How to Dress to Hide Mom Belly Pooch

7 fashion tips for hiding postpartum mom bod and belly pooch without looking frumpy along with budget-friendly places to buy them.

Major disclaimer: I am so not a fashion blogger.  If you visit our house unannounced, you will catch me in paint splattered yoga pants and old T-shirts. That’s just a fact.

I won’t even pretend like I’m a fashionista every day. But after you have a baby, there’s just nothing that can make you feel good about your postpartum body again quite like a good ol’ fashion refresh.  That’s the case for me, at least.

My body and I have had a love/hate journey the last 6 years since my first born came along.  You can lose all of the baby weight, but that belly pooch and those widened hips that pushed an 8 pound bowling ball between them aren’t going anywhere.

I had such a hard time loving my body after our first kiddo, but over the years I’ve become so thankful that it was able to carry 2 healthy babes.  I earned my stretch mark tiger stripes, and it’s so easy to take that for granted when I know so many women would give anything for that.

I’ve learned what works in ye ole wardrobe, and now this time around, after having Regan 6 months ago, I feel so much more comfortable in my skin.

After polling you guys on my Instagram Stories a few weeks back, roughly 90% of you wanted a post like this, so I thought I’d share some of my tips for any of y’all who maybe struggle with the same thing… whether you had your baby 6 months ago or 26 years ago or you just aren’t comfortable wearing tummy-skimming clothing, I hope this gives you a little help.

My sizing stats:

5’7″ 160 lbs

Tops – Size M

Pants – Size 8

Shoes – Size 8 1/2 or 9

And pardon the fuzzy cell phone shots.

7 Tips to Dress Postpartum Belly Pooch:

(Some affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here.)

1. Tie Waist Tops

I love that tie waist is a big trend currently because it is so good at hiding all of the bumps and pooches! Woo to the hoo!

TOP: I got this shirt on Amazon for $19 and got so many compliments when I wore it on Easter.  The subtle print and flowy sleeves make it breezy for spring/summer too.  Wearing a Medium.

JEANS: These jeans are my new favorites for sucking in all of the mom fluff. And I really like the button fly detail. Wearing my usual size 8.

BLOCK HEELS: I am so not a heel wearing girl anymore, but these are so comfy that I was able to wear them even when I was in my last trimester of pregnancy. The block heel makes them feel very sturdy and stable.  Wearing size 8.5 (true to size).

 

2. Maxi Dresses

I lived in maxi dresses during both of my pregnancies, but they’re perfect for transitioning to postpartum too.

DRESS:  I love that this one has vertical stripes and buttons down the front to create the illusion of a long, lean figure. And little bonus: it’s nursing friendly.   It does shrink a bit after washing, so be aware before hemming.  Wearing a Medium.

PEEP TOE HEELS:  These along with the black heels above are really the only two I wear anymore.  They’re so incredibly comfy.  I’ve walked miles in these before without a problem.

 

3. Rouching

Rouched details on dresses and tops rock at hiding midsection fluffiness.

DRESS: This dress was $24 on Amazon and it’s my new favorite for date nights with the hubby!  I love the tie waist to look hourglass-y.  Wearing a Medium.

HEELS: See above.

 

4. Dark Colors

I lived in black and navy for a month solid after having both of my babies since it hides belly bump shadows… and spit-up, breast milk, baby poop.  Ya know, all of that glamorousness.

JUMPSUIT: I never ever thought I’d actually like wearing a jumpsuit, but I’m totally in love with this one I found at Old Navy.  It’s now out of stock, but I’ll link one similar. The tie waist helps accentuate the waist and hide fluffiness.

HEELS:  My tried and true faves again. See above.

 

5. Front Tuck

This little trick is my new best friend. Front tuck eeeeeeverything!  If you want to make long-ish flowy shirts look a little more polished while hiding your tummy, tuck just the front into a pair of mid-waist jeans or shorts.  It makes such a huge difference to camouflage your middle and make you feel less frumpy.

BUTTON-DOWN TUNIC:  I love how breezy and light this tunic feels for warmer weather.  (And it’s nursing/pumping-friendly… woot!) Wearing a Medium.

SHORTS:  Pretty sure I’ll be wearing these green striped shorts all summer. Wearing a size 8, but the pockets bulge on me a little bit and they’re a tad snug, so I would size up.

SANDALS: These flats are so comfy and the metallic detail is fun. Wearing a size 9 (from when I had swollen preggo feet)… they fit true to size but might be too wide if your feet are narrow.

 

6. Wraps/Kimonos/Cardigans

Kimonos paired with basic tees was one of my go-to outfits during my pregnancy, and it’s still my favorite thing postpartum for warmer months.  And in fall/winter, I just layered with thicker long length cardigans instead.

KIMONO: This one is 2 years old and no longer stocked, but I’ll link a similar one.

TEE: I looooove all of the Luxe tees from Old Navy.  They’re so soft, wash well, and fit just loose enough around the middle without being frumpy. Wearing a Medium but size up if you don’t want tummy skimming.  This one is just barely big enough for me.

JEANS: I’m a big fan of high waist Old Navy Rockstar skinnies to suck in all of the mom pooch.  Wearing an 8 but runs a tad large.  I could likely fit into a 6 in these.

HEELS: Old faithful black block heels. See above.

 

7.  Loose tops

Total no-brainer, but I’m a big fan of loose fitting tops and am a sucker for ones that have some sort of fun detail around the bottom hem.

TOP: This one was $18 on Amazon.

JEANS:  Favorites! See tip #1.

SANDALS: See tip #5.

 

How’s that for a totally random, never thought I’d ever share kind of post? Ha!  I’m all for whatever will help y’all though.  And I wish I’d known some of this back in the day when I felt so uncomfortable adjusting to my new #MomBod.

Love that body of yours, mama.  It worked hard to carry those sweet babes, and don’t you ever doubt its beauty for a second.

Would you want to see more budget-friendly fashion type posts in the future?  Just curious.  I can’t decide if this should be a one time thing or not.

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