Maternity shopping for your pregnancy clothing

Pregnancy does a lot of strange things to your body. You expect to gain weight, but not so quickly, and certainly not where it first shows up. Sometimes it seems that you're witnessing major shifts from week to week. All of the complex physical developments you are undergoing can be pretty stressful, and the last thing you really want to worry about is what to wear.

Of course, you will be nearly constantly worrying about what to wear, because you're never going to be sure what's going to fit, what's going to drape properly, and most important, what's going to be comfortable. So let's try to alleviate a bit of that stress and take a look at when to go shopping, and what to shop for, during your pregnancy.

Shoes and Hosiery

Starting at the bottom and working up, you must think about your footwear. If you live in a warm climate you may be tempted to go barefoot as much as possible, but I urge you to buy comfortable and supportive sandals instead. Your back and legs will thank you. I have only anecdotal evidence to go on, but going barefoot also seems to lead to bigger shoe sizes, as your feet can spread more when they are not cushioned and enclosed properly.

If you don't own a comfortable pair of slip-on shoes, invest in some about mid-way through your second trimester. By the time you hit your third trimester, you are not going to want to deal with buckles or straps, or with tying shoe laces, which may, in fact, become impossible for you. (Don't laugh; there will come a time when you can't see your feet anymore when you're standing up.)

If you are comfortable in high heels and platforms, there's no compelling reason not to wear them while you're pregnant, but do be aware that your center of gravity changes and your sense of balance will, too. You probably don't want to risk falling off your shoes, so look into getting some lower, wider heels or shorter platforms for your pregnancy. Do not go wild at the end-of-season shoe clearance sales while you are pregnant! Some women are lucky and their shoe size doesn't change; some change only during pregnancy and revert, some are permanently bigger. And some women go up a half-size with each pregnancy, so even if this isn't your first, it's a good idea to hold off on major shoe purchases until you have returned to your pre-pregnancy weight.

Next up is hosiery. Personally, I think maternity pantyhose was invented by a masochist, but I know people who swear by it. In the first trimester you may be able to get away with queen size regular hosiery, but you must avoid "control top" types at all costs! Another, more-comfortable-than-you-might-expect alternative, is thigh-highs. Victoria's Secret thigh high stockings have wide bands with rubber grips that are exceptionally comfortable and don't slip. If you need to wear hose every day, look into wearing longer skirts or trousers, and wear knee high stockings or trouser socks whenever possible. The feeling of having something stretched tightly over your abdomen is very uncomfortable to many women, sometimes for the duration of the pregnancy. Ideally, you can get away with comfy cotton socks or even no hose at all, depending on your climate. Don't torture yourself. Do tuck away a few pairs of old comfortable socks you don't care about to bring to the hospital when you deliver. No matter where you live, hospitals are notorious for being a bit chilly, and having your own socks to keep your feet warm can make a big difference at a time when comfort is at a premium.

Pants and Skirts

Pants are genuine lifesavers during pregnancy. Many women gain weight in the hips and thighs, making skirts less comfortable than they might be otherwise as chafing can be a problem. In the first trimester, you can often get away with leaving a waistband unbuttoned, or even borrowing your significant other's jeans every now and then. It is probably worth it to invest in a few "normal" pairs of jeans or pants about two sizes larger than your usual size; you can also wear them after you deliver the baby. Stretch pants, leggings, and capri pants (if you have long legs) are all good choices because they slim down your silhouette below your stomach, and generally are quite comfortable. If you love hanging around in jeans, definitely buy some maternity jeans; maternity overalls are also really cute if you like that look.

One-piece outfits like rompers or jumpers with legs in them fall into this category, too, and are wonderfully comfortable because they usually have no waistband at all. Just be sure they are easy to get in and out of, since frequent trips to the bathroom are a fact of life during pregnancy.

There are two basic types of waistbands on pants and skirts: elastic panels, and snap-to-fit. The elastic panel types have a large, scoop-shaped section of stretchy fabric for your stomach to expand into; many have a drawstring so that you can adjust the fit at the top. The snap-to-fit types have rows or snaps or sometimes buttons along the waistband, and as your stomach grows, you simply snap the front flap into the snaps which give the most comfortable fit. You really have to try these on to determine which is more comfortable for you.

You will typically need maternity pants by about the fourth month. Do hold off on switching to maternity clothes until the last possible moment. I can guarantee you that you will be thoroughly tired of your maternity wardrobe by the time the baby arrives, no matter how exciting it is to wear your "baby belly" clothes for the first time. But if you're popping out of your "big" clothes or simply not comfortable in them anymore, it's definitely time to make the switch. Pregnancy is not a time when you should sacrifice your physical comfort for your wardrobe's sake; why create extra stress for yourself?

