a little registry advising people that gifts weren't necessary, and suggesting a few little things if people wanted to buy something. So many people got us things, it was really unexpected and I got a little teary opening presents.
I'd initially been against the idea of a baby shower, but warmed up to it more during the pregnancy. They aren't very common in Australia. It was such a lovely way to spend Mother's Day though, and I'm very thankful to my mum and sister who put so much effort into the party. Spending time with friends, family and with my mother and mother in law celebrating the impending arrival of their grandchild was really special. Hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day too. :)
After a busy weekend, simplicity was needed, so went with this Soon Maternity wrap dress for work again. Made getting ready easy, and was perfect for the many meetings I had.
Shocked to search the blog and find that I haven't carried this bag for 5 months - I need to get better at rotating through my handbags. It's a little tricky now that they are all stored in boxes under the bed though, bending down to get things is not the easiest manoeuvre when pregnant, haha!
Dressing in pregnancy is a fun challenge as the baby bump grows and changes every day! In order to simplify things this time around, I implemented a third trimester capsule wardrobe.
Why I Made a Pregnancy Capsule Wardrobe:
I've never tried a capsule wardrobe before (unless you count living out a suitcase for travel).
The baby bump was outgrowing my current wardrobe faster than I anticipated this time around.
I didn't have the luxury of time that I had in my first pregnancy to try on lots of outfit options each night and find things that still fit. (Or I didn't have the energy to do so after spending time with my toddler!)
The summer heat and humidity (that continued well into autumn in Brisbane) left me less inspired to try new things.
I had lots of great maternity pieces I wanted to wear as much as possible to make sure I got my money's worth.
Third Trimester Capsule Wardrobe in Video Form:
Below is a video covering the pieces in my capsule wardrobe, how I wore them, and my general thoughts about the experience.
I didn't include accessories (scarves or bags or shoes) in this count. I also didn't include 'completer' pieces like my printed kimonos or blazers. I freely grabbed these from my wardrobe as and when I wanted them.
The pieces included were suitable for my part time office job, as well as being perfect for a stay at home mum the rest of the week.
Not everything was a maternity piece, I used pieces from my regular non-maternity wardrobe too.
There were a few times at the start of the third trimester where I wore pieces that weren't included in the capsule, but after realising they were getting uncomfortable I stuck to my capsule wardrobe for the majority of the time.
The 22 items I had were great over summer (and multiple heatwaves!), but would need to be changed for cooler weather. Simple things like swapping the maternity denim shorts for jeans instead, and some long sleeved tops and fewer tanks.
Outfit Combinations from a Pregnancy Capsule Wardrobe:
Some photos of my favourite third trimester outfits from my capsule wardrobe to give you an idea of how I wore all the pieces in the third trimester. Not an exhaustive list, as 3 months worth of daily outfit photos would be a pretty big post! You can see all the outfits I wore in the third trimester here.
For my first capsule wardrobe experience, it was pretty fun, and I hope that it gives you some ideas or inspiration to try your own capsule wardrobe if you've often thought about it too.
A little late, sharing what I wore on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Also sharing my December purchases. I'm behind in sharing my purchases as well as being behind with my outfits! I was really lucky to get a lot over Christmas, so I didn't buy too many things for myself, but I couldn't resist picking up a little something for myself in the Asos sale and the Iconic boxing day sale.
Top: festive glitter Santa tee Shorts: Jeanswest denim cuff shorts Bracelets: the usual plus Christmas bow bracelet (with bells!), and red green and silver bangles
Completely forgot to get some blog photos of my Christmas even outfit! So sharing this little instagram family pic instead. Even though baby T wasn't in the mood for smiling ;)
It's become a yearly tradition to wear our novelty tees and make and decorate some Christmas cookies together. We then spend the next few days eating all the cookies....so delicious. The perfect outfits for a day spent getting Christmas mani/pedis, trying (and failing!) to dress Cooper up in his Christmas antlers, watching Christmas movies, decorating and eating cookies, and visiting the local Christmas lights displays.
