Musthaves for each trimester

You are pregnant! Your world has been turned upside down! A wonderful, but tense and uncertain time. There is so much to do (register with your maternity care provider and obstetrician) and in addition, plenty to buy (nursery, stroller) and organise (inform work, check your insurance). And at precisely the same time, your body changes rapidly and you no longer fit into everything in your familiar old wardrobe. Important basics in particular, such as trousers and bras no longer fit comfortably. You need maternity clothes. Where do you buy them? What are the musthaves you need? Are they available in your own style? What about the fit and sizing? We have answers or perfect solutions for all these questions.

The first trimester (up to and including approximately 13 weeks) is often exciting. Is everything going well with the pregnancy? When should we tell our family and friends? How do I conceal my bump from my colleagues?

In this first trimester, your body is busy preparing for the development of your little baby. Your organs make space for your growing womb and the glands in your breasts prepare for their important task when the baby is born. You will only see physical signs of this activity in your body at the end of this trimester. However, when you are confronted with a tight waistband and you are bursting out of your bra cups, it is time to get your first maternity clothes. Fortunately, you will have had your first ultrasound by then and you can proudly announce your pregnancy and be seen wearing maternity clothes and shopping in the best maternity stores.

Trousers

Standard waistbands with buttons or zippers now press exactly where your belly is starting to develop. Sitting behind a desk all day has become a challenge. It will not harm your baby, but you may experience stomach pains or become nauseous, and undoing a button is hardly ideal. Noppies carries a wide collection of trousers, from jeans to business trousers and even sports leggings designed to accommodate physical changes during pregnancy. Our waistbands are made of strong elasticised material that is very comfortable. These waistbands fit around your whole stomach, which ensures the trousers do not pinch or sag. No risk of a muffin top or builder’s bum when you bend over. The elasticised waistbands have a concealed button fastening that allows you to adjust the trousers. You can wear them on the tightest fit during the first stage of pregnancy and the larger your stomach gets, the looser you can set this elastic, so that the trousers truly grow with you. In terms of sizing, you can use your own jeans size. Our designers have already taken into account how much space you need to grow.

Underwear

You are starting to spill out of your bra cups and the fastening is pinching more than usual. If your underwear does not fit comfortably, your clothing is often also uncomfortable. Noppies carries high quality maternity underwear in various materials, colours, moulds and designs. This underwear is developed in collaboration with maternity experts such as obstetricians, breastfeeding consultants and of course, ‘mothers’. There are basic cotton designs, seamless Lycra sets in basic colours, as well as more luxurious, pretty underwear. Noppies underwear offers greater support and comfort during pregnancy thanks to wider cups, flexible underwires, broader (non-cutting) shoulder straps and an adjustable band. For heavier breasts that can be painful, especially at night, there are soft camisole bra tops that can reduce pain during sleep. Previously, it was considered taboo to wear an underwired bra during pregnancy. It was thought these could prick the breasts, which could result in the mammary glands becoming inflamed, causing the production of milk to stagnate. Obstetricians and breastfeeding consultants recommended avoiding these bras. However, women with large cup sizes can find non-underwired bras uncomfortable and find that they offer too little support and cause uncertainty. Fortunately, the underwires used in Noppies maternity and nursing underwear are made from softer, more flexible material. The underwires are also positioned differently, so that they no can longer prick the breasts and mammary glands and can be worn safely during pregnancy and the postnatal period. However, we also have bras for women, particularly those with smaller cup sizes, who would like a non-underwired bra. Noppies maternity underwear complies with all the criteria that apply to special maternity bras.

Dresses/tunics

As your belly starts to develop, you might still feel a little unsure about your body. Do I simply look fat as opposed to pregnant? Do people think I have been overeating? Or are you simply not yet ready to put your pregnancy on display wherever you go? During this stage, a supple, somewhat wider dress can be more appropriate than closely fitting clothing. Noppies understands that and offers a wide choice of pretty tunics and dresses that do not make you look obviously pregnant. Dresses and tunics you could wear normally too and which do thus not require you to compromise in terms of your own style. But naturally, with all the integrated features that allow these garments to adapt as your pregnancy progresses so you can enjoy them for a long time. Noppies also carries a comprehensive selection of tights, so you do not have to contend with visible lines under your dress.

