From Sweats to Suits

Baby B is now 3 months old (and adorable, I might add). She's cooing, holding her head up, clasping her hands and drooling. A lot. She seems to recognize me and laughs when I sing her the alphabet song. It's pretty amazing that this little peanut lived in my body for over 9 months. While she still looks like my husband, we're hopeful her hair will fill in and she'll look more like me soon.

Now that she's not nursing every two minutes, I have started looking for a full time job. I LOVE spending my days and nights ensuring my daughter (still feels strange to use that word) is entertained, clean and has a full belly, but it's time to contribute to the household expenses. I am considering opportunities non profit development/fundraising, retail, and consulting. I've put off shopping for 'big girl clothes' as long as possible since I keep telling myself I'll lose the weight. The nursing every two minutes did allow me to lose over 20 lbs since coming home from the hospital, but it still leaves me one size larger than any of my suits. My mom friends tell me it takes nine months to put it on and it will take nine months to take it off. Since I don't have nine months before interviewing and such, I went shopping. Correction, I went nuts shopping. Well, not Confessions-of-a-Shopoholic-nuts, but a little beyond my normal coupon-and-promotional-sale-combining ways. I ended up with some good finds - a suit, a few shirts, an adorable orange hooded cable knit sweater, two dresses and lounge wear a.k.a. - sweats!

My husband HATES frumpy sweats. He apparently associates them with laziness or lack of attention for one's looks. I would like to stress that he doesn't think of me this way, just a generalization based on his previous experiences with those who wear sweat pants excessively. I argue that they are a quick, easy to clean and comfy option for a mom who barely has time to shower. Since marriage is about compromise, we agreed 'cute' sweats are okay for home and errands, just not social outings. I digress.

So this whole business of suit wearing or rather buttoning is quite disheartening. Why can't everything be forgiving as elastic? Clearly suit makers are not concerned with postpartum moms returning to the workplace or even civilized society, for that matter. I miss the days of walking into my favorite store and knowing exactly what style and fit suited me best. In all my searches for clothes that fit, only elastic or maternity pants worked for six weeks after Baby B arrived. I have spent many of Baby B's naps trying things on, getting frustrated, buying, returning, exchanging and even crying a few times. I know it will take time and I should be patient, and I really don't look that bad....but trousers don't lie. These hips will never be the same.

I really wish there were more options for postpartum clothing. They make clothes that grow with you, why can't they make clothes that shrink with you as well? Maybe that's my million dollar idea.

In the meantime, one size up suit, here I come.