Mountain Mama outfits pregnant rock climbers in style

Mountain climbing isn't the first activity that comes to mind when thinking about pregnancy fitness.

But designer Teresa Delfín, a rock-climbing mom and university professor, has debuted the Patagonia for pregnant women — a line of technical climbing clothes for the expectant set, aptly called Mountain Mama.

And aside from its unusual niche (I was nervous climbing the stairs with a baby bump, let alone mountains), the high-end line is one of the cutest maternity fitness collections I've seen. 

Delfín creates silhouettes that are modern and stylish, but also Zen-like simple — much like yoga outfitter Lululemon.

A fleece jacket ($149) could be the dowdiest thing a preggo woman wears; but in Delfín's hands, the outerwear item gets a chic light gray color, slouchy bell sleeves and a kimono-style pulley system that allows you to wear it from month one through month nine.

A base-layer top ($54) comes in a rich pumpkin hue, and is cut to perfectly skim — not smother — a mid-sized baby bump. 

 Like Patagonia, Mountain Mama -- based in Ontario, Calif. --  strives to keep its eco-footprint small. Every garment is made in the U.S. (most in Southern California), and the company has cut commuting by creating a high-speed distributed office that lets employees work where they live.

So you can feel good about dressing smartly to scale new heights. 

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: Mountain Mama's chic fleece jacket and top. Credit: Mountain Mama