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How to Pack for a Work Conference When Pregnant

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I'm still in shock that the summer has come to an end and it's already the start of a new school year. (Would somebody mind reminding the DC weather that it's fall?) The start of the school year also means that it's the start of conference season (fall edition). Conferences can be a lot at once, especially when it comes to packing, so adding a pregnancy into the mix can make everything feel a little more complicated. The good news is that packing is a skill that you can learn (remember how we talked about this last month?). Once you've learned it, it's easy to apply it to any packing situation.

In this post, we'll talk about packing specifically for a conference when you're pregnant (or really any work travel). But, many of the things we talk about will also be applicable to packing for a conference when you aren't pregnant. As someone who not only attended conferences, but also planned them (in a past work life), I've picked up a number of good tips along the way. You'll also recognize some tips from the post about packing for a vacation. There are just some packing tips that are so good, they need to be shared no matter what the packing occasion in.

Start With the Details

Just like any time you have to pack, you need to know the details. Sit down and go through each of these questions:

  • Where are you going?
  • How many days are you there?
  • What will the weather be like while you're there?
  • What will you be doing — sessions, networking events, dinners?
  • Will you be able to do laundry?
  • What do you already have that works for your bump right now?

My example (from one of my past conferences):

  • Where are you going? Raleigh, NC
  • How many days are you there? 5 days
  • What will the weather be like while you're there? 60s and 70's (and humid)
  • What will you be doing — sessions, networking events, dinners? Running around the conference a lot. I'll be managing the conference hall, so I'll need to go back and forth between sessions and the hall to make sure everything is coming together and the sponsors are happy. There will also be some walking outside, so I need to be ready to potentially walk in the rain.
  • Will you be able to do laundry? Nope
  • What do you already have that works? I think I already own everything I need!

Pick your color palette

It doesn't matter what you're packing for, you always want to have as many mix and match combinations as possible (honestly, everything should be able to mix and match). This is even more important when you're pregnant. Your work wardrobe is likely smaller than it normally is, so you'll be depending on a few pieces to do the heavy lifting.

The easiest way to guarantee everything matches is to stick to a color palette. I like to pick two to three neutrals (white, black, tan, gray, navy, or brown) and one accent colors. Sometimes for a conference, I would make my life even easier and just stick to neutrals (then I knew everything went together).

Fabrics and Fit — What to Look for When Pregnant

Before we dive into the specific pieces, let's do a quick refresher on what you want to look for in clothing when you're packing for a work trip.

You want fabric that is stretchy, breathable, and (if you're lucky) wrinkle resistant. Stretchy is important because you don't want your clothing to feel great in the morning and tighter by the afternoon. Don't let your clothing constrict you (especially around your waist or belly), when you're going to have to sit in the same room for longer periods of time.

Why breathable? Did you know that when you're pregnant, your body increase the total amount of blood in your body by at least 50%? This is important because that extra 50% can make you overheat a lot faster. That means that if the clothing you wear isn't breathable, you're going to feel like you're wrapped in plastic wrap all day. Make your body much happier by picking clothing that will breath. If you aren't sure what that means, you essentially want to aim for clothes with less (or no) synthetic fabrics.

Now, I'm going to completely contradict myself by also suggesting that you aim for more wrinkle resistant fabrics. This is contradictory because wrinkle resistant fabrics tend to have more synthetic material in them. The trick is to find the balance that is best for you (or bring a travel steamer). For instance, a clothing item that is 60% cotton and 40% polyester is going to be more breathable than something that is 100% polyester. If you aren't sure, test out the clothing before you pack it for a conference.

Finally, if you don't have the maternity work clothing you need for the conference, I would highly suggest either buying secondhand (like ThredUp) or using a rental service. I reviewed the different rental options in this post, but for maternity work clothing, I would suggest Rent the Runway or Amoire.

