This Valentine's Day I want to share one of those great sayings that my mentor, Diane von Furstenberg, constantly reminded of us...

You must love yourself before you can love anyone else. 

Cheers to this day of love! Eat the steak, buy the handbag, make the phone call, say the three words! Happy love day! 

Us PREGGOZ can wear rompers, too! 

The whole "fatty, not yet a baby bump, just a bulge around my stomach" stage was the worst for me. The truth is, being a petite girl all of my life, I was never before in a position where I've felt so uncomfortable with my body size, so I wasn't mentally prepared for that transition stage. So I relied heavily on baggy clothing and I sort of just dealt with it. 

But then the fun part started. I'll never forget one bright morning at Starbucks when a stranger congratulated me {on my pregnancy}! The world was finally starting to notice that I hadn't just gained those dreaded holiday lbs, but it was an actual baby bump! I was officially out of the woods. 

From that moment on, I was getting the same comments from strangers alike-- congratulations, cutting line privileges, seat offerings, you name it. Wow, those perks of pregnancy finally kicked in! I quickly forgot about the awkward phase and was fully enjoying bumpin' like a boo!

I bring this up because I think that with this ever-changing body deserves an ever-changing outlook on pregnancy style. I support wearing what makes you feel sexy. To me, that's this oversized tuxedo romper that I've had in my closet for years. Yeah, it dips so low in the front that you can basically see my brown belly line. Anyone have a problem with that? I sure don't... 

Be it the romper or the crop top or the tight dress... don't let that belly define your state of mind. Rock it like it's hot!

I always see cute pregnant women in jumpsuits so I gave it a whirl!

Ok, fine. Most don't choose jumpsuits in their normal non-pregnant size that zip up the front of their belly, but, hey, I never claimed to be mainstream.

I actually love this real-girl approach to pregnancy dressing demonstrated here. The jumpsuit is chic, fashionable, flattering, and obviously tells the tale, "yeah, there's something going on inside the belly, but I'm not sacrificing style and breaking the bank for sub-par maternity-wear."

Because guess what? Joke is on everyone else. This jumpsuit is even better when it's zipped (aka, if/when you're not pregnant). 

The key here is to find an underlayer that is extremely body conscious, hugging all your curves and leaving no extra fabric {or low belly skin, eek!} hanging out. This $5 mockneck tank by Cotton On was just what the doctor ordered.

I finished the look with a classic DVF small square scarf that I tied like a neckerchief. 30 weeks and feeling fly...

I couldn't have asked for a more perfectly practical kaftan to cover my bumpin' situation at the beach in Mexico last week. It isn't easy sporting a bump in a bikini, and finding a cover-up that feels both sexy and functional isn't an easy task.

But to my pleasant surprise, I fell into this Australian brand, Dashiki Resort, and more importantly, this style kaftan, that checked all the boxes on my resort wish list. It was printed yet sheer, it was long yet bare, and it was sexy from head to toe!

Of course, without the bump, this kaftan couldn't be chicer, as well. I can't wait to see how it looks with a flat tummy!

First night in Mexico went off with a bang and a fountain of pesos as we explored the old town of Puerto Vallarta. Can't escort me past a Mexican woven market (think bags, belts, blankets, bangles, boom!) without me stopping to buy two, maybe three of each.

There's something so timeless about authentic Mexican ropas! You'll never find a chick out of style in a pair of worn in jeans, a white tee, topped with a Mexican woven belt and Mexican fire opal ring (sitting on a Mexican woven blanket grabbing her cell phone out of her Mexican woven backpack)! Too far...sorry!

But you get the point. I started to hoard my purchases...and the reveal will be pretty obvious over the next few months as I infuse my finds into my California winter wardrobe. Olé!

When the bump is out to stay, you gotta let her play!

So play is exactly what I did. I grabbed those wrap dress ties by the horns, and wrapped around, and around, and around that belly until she became center focus. We can call it the "modern mom wrap" if we want to be chic, or we can call it the "hi, this is my belly wrap" if we just want to be frank.

Either way, it's working for right now. ;)

I've never claimed to be an expert at this stuff... that will come with time. But I do claim to have some pretty great friends with some pretty great advice. 

As a new mom-to-be, I'm preparing myself with must-have essentials from trusted brands that have been highly recommended to me by parents who have done all the trial and error product purchasing...and re-purchasing... so we don't have to!

I've compiled a gift guide of anything and everything I'd suggest buying for a first-time mom, from my absolute favorite new infant baby carrier in this wild and funky print, to a bebe girl's first (faux) fur coat, to this "bouncy thing" that every mom swears by for some peace and quiet around the house. 

I'm excited to try each of these products out (I've tried many out already, and that's why I've included them), and the rest are on my very own registry list. If it's good enough for my little mini-me, well then...

;)

Shop products by clicking item links below or by clicking their photo in the SHOP THE LOOK tab below. 

I'm 21 weeks today! This lil' bump is (slightly) bumpin'!

I sat down with NYC-based mommy blog, Mama{love} NYC for a little Q&A on how I'm handling this whole... growing another human inside my body...type thing. My article delves into topics like highlighting my hair, using my bump as an accessory, and of course, the first designer clothing item I bought for the lil chick.

You can also shop the pregnancy-friendly products I mention in my interview in my SHOP THE LOOK section below. I've included a bunch of organic and bebe-friendly beauty items that I have been using religiously. Enjoy!

Mama{love} editor: Liz Zuckerberg

To read the full article, see more photos and catch other articles relating to pregnancy and mamas, jump over to Mama{love} NYC!