Editor’s Note: This post was originally written a few weeks ago when I had assumed that I would be carrying my child until her due date. Life happens, like it always does, and our baby girl arrived a few weeks early. 

Anyone that has been pregnant understands that eventually, their body no longer belongs to them. There comes the point, for me at the beginning of the third trimester with my son, and the middle of the second with my daughter, where you no longer recognize the woman you were before.

For the most part, both of pregnancies were uncomplicated and straightforward, manageable morning sickness, minimal heartburn; healthy mama, healthy baby, right? Assuming I could continue at the same pace as I did with my first, I didn’t slow down. I don’t know what exactly caused it (maybe it was building a bench or that last minute trip to IKEA) that changed everything, but my body had finally had enough of my “just get it done!” work ethic.

Long story short (and maybe to be covered in detail, once I have a bit more perspective and distance) I was ordered to be on bed rest at 31 weeks.

Since I had been prepping for maternity leave, the W&D team had everything covered, but I didn’t know what to do with myself. I’ve never shied away from my mental health struggles, and I’ll tell you, one of the worst directives one with a combination of anxiety and depression can receive is to “stay in bed.”

To keep feeling like myself, and focus on the positive (and avoid any additional emotional rollercoaster moments), I needed to establish a routine, stat. Get up, get dressed and get busy; continue to get ready for the day, even if the only thing that I had on my to-do list was to read a book or work on a puzzle.

My biggest challenge? Finding clothing that was not only comfortable but stylish and helped me feel like “me.” With bed rest, I needed comfort even more than style (with “style” coming in at a very close second). Last go round, I had such challenges finding professional, dare I say “fashionable,” maternity clothing until I discovered Storq, an online retailer for maternity wardrobe essentials. I purchased their Basics Bundle, which consisted of a T-Shirt Dress, Pencil Skirt, Tank Top, and Leggings (far and away the MVP during both pregnancies). With August, I had already been integrating Storq basics in here and there, but by this time with baby number two on the way, I knew that from here on out I would be primarily living in these pieces.

What I enjoyed most about Storq was not only the softness of the fabric and the quality, but that these items didn’t “look” maternity. For all of you mamas out there, you know what I mean. It’s a delicate balance oscillating between comfort and feeling like you’re the poster girl for “beached whale chic.” Storq items even made me feel classic and beautiful at a time when it’s tough to feel good about yourself. There are no tiny belts, no ruching, nothing that screamed “maternity.” I was able to be comfortable yet still look very “put together” by using their monochrome pieces as a solid foundation and adding a scarf or bold statement necklace to feel complete.

In the days that followed my new routine, I found myself feeling lighter (mentally, certainly not physically), and in a better mood. To be clear, I’m not advocating that all you need is a good pair of leggings and some mascara to lift you out of depression, however feeling good in your clothes, having a purpose, and a forward momentum helped me so much during an incredibly tough time. Looking back, I needed this time to slow down and take a (small) step back from the day-to-day to gain a bit of perspective and get ready, physically and mentally for baby.

Ed. Note: Maternity clothes are transitory, and my big question is what do I do with all of this clothing once I’m finally done having children? Storq participates in a recycling program with Re2Wear. In this program, Storq donates proceeds from recycling gently used Storq pieces . Aside from feeling good, Storq will provide you with a $25 gift certificate towards a future Storq order.

Shop Our Storq Favorites!

Basics Bundle (Clockwise Top Left) Nursing Bra // Easy Dress // Slim Pant // Jumpsuit // Relaxed Top)

Ed. note: This post was sponsored by Storq. The compensation received in exchange for placement on Wit & Delight is used to purchase props, hire a photographer, write/edit the blog post and support the larger team behind Wit & Delight.

While compensation was received in exchange for coverage, all thoughts and opinions are always my own. Sponsored posts like these allow for the development of additional dynamic content to be produced, unsponsored. Thank you for supporting our partners!

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Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.