My body has changed so much since giving birth to Riley. Since I bounced back so quickly after I had Molly, I just assumed the same thing would happen with Riley. Mostly because I attributed my weight loss with Molly to a few simple changes in my diet and basically breastfeeding. But there’s been nothing simple about losing the baby weight this time around. I’m not putting stress on myself to do it, it’s just not coming off easily. Which I’m OK with for right now. I have lost a lot of it, but I’m still hanging onto an extra 5 to 7 pounds that are making me not feel quite as comfortable in the clothes I used to wear. I used to feel very comfortable wearing more fitted outfits. And I’m not talking skin tight (I’ve never loved those), just a little more fitted to my body. For instance, I love wearing a turtleneck tucked into high-waisted pants. But right now that look just doesn’t feel quite right on me. I’m getting there, but I’m not 100% confident in a look like that yet. So lately I’ve been really trying to find clothes that are flattering but also hide my tummy area. And given that, I thought a great blog post would be my top three favorite post-baby looks. All 3 of these looks are great to wear after baby if you don’t quite feel comfortable in your old clothes.
LOOK ONE
I love this first look because it’s also breastfeeding friendly! So it’s the absolute perfect post-maternity dress. But it’s not maternity, so you can wear it forever (but you could also wear it in early pregnancy). Not that you couldn’t wear a maternity dress forever, you totally could! In fact, I wore this orange maternity dress the other day on the TV show I work on (you might have seen me wearing it in insta stories). It’s totally a maternity dress but I still think it looks cute on me post-baby so I still wear it.
1. WIDE BRIM HAT | 2. NECKLACE | 3. NAVY DRESS | 4. PURSE | 5. BOOTIES | 6. RILEY’S FOX ONESIE
Anyway, back to the navy dress in this picture. It’s flowy, covers your arms (which is important to me these days -not just because it’s fall but also because I’m not super comfortable with my arms right now), and it has buttons down the front so you can easily breastfeed if needed. I’ve just found this to be a go-to of mine if I have to look a little bit more put together/dressed up when I go somewhere.
I styled it in these pictures with a wide brim hat (I love wearing hats in the fall), a long pendant necklace, a cross body bag, a statement ring and a pair of booties. I like wearing booties with dresses because it’s so much more comfortable than wearing a dress shoe with a heel. You can see me wearing these exact same booties in the second look. So if you decide to get them, they’re actually very versatile because you can wear them with dresses and with pant looks. And with shorts once the spring rolls around. But we have a winter to get through so I won’t get you guys thinking about spring just yet. Ha!
1. WIDE BRIM HAT | 2. NECKLACE | 3. NAVY DRESS | 4. PURSE | 5. BOOTIES | 6. RILEY’S FOX ONESIE
LOOK TWO
This is a more everyday look. One you can wear in your house lounging around, but also out and about.
In the pics below I wore it to the pumpkin patch when I went with the fam the other day. I love so many things about the sweater first off! I love that it hides everything underneath. Which most oversized sweaters do, but this one is also pretty flattering. I like the cut of it and I specially love the bell sleeves. It’s also a great price at only $59! But I what I love most about the sweater is the length. It’s super long and therefore it covers my hips and booty. Both of which are much bigger since I gave birth to Riley. Ha! So all around this sweater just makes me feel confident.
Another essential part of this look are the leggings. They are only $29 and great quality! A bunch of you have already commented on my blog saying that you bought these and you absolutely love them! I’m so glad! I especially love the high-waist because it sucks in the extra jiggle I have around my belly.
1. SUNGLASSES | 2. LONG SWEATER | 3. HIGH WAIST LEGGINGS | 4. LEOPARD PURSE | 5. BOOTIES
Once again I’m wearing the booties that I wore in the first look. They’re super cute and comfortable so they were an easy choice to wear to the pumpkin patch. And then I added this leopard purse because I wanted to add a bit of detail to my otherwise very neutral look. I love this bag and I’ve been carrying it a ton lately. I just feel like it instantly makes my look feel more styled because of the leopard print and the gold details.
1. SUNGLASSES | 2. LONG SWEATER | 3. HIGH WAIST LEGGINGS | 4. LEOPARD PURSE | 5. BOOTIES
And it’s not super hard to breastfeed in. It’s oversized so there is so much room underneath that I’m easily able to tuck Riley up underneath it to breastfeed him. And I feel like it keeps him warm and cozy when it’s cooler outside. And honestly I’m not even breastfeeding Reilly that often anymore. I usually do in the morning and then I give him pumped breast milk for the rest of the day. I need to blog about this more soon and I promise I will! But because the sweater is so roomy, I’m able to use my pump underneath it when I’m out and about too.
