There’s something that comes over you when you find out you’re pregnant for the first time. Suddenly, you start feeling very maternal and you evaluate everything around you to determine whether it’s going to fit into your new-found maternal lifestyle.
I remember when I was pregnant with my son back in 2004. I bought some very hideous baby items with the false belief that everything had to be cute.
And by cute, I mean boring.
I also had maternity clothes that looked like they came from the decade before (denim overalls, anyone?) and then shortly after having my son I cut my hair into a short mom-tastic do. It was all quite tragic and the pictures make me wince.
Fast forward seven years later to when I was pregnant with my third child. Having a few years of experience to learn from, I came to realize that just because you’re a mom doesn’t mean you need to act like a demure 50s domestic dud.
Being a mom is amazing. Being a mom with a kick-tastic diaper bag, blinged-out stroller and items that look as great as they work not only makes life easier, but also makes you feel great about yourself. The accessories may have changed from our pre-parenthood days, but the message is the same. Function means fashion – just in a different way!
My daughter’s crib was a beautiful espresso-coloured wood, accented with gorgeous pinks and purples in the bedding. The matching glider chair not only looked gorgeous, but had to be comfortable too (after three kids I knew how much time a new mother would spend in that chair).
Moving away from the traditional baby swing, with my third child I opted instead for the impressive and innovative Mamaroo! This baby bounced, swayed and yes it would swing, to keep baby happy and give my arms a break. Besides, it looked amazing and people always asked about it!
Swaddle blankets (muslin, preferably) were my favourite and I loved all the designs available. No teddy bears here, all our blankets were decked out with butterflies, dragonflies and great art deco prints.
Finally, my diaper bag came from the same designer as my handbag – Vera Bradley! I still use the same bag, two years later, and don’t anticipate letting it go anytime soon. No boring pastel blue diaper wipes case either, the new Huggies Designer Wipes Tubs look modern and stylish and fit perfectly into the bag!
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to maintain your fabulous mommy style. Many items can be borrowed from friends or purchased at consignment sales as well. It’s not the value of items that’s important; it’s how they function and how they make you feel! Being a mom is a tough job, and there’s no point in hiding behind pastels and teddy bears. Be your fabulous self, moms! The pregnant version of me wearing overalls back in 2004 begs you to!
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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Huggies® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Huggies®.
I had yard sale ugly baby furniture . When I was 2 mths preg my dad passed away so I wore his shirts .
That Mamaroo is pretty amazing! Things sure have come a long way since I was last pregnant in 2004!
love the glider chair
Oh man, those swaddling blankets are the BEST for summer babies. They get soooo soft with washing too!
My girls love to use the muslin swaddle blankets they are perfect for the summer!
My, diaper bags have sure come a long way since the 1990s! I’m not having any babies any more (whew!) but I’d definitely buy some of these styling accessories to start friends off with their new arrivals.
Had a glider chair when I was pregnant….a long, long time ago…and it was my favourite place.
Agreed! Although I was fortunate to discover Ju Ju Be before my first so I got a heads up on a lot of fantastic products.
I think it really depends on who are you. Not everyone needs name brand to feel fashionable or beautiful. I don’t think there should be any ‘traditional’ moms… times and lives are so different. So much changes, its important to do what makes you feel beautiful as a woman and as a mother..even if it means ur diaper bag is bedazzled like no other ..
Yes everything in today’s world seems to be fashionable, yet so much more expensive! I suggest asking family members/friends if they have stuff in good shape that they no longer use … and put your own finishing touches on them!
The glider
I love my glider chair
Glider chairs are awesome
The glider chair is very cool
These are all great!! I love that crib I need to buy one for my nephew where is that one from?
I too had the Mom hairdo. I don’t know why I thought I would have absolutely no time to take care of my hair.
love the swaddle blankets! Cute and functional!
baby stuff sure has come a long way! so mush fun stuff now
love that chair and foot stool!
Where were all these fantastic things when my children were babies!! I really like the Mamaroo! It is so very sweet!
wish they had style when my kids were little, or I could afford it. crib is so pretty
Love glider chairs!
Where do you buy Vera Bradley? I love it but have only seen it in Florida (I live in Hamilton ON). I bought the best laptop bag ever there!
We were really lucky. My aunt and uncle bought us a Valco stroller, a car seat and all the accessories to go with the stroller. I absolutely loved it for my son, and still use it all for my daughter. It really makes havin a bay easier when you have stylish and innovative baby stuff.
I love that crib! And the diaper bag is so stylish! Fabulous!
awesome diaper bag and love the swaddle blankets
That is one awesome crib!! Wow! Love that being a mom is now so much more fashionable!
I love the crib! My sister bought Sara a crib with a musical mattress…quite unheard of at the time. It was a beautiful white crib, I wish that I had kept her in it just a little longer but she kept climbing out and coming into snuggle with me. Happy memories for me Tenille, Thank you 🙂
Swaddle blankets were my favourite, when my little one was a baby. It helped calm her down & sleep…sweet, sweet memories!!!
I love the glider chair.
I’m hoping to share some baby furniture items with my girlfriends rather than buying everything new.
It’s great to be able to buy things that look great and function the way they should. I worry about function first and foremost, as would anyone… but nothing wrong with wanting everything to look nice as well. I love love love that crib!
We still use the glider chair to read to our son.
The blankets are the best!
The glider chair looks cool, I don’t have kids though 🙂
That diaper bag is so pretty!! And I wanted the mamaroo for my son to use but just didn’t have the money to buy it. Maybe if we ever have a baby number three they will have a mamaroo 🙂
I would love to get the baby crib for my youngest 😀
I agree…being a mom doesn’t have to be hideously boring!
love that gorgeous crib
I love that baby items look much more fashionable and functional now. I loved that crib i bought not only turned into a toddler bed but is headboard & footboard now in my kids room as everything costs so much that it is nice that lasts longer!
