UPDATED December 2015: As a prenatal yoga teacher I see lots of different moms. Sometimes I’ll meet a mom when she’s in her first trimester and I’ll get to watch her grow (both physically and in other amazing ways, too!) I love observing as pregnant moms start to find their way. Often the first change I see is in the clothing the mamas choose to wear to class. Some moms go all out and buy clothes specifically for their yoga classes while others take the baggy T-shirt route. Here’s the truth: It doesn’t matter what the heck you wear to prenatal yoga class as long as you can move comfortably and feel great about how you look.

However, how you look on the outside often DOES impact how you feel. I know if I wear baggy, saggy pajamas all day, I feel a lot more baggy, saggy, and lethargic. If I get up and put my make up and jewelry on, I feel more energized, more social, and just better about life. Do you feel me?

Photo by Sean McGrath

Please know that the advice below isn’t meant to make anyone feel self-conscious about their clothing choices. It’s just a little advice based on what made ME feel good during my own pregnancy.

Tips for Looking and Feeling Amazing In Maternity Yoga Clothes: What NOT To Wear

Here’s my two-cents on prenatal yoga fashion (is that a thing?), and how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls pregnant yoga students make when they try to dress their new, ever-changing bodies.

1. Baggy tops. You’re not fooling anyone, lady. We know that little bump isn’t a beer gut—so you might as well show it off. I was actually amazed that most all of my pre-pregnancy yoga tops worked just as well for pregnancy yoga. Since yoga tops are longer anyway (to accommodate for riding up in Down Dogs and inversions) and are made of stretchy fabric that holds its shape—I didn’t buy even one maternity yoga top.

2. Tops that are too revealing for your new, awesome boobs. There are yoga tops that are great at keeping boobs in place and then there are those that are made for bodies that don’t really have boobs. Luckily, I had a few of the former in my yoga wardrobe because when my girls started growing … they became a lot harder to contain. (And it was just luck, because I didn’t have to worry about that so much before, if you know what I mean.) So here’s my advice to anyone who finds themselves with a little more boob than they once had—make sure you do a few Down Dogs at home before you head to the studio just to be sure you don’t have any potential embarrassing slips. And opt for fuller coverage tops with high neck lines and high back lines (because when boobs grow, they are more likely to fall out the sides of your top, too… Who knew?).

3. All black. This one isn’t SUCH a fashion no-no… but a lot of people think that just because they’re carrying a few extra pounds they need to try to hide in the back row of class in thinning head-to-toe black. Ladies, your belly is adorable. And, trust me, people want to see it. They also want to touch it. Baby talk to it. And ask you when your due date is (I hate due dates…) (And while this can be really annoying, it’s hard to avoid it. That’s a topic for another day.) If you wear all black because you like the way it looks, fine. But don’t do it because you’re trying to hide. We see you, and we think you look radiant!

4. High-waisted yoga pants or leggings. I’m not talking about those stretchy maternity yoga pants–which are actually way more comfortable than the non-yoga variety maternity pants. I’m talking about squeezing your new belly into leggings or yoga pants that were meant for stick-thin yogis who like that “skinny pants” look. This is more of a comfort issue than anything, because while I’m sure the fabric still stretches with you unless the waistband is low enough to sit BELOW your belly, it can’t possibly be comfortable. And there are just too many options that roll down or sit low to wear anything even slightly uncomfortable.

5. Maternity yoga clothes. Again, this is more of a personal preference than a fashion don’t. But I couldn’t bring myself to buy one garment of maternity athletic wear. (Admittedly, a couple of the pieces I borrowed from friends are quite comfy.) It turns out, most of my normal yoga clothes continued to be comfy throughout my 40+ weeks of pregnancy so it just wasn’t necessary for me to buy more. My advice? Pull out your high neckline tops and low-waist and roll down variety yoga pants and wear them as long as you feel comfortable in them. If you get tired of wearing the same pieces over and over, rock the accessories so you feel like the yoga goddess you are.

Love Your Body

Whatever you do celebrate your new curves, rock that baby bump (because you know it looks good on you!), and never EVER let yourself think that your new body can’t look just as fierce in that stretchy Spandex-like material as it did pre-pregnancy. Your body is growing a PERSON )which is freaking amazing!) and you should feel great, confident, and yes, even sexy, while you do it–whether you’re at the yoga studio or the grocery store.

Read More…
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