What to Pack: Clothing

Comfortable Business Casual Dresses

I remember years ago, when I was talking to my husband about this topic, he looked at me like I was crazy. “You just put on slacks and a button up and you’re good!” Then I look at him like he was crazy and told him that the topic of what women can wear for conferences and women’s business casual was far more complicated than that. Even more so if you're pregnant. (He's never questioned me on women's office wear since.)

In your office it can be incredibly confusing (which is also why I talk about dress codes so much on LinkedIn). But for a conference, it doesn’t need to be. When I go to conferences and I’m deciding what to wear, I like to make my life as simple as possible. I have four or five go-to work dresses that I’ll choose two or three from and just pack a combination of those for whatever conference I’m going to.

If you're pregnant, the most comfortable dresses will frequently have stretchy fabric and have either an empire waist or wrap style. I've shared a number of options below that will work for conferences and accommodate your bump.

Blazers, Cardigans, and Other Layers, Oh my!

If there was ever a time to whip out your blazer and cardigan collection, this would be it! Since I didn't need to wear blazers in my office, I loved using conferences as an excuse to wear them. I also wasn't going to conferences that require a strict business dress code (the perk of working in the nonprofit world), so I didn't typically have to adhere to a structured, dark color blazer. Personally, I preferred a good knit blazer or a jacket with a fun texture to mix it up a bit.

Now, before you pack all of your blazers, ask yourself this: do I prefer to keep my blazers buttoned up? If, like me, you never button your blazers, pack them up! It also means that you don't have to stick to maternity blazers. I wore a lot of my regular blazers and lady jackets well into my pregnancy. I just didn't button anything closed!

However, if you're pregnant, buttoning it up over your belly could be an issue. Instead spending a lot of money on a maternity blazer that you could only wear for a short period of time, you're better off going with a cardigan or lady jacket (or becoming comfortable with leaving your blazer unbuttoned). I would actually always bring one cardigan with me, because as much as I love blazers, it was nice to not wear one every day.

Now, why am I so serious about bringing these layering pieces like a sweater or blazer? Well, if you’ve been to a conference, then you know, IT’S COLD. It doesn't matter where you are or what the weather is like outside. It's going to be frigid inside. A regular button down shirt by itself just won’t cut it. If you don’t bring one of these layering pieces, then you’re going to be the fool freezing your butt off. With all of the other changes your body is going through, don't make yourself even more uncomfortable by being cold. Bring that layering piece everywhere.

If the convention takes place in one of the chillier months, then I would suggest picking heavier main layers, like sweaters, or a wrap that you can use if I get chilly. But I would not suggest bringing a pull over sweater as your layering piece. Why? Because unlike a cardigan or blazer, taking a sweater on or off can get incredibly awkward, especially when you're pregnant.

Tops and Blouses

If you're more of a blouse and bottoms person for your work wardrobe, great! The key to packing blouses is to make sure you can mix and match with whatever layering pieces and pants that you bring. Keep the colors limited to the palette you decided on earlier. If you want to make your packing even easier, I would suggest limiting yourself to black or white (or whatever your accent color is) and simple tops. You'll also want to make sure that your tops work with your belly. Your best bet is to aim for stretchy fabrics and longer hemlines.

Additionally, make sure that your belly isn't causing any gaps in the shirt (like at the buttons) or the fabric is pulling on you. If either of those things are happening, it might be easier to put those tops away until after you've given birth. We want your pieces to be easy and comfortable. If it's too fussy, you're going to be constantly uncomfortable shifting around. Don't do that to yourself

Pants

Now, even though I said dresses we're my go-to's for conferences, I would always pack one pair of slacks. I save these for the last day of the conference. Why? By the last day of the conference everyone is feeling a little more laid back and a little more casual. For me, this means pants and a cardigan instead of a dress and a blazer. Also, when it was my company’s conference, the last day also meant that it was a clean up day and I was going to be doing a lot of carrying. All of that was going to be a lot easier to do if I was in pants instead of a dress.

If you want to pack pants for your conference, I would suggest packing one pair of pants that's either maternity trousers or pants with a very stretchy waistband. You just want to be comfortable, so please pick something for yourself that would be comfortable. Also, you probably only need one pair of pants if it's a shorter conference. Trust me, you could wear the same black pants three days in a row for a conference and no one will remember.