LOOK THREE
And last but not least, look three! I’m so obsessed with this outfit that I’ve not only blogged about it before but I have also posted about it on my Insta story many times! It’s just one of my favorite layering looks. Once again I’m wearing the same black $29 high waist leggings that I talked about in the look above. But this time I’m wearing this perfect white top for layering as my base. I’ve already blogged about this top a ton but I’ll just say again that it’s super comfy, flattering and very long so it covers your booty in leggings. It’s honestly my second favorite basic I own! My standard white tee that I always blog about here is probably my favorite basic. But this one’s a close second!
1. LONG NECKLACE | 2. CHAMBRAY SHIRT | 3. WHITE TOP | 4. HIGH WAIST LEGGINGS | 5. KNEE HIGH BOOTS | 6. PURSE
I layered a chambray shirt over it and cuffed the sleeves so you can see the white poking through. I added a pendant necklace, a crossbody bag (the same one I’m wearing in look one above) and decided to go with my flat knee-high boots. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these boots are absolutely perfect for walking around in the fall. They’re super comfortable!
Well, that’s it! I just wanted to share these looks with you guys because they’ve helped me feel confident since having Riley. Our bodies change a lot when we have children and I think it’s important that we still feel good about ourselves. Sometimes that means we embrace the changes and even flaunt them! But sometimes it also means camouflaging them so when you look in the mirror you feel your best. I hope this post helps anyone out there looking for a little pick me up in their style game after baby! Love you guys!
You’re glowing in all your photos, Ali! My favourite outfit in this post is the first one. So beautiful! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
My body changed so much after baby #2. I’m definitely having a harder time this time around. You look awesome!!
Same here girl! It crazy how much harder it is the second time
I was too until baby #2 was diagnosed with a dairy allergy (and since I’m breastfeeding, I had to give it up too) and the weight just poured off after that! 🙂
You look wonderful! And thank you for sharing these outfits. I’ve ordered the sweater, leggings, and white top and love them all!
So glad this post was helpful for you! Let me know what you think when you get them! I really think you will love all 3!
The Starbucks cup should be mentioned as a must have accessory! As a mom of two as well, I feel like the ever-present coffee cup is the unsung hero of the post-baby / mom look! 😀
PS My weight fell off after my first, but the second time around, I feel you–its def not coming off as easily or quickly.
Ha! TOTALLY! I always have a coffee in my hand in the morning! Although I try to stick to 2 cups a day because I am nursing. But really everyone should stick to 2 cups a day! Ha! Not so easy when you have kids!
Dressing after having a baby is definitely hard but I love the sweater option! I definitely wear a ton of long sweaters with leggings all fall and winter. They’re comfortable and flattering! 🙂
Hillary
http://www.pnwlifeandstyle.com
Long sweaters are a MUST with leggings!!!!
These looks are great! My kids are the same ages as your two kiddos, and I’m not back to where I want to be yet, but I am working on it! I bought the sweater and the leggings as well as two tops from the last time you posted about tummy hiding clothes. Thanks for helping this momma!
Did you like and keep the tops you bought the last time I posted about tummy hiding clothes? I hope soooo! Let me know!!!
Just wanted to thank you for keeping it real on your Instagram stories. Honestly being a mom is so hard a us moms are always wondering how every other mom is keeping it together and comparing ourselves to an idea of perfection.
I like that you don’t hide the struggles and hard moments, it takes courage to be honest about how hard parenting is but it’s so helpful for those of us struggling to know we are all in it together and have similar struggles. Thank you. (Also thanks for turning me into a lover of all things Nordstrom, haha I love all the clothes you recommend. My husband doesn’t feel the same way when he sees our credit card bill these days. 😛 You should get a raise from Nordstrom! You’re doing something right.)
I like how you styled the blue dress so much better than the Nodstrom photo! I never would have even clicked on it on the website if I didn’t see how great it looks on you!
So cute!!! I feel like as a mom of 4 I’m always in “mom clothes” these are still mom clothes but no frump!!! I’m ordering all three looks!!! The weight gets harder every time but also I cannot lose all my baby weight until I completely stop breastfeeding!!! I was always fat until my kids were 1 and I was done nursing! It always fell off after that!
