9 Styles of Swimsuits for the Postpartum Body – And the 4 I bought

Hi! Coming at you from 9 weeks postpartum and ready to dish on a real problem now that spring and summer are on their way!

After my first pregnancy I knew I probably would never wear a bikini again. After my second pregnancy not only is that still true, but now I wasn’t sure I would even put a swimsuit on ever again! With my first pregnancy I was very diligent about oiling up my belly each night to avoid stretch marks, and up until the very end, that worked! With my second pregnancy not only did the stretch marks persist to appear, but I also had a c-section. A c-section leaves a scar and I knew that it would, but what I did not know is that it also leaves a very obvious poof above where the incision was made and well… It is proving to be very hard to get rid of!

Even though I wanted to avoid swimsuits all together, I also did not want to miss out on swimming with my girls and being able to enjoy our pool, vacations, and just playing with my girls at a water park. I decided to test the waters (pun intended), and dip a toe (ok, I’ll stop!) into trying out a few swimsuits that might just work!

Finding swimsuits that were not made for a supermodel body was proving to be a little hard.

I couldn’t believe there weren’t more options for women like me looking for a little more support and coverage without looking like a grandma! Then it hit me that maybe I was looking in the wrong places and shopping at the wrong stores all together. I had my regular shops in mind as if I was still 23 and baby free, instead of 31 and two kids deep!

I started looking elsewhere and finally started to have a little luck. Below I am sharing 4 of my favorite swimsuits for a postpartum body, and 9 other styles that you should try!

I wanted something that wouldn’t look super boring and still make me feel good.

The first type of swimsuit that I went for were one pieces of course. I loved this one because it isn’t plain black and has a cute off-the-shoulder ruffle to it that gives it a little style. Some of the features I really love about this swimsuit it that it covers the entire behind very well, so important! It is a tight fit so it holds-you-in, but it is not so thick that it is uncomfortable or hot. The swimsuit is double lined so it is not revealing when wet, and the cups are padded. It is also very cute worn as a body suit with jeans or cutoffs and would be perfect to wear to a water park, fair, or festival!

This one piece is from the same retailer and I love it just as much. This one IS black but it has some fun characteristics to it that makes it a cute swimsuit to wear and feel good in. I love the embroidered detailing on the ruffles and the lace up V-cutout front. This one has cami straps for added support and they are adjustable, thank goodness because I need that! This swimsuit is also double lined and has a removable padded cup.

Both of the above swimsuits I actually found at Pink Blush Maternity! Pink Blush is a boutique that I shopped at a lot during my pregnancies and I remembered that they also carry clothing and swimwear for women who are not pregnant as well! Pink Blush has always been a favorite place of mine to shop because they always have beautiful, on-trend pieces that are high quality, affordable and comfortable! They have several other beautiful swimsuits in their collection, these are just two of my favorites.

The option of a two piece seemed risky…

The next style of swimsuit that I knew I wanted to try was a high waisted two piece. I was very surprised I liked this style once I tried it on because I did not know what it would all cover. This style is great for someone who does not want a one piece but still wants tons of coverage. The high waist goes up about two inches above my belly button and covers all my stretch marks very well. These particular bottoms have a side ruching which is ideal for tummy control and is actually flattering. Yay! The material is very soft and comfortable to move around in, but is still really supportive. The cups are padded with the option to be removed and still be no-show through. I also really love the crew neckline which is flattering for most body types, and the ruffle adds extra coverage and style.

So nice I bought it twice! This the same swimsuit again just in a different print and color combo. Both of these swimsuits were purchased from Amazon! I felt so silly when I realized that I had completely forgotten how wonderful Amazon is at supplying incredible variety, and recently I have found Amazon to be a very good place to shop for all of my wardrobe needs! You even have the option of using Amazon Prime Wardrobe where you can try out 8 pieces for free for 7 days before you decide to buy them. I think this is so ideal for something like shopping for swimsuits when you can’t be sure they will work out or not!

Other styles I didn’t know I would like…

Alright, so those are my top picks, but there are many other styles of swimsuits that I found to be wonderful for the postpartum body and I wanted to share those too. One of the biggest things I have learned since shopping for swimwear postpartum is that it is important to try styles you might not think will work. You could be pleasantly surprised! Swimsuits are funny in that way; they are not like everyday clothing and can sometimes be better for your body in styles that are outside of your comfort zone. Regardless, you never know until you try!

Loud prints, peplum top, lots of ruffles, mesh cut-outs, mixed ruching, tankinis, one shoulder strap, swim dresses, and halter necks are all styles that I checked out and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of options I now realized I had! I went ahead and linked some of my top picks from each style below.

9 Swimsuit Styles for the Postpartum Body

This is an example of a swimsuit that has a busy print to cause distraction. I love this suit because it hides the pooch really well, but is not your typical black ruched style. The ruffles add even more distraction and flare. I think this would be a really cute swimsuit to take with on vacation!

Here is another example of a loud print swimsuit. This one is SUPER pretty and the mesh cut-out detail is sexy yet subtle. This suit has that hold-you-in affect and doesn’t feel like a postpartum swimsuit at all. This color in particular is really pretty on most skin tones too.

This tankini also has a mesh cutout giving it some added flare. I love that this is a two piece but doesn’t appear to be. This suit covers well and is very comfortable to wear all day long. A style like this is great for someone who likes to have the ability to mix and match swimsuits for a different look each day.

How cute is this suit? I love the off-the-should strap! This suit has a lot of sexy style to it but it is still very full coverage. The off-the-shoulder strap draws the eye up, and the top itself is ruched around the tummy area to hide the pooch. Again this one is great for mixing an matching.

A halter neck top with a peplum detail will be not only cute but flirty as well. The peplum is great for tummy control, and the halter neck helps to bring the eye up again. I also love the loud print and think this would be another great option for a vacation suit!

Ok, I am going to talk about is this swim dress. I definitely did not think of a swim dress as an option originally because it didn’t sound like something that would be cute at all. This suit though is actually very pretty and very flattering and would be perfect to wear to a pool party, or pool event so it can be worn as a dress out of the pool too! With some wedges and a straw tote, I think this would be adorable!

Another swim dress style here, but this one is not as long. I love the swing top for tummy control and that it can be worn as a regular tank top with jean shorts in the summer months too. The sweetheart neckline is flattering and makes it feel like a more mature style.

This two piece is from the same brand as the ones I purchased shown above. It has the same qualities as the other two, but the ruffles on this top are more full and do not dip down into a triangle shape. The high waist bottoms cover any tummy issues and accentuate the waist making it appear slimmer!

The last swimsuit style I am going to talk about is a sporty style like the one above. Sometimes a simple swimsuit that is focused on being a bit thicker and more hold-you-in is perfect to wear somewhere like a water park with the kids. It is easy to run around in, and holds everything in where it needs to be held in. It may not be the prettiest swimsuit but it is practical and does the job well.