Jumpsuits

Yes, you read that right. You can wear a jumpsuit to a conference and you can especially wear one if you're pregnant. It's the perfect solution for pregnant women who don't really love dresses, but pants are just comfortable at this point. Throw a blazer over your jumpsuit and you'll have a one and done outfit. My only suggestion? Just be careful about the jumpsuit you choose. No strapless, backless, or plunging necklines, please. (Save that for when you aren't at a work function.)

What to Pack: Shoes

For the love of god, wear comfortable shoes. I can’t emphasize this enough for a conference and for anyone who is pregnant. You’re going to be doing a lot more walking that you expect (especially from session to session) and you don’t want to be the person who is dying to take off their shoes in every room.

When picking your shoes, aim for one pair in these three categories (and yes, limit yourself to three pairs total):

  • A casual pair for downtime and travel
  • A nicer walking shoe that you can easily wear around the conference and walk from session to session in
  • A dressier pair for more formal dinners or events (but should still be comfortable)

Make sure that all of the shoes you pack are fully broken in before the conference. You don't want to get blisters, so do everything you can to avoid them (I always make sure to pack this for any shoe that slightly rubs).

A Few Things Worth Packing Twice

I mentioned this in the breakdown above, but there are some things that are worth packing a back up for.

  • Back up top: I don't know about you, but when I was pregnant, I had tops that were great in the morning and by mid day I was so uncomfortable. Pack a back up (even if it's just a nice tee) so you're prepared
  • Socks and underwear: no one has ever regretted bringing extra socks
  • Compression socks: A pregnancy must, especially if you're flying!

What you do not need extras of:

  • Shoes: Trust me, even if you insist that you need a fourth pair, you're only going to wear those other three pairs. Save yourself the space
  • Blazers: Two blazers tops, that's all you need. Your main one and your back up in case of a spill (or sweat).

Quick Packing Tricks That Save Space and Time

Now that you know what you're packing, let's talk about how to pack them.

  • Fold the heavy clothing and roll the lighter fabrics. Rolling can help to prevent wrinkles in things that easily wrinkle.
  • Packing Cubes: You don't need to use packing cubes, but from an organizational standpoint, it will make finding things (and unpacking) much easier. It'll also save time when you don't have to hunt for that back up pair of socks.
  • Laundry Bag: essential. It doesn't matter what kind of bag it is, you want something to put your dirty laundry in. It'll help prevent clean clothing getting dirty and it makes unpacking much easier when you get home.
  • Wear your bulkiest items to travel (it'll save you a ton of space)
  • Keep a few fabric softner sheets or Febreeze Laundry spray in your suitcase. When you're in a pinch, you can rub the smelly spots with the fabric softner sheets to help get rid of the smell.
  • Keep Doubles in Your Suitcase: I always keep doubles of my brush, deodorant, and charging cords in my suitcase. If you're iffy about it, just bring extra charging cords. You won't regret having extra cords at a conference.

Throughout all of this, the most important thing to remember is that packing for a conference when your pregnant doesn't need to be stressful. It's like packing for any other trip, the style of clothing just changes a little bit and you have a travel buddy that you don't need to pack for.

If you're still stressed out about it or you just don't want to pack by yourself, it might be time to hire a personal stylist (like me) to help you out! Keep reading for how we can work together.

A Gift for FIT4MOM DC Clients

I'm Dana, a personal stylist working with clients in Washington, DC and virtually. If you're ready for a closet that actually works for your life (or want someone to pack for you), can visit this page to learn more about the services I offer or reach out directly at dana@sg-style.com. FIT4MOM DC clients get their $50 security deposit waived — just mention it when you reach out.

Not quite ready to work with a personal stylist? Sign up to have my weekly style advice delivered straight to your inbox. When you sign up, you'll also receive my FREE mom's guide to rebuilding your wardrobe.