Every new mom wears the most comfortable clothing possible while on maternity leave and then is suddenly hit with the realization before they head back to work that all their pre-pregnancy professional dresses give them absolutely no way to pump without stripping down! If you search for "what to wear to pump at work" online you'll find some blog posts with ideas like just wear button down shirts... every day... forever. No thank you! I wanted tailored chic professional dresses that gave me easy pumping access, which is why I started Katie Jane Co. And don't get me wrong, an occasional button down shirt is a welcome wardrobe staple, but not for every single day!
If I was returning from maternity leave tomorrow, these are the essentials I would be sure to have on rotation for looking fabulous while also being able to pump easily at the office:
The Yvonne Dress: This is my go-to style for business formal meetings, conferences, or anywhere I want to wear a blazer and feel confident. This dress is so flattering, cinches the upper waist while not hugging the tummy, and it has pockets!
The Larissa Dress: Perfect for day to day office life, the Larissa can be dressed up or down and is super versatile. If I was working in an office 5 days a week I would get two Larissa dresses and wear them on rotation at least once a week each.
Button downs and other easy options: For separates I always felt most comfortable with as much coverage as possible, so I preferred wearing nursing shirts (although I disliked that they are all cotton and pretty casual) but would pair them with a blazer or something else to dress them up a bit. Button downs or any shirt you can pull up gives you enough access to pump with either pants or skirts. Just try to choose fabrics that will not show stains and/or will dry quickly!
If I was headed to a work conference I would definitely pack my Yvonne pumping dress and Larissa pumping dress with a blazer and then would wear nursing t-shirts on the plane so I could pump easily at the airport. I'll do a blog about traveling and pumping soon as well as a post about what essentials besides clothes you need for pumping at work when you return from maternity leave. Stay tuned! Let me know, what's your go-to pumping at work style?
Warmly,
Molly