Welcome to Pregnant Fashionista…

Welcome to my blog, pregnantfashionista.com, a great resource for pregnant women trying to preserve a sense of style… I am so glad you found me. I started this blog because I absolutely love clothes and shoes. But, seeing as I’ve been pregnant virtually nonstop for the past 4 years, my clothing options have been limited. I have spent hours and hours over these past 4 years combing the web and boutiques across the world for not only the most stylish, but also the most useful maternity clothing I can find. And I don’t just look at it on the web or in the store–much to the chagrin of my husband, I usually buy it and take it home. Then, I figure out whether it falls in to the must-have category, the take-it-or-leave-it category, or the unfortunate “I hope I can get my money back” category. I’ve been sharing my opinions and experience with friends and colleagues for a while now and suddenly realized, why not share it with as many pregnant women as possible? There is no reason you should have to go through the hassle of ordering what looks like an item you will love and wear for your entire pregnancy, only to find out it is completely unsuitable for the office, or is poorly made, or can only be dry cleaned, or works for the second trimester, but definitely not the third.

While my taste may sometimes be a bit pricey, I have also spent a lot of time figuring out where to buy the best basics for your pregnancy. I don’t write about anything I haven’t owned myself or at least tried on my body.  I often buy from high-end maternity boutiques, but I also sometimes find some great pieces at TopShop and H&M.  And I am always on the lookout for sales. As it turns out, some of the most suitable pieces for pregnant women can sometimes cost very little money. But you often don’t know that until you try it on, buy it, and wear it a few times. And maternity clothing almost always goes on sale, so I spend a good amount if time checking back on my favorite items to see if they’ve been discounted and then making sure you know about it.

I am going to try and include a good range of items on this blog, ranging from the “maternity investment” piece that might cost you a bit more to the bargain items you’ll love to wear for a few months and will also love to toss in the garbage once you’ve worn them to death and your baby/babies have arrived. I also include nursing items, great pieces I’ve discovered for these awkward postpartum weeks, and once in a while, I also write about must-have items for your new arrival. With four little boys under the age of three, I consider myself somewhat of an authority on what you’ll need for your bundle of joy.

As for me personally, I am a lawyer and a former journalist from New York, and I have an almost-three year-old son, James, and 20-month-old twin boys, Oliver and Tristan. I just gave birth to my fourth son, Leighton, in April 2009. He was a bit of a surprise but is truly the most angelic baby ever. Here are some recent photos of the boys.  We moved to Jerusalem in July 2007, where my husband has been posted until July 2010. My husband is a diplomat, so I travel a great deal, and everywhere I go, I comb cities looking and buying great maternity clothing. Hopefully, this blog can answer some questions for you that aren’t answered by websites trying to reel you in or by the salespeople trying to butter you up in stores (who, by the way, never seem to actually be pregnant or have any children).

Happy reading! Feel free to email me with any personal questions at caroline@pregnantfashionista.com.