Ali you look AMAZING! I would have never guessed you weren’t at your pre pregnancy weight! You style yourself so well🙌🏻Girl if I just had to lose 5-7 lbs I would juice cleanse for a month to lose that🤣post baby body still isn’t where it was after 4 years still tons of weight to lose and have hypothyroidism which makes weight loss near impossible. Have learned how to style myself to always look my best and know what cuts colours and styles flatter my body which makes me feel good in what I am wearing! Can you do a post about AMAZING leggings that your followers in Canada can get access to as well?!? Pretty please! Leggings are where it’s at for moms and there must be some power tummy and thigh sucking leggings that make everyone’s figure look amazing! All cotton leggings show cellulite, tights passed off as leggings are see through…needs to be a spandex blend that is a happy medium and life saving for us mamas who maybe will never get to where we were but where we are now can be okay if you can discover life altering leggings for us😀I saw some Spanx brand ones which where $100 I suppose I would pay that if they were life altering and changed my life when I wore them but leggings should have to cost that much to get amazing results right🤪Pleassssse save our lives when you have time to hunt down the only pair of leggings we will all need to buy ever again🙂
You look great! I am currently pregnant with baby no 2 and this weight gain has already been so different from my first. You’re an inspiration and I so appreciate your realness. It is so easy to be depressed when you see moms bounce back 2 weeks after having a baby when they are not displaying real life circumstances. P.S. Thanks for the post on sleep training. When our LO gets here I will be reverting back to that post 🙂
So thank you for posting on this even though I’m not dealing with my body after kids Iam dealing with a tummy from menopause you always look so adorable I’m glad you mentioned these outfits hide the tummy I will for sure be getting the sweater and leggings thank you again for being so adorable and real with everything
Seriously? 5-7 lbs is nothing!.
I have 25 lbs still to lose…and my 1st baby is almost 2! Ha
Is the white shirt sold out? I see 6 colors and no white
Hi Ali! Do you think the long sweater from the pumpkin patch pics would work with a baby bump too?
Thank you SO much for sharing! I’m having twins (babies 2 & 3) in December, so I’ve been trying to buy some cute wardrobe pieces to wear over the holidays and into the new year that will make me feel comfortable and confident, but also stylish. I love all of your wardrobe picks. And I really appreciate the encouragement that we should be patient with our bodies as we recover from growing our babies.
Thank you for sharing!After giving birth to twins 6 months ago I am struggling between wanting to eat everything nasty that is front of me when i have time to eat, and wanting to loose weight and look good (so i guess 🥗 would be the right choice? ) 😀 Anyway this is inspiring and i definitely will try to look for some sweaters, please share mooooore! 🙂 and maybe some advice where to shop online internationaly with reasonable shipping fare?
Have a great day and remember you look amazing, like amazing amazing!I remember reading somewhere-women, love your muffin tops cause muffins are delicious!!!😋
Thank you so much for all your posts. My baby turns 2 tomorrow and I somehow managed to gain ALL my pregnancy weight back (25 lbs!). I feel badly about it pretty much 24/7, as prior to baby, I had been the same weight since college. Although I have way more weight than you to lose to get back to “normal,” it does help to see someone up locally acknowledge how hard it can be! I am trying to practice more self-kindness, and that’s partly due to you, so thank you! Especially now that I’m 9 weeks pregnant with #2!
Can you pls tell me what diet changes you making to loose the baby weight.
Pls I would like a specific post on it.
I had my second baby two days after you and I wasn’t able to exercise my second pregnancy due to some complications so I definitely gained a little bit more the second time around. During my entire four months maternity leave I only lost 2 pounds this time! With both my pregnancies I gained around 25 pounds so I usually end up with about 13 pounds left to lose after baby and fluids go away. This time I had 15lbs which is to be expected with number two. It takes me a long time though I remember killing myself with exercise when my first one was just a few months old and not losing any weight so finally I gave up and waited until he was seven months old. When I started working out then, I was getting more sleep and my body just sort of readjusted and hormones calmed down. I can’t lose weight when I’m tired my body just won’t do it. But even after I lost all of it with the first one nothing ever looked quite the same everything was still kind of squishy and all the muscle tone was gone. I told myself I’d give myself a full year and a half or the second one but boy I was not prepared for that!…nor was I prepared for the postpartum hair loss, which is been the most devastating thing to me ugh!
I love these looks and definitely trying to find outfits that hide the post baby body! Do you think the long white shirt and sweater would be too long on someone shorter? I am 5’2 and they look the perfect length on you so not sure they would work for me!
Thank you so so much for this! I am 10 weeks postpartum and reading your posts during and after this pregnancy made me not feel lonely. You always look fabulous and put together!
It’s soo nice to hear that I’m not the only one out there that feels the same way. I had my 3rd baby about a year ago and still I don’t feel like myself!! I am trying to love myself the way I am now and not stress about it but the struggle is REAL! But, you look beautiful! Thank you for sharing your ups and downs with all us moms out there.
Hi Ali,
I love all the looks today. What size are you wearing in the dress? They only have larger sizes left but I plan to stalk it! Thanks!
Thank you so much for being so honest and sharing! I just had my little girl 4 and a half weeks ago and it’s been hard getting back to being confident with my body and I appreciate how honest you are on your blog and I love these looks! I felt like lately I couldn’t leave the house in anything cute and definitely see how it can be done!