In the second trimester (14 through 26 weeks), you have become more comfortable with the ‘idea’ that you are pregnant and that you will soon be holding a baby in your arms. If you have been experiencing morning sickness, this will ease a little and you will have more energy again. If you want, you can announce the gender of your baby in this trimester with a just-for-fun ultrasound, or after your 20-week ultrasound scan. You can start planning the nursery, thinking about baby names, and all the other fun preparations that come with having a baby. Perhaps you are already looking at cute baby growsuits on the sly. Your belly is developing quickly and you can (hardly) conceal the fact you are pregnant anymore. You can show off your new curves proudly and that certainly calls for some new items to add to your maternity wardrobe. What do you need in this trimester?

Sportswear

The second trimester is the ideal time to start with special maternity fitness classes like yoga, boot camp, or Pilates. Your standard fitness classes now become too difficult and in addition, you are at greater risk of injury due to weaker joints and bones. The instructors that give specialist fitness classes pay close attention to your posture and fitness levels so that you remain fit and healthy until the end of your pregnancy. No woman wants to work out in oversized, sagging trousers or her husband’s sportswear, so Noppies has designed a special Active Wear collection. This mix and match collection features trendy graphic prints in the colours black, grey and fuchsia, ideal for creating various striking or neutral sets. We have designed the appropriate items for all maternity sports activities. From yoga and jogging leggings to (medium impact) sports bras and tops. The clothing is made of firm, elasticised materials that provide support, but also offer enough stretch to last until the end of your pregnancy. The materials have a special coating that quickly absorbs moisture and perspiration, so you stay dry and fresh.

Swimwear

A “babymoon”, a lovely holiday with your partner before the baby arrives, is recommended in your second trimester. You can still fly without any problems, you have less chance of developing swollen ankles from the heat and you are still fit enough for romantic walks on the beach. If you have opted for a sunny destination, swimwear is essential. Here too, Noppies can assist with a trendy collection of swimsuits and tankinis in various colours and prints. The swimwear accommodates your growing stomach and breasts, but offers an attractive fit. The tankini bottoms have high waistbands, so will not sag when you swim.

Businesswear

For women with careers who need to wear smart, representative clothing, Noppies has developed a range of blouses, pants, skirts and blazers in a classy business look. You can mix and match these top quality basics yourself to create various outfits. You can put together an appropriate outfit for a meeting, presentation, or business lunch quickly and easily. These items are non-crease so you can wash them yourself and there is no need to go to the dry cleaners every time. The trendy jumpsuits by Noppies are a business musthave. Comfortable and easy to style.

Tailored dresses

By the end of this trimester, you have a lovely belly to show off. Tailored clothing accentuates your curves in way that is elegant, fashionable and sexy. For example, if you wear a stylish long jersey dress or a figure-hugging tube dress, you will receive plenty of compliments about your looks during your pregnancy. Noppies has appealing pieces for every season to choose from. In autumn/winter, you can wear a warm knitted cardigan over them and in summer, you can team them with pretty flat sandals.

Your final trimester (week 27 through week 40/ 42): you can look forward to maternity leave, getting your maternity pack, nurturing your nesting instinct, antenatal classes and naturally, the birth and postnatal period. It’s all starting to get very close now. You may start to feel more tired again and the familiar niggles will develop. You do not want to spend too much money on maternity clothes during this final stage. You would rather buy a collection of clothes for your little baby instead. There are some musthaves you need to get through the final weeks and the postnatal period as comfortably as possible:

Leggings

Getting yourself into (maternity) jeans every day can be very tiring, especially in the last month. Your belly is under pressure and any seams or buttons in that area can feel uncomfortable. A soft pair of leggings beneath the tunics you bought during your first trimester provides welcome variation. They look good and feel good. We also have long shirts available in the same material, which cover your stomach beautifully, but won’t constrict.

Nightwear

Whether you want to give birth at home or in hospital, it is very handy to have a pair of Noppies maternity pyjamas or a nightie to hand. Sometimes, labour may last longer, your partner and obstetrician are in attendance and you may need to get from your home to the hospital. In that case, it is good to wear a comfortable, attractive pair of pyjamas for the first stage of labour. After you have given birth, it is nice to receive your first postnatal visitors wearing fresh nightwear with a trendy print, made of luxurious materials. Ideal for the first photographs of the new little family.

Nursing items

Noppies nursing items are essential if you are going to breastfeed. Various garments from bras to dresses, as well as nightwear, have subtly concealed nursing features. These enable you to position your outer layer of clothing quickly and easily so that you can feed your baby discreetly. The nursing nightwear and nursing shirts are ideal for keeping nursing pads in position at night and there is no need to remove your whole top for feeding at night. The nursing items are also available as businesswear tops and dresses in basic colours for when your maternity leave is over and you need to express milk at work, making the experience as pleasant and quick as possible.