The benefit of having a small baby on Christmas day - I was able to take a photo in front of the tree with all of the presents without ruining baby T's morning, haha! It was baby's first Christmas, and the first time we have hosted Christmas lunch. Last Christmas was wonderful when we had the excitement of sharing our pregnancy news with the family, but having baby T ripping into all of his presents on Christmas day this year was even better. We are very lucky, and he is a very spoiled little boy, so many gifts! We had to work our way through them with a few nap and meal breaks in between!
Between cooking my first Christmas lunch, feeding baby and opening all of our gifts, I just wanted something simple and easy to wear. We went out to visit more family in the evening also, so I wanted to look appropriate for that too, without having to worry about changing my outfit. This maternity/nursing dress was the perfect choice, although I did wish I hadn't worn the belt a few times during the day, I was worried about it scratching baby sometimes. With family helping to entertain baby and preparing some side dishes, we managed to have a great day and a lovely lunch. I was pleased my first Christmas meal went so well - everyone said it was delicious, and as it was cooked with baby T in mind, he enjoyed his tiny little portion too!
I bought a few things in December - more than I expected to buy, but I think I did okay considering all of the great sales there were! As I do every month, I'm sharing my purchases on the blog so it holds me accountable to actually use and enjoy those purchases. I review everything I buy after 2 wears so I can see if it was a winner or not, and use that information as lessons for future purchases. You can read more about my goals and why I'm doing this here. I think it's really helped my spending in 2014!
It's a guide for you to identify your own pregnancy style and wear what works for you and your growing bump. I've crammed it full of all of the best tips, tricks and exactly what you need to know to effortlessly dress your bump and feel comfortable and confident through your pregnancy. It explains how to navigate maternity clothing and only buy what you really need, identify what you already have that will work for you, and even how to create your own pregnancy capsule wardrobe. With more than 5 years of personal style blogging over two pregnancies, I have of course included a lot of outfit inspiration and ideas too.
When you're pregnant your 'I have nothing to wear' days increase as your growing baby limits your wardrobe options. With this pregnancy style guide you'll be able to minimise those days! You'll know what outfits you have in your wardrobe that will work for you in each trimester and be able to stay true to your personal style through your pregnancy. It's got the knowledge I acquired through two pregnancies so you don't have to make the same expensive mistakes I did when buying maternity clothing.
It's normally $2.95, but for everyone who enters the giveaway to win a copy I'm giving you a special discount code just for the book launch. The discount code will bring the price down to $1.50, even if you don't win the giveaway. The code is only valid for 48 hours so snap it up when you can! Just click here to buy it.
Newer readers might wonder why I'm coming out with this book now, over a month after baby boy's first birthday. This has been a long time in the making. Spending time in July last year with a special friend gave me the confidence to give the book a try and I started writing it. With Baby Boy's health issues and hospital stay it just kept getting pushed back further and further. It's come together now with a lot of support and encouragement! A little later than I hoped, but I'm no less proud of managing to actually write an eBook. I even have an affiliate program, so if you like the book and want to be part of it send me a message.
All of the early feedback has been so positive and I'm thrilled to be able to offer this pregnancy style resource to you!
Enter the giveaway below to get your discount code and have the chance to win a copy. To enter, leave a blog post comment telling me who you'd want to win the eBook for. The answer that makes me smile the most will be the winner. Giveaway ends on Sunday 28th May. Winning is a game of skill, judge's decision is final. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Excited about the ebook but don't need it in your life right now and can't think of anyone who does? That's okay, I've got an outfit to share too!
The first birthday is always an emotional celebration, but even more so this time. Since Baby Boy's speedy arrival into the world things have been so different in so many ways, but through it all we have been blessed. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over his first year, from friends and family helping us to people online reaching out with advice, support and encouragement.
Blogging is my me-time and while it might be in short supply with 2 boys under 3, it's always fun to come and share my outfits and now my eBook with you all. Thank you. 💕
