Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

Covering your growing belly with something relatively fashionable can be frustrating and expensive. Times have definitely gotten much better in terms of available attractive maternity clothes over the years. Gone are the days in which expecting moms were relegated to muu-muus and tent-like t-shirts and blouses. And while even the most expensive designer boutiques now carry clothes for pregnant women, there are many places to find trendy and cute looks for more reasonable prices.

Before you run out to shop for maternity clothes, take a look in your own closet. Most moms-to-be can make do with their regular wardrobe up to the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy. (This date sneaks back to third or fourth month for second, third and fourth pregnancies.) Your regular pants and skirts really will fit for quite a while. Then you can transition to the “fat pants” we all have tucked away somewhere in our closets. You may want to invest in a “belly band” to get a few more weeks out of your pants as well. These wide elastic bands essentially allow you to wear your pants without buttoning them for a while.

Today’s loose and flowing style – especially in tops and dresses – is a pregnant woman’s dream! Take advantage of it. For sleeping and hanging out at home, steal your husband’s shirts. Yoga pants are also comfy essentials for mom-to-be. You can find these at all price points. Target has a great, reasonably priced brand in their exercise gear section.

Once you are ready to make the transition from regular clothes to maternity wear, you can still do it fairly cheaply. It’s only four to six months – but you’ve got to wear something! Make sure to inspect the garments for quality – you may be getting what you pay for. You won’t want maternity clothes to shrink!

I was able to find fashionable offerings at Old Navy and Gap (my local Gap stores don’t have maternity in-store, so I shopped their clothes online). Both stores have regular internet sales which make their basics very affordable. I purchased a lot of casual staples at Old Navy and several work outfits at Gap.

Target has a trendy line designed by celebrity maternity designer Liz Lange. The styles are really cute although I found that they ran a bit small (then again, I was pregnant with twins, so maybe I was running a bit large). WalMart of all places sometimes has some cute maternity tops too. Prices there are cheap enough that it’s definitely worth checking out!

One more traditional department store that has a really great maternity department is JCPenney. They carry staples and trendy items. Penney’s has a great variety of jeans. And the last time I was pregnant, I got a fabulous print dress to wear to an evening wedding for $29.99. I absolutely loved that dress and wore it several more times. Penney’s has regular sales and coupons too. Similarly, Sears has taken great strides to keep up with the fashion times and can offer good deals.

Another route to take when purchasing maternity clothing is to buy second hand. Think about it. These clothes are worn for four to six months, tops. Most of my maternity clothing was in excellent shape after I was finished with it. Ebay and Craigslist do great business in maternity clothes. Follow your regular safeguards when dealing with online sellers and you may end up with some fabulous, often high-end clothing for pennies on the dollar. (I sold a pair of very expensive designer maternity jeans on Ebay recently for about 40% of what I paid for them six months earlier.) If you see several pieces you like, consider buying a “lot” – a number of items grouped together for auction, you’ll often get garments for $1 to $5 a piece.

Along the same lines (but you can physically check the clothing out before buying), don’t miss your local consignment shops. The items are gently used and a percentage of your purchase price goes to the store as a consignment fee – sometimes the stores are even run by charities. Thrift stores, garage sales and church sales can also yield great finds.

Finally, the cheapest way to clothe your pregnant self? Borrow the clothes from family and friends! It’s free! I borrowed quite a bit for my first two pregnancies – from several friends. I subsequently lent my maternity clothing to several other friends when they got pregnant. If you have a few relatives and friends who have been pregnant in the past few years, you can probably get most of your maternity wardrobe without spending a dime. And then you can just buy a few things here and there to fill in the gaps.

So, it really is possible to do this on a budget. Start with your own closet and those of your friends. Then check out Target, Walmart, Old Navy, Gap, Ebay and thrift shops for a few additional items and you’ll be all set!