I'm nearly six months into my pregnancy in the middle of a very stressful and isolating time, which has impacted my ability to see friends and go shopping for maternity clothes. I love thoughtfully selecting each item in my wardrobe so that I always feel like myself, but when I went in search of stylish pieces for my changing body, I was immediately bummed. My options included: a lot of billowy stuff that made me look like a tent, bright and colorful things that made me feel wider and more pregnant, or larger sizes of non-maternity designs (an ineffective tactic, save for a couple of notable exceptions, below). I can't dress exactly like I did pre-pregnancy because of my new shape—my bigger chest and belly are challenging for non-maternity clothes. It's a totally new way of thinking about my body.
So I reached out to Katie Holmes' stylist, Allison Bornstein, who's helped me downsize and perfect my non-pregnancy style. She explains the secret to looking great: "When you're pregnant, what looks better is tighter clothes. Billowy clothes [only] look good on [petite] women. It's actually kind of cool; You have nine months when your body is not your normal body, so it's an opportunity to do something a bit new." With her help, I figured out what I could pull from my regular wardrobe (shoes, bags, blazers) and what I needed to buy (jeans, tops, skirts, dresses). You don't need much, which is perfect for someone who's trying to practice conscious consumerism. Bornstein's hyper-focused on helping you shop your own closet, and she's always booking FaceTime styling sessions: either a regular hour, or an extended version during which she'll send you relevant links for new items. Below are a few of the tips she passed on so I could make the perfect capsule—she's basically my pregnancy style whisperer. (Check out her super-helpful pregnancy capsule video for even more tips.
Original article: https://www.marieclaire.com/fashion/g32926501/pregnancy-style/
]]>If your shoes no longer fit and your wedding ring came off long ago, you’re may be dealing with edema, most commonly known as pregnancy swelling. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to reduce the inflammation and keep comfortable until you reach the delivery room.
Where it starts
Thank your burgeoning bump for the sudden swollenness. As the uterus expands, it puts pressure on the veins and in turn impairs circulation. Extra fluid volume combines with the weight of the increasing uterus compression on lower extremity veins, which slows down the pumping of blood as it returns to the heart. As a result, the parts of the body that are farthest away from the heart, including the face, hands, ankles and feet are most likely to be affected and swell.
What you can do
Although you can’t entirely prevent swelling for the next nine months, there are triggers you can avoid that could make it worse: heat and salt. Heat and humidity make the veins expand and draw blood to the extremities. Staying indoors with the air conditioning on or cooling off in a pool are both beneficial. If you’re craving salty foods like pretzels or potato chips, know that sodium causes the body to retain extra fluid, which is the last thing a pregnant lady wants. Make sure to stay hydrated to help flush out excess salt intake, and try to get mild to moderate exercise each day for improved circulation.
If you need additional support, premium compression (or graduated) hosiery and garments like Sigvaris are designed to cover areas vulnerable to swelling and generate better blood flow. As a bonus, Sigvaris apparel may help reduce restless leg syndrome and varicose veins.
Tip: Severe swelling in the hands or feet could be a sign of a dangerous condition known as preeclampsia, or elevated blood pressure during pregnancy. Contact your health care provider right away if you notice sudden swelling or swollenness in only one leg, often accompanied with tenderness or pain, severe headaches, blurred vision or rapid weight gain.
Original article: https://www.pnmag.com/pregnancy/prenatal-care/feeling-swell/
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