What to wear after giving birth: the first few months

What to look for, piece by piece

Six details do most of the work.

• Waistbands. Wide, soft elastic or a drawstring you can loosen and tighten through the day. Many women prefer a band that sits high and flat to one that cuts across the lower tummy; choose whatever feels comfortable on you.
• Cuts. A-line and kaftan shapes, tops gathered from a yoke, and straight kurtas with side slits all leave room at the waist and hips without looking shapeless. Our piece on the kaftan-style kameez shows how easy that shape is to wear.
• Openings. If you are breastfeeding, a front opening that reaches low enough saves undressing. Buttons, a concealed zip and overlapping panels are compared in our article on nursing-friendly kurtas.
• Fabrics. Lawn, cambric, soft cotton and viscose wash well and feel gentle. Small prints and mid-tone colours hide the marks that a day with a baby produces.
• Sleeves. Loose enough to push above the elbow, with no stiff cuffs or scratchy trims where a baby’s face will rest.
• Pockets. For a phone, a muslin or a dummy, they earn their place.

What to leave in the wardrobe for now

Heavily embroidered fronts, beading and sequins can scratch a baby’s skin and rarely survive frequent washing. Anything marked dry clean only will spend most of its time waiting to be cleaned. Stiff waistbands, side zips that have to be fastened exactly, and close-cut sleeves all assume a shape that is not changing, and yours is.

Sizes while your shape is still changing

Do not order close-cut clothes to the measurements you had before pregnancy, or to a size you hope to be. Measure yourself as you are now, and choose shapes with adjustment built in: drawstrings, ties at the back, wrap fronts and elastic at the back of the waist all keep working as your measurements move. We do not alter clothes after they are made, so the adjustability has to be designed in at the start.

Clothes made for pregnancy often carry on being useful for a while. Our article on maternity kurtas and adjustable fits covers the details that let one garment span both stages.

A small rotation that survives the laundry

You will wash more often than usual, so a handful of pieces that all go together is more use than a full wardrobe. A workable set looks like this.

• Three or four soft tops or kurtas, at least two with a front opening if you are feeding.
• Two or three pairs of loose trousers with a soft waist.
• One easy dress or long kameez that looks put together for visitors and photographs.
• A large cotton dupatta or shawl, for warmth, cover and everything else a square of cloth is good for.

Having pieces made in these months

Made to measure helps most with length and shoulders, which do not change, while the cut takes care of the parts that do. Send your current measurements through custom stitching, say that you want room and adjustable details, and mention any opening you need. Making takes 5 to 7 working days from approval and full payment, and shipping time is extra, so allow for both. Start with a quote request and a photo of the kind of shape you like.