The key to putting together your postpartum clothing options is to make sure that you’re going for comfortable clothing that’s easy to nurse in (if you’re breastfeeding) and doesn’t lower your self-esteem.
Adjusting to your new body and a new baby is already stressful enough without having to add in worrying about what you’re going to wear.
Plus, you may find yourself in that weird space where your pregnancy clothes are too big and your prepregnancy clothes are too small, which means you’ll have to purchase a few items to hold you over for three months or so.
Here are my postpartum clothing must-haves.
See Also: Breastfeeding Success Tips
Maxi Dresses
During my last month of pregnancy and my first couple of weeks postpartum I practically lived in maxi dresses.
They’re comfy during summer pregnancies and after giving birth they provide comfort, easy access for breastfeeding, and they don’t make you feel overly self-conscious about your appearance when you catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror.
Salty Crush has both bump and nursing-friendly maxi dresses with pockets. You can check out my Salty Crush reviews for more details.
Rompers/Jumpsuits
Rompers & jumpsuits should also be a part of your postpartum wardrobe.
They provide comfort and can be worn when running errands or while juggling tasks at home.
Perfectly Priscilla even has some cute plus size jumpsuits that are nursing-friendly.
When purchasing rompers/jumpsuits for your postpartum wardrobe, keep in mind that you’re going for comfort and easy access. You don’t want to select ones that are difficult to get into.
I’d suggest tube tops, halter tops, one-sleeved, and other similar styles.
Nursing Tops
Nursing tops make it so much easier to nurse on the go. If you’re planning to breastfeed investing in nursing tops (and dresses) can make your breastfeeding journey a little easier.
If you’re not sure how long you’re going to breastfeed, or if it will be the right choice for you, I’d recommend only purchasing three or so in the beginning, as it won’t be ideal to wear nursing tops during your postpartum period unless you’re nursing.
I started off with these cute nursing tanks.
High Waist Leggings
High waist leggings are another postpartum clothing must-have.
They can be worn during a variety of occasions such as working out, running errands, and even simply hanging out at home.
My only advice would be to go with ones that have pockets. This way you can keep your phone nearby (for cute baby picture taking) and you can put various other things in them as well such as pacifiers and small random items found when tidying up.
High waist leggings will help your stomach area look more toned and pair well with postpartum shapewear.
If you need a shapewear recommendation, I use this one. I started wearing it around 5 weeks.
See Also: Leggings That Aren’t See-Through
Sweatpants
Postpartum clothing is all about being comfortable.
If you’re more of a sweatpants type of girl, go for it!
I hadn’t worn sweatpants in many years before giving birth. However, for the first week I just wanted to be comfortable while healing – so sweat pants were definitely a part of my nighttime attire.
Towel Dresses
During the newborn stage, your daily schedule is going to be unpredictable.
Oftentimes, you’ll find that in the middle of showering, your little one will wake and you’ll have to quickly get dressed to tend to them.
Towel dresses make it so you can quickly throw something on as you get out of the shower instead of having to rush through getting dressed for the day.
Nursing Bras
Nursing shirts and dresses are great. However, nursing bras are still recommended as many nursing shirts and dresses provide little to no support.
These are the nursing bras that I use (I started wearing them during the second trimester). They’re comfortable, come with bra extenders, and you can easily fit in a milk catcher or nursing pad.
Comfy Slippers
It’s amazing how much stuff needs to be done when you add a baby to the mix. From extra laundry, constantly washing bottles, and/or cleaning pump items, you’re going to spend a lot more time moving around your home each day.
Having comfy slippers is an absolute must-have. Flip flops may work for a while, but once you start adding more daily tasks to your house to-do list, trust me slippers will be your best friend.
My personal preference is slipper booties.
These postpartum clothing must-haves will get you through the postpartum period
Not sure what to wear during the postpartum period or want to clean out your closet so you only have clothing items that you’ll actually wear during this time? These are the postpartum clothing must-haves that will get you through the postpartum period whether it lasts for 3 months or a year.

This list is super helpful! Thanks for sharing this here, momma!
Nice list! I had all of these clothing stuff during my postpartum days except for the rompers and jumpsuits.
I remember just wearing maxi dresses most of the time. It was the most comfy for me back then.
These are all great choices for new mammas! I had a few of these in my days and they were so comfy to wear!
This list is exhaustive and very one of them come in very handy and are extremely comfy
My postpartum days were spent in sweats and t-shirts. The only comfy clothes I could wear and nursing bras are the best!
I’m familiar with many of these items because my wife also used those after giving birth to our babies.
Thanks for the list. I’ll share this with my friend.
Great list for the mommas out there! I can only imagine that comfy clothes are a must!
YES! Comfy slippers, nursing bras, and sweats were all staples for me after having each of my kids.