Mother Stories
A Brooklyn Mama-To-Be Shows Off Her Bump Style
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photographed by Kisha Bari
Jul 17, 2015
Looking good while traveling nonstop isn’t always an easy task. Throw pregnancy into the mix, and some folks might consider it impossible. But not fashion event producer Rana Batyske, who currently zigzags the globe along with her international deejaying husband, Mick. After spying the adorable Brooklyn mama-to-be on Instagram, we thought it only right to track her down and have her pose for our lens in her favorite maternity looks.
-
- "Very eclectic. I always love changing my look. I can't be defined by a specific look or style. My husband says I've gone through about 600 styles since we've met. Now that I’m pregnant, I've definitely incorporated more dresses and skirts into my daily routine. However, stylistically it hasn't changed as drastically as I imagined it would. I've made an effort to skate through this pregnancy without purchasing any maternity clothes." Rana wears a Belstaff jacket, Rag and Bone dress, and Belstaff flats.
-
- "All flats. It's one thing to be stylish while pregnant, but I won't do heels. Functionality makes sense in this regard. Especially as a New Yorker. Caftans and kimonos are another closet staple, a style I stole from my mother. Comfortable and chic. I'll admit, I have been quite lucky with looks just working out. However, I do find dressing for pregnancy a bit challenging. I used to be able to shop without even trying anything on. Now...not so much. My body is shaped so differently I have to really implement other pieces to layer with and play with accessories to pull off a look."
-
- “It’s not a maternity store, but A.Cheng in Park Slope has been my go-to store for bump-friendly head-to-toe looks that I can wear even after the pregnancy. And it just so happens to be a few blocks from my house. Win! Babesta is another great find. So well curated and the masters of everything cool for kids, from a great selection of Munster and Mini Rodini to some of the coolest, yet functional strollers and accessories. Bend and Bloom Yoga in Park Slope has been a real delight during this process. There are so many prenatal classes available. It's comforting to be in a large room filled with mothers on the same journey. I'd like to keep this up and I'm really looking forward to postnatal 'mommy and me' yoga classes, as well. It offers many awesome workshops and classes that I find very helpful for first-time mothers."
-
- "For the last 7 years I've been traveling with my husband who deejays internationally. When we're back home, I used to do a lot of freelancing in fashion and event production. Production hours can go on forever and it can be physically wearying, so at 5 months pregnant I decided to reel it in."
-
- "I love that I'm not chained to an office with bad lighting, typing up TPS reports, like the movie Office Space. It remains refreshing because it's ever changing. Always a new project, clients, location, and different objective. I especially enjoy working with a solid team that doesn't take themselves too seriously. Likes to laugh, yet super efficient. I like to accomplish everything we need to without nervous energy. I'm allergic to nervous people."
-
- "It depends on the job. For some of the more casual gigs it was a relief because I can wear all black and flats.When I’ve had to dress up—that's a different story. I was just praying that my buttons didn't pop and fly across the room and hit someone in the eye."
-
- "I never realized how busy my life was. I'm the most busy pregnant woman ever, and at 8 months I still don't see myself slowing down. That said, my husband travels so much and production hours can be at least 12 hours a day, so it's time to move in another direction. I want to be an amazing mother and I can't do that with a husband that travels so much throughout the week and being on set all day. We're in NYC and I'll just have to reinvent myself! I want to be there for my son, but I don't want to neglect myself."
-
- "I've always been very slender. In fact, I didn't realize how small I was. It's crazy seeing weight on me. I like my new curves and I don't plan to obsess over my pre-baby weight. I'm also fascinated by the baby moving. I place headphones on my stomach and play anything from 20-30 minutes of phonics to classical music and he dances like crazy. I will miss that."
-
- "Pregnancy is, of course, exhausting. Being anemic and pregnant has made my journey even more lethargic and slumberous. Other than that, I've had a fantastic pregnancy. Thank god! I haven't been sick once." Rana wears a Belstaff jacket, Yves Saint Laurent pajama top, J Brand jeans, and Pamela Love earrings.
-
- "We just knew it was a girl. Then I took one look at an early sonogram photo and something inside me screamed, BOY! I was disappointed for maybe an hour. When I gave it some thought, I was excited that it's a boy. Especially so my husband can have a buddy and a special bond. Plus, I hear boys love their mommies, so everybody wins."
-
- "I'm extremely excited to dress him. His dad is a sneaker head, so he's already spent many nights online buying this kid sneakers to match his. He already has 25 pairs. It's just obnoxious really. He has his own room and we're doing a space theme. I can't wait for the deliveries to start rolling in next week! It'll feel like wow, this is really happening." Rana’s sandals are Alexander Wang. Her sunglasses are from Japan.
-
- "Unfortunately, we have no family here. My mother is flying in a week before I'm due and staying a month. Mick has slowed his calendar down for August and shifted a lot of his work to NYC so he can be nearby."
-
- "I can't wait to meet him and discover who he is, his likes and dislikes. To imagine a miniature version of myself staring back at me, with some of my mannerisms, that’s just mind blowing."
-
- "The birthing process—labor has always been one of my biggest fears for some reason." Rana wears a vintage kimono from Paris, earrings by Dannijo, Calvin Klein slip, and Rolex watch. "I like to pretend I'm Andre Leon Talley or Diana Ross from Mahogany, which means I will lounge around in a caftan or kimono at the drop of a hat,” she says.
-
- "We purchased all the books, and when I started reading I just put them down. Many of them gave me anxiety. I find our childbirth/childcare classes to be extremely helpful, along with the documentary The Business of Being Born."
-
- "We decided to have a Baby BBQ at our home. The last thing I wanted to do was figure out how many jelly beans are in a jar or wear a paper plate on my head with ribbons. This was an opportunity to finally hang out with friends we never get to see because of all our traveling and just celebrate. Music, good food, and great vibes. It started at 2 p.m. and people didn't leave until midnight. We had so many cases of liquor we gave away champagne as parting gifts. which made our guests really happy."
-
- "I plan on going as long as I can without an epidural. I feel like it's difficult to know what you can handle until you experience it. But I have nothing to prove and if I need an epidural, then so be it." Rana wears a Belstaff jacket, vintage dress, Bing Bang and Pamela Love earrings, and a Dannijo necklace.
-
- "Absolutely. All we've ever known for eight years is traveling together. I've been told what we can't do and that traveling will no longer be in the cards by so many people. And to that I say, ‘No way!' We already have three international trips set up for 2016.”
-
- "All of the unsolicited advice has been somewhat helpful, but in other ways not so much. Everyone's journey is different. I haven't experienced half the things other mom's have shared. I've just tried to enjoy my experience."
-
- To keep following along on Rana's pregnancy and motherhood journey, check out her Instagram feed.
Share this story
