How to Dress Your Postpartum Body: Live with Jammie Baker
We have been SO excited to have Jammie go live with Jessalyn! This has been in the works for months, and we can’t wait to share Jammie’s wisdom with all you mamas out there. Her tips have changed our lives over here on the Sleep Fairy Team, so let’s dive right in!
Jammie's Background
Jammie (pronounced jay-mee, though she will answer to jammie!) Baker is a former celebrity stylist. We say “former,” because once she had her first child Max, she decided to become a mom stylist specifically! She was having such a tough time just getting dressed every day—let alone feeling fashionable and having a sense of style postpartum—and she realized that if she was having a hard time as a professional, how were other moms doing this on their own?
All Seasons Are Transition Seasons
Postpartum can be beautiful and hard at the same time. All of us have been there—we need to go to that first doctor’s appointment after delivering that sweet bundle of joy, and what on earth are we supposed to wear? Our maternity pants are too saggy (in Jammie’s words, “I want to burn them!”), and there is no way our pre-baby pants are going on. Do we go in our husband’s clothes? Do we never buy new clothes again until we are at that ideal weight/size/shape?
Jammie’s answer: NO!
All seasons are transition seasons for your body, especially when you are in the midst of growing your family. Therefore, don’t put off truly getting dressed for a year or more, delaying your happiness until your body is where you “want” it.
You deserve to get dressed in something that makes you feel beautiful. You deserve to feel a little put together and to not subscribe to the “hot mess mom” culture that is so rampant. We don’t have to look back to our “old selves,” because we have changed! We are not that woman anymore. We have given birth to a beautiful, new, human being! How can that not change you?
Jammie gave us three tips to dress our postpartum bodies and embrace this season of change instead of resenting it.
Tip #1: Put Away What Doesn't Fit
If you open your closet to a rack full of clothes that don’t fit you, you are starting each and every day with negative self-talk. Although a closet edit is always nice, you don’t have to throw things away, just MOVE them out of sight so they are not taking up unnecessary brain space right now. This way, you will have a closet containing only clothes that you can wear, right then, in the season you’re in. You don’t have to filter or feel bad things don’t fit every day. (This was mentioned again when Jessalyn talked to Jazmin Snow about Outfits for Your Postpartum Body, so consider this a very important tip!)
Tip #2 Get Dressed From a Place of Gratitude
Realize how amazing your body truly is. Instead of getting dressed because you want to HIDE any part of your body, come at it from a different mindset! Accentuate your favorite parts instead. When your clothes actually fit your body how it is right now, you will look smaller anyway! You DESERVE to get dressed every day, and helping your body to feel good helps your mind to feel good too!
So, instead of lamenting about the size of your tummy or the extra weight in your face that you can’t control (it takes time!) ask yourself, “What CAN I control?” Jammie suggested coming up with:
A 5-minute make-up routine
A few cute hairstyles that work for you
An accessory or two to add style
A bright lipstick
The goal of all these suggestions is to keep it simple! If you have 25 necklaces that you have to sift through every day (making decisions with PPD can be hard!) edit the clutter and keep the top few you really will wear. Jessalyn suggested investing in one accessory that makes you feel put-together, like a cute pair of flats that goes with everything, or a single pair of earrings that you love that makes you feel a little more done up. Jammie agreed and added that your cost-per-wear for these items will likely be miniscule over time.
Taking a few minutes to get dressed and ready in the morning is not selfish. It really will make your whole day better, since you will FEEL better. Your kids will notice, your husband will notice, and they will begin to imitate your example. You can’t be the best version of yourself if you don’t take care of you.
Tip #3: Create a Mini-Momiform
Jammie has created the idea of a Momiform: a few key pieces that can be mixed and matched to help you feel ready for the day, no matter what season you’re in. What does a Momiform include? Basics! Jammie suggested 3 shirts, a couple bottoms, 3-5 layers, shoes, accessories, and a few dresses.
There are no strict rules about what can or can’t be in your Momiform. If you don’t feel good in it, you will feel awkward and uncomfortable, and everyone around you will sense that. On the other hand, if you have a pair of jeans that you LOVE, that don’t need to be tugged and adjusted all day, those jeans will make your life, your marriage, and your motherhood happier. Why? Because how you feel in your clothes has a positive domino effect on your life. We are filling ourselves up so we can pour out to those around us who need us. Jammie commented that curating this mini-Momiform “is not a vanity measure, it’s a sanity measure!“
A Note on Sizing and Bras
Did you know there is no industry standard for sizes? It really all depends on the specific designer’s fit model to determine how their clothes are styled. If the fit model is more curvy, that line or that brand will size accordingly. So PLEASE, don’t worry about the size on the tag! No one will see it but you.
Speaking of sizing, it can be so hard to know what size of bra you need after having a baby, especially if you choose to breastfeed! Jammie’s advice: go get professionally fitted. When your bra fits, any shirt you wear will look better. 90% of the support should come from the band, while only 10% should come from the straps. There is even a specific way to put on a bra correctly, so go check out Jammie’s IGTV (@jammiebaker_) and look for Bras + Mom Boobs! Also, never hang your bras on a door handle. It makes them stretch and get lopsided!
Other Useful Advice
Jammie mentioned we as moms should do whatever it is every day that helps you to feel good—and this can be aside from getting dressed. If working out helps you to be the best version of yourself, do it! If waking up before your kids for some guided meditation helps you center yourself, do it! We are all at different stages of our motherhood journeys, so sometimes just a little mascara or making the bed can go a long way.
Jammie told a story of taking her son to a toddler gym, and the instructor commented on how usually she sees a lot of kids who are dressed to the nines, while their moms look like trolls who have just rolled out of bed! “Why do you look so put together?” she asked Jammie. Jammie didn’t even feel like she was that fancy, but the little time she had taken to get ready and put on some clothes that fit had clearly made a difference!
When is the last time you bought yourself underwear? This is usually a good indication of how well you are treating yourself. Jessalyn noted that we are quick to get new underwear for our kids if they have holes in it, but do we treat ourselves the same way?
Jammie's Resources
We absolutely LOVED having Jammie featured here on The Sleep Fairy! Check out her Instagram @jammiebaker_ where she has several free resources including a Body Shape Guide, a podcast with Allie Casazza, and more.
In the end, it’s not about the clothes, it’s about the people in your home. We as moms get to set that mood in our home, so let’s see that as an opportunity and take advantage of it! If we show our kids we respect ourselves and our bodies, they will notice that example. They will feel worthy, just as you should, of getting dressed every day so they can pour that positive energy out toward others.