Pregnant and Breastfeeding Friendly Sustainable Apparel Blog by Thread Spun

Sustainable Apparel Outfits for Pregnancy, Chestfeeding and Beyond

Hello internet, Heidi here, I am the proud mother of Thread Spun and of three kids now aged 6, 4 and 1. I've spent the better part of the last seven years trying to figure out how to survive and thrive through three pregnancies and three+ years of breastfeeding. Motherhood is undeniably the hardest and most rewarding thing I've ever experienced, but one thing that has consistently made it harder is dressing my changing body for all of the stages of growing, birthing and feeding a baby.
Owner of Thread Spun women's boutique in Encinitas
Owner, Heidi, pregnant with her third child, Etta, wearing a dress from our current brand partner, Mirth!
I stopped breastfeeding my third baby, Etta, almost a year ago, and yet the discomfort of fighting with my own clothing in public while attempting to feed a screaming newborn is still very fresh in my mind. Not to mention the annoyance associated with finding "maternity clothing" and navigating all of its itchy, synthetic materials and unflattering colors and patterns. I am by no means an expert, but I have gained and lost (and then gained again) thirty pounds several times over the past few years of pregnancy and struggled with my sense of self, comfort, and being able to go about my life. I've stumbled through dressing a pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding body while working a 9-5 office job, a "stay-at-home mom" job, and a small business owner job. I have become quite confident that you can dress in ways that are sustainable, flattering, *and* that fit your personal style for any occasion whether you are pregnant or not, chestfeeding or not. 

Owner of Thread Spun Heidi Ledger

To help me prove my point, I reached out to two very close friends and Thread Spun alum, Kellie Shay Hinze and Kayla Keenan. Kellie is seven months pregnant with her first child, and Kayla is currently breastfeeding her 20-month old, sweet baby Zion. Kellie, Kayla and Zion came by the store to chat all things pregnancy and motherhood and to shop our range of sustainable clothing that is appropriate for all things maternity and beyond. We promise, you don't need to purchase anything labelled "maternity" if you don't want to. We are here to help with cute and comfy clothing for pregnancy and beyond.

Thread Spun boutique in Encinitas | Ethical Maternity and Sustainable Breastfeeding Clothing Blog
Heidi and Kayla, both 8 months pregnant together in 2020
*Please note that people of all genders have babies and children, babies are born in many different ways, and that children in our care come to us in many different ways and forms - all of which are special and beautiful. If you mother or parent a child and you haven't physically carried a child, given birth, or haven't breastfed/chestfed, we see you and honor your experience. Each and every parent is beautiful and valid just as is each child. This blog post is guided by my own experience as a cis-gendered woman who carried three babies to term and breastfed each of them (until I chose to no longer do that, which is also beautiful, normal, and amazing!). The journey of motherhood and parenthood has innumerable iterations and there is no right or better way to do it. Without further ado, here is some more about the way three people are doing it, and what we've learned about celebrating our experiences and honoring ourselves along the way.*

 

Pregnant and breastfeeding women shop for sustainable apparel at Thread Spun boutique in Encinitas
Kellie and Kayla in the Angela Wrap Dress by Rita Row


How would you define your personal style? How has it changed since becoming a mother?

Kellie: My style is all about finding the most comfort and coziness in what I wear. Soft fabrics, stretchy, forgiving waistlines, and outfits I can wear all day long are what I gravitate to. It’s been fun to pick some pregnancy staples that hit the mark to keep me comfortable in my skin and still look put together and professional when I need to be. Thread Spun was of course my first stop to find pregnancy staples and I was delighted to see how many pieces worked with my changing body.
 Kellie in the Pueblo Dress by Mirth

Kayla: My style has always been pretty low maintenance because it's been very centered around the beach. Since becoming a mother though, I'm looking for more of a balance of not always being so casual and finding key pieces that make me feel good and are also good for the planet. It's become a conscious and intentional effort when I get dressed to just feel good about myself - I deserve to as a mother because I don't often get much for myself these days and how I dress can totally shift the way that I feel.


Kayla in the Paige Linen Dress by Rachel Pally


What do you look for when considering clothing for pregnancy/breastfeeding?

Kellie: I look for clothes that will grow with me in the final trimester and be comfortable for the postpartum months that follow. I want to be really forgiving to my body and so I’m trying to be discerning now about selecting pieces that can carry with me gracefully through motherhood. 

 

Kellie in the Orchid Top and Topaz Pant by Sugar Candy Mountain and the Chios Square Slides by Kyma

Kayla: Mainly the ability to get a boob out quickly. It's probably the most important thing when I get dressed, something might be cute but it'll take a minute to get a boob out and I have a toddler that won't give me that minute. I have to be able to whip it out and put it back in quickly and easily and just keep going with our day.

Kayla in the Krabi Blouse and Beach Pants by Mirth


What does being a mother mean to you?

Kellie: I’m so early in the process of discovering what being a mother will mean to me! I’m just getting used to the title and was shocked when my family told me that this will be my first Mother’s Day and that they are looking forward to celebrating that. I have a lot of great role models around me, both men and women who demonstrate what nurturing looks like. My mom chose to just have one kid when her mother chose to have 5-and be a single mom! So the range is wide and I expect that once my baby arrives, my experience of being a mother will change day to day and year by year. 


Kayla:  Everything. It means that the future generations are in our hands, we're molding what the world will look like. I have to heal myself and be very aware and intentional of my words and actions so that way I can model and offer to my son something that I think the world needs.


Kayla in the Krabi Blouse and Beach Pants by Mirth

What are you most looking forward to teaching you child(ren)?

Kellie: I’m most looking forward to teaching my child about community. That’s been my most treasured source of power, comfort and fulfillment so far in my life. We certainly have an incredible one here around us! I hope to teach my child how to celebrate their own uniqueness and individual spirit but build skills to tap into the collective so they learn to feel part of something bigger than themself. 


Kellie in the Perth Dress by Mirth

Kayla: I want to teach Zion about empathy and compassion, to have patience for people that won't necessarily have the same visions or mindsets as he will. To be easy on himself and have love for himself. And to be kind and loving towards others and this planet. 

Kayla in the Paige Linen Dress by Rachel Pally

What values are most important to you as a parent?

Kellie: There are so many values I expect to become important at different stages of parenthood but from where I sit today, the most important one seems to be teaching a little soul to love themselves and to do my best to help instill a sense of belonging and connection. 

Kayla: I think that creating an honest, open, and comforting space for your child to be able speak to you will set the foundation for them to trust you when they're older and will feel safe to come you when they have something on their mind. Sustainability and respecting the planet is another huge one for me - teaching him about things like not wasting water, why we make certain decisions about our food, voting with your dollar and being really intentional with it all.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women shop for sustainable apparel at Thread Spun boutique in Encinitas

Thank you for your interest in one of our favorite topics - parenthood! Click below to shop our Thread Spun staff (and mom) picks for ethical and sustainable clothing that is maternity and chestfeeding friendly.

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1 comment

You are a wonderful woman, mother, and friend. I loved reading Kellie’s answers. She was super shy and for the first three years and turned into me when meeting anyone new. Those questions were things I never thought about before I had her. Her answers are thoughtful seeing that all children have their special, favorite qualities. I loved watching Kellie blossom and always loved being her mom. She gifted me by being born on Mother’s Day and is a treasured human with more facets to her than there are stars in our multiverse!

Julie Hinze

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