Postpartum

Tuxedo Royal

Its been 3 months since the birth of my little angel and I’m excited that I’m slowly starting to fit into some of my pre-pregnancy clothes. My favorite go-to look has always been a button down shirt and jeans. I’m obsessed with this style top. I love that you can just throw them on and still look put together. Since I did not fit in any of them during my third trimester, I’m happy to have them back in full wardrobe rotation!

The tuxedo panel gives this classic shirt a little twist. With the summer weather already here, I decided to pair it with white jeans and my favorite sandals. Lately, white has been my favorite color, and white denim is a definite must have for the summer season.

I used to be quite self-conscious in light jeans. I am currently still above my pre-pregnancy weight and I’m wearing white pants constantly. The trick is to get the pants in the most flattering cut for your figure and to make sure they aren’t too tight. I think the rips in the knees take the focus and remove the unwanted attention to my thighs.

Shirt: J Crew old (Similar here)

Jeans: Motherhood Maternity (Non-Maternity here, and here)

Sandals: Celine

Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Cover me Poncho Giveaway

I knew from the beginning that I wanted to breastfeed Carlota. Throughout my pregnancy I kept hearing how much of a challenge it can be, especially for first time moms. I read about problems getting the baby to latch correctly, not enough milk supply, nipple pain etc.. I even took a class in my third trimester to get myself prepared. When I started nursing Carlota we quickly fell into our rhythm and routine, until we started venturing out into the real world. No one mentions the challenges of feeding when you are out of the confines of your home. Newborns feed ALL THE TIME!! In my classes they mentioned nursing your baby 6-8 times daily….that was an understatement for us. Carlota feeds every 1.5-2 hrs. I needed to get comfortable nursing in public and quickly. Initially this was something that would stress me out or make me feel nervous. I am so thankful for products such as Cover me Ponchos which have helped make breastfeeding in public simple and convenient.

I keep my poncho with me at all times. This way I don’t have to worry if my outfit of the day is breastfeeding friendly. I just plop on my poncho and I’m always good to go. The best part about it, is that it’s very versatile. It can be worn as a maternity/postpartum cover, scarf, used as a blanket for the baby and my other favorite use is as a car seat cover.

Most of the time when Carlota’s in the stroller, she’s in her car seat. The poncho acts like the perfect cover. I prefer it to a blanket or swaddle because it doesn’t fly off when you hit a gust of wind, and with the opening on the top, you have easy access to keep an eye on your little one.

I am so excited to announce that I have teamed up with Mariah from Cover me Ponchos to give one lucky reader a poncho of their choice. For those of you that don’t win we will give you 10% off your purchase with code: Andrea

To enter into this giveaway all you need to do is :

1) Comment below and let me know which color you would like to win.

2) For an additional entry you can follow my blog by email or on bloglovin etc.. let me know in your comment that you have done that

3) For a 3rd entry follow me @withloveandrea and @covermeponcho on Instagram and follow the instructions posted there.

Your chance to enter starts today June 15th and will close Friday June 19th at midnight PST.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE

The winner was randomly selected and is Kristen. Please email me to claim your prize. Thank you to all who entered!!

Studs and stripes

The weather here in LA has been all over the place. A couple weeks ago it was scorching hot, while this past week its been cooler. Since I still can’t fit into my pre-pregnancy shorts, I’m happy to have the milder weather and continue with my maternity jeans!! These are definitely a must in pregnancy investments for sure!! I started wearing them as soon as I hit my second trimester and I’m continuing into the 4th trimester. I may even have to pull them out during the holidays such as Thanksgiving….stretchy pants to the max.

I am refusing to purchase new clothes until I have reached a weight/size that I am comfortable with. I’m hoping to go back to my pre-pregnancy size so that I don’t have to get an entirely new wardrobe. I will be working with what I’ve got in my closet until then.

Today’s look is simple with black, stripes and ripped jeans. I’ve been obsessed with stripes lately. I wear them a couple times a week for sure. It’s a great pattern to layer, and adds a little volume to any look. Another way I spruce up my outfit is by adding accessories. Today I chose these boots as the finishing touch. The gold stud detail definitely makes them stand out. When one piece has a lot of detail, I like to keep the rest of the look neutral. Sometimes when you have too many stand out pieces in one outfit you can look a little clownish. Less is sometimes more!!

Sweater: Banana Republic old (Similar here and here)

Shirt: Banana Republic old (Similar here and here)

Jeans: Genetic Denim (Non-maternity here)

Purse: Chanel

Boots: Chloe (Similar here)

The challenges of postpartum dressing

The struggle is real….dressing post baby is almost as hard as dressing the bump. I think I lived in my fantasy world when I assumed I would be able to jump right back into my wardrobe a few weeks postpartum. You look at magazines and the internet and you see all the celebs and models doing it, so isn’t that the norm?? Boy was I wrong. I’m at 5 weeks postpartum and I’m still not even close to fitting into my jeans. Breastfeeding does not magically shed the pounds like everyone makes you believe. This will definitely take a few more months. In the meantime I’m thankful for those comfy maternity jeans that are still a wardrobe staple.

Another challenge to dressing is breastfeeding. Little miss sunshine loves to eat. Hence all my pregnancy weight gain!!! hehe Depending on the day or even time of day this little munchkin can eat every hour. When I get a 2-3 hour break I’m lucky. So when I get the chance to be out and about I need to wear something that will allow me to feed her. This means dresses (other than button downs), tight shirts, and multiple layers are out of the question. The easier the access, the better. This was something that never occurred to me prior to baby girls’ arrival. Nursing bras and tanks are my best friends and are definite necessities.

The final challenge is finding the time to shower, select that perfect outfit with accessories, and put on makeup. Days that I’m home alone with baby girl I’m lucky if I even get to shower before the hubby returns from work. This baby girl loves to be in my arms and I’m soaking up every second of it.

This denim dress was purchased at the early stages of my pregnancy. It’s that perfect piece that you can easily throw on and still look chic. I paired it with my beloved Anine Bing ankle boots.