Pregnancy is a wonderful time in a woman's life, however, women might not enjoy purchasing a new wardrobe for their growing bellies.
But purchasing maternity clothes doesn't have to mean settling for oversized shirts and moo moos.
Dressing for pregnancy can be just as fun and fashionable, so long as you know what to look for.
The only challenge will be staying on budget! Weight gain for pregnant women varies greatly.
Some women don't even begin to show until their final months and even then you could hardly call it weight gain.
Don't go running out for maternity clothing the moment you find out you're pregnant.
You want clothes that are going to grow with you, but you won't know how large of a size you need until you actually begin to really put on some extra weight.
Look for pants and skirts with elastic waistbands that will offer you the longest wear time.
You want those pants to stretch for as long as possible.
The key though is to know when to call it quits and move up a size.
You need to remain comfortable.
Before you go after trendy maternity clothes, try investing in wardrobe staples like black, gray, and brown pants.
Simply change up the tops.
You can easily find the "little" black basic dress to wear for more dressier occasions.
Clothing that isn't geared towards passing trends and fads will also come in handy if you plan on becoming pregnant again in the future.
A good piece of advice is to buy as you grow.
Your body will continually change so don't buy too far in advance.
Buy items as you need them because you never know when you're going to jump an entire size.
Many women might become so focused on outfits for work and comfy stretch pants that they forget their bra size will also be increasing, both before and after the pregnancy.
Breast size can change as early as the first trimester.
If you plan on nursing, you can begin to purchase nursing bras.
Brands like Anita bras and Bravado bras have created many comfortable and popular nursing bras.
The flaps on the bra should be easy enough to open with just one hand.
Even when the cup is open, the bra should have enough support beneath the breast.
Avoid bras with flaps that open completely because it might be difficult to cover back up with one hand.
You can sometimes find retailers that can convert almost any bra into a nursing bra, making shopping even easier.
Just like your regular bras, nursing bras should be very comfortable and not too tight.
You actually might want to avoid underwires because they might obstruct the milk ducts towards the back of your breasts.
Because your breasts will enlarge again right after the birth, purchase a less expansive nursing bra one size bigger.
After several weeks, your breast size will decrease again.