Parentpedia

What Experts Say

What Experts Say

The good news for the pregnant woman trying to figure out what to wear is that the days of frumpy flowery clothes may actually be over. Clothes designers have caught on to the concept that being pregnant does not mean you share the same taste as your grandmother (when she was six). The not-so-good news is that whatever style you choose, it still may be harder than you think to find maternity clothes that fit your waistline and your budget (read: anything that you don't buy at a discount store is going to be pricer than you think).

Tips for deciding what to wear:

• Decide for yourself: "My mother-in-law told me all the pregnant women were showing off their bare bellies to look hip, as if I should do the same," says Martha Brockenbrough, author of "It Could Happen To You: Diary of a Pregnancy and Beyond." "When I get pregnant, I get a little extra stomach hair. As embarrassing as that is to reveal out loud, it'd be much worse in person." Ignore what others are wearing and find clothes to fit your fashion sense.
• Think comfort: It's important to be comfortable during pregnancy, which means different things for different moms (your husband's sweatpants? Slinky black dresses?). But if you're comfortable, you're going to have an easier time reveling in your changing body.
• Borrow, borrow, borrow: You only need these clothes for nine months (until the next pregnancy, that is). Borrow from friends and check the used clothing stores to save your wallet pain.
• Splurge on a few mainstay items: Those (comfortable and sexy) brown pregnancy pants that cost a fortune but go with everything are a good investment, as are a few tops that you really like. Splurge on clothes you'll wear daily.
• Think sensible shoes: Pregnant women sometimes fall because of loose joints and a changing center of gravity. "I say this not to scare you," Brockenbrough says, "but to suggest that this would be a good time for sensible shoes."