Skirts are another great option; if you have good legs, go for a short skirt to show them off. Longer, fuller skirts that swirl around you as you walk can be tremendously fun, too. Generally this is dependent on your own personality and preferences. Take a look at your pre-pregnancy wardrobe. You will be suprised to find that you can buy the same types of clothes to wear while you're pregnant, and it really pays for you to stick with the look you are accustomed to. You already know what looks good on you, and what you're comfortable in. If you never wear mini-skirts, pregnancy is not the time to be trying them out, no matter how cute the sales woman says you look in it. If you're not the skirt type at all, there's no need to invest in them; there are plenty of other options available these days.

Dresses and Tops

Dresses and jumpers, while lacking the flexibility of separates, can be wonderful additions to your pregnancy wardrobe. The lack of waistband makes them delightful during uncomfortable periods. During your first trimester, you may be able to wear some of your pre-pregnancy dresses, depending on how quickly your bustline expands. By the second trimester, you will be grateful for the unique cut of pregnancy dresses, which allow extra fabric in front so that the hemlines hang level. Many pregnancy dresses feature ties in the back to take up extra fabric during your early months; A-line dresses can sometimes be worn post-pregnancy as well.

Maternity tops are perhaps the one item that you can put off for a while longer than pants and skirts. Extra-large size t-shirts can usually be worn well into the second trimester, and if you can borrow your significant other's button downs or polo shirts, you have another built-in source for tops, at least for the first few months. Eventually, though, you will need maternity tops to accomodate your bulging tummy. Consider the climate where you live in deciding on long sleeve vs short sleeve, and turtlenecks, scoopnecks, etc. Again, go with what you like to wear when you're not pregnant; that's the best guide for what will be comfortable and what you will feel "right" in. If you're in an office environment and must wear suits, you can usually get by with straight-cut blazers or jackets in your normal size; you just leave them unbuttoned over your maternity top.

Lingerie

Women tend to fall into two camps regarding the best underwear to use during pregnancy: bikinis or maternity underwear. Bikini underwear fits below your stomach, whereas maternity underwear billows out and covers your entire abdomen. If you are a thong-wearer, that probably won't last too long into your pregnancy. Increased bloodflow into the area will most likely make wearing a thong uncomfortable. In general, hips will expand by at least one or two inches, so new underwear will most likely be a necessity. Exactly when depends on your own body's time table and your rate of weight gain. If you wear briefs you will need new underwear sooner than if you wear bikinis, because your growing abdomen will soon make your current pairs too snug.

Your changing bustline may be a source of amazement or frustration to you during your pregnancy. Because every pregnancy is different, you may need new bras within weeks of conceiving. If this is not your first pregnancy, you may get away with wearing your pre-pregnancy bras well into the second trimester. If your breasts seemed to expand immediately, it is a good idea to hold off on investing in expensive maternity/nursing bras, because most likely your breasts will continue to grow (as amazing as that seems) and your ribcage will expand as well. It's better to pick up a few inexpensive bras in larger sizes to tide you through the first few months. When you finally reach the second trimester, then you can start to think about maternity bras. Maternity bras feature several rows of hooks (at least 5 or 6) to accomodate the changes in your rib cage. They also have adjustable cups, so that you don't need to buy a new bra every time you go up another cup size. Many maternity bras are designed to be used as nursing bras, too; take a look at the different features if you think you'll be nursing.

Hormonal changes and rapid growth may make your breasts very sensitive, and one comfort measure (as paradoxical as it sounds) is to wear a bra all the time, even while sleeping. Nursing mothers often wear a bra 24 hours a day, too, because the support is essential. Keep this in mind when purchasing your bras, and perhaps even consider picking up a few very comfortable, wireless "sleep" bras specifically designed for this use. Many of us are accustomed to wearing pretty underthings, bras especially, and it can be a tough adjustment to make, moving into maternity lingerie. (I keep asking them to, but Victoria's Secret just doesn't make maternity bras!) You'll be lucky if you can find any colors other than white or beige; I had to visit three stores before I found a black maternity bra. However, their special construction and features do make maternity bras a good investment. If you try to stay with standard lingerie, you may find yourself buying new bras every month.

In general, shopping for maternity clothes has become much easier in recent years as clothing styles have relaxed and more options have become available. You can pick up everyday, kicking-around-the-house clothes at mass merchandisers such as K-Mart and Target; they're great for things like inexpensive bike shorts or t-style tops. Specialty shops run from very reasonable (Motherhood) to absurd (Pea in a Pod). I don't know any personally, but there must be some women out there who don't blink at the idea of spending a thousand dollars on a maternity cashmere sweater. Mall anchor stores like Sears and JC Penney have fair maternity departments these days with reasonable prices as well. With all the alternatives out there, you should be able to find clothes that fit your style as well as your changing body.