What your Pregnancy Style says about you as a Mother Kristen Hurst is a stay at home mother of three who enjoys blogging. She received her bachelor's degree in fashion marketing, and writes often about maternity swimwear. When she's not trying to juggle the lives of Casey, Austin and Ben, she enjoys painting and catching up with a great Jane Austen novel.
It’s true, when I found out I was expecting, I became mother earth incarnate. I was going to make homemade baby food, (from our own garden, of course) knit baby booties, hats and blankets with organic wool sheared from free-range sheep and create a routine of bedtime stories, lullabies and lots and lots of cuddling. Well, three boys later, I probably didn’t achieve everything on my mother-to-do list, but I did my best (in between sleep deprivation and play dates), but what of my maternity wear? Did it also reflect my parenting style?
Looking back upon those pregnancy years, it did! In fact, I can kind of predict what kind of mom a woman will be based upon her maternity style.
Which category do you fall into? Let’s take a look and see:
• Mother Earth: Yes, this was me, long flow-y material, I also kept my hair long so that my babies could gently play with it while I nursed them. Nothing was form-fitted, rather comfort was what I was after, and it reflected in my stretchy pajamas, gypsy-sleeved dresses and floral print maternity tops. This is a mother who is relaxed, who doesn’t mind rolling around on the floor with a squirrely toddler, someone who can follow them across the monkey bars and help those tiny hands make playdoh dinosaurs and chocolate chip cookies, the mess can wait, playtime – never!.
• Chic Mom: We all know this one; think Victoria Beckham dressed to the ‘T’’s with her handsome hubby and brood of children (remember she was ‘Posh’ after all). The former Spice Girl’s maternity wear stayed true to her design aesthetics with clean lines and sophistication, a mother who is efficient, organized and polished. Play dates scheduled months in advance as well as birthdays and end of the season sports parties.
• Budget Mom: This mom loves a bargain and that includes her maternity clothing, as in hitting up consignment and thrift stores, family members and friends for all their used clothing. She is the same mother who faithfully brings that ever-present and overly-stuffed coupon binder when she goes shopping and her children follow suit with cute clothes bought at bargain prices. Nothing looks as good as money saved feels, for her.
• June Cleaver: An iconic postcard of motherhood; home-cooked meals, silverware set at the tables, aprons, apple pie and nothing out of place. This mother is the one who wears strictly maternity-wear; denim jumpers, turtle necks, cardigan sweaters and no-nonsense shoes, she adheres to a strictly form follows function creed. She teaches Sunday school, piano lessons, gathers the family at her house for holiday meals and loves to scrapbook. Yes, there are many of us who wear the badge of motherhood. And though our style and clothing choices may vary, we all share one important passion; our children. Just because one mother wears pearls and sweater sets doesn’t mean she isn’t as efficient a mother as one who stretches the family dollar down to the wire and clothing that was donned by four former mothers.
At the end of the day, motherhood becomes more than a state of mind. And for those of us who can admit that motherhood isn’t based upon outward appearances or whose kids have better grades, athletic abilities or more toys to play with; rather motherhood is a gift given in very small doses, usually at that moment before you finally go to bed and check on that toddler who sleeps the blissful sleep that only babes are granted, you realize motherhood is also a state of grace.
I actually think this is pretty spot on. I do tend to fall into the Mother Earth category.
I intend on giving my baby my milk for the first year; I intend on making her own food;
my cleaners are all organic for her and if it was up to me, everything would be organic!
So I'd say that ideally, I want to be in the Mother Earth category, but I think I fit there well anyway.
Thanks to Kristen for sharing her awesome article with us!
What category do you think you fall into?
