The changes that the human body goes through to accommodate a pregnancy are wondrous. Infinitesimal cells duplicate a hundred thousand times over to become our precious baby—and the body undergoes many more changes to accommodate and nourish their growth.
Unfortunately, our wardrobes are not inherently capable of such drastic changes. But it is possible for us to keep in mind the needs of a pregnancy while purchasing garments. In this way, our wardrobes can serve us pre- and post-partum.
The human figure comes in an endless variety of shapes. Pear, apple, hourglass, triangle, rectangle, and so on. The average female-presenting silhouette has a torso with a bust that slims to the waist and expands to the hips. The uterus rests inside of the hips, expanding up and (typically) forward as the baby grows.
To accommodate the uterus, the waist expands as the hormone relaxin allows abdominal muscles to relax, loosen, and stretch. By the eighth month of pregnancy, the rib cage adopts a semi-expanded state. The hips widen as the pelvic floor prepares for baby’s exit. By the ninth month, the entire body’s centre of balance pitches forward, and the centre of gravity lowers.
During my pregnancy, my rib cage (measured under the bust) expanded by 2.5 cm (1 in), my waist by 34 cm (13 in), and my hips by 10 cm (4 in). By forty weeks my waist and hips were the same measurement, although the bump stuck out to obscure my feet.
Your silhouette changes drastically during pregnancy and it is difficult to decide how to adapt to this “new” you. Especially since these changes are perpetual. From four months onward, the body experiences ongoing physical change up to and after delivery. A mother with a healthy pregnancy will gain 11−16 kg (25–35 lbs); that’s up to 125 percent of their pre-pregnancy weight, and most of that weight is in the uterus. Hence, the most significant change to the figure is the waist.
Over nine months of pregnancy, this previously smallest point on the torso splits along two lines as the womb extends out in front of the body until one’s feet start to lose the game of hide-and-seek. At nine months the upper line can be traced around the upper torso from under the bust to mid back. The lower line can be traced from under the tip of the pelvic bones around the lower torso to the lower back. This means that you have to choose whether your waistband goes up or down. Pants must sit on the lower line, relying on a long shirt, tunic, apron, or pinafore to create a flattering figure. A-line skirts resting above the belly can obscure the bump, although sometimes as the skirt drapes over your delightful baby bump you wind up with a high-low hem.
All images credit Magan Wilson.
