Although I don’t want to find out the gender of our little one until the day he or she is born, I have a suspicious feeling there’s a girl in there. Around the two month mark of my pregnancy I found myself obsessed with shopping for clothes. So far I’ve avoided the maternity departments, because let’s face it I don’t want to purchase a bunch of items I can only wear for a couple of months.
On my first few outings I purchased a bunch of summer dresses with empire waists and lots of room to move. They are all cotton, loose and flowing so I’ll be able to wear them for quite a long time. I don’t like the feeling of wearing things around my mid-section so these dresses are just perfect for me.
They aren’t exactly work appropriate, because they are a bit shorter than I would typically wear to the office, so I bought leggings from the Gap to wear under them. I purchased maternity leggings which are unbelievably soft and ride extremely low, (well past the waist), so I find them undeniably comfortable. The leggings can definitely be worn after the baby arrives, I’ve been wearing them since I was just two months pregnant. I pair the dresses and leggings with short sleeved sweaters that keep me warmer in the office, (the air conditioning is always running high), and make my outfits look a little more work appropriate.
I bought all of my dresses at Marshalls, Macy’s and Belk and matched coupons and sales for all of them. I bought the leggings from Gap with a 35% coupon code and spent more than $50 so I could receive free shipping. I also found a pair on eBay that arrived in perfect condition… new with tags.
I turned to the Internet in search of pants for work but I simply couldn’t find a comfortable pair. I tried six different pairs and three different orders from the Gap before giving up. Luckily summer is arriving so it’s more dress, skirt and shorts weather anyway.
Maternity stores are disappearing these days and honestly I think it’s because more and more of your every day styles look like maternity wear. I purchased a number of shirts from Marshalls that are roomy enough to fit a fair sized belly.
I recently found out that Ross carries maternity clothes in some of their stores. While they aren’t the best looking items they will do in a pinch. I found maternity capris for around $13.99 each.
Another hint, check out the swimsuit department at discount stores. The cover ups in these departments are often quite billowy and roomy.
So far I’ve only purchased one or two items I won’t want to wear after the baby is born and I’m hopeful this trend will continue. Each time I pick up an item I consider whether or not I can wear it before and after the baby is born. I don’t want to look in my closet a few months from now and find nothing but maternity shirts and pants.
This is very helpful. Many pregnant women think that these maternity clothes are very expensive.
I had the same experience when I was pregnant and wrote about my struggles. Something I loved was the Belly Band (or Target's version, the Be Band). It's a stretchy band you can wear over your regular pants when they get too tight to button over your growing belly. That gave my pants an extra month or two.
Something else I did to save money was get some maternity tanks and tshirts. I layered them with my regular cardigans all 9 months.
As far as stores go, Target and Old Navy had some great items for really cheap prices. And since these aren't clothes you're going to wear for a long time, it won't matter as much how long they hold up.
When I was pregnant I bought a few things from a consignment store. They were a great price and really well made. Once I had the baby and was back in my regular clothes I took the stuff back to the consignment store to sell.
Laurie
I wore my husband's shirts and even his shorts! They were really comfortable!!!
The store that I mostly shopped at when I was pregnant was Motherhood Maternity. I found that it was the only store with inexpensive items that were dressy enough for work. I didn't buy much, only 3 pairs of pants and a few tops. I wore my husband's clothes when I wasn't at work. I felt like a huge blob. Looking back, I wish that I would've spent a little bit more money and felt better about myself.
@BudgetBabe – I tried the belly bend, but I think I bought it in too large of a size. I couldn't seem to keep it in place, maybe I'm just not big enough yet?
@anonymous – The consignment store is a great idea. I just didn't want to deal with the hassle of buying and then trying to take back. I was hoping to buy things that don't need to be sold once I finish wearing them. Of course that might change once I get bigger.
@anonymous – My husband's clothes would be way to big on me. Good idea though.
@ND Chic – I definitely don't want to feel like a blob, which is why I think I'm carrying about a girl. I seem to care more about how I look now then ever before. Of course, I also think the pregnant body is beautiful, so that might be one of the reasons I want to show off my curves š
These are the good methods to save your money on maternity clothes.Maternity clothes available by hotmilk is also very comfy and stylish.