by Carson

Created on: January 18, 2007   Last Updated: August 07, 2009

Ugh! This is likely the first thing to come to your mind when reading the title. If you're a mom or becoming one for the first time, you know how hard it is to find maternity clothes. Let's at least give some credit to the designers though; I think we can agree that the styles are much better than they were 10 years ago. Remember big pink bows and overalls? Not anymore, you can look great while pregnant, it just takes some determination.

I got pregnant March of 2006 (yes, I'm a new mom!)and gained weight almost immediately. I was at that point in my pregnancy where my regular clothes were snug, maternity fit funny and I just looked like I had a beer gut. Attractive huh? I learned quickly that maternity clothing sizes are CONFUSING! They can be expensive and you must be creative. I have outlined some ideas for finding maternity clothes by trimester:

1ST TRIMESTER: Fortunately, many stores have realized that although you may not have that cute belly in the first trimester, it can be tough to wear regular jeans. I found that stores such as Motherhood Maternity and Target have jeans that still button in the front but the back is elastic. These were great since they grow with you for a couple of months. Also, stretchy dress pants worked well as well as skirts with elastic waists. At this point in your pregnancy, most of your shirts should still fit fine.

2nd TRIMESTER: OK, now your starting to show (some don't though) and you may need the buy pants with the dreaded panel. Again, designers have come to realize that we don't all need the panels that come up to our chin and have made different lengths. If your pre-pregnancy pants fit everywhere but the waist here's a little tidbit: Cut the top off a pair of pantyhose. This can be used to hold your pants up without having to button them. I did this for quite awhile. You will likely need to get some maternity shirts now due to your rounding belly and larger breasts. Cute maternity shirts can get costly so shop around. Also, longer tops are in style now, you can get away with non-preggy clothes by purchasing these.

3rd TRIMESTER: Now your just plain uncomfortable. You could care less if you even wear clothes on most days. My advice? Get the full panel. It's so comfortable around your belly. I had a really difficult time finding maternity jeans at this point in my pregnancy, and once I found a pair that actually fit, I felt like I was always pulling them up. Here's where the stretchy pants from your first trimester come in handy. Safety pin the lower part of the zipper together and fold the flaps under where the buttons are. This gives your belly plenty of room and you can still be comfortable. I wore these with my maternity tops to work and on the weekends.

Comfort is really the key but you want to feel good about yourself. Anyone that tells you different can shove off! Just because your pregnant doesn't mean you can't look good. A couple of other stores to check out that carry great maternity clothes: Old Navy, Gap, H & M, JC Penny. Good luck ladies and congratulations.

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