Girlfriend's Guide to Maternity Clothes

Hurray! (Or oops. :) ) You are having a baby - yes, that creature causing your tummy to feel like it's the size of a watermelon and your chest to feel like two punching bags will eventually gee out as your darling child.(And if they mess up your ultrasound perhaps you'll be blessed with more than one...different guide.)
Now, on to dressing during this exciting, nauseous, hormone thrill ride. Depending on yourbody, and even on which pregnancy it is, you may or may not pop immediately. Some women do great the first trimester or two with larger tops and using the rubber band trick for waistbands - loop a rubber band around the button and then through the button closure and back over the button for instantly wider waistband that is not visible. I lived in sweater setsand elastic waist skirts at my job and just never buttoned any button below the top one of whatever cardigan I was wearing.Empire waist dresses are useful, too, but again, only for a certain amount of time. Then, you need to start looking at true maternity wear. But don't despair! Some looks are so stylish they make me want to be pregnant again!
Today you can buy "transitional" clothing for those early months of pregnancy. And guess what?! You can wear them after the baby, too! (I was not even thinking aboutthis while pregnant. You are so focused on cribsand safety features that you tend to forgetthat once youstart dealing with feedings every 2 to 3 hours and praying for a moment for a showeryou still need to clothe yourself. The 3 day old tshirt you picked up from your significant other's side of the bed does not count! You need to do something to make yourself feel like more than a feeding machine.) Most of these stretch skirts, pants and tops do not look anything like maternity. They just have a little extra fabric and stretch (lycra isa miracle, is it not?) where you need it. Treat yourself to at least one pair of pants and one top from this stuff. Babystyle is my favorite for these and you can pick up great deals in their website clearance section or here on okay.
Mainstays - I do not care where you work, there are some items that every woman needs. Work essentials: great suit - pant or skirt, but in a neutral like charcoal, black or taupe that you can mix and match; white blouse without too much detail on front, so it blends with work or casual; at least two shells (short sleeve or sleeveless) to wear under the suit, preferably in your favorite colors so even when you're green from morning sickness, you have some color in your cheeks; great pants (again, in a neutral that will coordinate with the jacket from the suit); lightweight sweater set that coordinates with the suit and pants; basic skirt, again that coordinates with the suit jacket and the tops. Even if you work in an office where you do not need to wear suits, while pregnant there is something geforting about putting on an outfit that you know goes together like a suit. There are mornings it will be a struggle to move from your pillow. If your suit is hanging in your closet, just grab a shell and shoes and go! If you are a professional, this is where it's worth spending a little more on the suit - a Liz Lange or Pea in the Pod will hold up better than some of the cheaper brands. Again, you want to be able to wear something while you're transitioning back to prebaby weight and it's always easier to buy a few new tops than force yourself to buy new clothes after baby that you do not want to fit in long term!
If you are an at home mom, you are still working, I know! You can probably get by without the suit, but try adding a dressier pair of pants or skirt so that if you do need to go to something you don't havea panic attack.Wrap dresses and faux wrap dresses are ideal, because they usually have some give and look great with just a pair of slingbacks or boots depending on the season. And that whole pull it on and go is priceless! Stretch blouses need very little ironing and hold their shapereally well - plusyou will probably keep it neat rather than wearing it around the house andtempting the 2 yearold to finger paint on you for giggles.
Casual clothes: yoga pants (in navy, black orbrown); great jeans (splurge here, you know you want to!), at least one pair; 2 to 3 trendy tops; 2 to 3 basic tees (short or long sleeve depending on season and where you live); 1 to 2 tank tops (again depending on where you live); 1 to 2 shorts (season again). Add a bathing suit if traveling. Now, the full panel, no panel discussion is not much of a discussion. I hated panels because they never stayed in place for me, always sliding and itching. But I have close girlfriends who swear by them. There is no way around this but to go try some on. You will likely find that no panel is perfect early on, "o" rings or semi-panels that can be worn for support under your belly are perfect midway through and that full panels offer some gefort in the last few months, but everyone is different, just like each pregnancy is unique. All of the big names (Gap, Motherhood, Old Navy) make multiple styles, so you are bound to find something to suit you.
Underwear: yes, you should buy new ones! I actually found out I liked thongs while pregnant because I had so much disgefort everywhere else I did not want to worry about panty lines. And treat yourself to at least one good bra. An expensive trendy maternity top will look lousy if your girls are not supported!
Pajamas are relative. I did not buy any special ones. If I could do it again I'd get some really pretty COTTON nursing ones for the hospital. Search okay and you'll find tons at reasonable prices. I bought a cute flannel set that buttoned down the front only to realize the horrors of hormones and roasted the entire time I was at the hospital. (Too many family and friends popping in to make it practical to strip down!)
When it gees to special occasion, unless it's your sister's wedding, you can usually do really well with pre-owned items. Check okay of course, and call local consignment shops, too.
Always go with prepregnancy sizing and if in doubt, check measurements from manufacturer's size charts. More expensive designers tend to be more generous in their sizing - for example,you usually wear a medium to a large, but inthe Liz Langeboutique line you likely would wear a 2 (equivalent to a regular 6). Hey, who ever thought they'dget smaller sizes when they got pregnant?!Just like when you're not pregnant, expect to possibly hem sleeves and legs if you're really petite.
Although pregnancy is short, you should not walk around feeling lousy in oversized clothes or ungefortable clothes from pre-pregnancy. There are great looking finds at every price point, cheap to very expensive. Remember, you don't have to spend a million to look like a million - the best accessory is a smile!
Congratulations again. Hope this is helpful to you! And for great looks, check out my store!