Friday, March 16, 2007

Breastfeeding and My Closet

I have quite a bit of clothes but it seems like I have nothing to wear. This was not caused by childbirth and breastfeeding, but both have certainly made things worse. I will be going to the States for 3 months from April through June and for once in my life, I want to pack properly. I usually wait until the last minute and then end up both overpacking and forgetting something important. Today, I started to go through my clothes in an attempt to reduce my wardrobe, the first step in prioritizing what to pack. Things I am getting rid of:

1. Cropped tops. I'm not talking super cropped, but shirts that are slightly shorter than necessary to cover your belly. Thankfully, that trend seems to have passed. A few years ago, that was all you could buy.

2. Faded, black cardigan sweaters. I love cardigan sweaters because they are a year round item, but they just don't last very long. I need to accept a maximum 1-year life span and toss them out. They fade slightly and become pilly and just look tired and gross.

3. Super short skirts. I still wear short skirts, but the micro mini has to go. I am just not going to wear them anymore. I hit 30 and have a baby now; it is time to give them up.

4. Clothes that don't fit correctly: too loose, too tight, doesn't lay correctly--it is outta here!

5. Clothes that don't feel good: things that get stiff in the wash or are scratchy.

6. Clothes that are not quite the right color. I have a few tops that are fuchsia and the color is just too strong/obnoxious for me. I do like pink and bright pink, but only certain shades. I also hate mauve. It makes me feel tired. I have a sweater set that is mauve and I am getting rid of it today.

7. Clothes with stains or holes.

Now, where does breastfeeding come into play? Well, I have lost most of my baby weight, but still need to exercise to tone up my stomach and legs before I am comfortably back into all of my pre-pregnancy clothes. However, my boobs are twice as big as pre-pregnancy, so there are some things that just won't fit until I stop nursing.

Things I am leaving behind (but not getting rid of) due to nursing:

1. Most of my dresses. Some don't fit over my breasts. Others, I can't nurse in. There are two non-nursing dresses that look better on me than before I had my baby, so I think I will take them in case I need to go to an event, but I can't really nurse in public in them, so I doubt they will get much use. Perhaps I should leave them at home. They were too big in the top pre-pregnancy. Some of these dresses should go as well, but since I can't fit into them right now, I feel I can't make a proper decision. I think I should send a few of them to my sister, like the black one with the JLo neckline, convenient for nursing, but I don't see myself attending any functions where it would be appropriate.

2. Fitted jackets.

3. Button down shirts. I don't wear them much anyway and I prefer to pull up my shirt rather than unbutton.

4. Tops that are now too tight, but won't be when I stop nursing.

What to do with the rest?

I've gotten as far as putting all the possibilities for taking to the States in a pile. I've completed the "rough sort". Now, I need to do a fine sort. I know there are things within that pile that I can get rid of and I don't need to take all of it so I need to go through tomorrow and decide after I do laundry.

In the future, I need to be more careful when purchasing. Maternity and immediate post-partum showed me how I can get by with a lot less. Even now, I have one pair of jeans that fits well and I wear them all the time. I have another pair that is too big and a few others that I can get on to wear, but they are still a little too tight. Maybe I will leave those here and pick up a pair or two in the States that are a little more forgiving. Oh the decisions!

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