Throughout our lives, there are a lot of moments and things that bring us joy and happiness. Moments that bring us joy because of certain achievements, because of certain events that take place in our lives or due to a certain person doing something special for us.
The thing is, it is difficult to know or rather, quantify our joy and happiness is really difficult. We cannot really measure how much joy and happiness we find because of a certain thing or event but we try to do it.
There is one joy that a certain event brings to everyone’s lives that is unrivaled. And that event is becoming a parent. When two people become parents, the feeling of happiness that they get is unparalleled and no matter how hard anyone tries, it can never be quantified.
As parents, when you first get the news of having a kid, the immediate thought is that of giving the child everything they need.
There is nothing that the parents to be will not do for their child. They will work hard to help the kid get all that he wishes for, complete all his dreams and help him develop into a good, kind and gracious child.
While all this is set for the long term future, there is something that needs your attention in the near future. That part is choosing maternity clothes for the mommy to be. A piece of clothing that will hold a very special place in the mother’s heart forever.
So, how does one go about choosing or buying maternity clothes. There are a few tips given below that might come in handy when buying or deciding on your maternity clothes.
The Do’s and Don’ts
Think about what you could use as maternity clothing
If you’re like many women, your bra size will likely change throughout your pregnancy, and then again throughout your breastfeeding journey.
When you first need a bigger size, these genius inventions extend the size of the band so you can wear your regular bra a little longer.
You might need a bigger cup size in a few months, so the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of money to have a drawerful of different bra sizes.
The bra hook extenders attached to the hooks on your bra, as quickly and easily as closing/opening the clasps as usual, and can stay on for washings. If you machine wash, be sure to close the clasps so that they don’t snag anything else.
Another product that many women swear by is the belly band or tummy sleeve. It might allow you to wear your old jeans and pants, opened, while keeping you covered. You can also keep things simple and go with the old elastic trick if your top is long enough.
Maternity friendly styles
As you begin to shop, whether you’re looking at new or used clothing, think long term, focusing on garments that will work throughout your pregnancy, double as convenient nursing clothes and look great on you years later.
Start with the staples like a black pencil skirt, two pairs of slacks and three dresses, which got my professional wardrobe off to the right start. And a pair of skinny jeans, some tank tops, yoga pants and some leggings did the same for evenings and weekends.
A stretchy dress or tunic with side or tummy ruching can be a flattering option for the office. Look for ones that hit around the knee, with a higher neckline.
Pair with a black tights and an unbuttoned blazer for colder weather or AC season. Stretchy or cotton T-shirts with extra-room in the midsection fit a baby bump beautifully especially if they are gathered at the hip, or have ruching in the middle or on the side.
A cardigan or blazer with a maternity tank top is a simple and versatile look that can work with jeans, slacks or a pencil skirt. You can find very similar garments outside the maternity section, so don’t limit yourself!
Have a strategy when buying
If you are buying new, think outside of the usual stores you might shop in. For bras or tank tops, choose nursing styles during your pregnancy and so you’re already prepared for your nursing days, if you’re planning to breastfeed.
If you plan to babywear (many blogger moms are big fans), consider buying one you can use to wrap your belly for support, instead of buying an expensive maternity belt for those heaviest weeks.
Free clothing should always be welcomed
Tell your friends and family you’d love hand-me-downs as they might not know you’re open to the idea, and may have the perfect dress or top for you.
Look for local parent groups and listservs on Yahoo and Facebook, and post that you’re seeking used maternity clothes.
These groups can also help you make new-parent friends in your neighborhood, learn about resources in your community, including maternity clothing swaps and compare notes online on a variety of pregnancy and parenting topics.
Take a good look at your and your friends closet
Before you set out to find a good sale, start at home. Search through your closet see what items might accommodate a growing belly, some of your favorite clothes might be perfect.
A lot of mothers have suggested that jersey dresses, blazers they prefer to wear unbuttoned, cardigans, drawstring pants and shorts, and long loose or stretchy tops stayed in their closet during their entire pregnancy run.
Some of it also worked until month five, and some worked throughout their pregnancy. And if friends or family are willing, “shop” in their closets, too! If your husband or boyfriend is bigger in size to you, you can look for their hoodies and jackets as well.
This allows you to keep the expenses on maternity clothes down to a minimum, a sort of ‘shopping’ on a budget strategy.
Having discussed how to go about deciding about the maternity clothes, let’s now look at some of the brands and websites that you can shop your maternity clothes from.
Some of these are among the best websites for a lot of things whereas some brands here only have their focus on making the best of maternity clothes.
Amazon
For price, selection, and overall ease of shopping, we have to give it to Amazon. They carry a huge array of maternity clothing to carry you through your entire pregnancy.
From maternity shirts to pretty dresses, bras, and beyond, they have you covered. Add to that, no mall shopping which results in time conservation and does not drain your energy, Amazon is a really good option for all mothers looking for maternity clothes.
Yours Clothing
Plus size pregnant mamas, rejoice! Yours Clothing has maternity wear up to size 30. Cardigans, dresses, leggings, skirts, jeggings, jeans, swimwear, everything has been made for ladies starting at US size 14 and up.
While their Sale section isn’t huge, everything in there is super cute and super cheap. You also have the choice of picking up bundles of clothing at a time with discounted rates and freedom of choosing the color as well. You might want to check it out.
Destination Maternity
There should be some kind of award for companies who go the extra mile in making shopping for maternity clothing simpler for hormonal mamas-to-be.
Having an entire section of their website dedicated to Plus Size maternity clothing means you know exactly what’s available (in sizes up to 3X), and you get the bonus of actually seeing the pieces on plus-size models so you have a better idea of what the fit looks like. Destination Maternity also has great savings on many of their 268 pieces!
Walmart
If you haven’t browsed Walmart’s maternity section in a while (or ever), you may be surprised at just how many cute and stylish choices they have. They have skinny jeans, stylish dresses, leggings, and loungewear there are choices galore.
The prices are hard to beat, too. It’s the perfect place to pick up a few items you don’t want to splurge on, like basic tees, or an entire maternity wardrobe.
Since maternity clothes aren’t typically going to be lifelong staples, many women are all about scooping them up at bargain prices, and Walmart is a great place to do just that.
These are just some of the websites and brands that stand out for us. There is a whole world of brands out there where you can shop your favorite kind, style and type of maternity clothes. It is afterall, an event that you will cherish for your life, you ought to wear clothes that you will remember as well.