That crib looks fancy! I definitely love that baby accessories are getting more cute and fashionable! It makes it even more fun to shop for those things!
Even little things like a nice looking burp cloth can help brighten my day, or a fun sippy cup. You don’t have to spend a lot to having something that looks nice and makes you want to use it
that swing is so cool looking! i want one in my size! i remember looking at all those beautiful cribs and really wanting one and then i thought about how ridiculous it would be to spend that much money on something that won’t be used that long.so i got a cheapy crib that works just as well and put the extra money in a bank account for my baby girl.
I would love the glider chair when my child is born!
Now they decided to invent a nice package, when I already stocked up on wipes tubs probably till the end of our diaper days… Oh well, I can still switch the packs.
With twins twice over, a glider chair didn’t work well for me. I used a comfy recliner that we still like to snuggle in!
i used swaddle blankets with my kids and they were a godsend. i love that crib tho!
It’s hard to find a good quality glider chair. We went through a few of them and they made noise.
love light swaddle blankets – i know my kid won’t remember patterns as a tiny one, but i still like them to be adorable!
My daughter loved being swaddled – it was a lifesaver!!
I wanted to get the cribs that change from a crib to a toddler bed to a big bed, but they were beyond me so I ended up with cheapo cribs that got the job done, but just not as nice. I had to get two of everything, so I had to pace myself!
The diaper bag (I’m guessing) at the top left looks so cute.
I have never seen a baby swing like that before ~ looks really interesting!
That rocker chair has been around for many generations glad to see it still around thing is super comfy.
I don’t have any babes yet, but there are so many great things out there, makes shopping for friends with babes lots of fun!
The baby stuff I had for my sons was the “cute” stuff too. Lots of teddy bear prints. I love the designs of the products that are out now compared to when I had my boys.
hahaha! I had the maternity overalls too. I started wearing them around 16 weeks and at that time they made me look like I was already 7 months along. I’m sure people though I was an elephant and pregnant for 2 years.
I am trying to “be myself” through this pregnancy and beyond. I just bought a purse that will hold my DSLR camera and hopefully diaper bag stuff too (it’s BIG). Plus, no super frumpy clothes for me either!!
I love that diaper bag its awesome.
The diaper bag is so cute. I always wanted a rocking chair but even after 2 kids I still dont have one! sigh.
those swings look amazing,, supposed to be like a mother rocking the babe,, super great
The rocking chair was my best friend with both my girls!!
I was the cute mom with my first two, but with my unexpected third child I am buying what I like! That includes an awesome stroller and ju ju be diaper bag.
I’m trying hard to keep my (questionable) fashion sense despite quickly growing out of my clothes!
Oh, I love that Vera Bradley bag. I should have splurged on a nicer bag for me.
I got a lot of cute stuff for my daughter but we got a lot of hand me downs to.
i’m totally in love with the rocking chair!!!
That diaper bag is so gorgeous, I would use it as a purse!!!!
Cool products
A beautiful rocking/glider chair! Loved my rocking chair when the kids were little.
Wow… my youngest child is 9 years old and we didn’t have nearly as nice items for babies back then.
loving the diaper bag so cute
My purchases were just the basic either from Ikea or from 2nd hand items. We didnt have that much money.
When I was pregnant there was hardly anything that was cute for baby or mother, every thing was functional but boring.
Great pics! They certainly have come a LONG way with baby supplies!
When my children were born things were just functional, now that I buy gifts for others everything is not just functional but super cool looking also.
All the stuff are sooo worth picking up and cute!!
Great advice for new moms! The glider chair looks very comfy!
I love it that when I had my second child we had a bit more money. While we still used cloth diapers, this time we bought new ones , picked out ones we wanted, not just the cheap second hand ones with our first born. Nothing wrong with buying second hand (that is where most of mine and kids clothes come from) but it was sure nice to get some better stuff. And I bought some great maternity clothes too (second-hand from a friend) but great name brand stuff not the walmart stretchy pants with the first!
I love those Swaddle blankets and the diaper bag is so stylish
Try and get the ‘good’ stuff with your first pregnancy. Then you are set for the rest if you have them, or you can easily pass them on.
I don’t have any kids but I love the stuff that is out for babies now a days, so much to choose from! Love that the designs/patterns will extend beyond the infant stage!
I absolutely love the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets! I used them with my daughter when she was a baby, and now at almost 3 years old she still sleeps with one every single night. I also bought some for my new little baby boy, and he loves them too!
Those are all really nice items. I’ve found that most friends are very happy to lend their used baby items to new moms – they’ve kept the items to use for future pregnancies/kids and they are just taking up space in the meantime. Depending on the fashion & function sensibility of your friends, one can borrow some really lovely items at no cost.
Looks like there are some great items out there for baby that are stylish and compliment your home while still being functioning
I love the new cribs that turn into a toddlers bed later on. Everything for babies is so fashionable these days and the prices reflect that, but I must say that I love shopping for babies and going to baby showers.
nice to see fashionable and functionable items in one
i definitely need to take notes of some things you have here. I would love to be fashionable with baby!
The rocking glider with foot ottoman has been awesome for many years with baby-child. I miss mine. Glad to see it is still around but updated with style!
These products are all gorgeous! I had a rocking chair that I wouldn’t have traded for the world!
thanks
I love the diaper bags now…so functional with pockets for EVERYTHING yet so beautifully designed! No more frumpy mummies!