Maternity Fashion: Staying Warm

I have been trying to write this post for foreverrrrrr...but I don't have the skill of taking self-portraits on our DSLR (just can't ever seem to get them in crisp focus...I suck). And that means I need to wait for Hubby to help. But since we live in the Great White North and it's winter, that means it is dark before he gets home from work. That leaves only the weekends for photo shoots. So basically, they never get done. 
Well, imagine my excitement when my parents offered to take Peanut for the weekend and give us a night, child-free (well, outside-child free...we still had the inside-child ;) ) in the mountains. WOOHOO! This also meant we could get these amazing shots out in the mountains for this post. It would be awesome and gorgeous, and gee am I so glad we never found the time to do them before! 
Best laid plans.  The weekend was a picture-perfect winter getaway. The town of Banff is so cute and quaint and it just so happened to be their Christmas parade of lights that evening, so we got to see the town all lit up and festive. We drank candy cane hot chocolates (with marshmallows!) and wandered down the street looking at all the shops hand in hand. Really, it was perfect. Even the weather was festive: snowy but slightly warm. We had just finished a cold spell, so it was a nice change. 

Peanut ready for his sleepover at Grandma and Grandpas, delicious hot chocolate, and the beautiful (hidden) mountains of Banff. 

BUT, that also meant the weather was just about the worst weather for photo-taking ever. It was cloudy and foggy due to the weather change, and the snow was coming down pretty heavy, but not in nice fluffy flakes that look gorgeous in photos. If this had been our first visit to the mountains I would have been sorely disappointed as we basically didn't see any mountains at all through the gloom. Lucky for us we only live an hour and a half away, so it was great for us...but horrible for photos. 
So, please imagine the following photos in much better light, and imagine those blurry snow patches to be big, fluffy flakes of awesomeness. Thanks a ton. ;)
Anywho...I will tell you now of a pregnant woman's dilemma. It is this: I want to be warm, without feeling like a whale, and without spending $400. This should be something easily accomplished, but oh my friends, it is NOT. I truly would love to own a fabulous maternity coat, but it's just not in the budget. What is in the budget are those chain maternity store offerings: wool coats or puffy jackets. Neither of these will do in the chilly weeks when we have freezing temperatures. There is a reason those puffy jackets are so affordable: they skimp out on the insulation. Enter a genius product from Boob, and a bit of creative thinking! 

Boob Ready-Flex Fleece Nursing Hoodie: c/o Posh Mommy
Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
Hat: HauteTots from Posh Mommy

This pregnancy I am trying not to spend too much money on maternity clothing. If I do spend the money, I want a quality product that will last me as long as possible, which means most of the clothing I have been buying doubles as nursing wear as well. My solution for keeping the chillys out is to layer. This Boob fleece hoodie is perfect! It's a nursing hoodie, so there is a flap that sits under the bust and you can lift that up for easy nursing access. It also has little zipped flaps on either side of the torso to accommodate this growing belly of mine...which means I can wear it throughout my entire pregnancy and well after without having to change sizes. Perfect. Basically I just toss the fleece on when it's nice and temperate (like our Banff weekend) and when it gets insanely cold, I layer it under one of the not-so-warm maternity coats and voila! Snug as a bug in a rug (and comfy). Plus, since this babe is coming by the end of February it will be perfect for nursing on the go. I absolutely hated getting all undressed to nurse. What a pain. This way I don't have to struggle with taking off sweaters. Woot! 

I love how long the back is, so it covers my (growing!) bum when I sit down. Plus, it keeps it warm and toasty. ;)

Here you can see the nursing flap. Discreet and practical. It also has those little hand warmer thingys. I love those.

Boob is (an ingenious) Swedish company, which means for those of us in North America the shipping and the duty usually makes it difficult to order from them. But, there is a local (in Calgary) shop that carries their line, offers free shipping within Canada, and has a ton of other gorgeous, stylish and practical maternity and nursing wear and accessories: Posh Mommy. If you are interested in the Boob fleece, check it out here: Boob Fleece . It also comes in a gorgeous red. Warning to pregnant and nursing women: if you click through to this shop, you will have a very difficult time restraining yourself from purchasing pretty much everything they carry. You have been warned! ;) 
Please Note: I was given the product featured in this post so that I could write an informed review. In this case it was provided by Posh Mommy. But, all opinions (as always!) are my own!