I just received the sweater and leggings from look #2 in the mail today (after reading your pumpkin patch post). I totally agree – the sweater is so cozy and flattering. I love that you can wear leggings with it! Thanks for the great suggestions as always. <3
Hi Ali! Thanks so much for this post! My first baby is 10 weeks old tomorrow and I am struggling with what to wear to feel confident again! I ordered the leggings last week and absolutely love them! Thanks for keeping it real! I love your blog so much and you have made me feel so much better about experiencing the daily ups and downs of motherhood!
Our little guys are 2 weeks apart so your post-partum posts definitely resonate! Thank you! I, too, am hanging on to the last 6, 7 pounds and although I’m happy where I’m at (and so grateful as to why I gained that weight in the first place😊) it’s DEFINITELY changed how many of my pre-pregnancy outfits fit – my body is just different! And agreed on the tucked in fitted turtleneck to my high waisted jeans…just not happening right now. Anyways, thanks for your posts – they’re so relatable and helpful!
Thank you for this! I have a two month old and have been looking for tops and leggings to get me out of my maternity clothes! Ordered the free people top and leggings from Nordstrom’s. Super excited!
I ordered the sweater two weeks ago and I’ve already worn it three times!! I love how cute it looks with leggings and it’s not itchy! I might need the booties too. I tried buying a pair of cheap look-alikes but they were so uncomfortable I had to return.
Ah thank you for this! I love the breastfeeding looks that hide the middle without looking like you’re hiding something. The tricky thing about most of my maternity/breastfeeding dresses or tops is that they’re trying to accentuate the baby bump. I’m not trying to show off the post-baby middle. It has been so much harder to lose the baby weight after baby #2. My second was born a few days after Riley and the weight is definitely not falling off this time like it did after my first. Now that it’s getting colder out, it’s easier to hide my middle with big sweaters though!
I was trying to remember if Molly was a dog for Halloween in the past. My little girl is obsessed with all things dog right now but all the costumes that actually look like dogs are aimed towards boys. How did you make the dog costume girlier?
I love the high waisted leggings and the blush top from Nordstrom that you wrote about! They are both great pieces that I love and feel comfy in and I want both in more colors. I also love that Nordstrom does free shipping…bonus! Thank you for sharing…I love your blog and find it very encouraging, helpful, and positive! I love that you are helping other moms…we need more of this…
Ali – You are beautiful inside and out! Thank you for sharing your everyday life and home!
One question: Your master bedroom headboard – what color did you get that in? I want to copy :). Isn’t copying a form of flattery!!!
Keep up the positivity!!
Wish I could find the dress! The way you styled it makes it a must have!
Please post on your breastfeeding strategy soon! I’m very interested as I have a 6 month old who I’m trying as hard as I can to exclusively breastfeed but it’s so difficult!
Thank you so much for this post. My first daughter is three weeks older than your Molly and my second daughter is 1 week older than your Riley. I also feel it was much easier to lose the weight the first time, also struggling with the last 5-8 lbs. I am having such a difficult time getting dressed these days. Nice to hear I am not the only one. And nice to get some shopping ideas. Thank you!!
Hi Ali! Your kids are SO ADORABLE! I have a 4 year old son and a daughter who’s just about to turn 2 so I love hearing how things are going with your little ones. It’s just the BEST thing ever. I saw a glimpse of your living room (I think living room?) coffee table in an insta story with Riley today. Looked like a rustic grey. Is this the one that was sold out from wayfair? Thanks in advance!!
Is it Riley or Reilly? You only have one son, right?? 😂😂
Which is it….Riley or Reilly???? You only have one son, right?? Ha!!!
Hey Ali not trying to be rude or anything but I think Kevin was patting riley a little too hard which is why he was crying in your live video…watch it again. It sounded loud and too hard. Hoping this helps.
Ali your darling, I made a comment awhile back because you were so worried about your Instagram pictures being perfect and I really was upset that you cared so much about what other people thought of your page. I started following you bc of you talking openly about depression and anxiety and it worried me that you would stop talking about those things. I want to look cute everyday but my “everyday” is not perfect most days it takes everything just to get out of bed- no one that knows me would know that except my hubby and now all the people that read your great blog but I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. Just know your awesome to your followers and we don’t need you to be perfect bc that’s what helps us get through each day.
This might seem a little TMI but I was wondering what brand of bra that you used while pregnant and nursing? I have always been large chest (36DD) and now that I’m pregnant with my 3rd child my boobs are even bigger. My regular bras are uncomfortable due to the wire but the ones without wire don’t have enough support.
Ali thank you for expressing how you are feeling about your body post baby. I had my second daughter 9 months ago and I have lost a lot of the weight, but since I had a C-Section for a 2nd time I feel like my bottom belly is in pretty bad shape. I have a pouch that makes me feel bad sometimes…It’s nice to see a fellow mom, who looks amazing by the way, say that she has areas she isn’t super stoked about.
I think it is important for women to know that having babies changes our bodies and that it is okay that it isn’t a snap back….it takes time!