Hello readers! As you may know, I am expecting a child soon, and noticed a lack of tips out there for us working girls that are dealing with teaching during pregnancy. And while I do not claim to be anything even close to an expert, I wanted to at least get the discussion going, so hopefully all you future mommies can feel a little more prepared.
If you are reading this post, then congratulations! You’ve made it into the glory days of the second trimester. They often say that the second trimester is the sweet spot of the pregnancy, where first trimester nausea has abated but you are not get so huge as to be uncomfortable (see trimester three). I was lucky enough to find this (mostly) true, and I hope you do to!
Maternity Clothes for Work
This is about the time where you might be growing out of your normal wardrobe. Time for maternity clothes! I have to tell you, that very first pair of maternity pants is life changing. I don’t know if I will ever go back to normal jeans again!
Here are some tips on getting maternity clothes without breaking the bank.
Sort Through the Closet
While many of your outfits will not work as your bump begins to grow (hello pants with buttons!), there may still be things you can use. Pants with an elastic waist, long and flowy shirts, and many dresses may still function great at this point. Use what you can and your dollar bills for all the other expenses coming you way soon.
I actually ended up dividing my closet into pregnancy and non-pregnancy sections, so I didn’t have to visually sort through everything each day as I tried to determine what to wear.
Hand-me-downs
I was fortunate that my sister had just stopped having kids and sent a big box of maternity clothes my way. This actually happened long before I was entirely planning on having kids and at first I was hesitant to take them (I’m not ready for that yet!). But I am so glad I did, and I recommend that if you get the chance, take the clothes even if you are “there” yet. Just stuff them in an obscure corner of your closet and then haul them out when the time comes. It can really help you make the transition when you start needing maternity clothes.
Secondhand Stores
This is still my go to place to find new clothes. The prices can’t be beat and it’s environmentally friendly to boot. But we all know that not all secondhand stores are created equal. My personal favorite in my area is Clothes Mentor. They have stores throughout the US and you will get clothes that are in good condition and have already gone through a screening process, leaving you from going through out of style, faded or torn clothes.
But of course, the very best deals can be found at Goodwill/Salvation Army time stores. Or possibly on a venue such as Facebook Marketplace (or a garage sale if you are very lucky). Downside: these places don’t always provide fitting rooms. I really prefer to be able to try on clothes before buying them.
Great Retail Locations to Buy New Maternity Clothes
So I was a bit annoyed to find how very few department stores and chains have a maternity section in store. Many (such as Old Navy), have an online component, but please refer to my comment in the previous paragraph about being able to try on garments before buying and you will see why I passed on that.
Here are the stores that helped me the most:
Burlington Coat Factory: selection is hit or miss (the place is like a giant TJ Maxx), but the prices are unreal for brand new clothing.
Target: great place for basics. I have basically been living in their tanks tops this summer.
Destination Maternity: This place is TheBomb.com! After months of going into stores and feeling like some kind of outcast, quietly searching the obscure corners of department stores looking for the maternity section, I can’t tell you how welcoming it felt to walk in the store and think – this is all for me! I can buy anything here. I can look at this display right in the front. Granted, this place will cost more than a secondhand store or Burlington-type situation, but it is still very reasonable and they have the cutest clothes! And there are sales all the time. When you just can’t find what you are looking for anywhere else, try Destination Maternity. They rarely disappoint.
Planning Your Maternity Leave
This is a good time to start fleshing out when and for how long you would like to take you maternity leave. Talk with your HR, principal, secretary and anyone else you need to to determine things like:
- how long of a leave will a be allowed? what are the options to extend my leave?
- How much if any is paid?
- Is my insurance still covered during my leave? For how long?
- Will my sub take over my after school chorus? Will they do performances while I am gone?
And start reaching out your feelers for any recommendations for a sub during your leave. You really need to get a musically trained sub for a long-term leave. The kids can’t watch videos for three months! So you are looking for a very specialized person and should ask colleagues, your local college and any district support staff that might be able to send you some good names. This will make your job and the sub’s job much easier (versus getting a sub who knows nothing about music).
Also, this is the point when I started to create my long-term sub plans. Okay big part of the reason I did my planning now is that a large part of my second trimester happened to be doing summer vacation, but I still feel like this is the time to focus on getting that out of the way. It is a big undertaking so you want to give yourself plenty of time. And once trimester #3 hits you will be much lower on energy and will want to focus on prepping your house for baby, not sub plans!
Healthy Snacking
I started to notice during my second trimester that I needed a little snack between meals (mid-morning and mid-afternoon). So try and stock up on snacks you like that are healthy, whether that be fruits, yogurt, nuts, veggies and hummus or whatever.
The other thing I noticed during my second trimester was constant thirst. And it’s good to be drinking a lot. You and baby need it. I just read a fact this morning about that fact that I have nine pints more blood at the end of the second trimester than I did beforehand. NINE!! And yes, we all know the constant teacher problem with staying well hydrated – the bathroom break. Well here’s the deal folks. I basically just asked each teacher as I switched classes to hold a sec while I take a bathroom break. Yup, in between pretty much every class. Your health is worth the 60 sec the teacher may need to wait in the hall. Especially because you can be more prone to UTIs during pregnancy. So drink that water and take those bathroom breaks!
These are some of the main issues that I dealt with in my second trimester. Hopefully you find it helpful if you are navigating your own pregnancy. But feel free to post any lingering questions you might have and I’d be happy to answer them. Best of luck, music mommies!
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