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What Nobody Told Me About Maternity Clothes

9 Things You Need to Know

By Lyn Mettler

I was truly surprised that I was able to wear some of my larger sweatshirts and T-shirts all throughout my pregnancy. Long sweaters also work well. I even have a photo of myself walking out the door on my way to the hospital in my college alumni sweatshirt! If you find yours are a little too tight, steal a couple from your hubby's drawer.

Of course, you can't get away with no maternity clothes at all, and two things that are absolutely essential for your casual wardrobe are a pair each of khaki and denim shorts or pants, depending on the season. These go a long way because you can wear anything with them, such as your sweatshirts and sweaters or those cute empire waist maternity tops you purchased. Plus, they look good and are inexpensive.

Along the same lines as wearing panties that rest under your belly are pajamas or sweat pants (or even yoga pants) that stretch or have a drawstring you can wear in the same manner. Instead of buying these in maternity sizes, buy a size or two larger then you normally wear (you may even be able to wear your regular size). Then just wear them with a long shirt that will cover up your bare tummy. They are really comfortable for just hanging out or even exercising.

All right. One of the many things besides your tummy that really grows during pregnancy is your breasts. You'll be surprised at how quickly you can no longer wear your regular bras and will need to buy a bigger size.

Do you really need a maternity bra? No. Just buy a larger size (let someone help you get the right fit) with more support than you usually wear. It's also a good idea to get a bra that has a vertical line of several hooks in the back for added support.

Another money saver is a bra extender, which essentially hooks into the bra's hooks, giving you another couple of inches. This really does add to the life of your bra because you'll find your breasts and girth grow steadily bigger and bigger throughout your pregnancy.

If you plan to breastfeed, one specialty bra you will need is a nursing bra. You'll actually need several of these unless you want to do laundry every day (because it will inevitably get soaked with milk either coming from you or Baby).

My favorite nursing bra came from a discount store and has a plastic fastener to allow you to open the bra for breastfeeding. Zippers also are easy to use. I don't recommend bras with hooks, as they are not easy to undo with one hand. Nursing bras can be expensive, but shop your local discount store, which usually offers good products at reasonable prices.

Want to see more?

• Professional Moms-to-Be: The Key to Smart Maternity Dressing
• Maternity Portraits: Capturing the Beauty of Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Fashion Emergency: Solutions for Taller Moms-to-Be!
• Talk about it!

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