Discovering you’re pregnant inevitably leads to the excitement of buying your first baby clothes. You ooh and aww over the teensy tiny outfits, booties and hats. Making those first purchases are so much fun! Something you might find not quite as fun is buying an extra-large wardrobe for yourself… maternity clothes. You may have hit this common mom dilemma: wanted to spend all your cash on cute baby things instead of buying things for yourself! You definitely do not have to blow all your money on a new wardrobe. Read these easy tips on how to avoid buying maternity clothes.
Maternity Clothes on a Budget
During my first pregnancy, I admit I spent wayyy to much on maternity clothes. I had no idea what I wanted or really needed, but I was so pumped to be pregnant that I ordered all the things (as in five summer maternity dresses… and I was due in January). The worst part was that I ended up wearing a ton of my regular clothes and didn’t get much use out of the maternity clothes AT ALL.
During my second pregnancy, I was determined not to make the same mistake again. I took stock of my wardrobe and came up with a strategy. I didn’t wear many maternity clothes and again, stuck with my normal wardrobe with some hacks and a few key changes.
I wish I had figured this out with my first. I could have saved so much money on maternity clothes and put it toward something more important!
How to Avoid Buying Maternity Clothes
There are several strategies on how to avoid buying maternity clothes. Read below for great tips on how to expand your maternity wardrobe without buying new clothes. With a little effort, you can almost totally avoid buying maternity clothes altogether!
Maternity Clothes Tip #1: Shop Your Closet
You can use a lot of the clothes you already own during your pregnancy with little to no trouble. Today’s fashion is perfect for dressing for your pregnancy without buying a maternity wardrobe. Leggings, stretchy tops, dresses, and cardigans are all great wardrobe staples you will be able to use in your pregnancy.
Leggings
Leggings are going to become your best friend during your pregnancy. And if we’re being quite honest, this relationship will last long after you become a mom.
High-waisted leggings are awesome for when you are just starting to show, especially if you haven’t announced your pregnancy yet. They will provide just enough support to keep your belly smooth and somewhat concealed.
After you’ve popped, you’ll probably feel more comfy in low rise leggings with a nice stretchy band that can sit below your belly.
I wore non-maternity leggings all through my pregnancy. In fact, I’m pretty sure I wore them to the hospital to give birth with both of my daughters.
Low skirts
Stretchy full-length skirts are another maternity wardrobe staple. You don’t actually need to purchase the maternity version. Any stretchy skirt should be able to hug below your belly.
Stretchy Shirts
Today’s fashion suits mamas-to-be perfectly. Any long shirt that hits below your bottom should be able to see you through most of your pregnancy without too much trouble, as long as it has some stretch.
A good stretchy shirt is another wardrobe staple I made use of until I was full term (and beyond… nine days overdue!). I’m still rocking the same shirts four months postpartum (they really help hide that little belly that remains!).
Dresses
Empire-waist or swing dresses work perfectly well into pregnancy. Just be sure to pair with some leggings once your belly really gets big, so you’re not showing anything you don’t want to be!
Cardigans
Open-front cardigans are another perfect addition to a faux-maternity wardrobe. Throw one on with tank or tee and you don’t need to worry if it quite reaches over your belly (in fact, a cute belly popping out is quite adorable).
Re-purpose
You may need to re-purpose some items in your closet and wear them in a new way. A tunic might end up just being worn as a shirt as your belly grows. A flowy, short dress might end up being used as a tunic until your precious bundle makes his appearance.
Hacks and Quick Fixes
Ok, with the exception of leggings and maybe sweatpants, you’re probably not going to be able to wear your pants too far into your pregnancy. Here are a couple of tips to help you fit into those jeans for just a bit longer:
Elastic Band Trick
The elastic band trick is perfect for those in the first trimester or maybe into the second if you are lucky. Simply loop an elastic band around the button of your fly, thread through the buttonhole and loop around the button again (see here to get a visual). It should give you an inch or two of additional wiggle room.
Belly Band
Once you outgrow the elastic band trick, you can try purchasing a Belly Band. This ingenious device turns any pair of pants into maternity pants!
Coat Extender
If you are pregnancy during the winter, especially in a chilly climate, you will probably need to do something about the coat situation. A coat with a tie belt instead of buttons would probably work if you’re in the second trimester. If you’re in your third, try a coat extender instead of buying a whole new maternity coat. Bonus: you can reuse it if you take your babe out in a carrier in the winter! Win-win!
Raid Your Husband’s Closet
This was my go-to for sleepwear (his baggy t-shirts) and pants to lounge around the house in (his sweats). Wearing his jacket could get you through the winter months if you’re not in the third trimester.
Buy Some New Non-Maternity Clothes
Instead of blowing your cash on maternity clothes, which are often very expensive, try buying some normal clothes a size up from what you normally wear. I bought comfy underwear one size larger than normal instead of expensive maternity underwear. Pajama pants in a bigger size felt comfy and fit just fine as well. I could still wear these items after my pregnancy so I wasn’t blowing my money on clothes I would only be wearing for a few months.
Plus, it was nice to have some clothes that fit comfortably during the postpartum period without feeling the shame that I was still in my maternity clothes!
The Inevitable
As much as you want to avoid it, you may need to pick up a few maternity items once you’re in your third trimester. A few maternity tanks or tees and may a pair of pants or two (I hate to say this, but depending on your place of work, you may not be able to pull off leggings every day of the week) can be mixed and matched with non-maternity items and give you a few more options.
However, you don’t have to break the bank for your maternity clothes. Here are some options to get some maternity clothes inexpensively.
Lend
You probably have some girlfriends or maybe a sister or cousin who has been pregnant recently. They will most likely be happy to lend you their maternity clothes for a few months. I know I had spent so much money on clothes that I hardly wore, I was happy to lend them out to friends and family so at least someone could get some use out of them!
Used
Maternity clothes are pretty easy to find on Facebook Marketplace, Craig’s List, or even a brick and mortar consignment shop. Because most maternity clothes have only been worn for a short while, they’re usually great quality for a lower price.
Cheap
Finally you can check out some less expensive clothing stores or websites to score some deals on maternity clothes. Old Navy, H&M and PinkBlush all have maternity clothes for reasonable prices.
One piece of clothing I totally recommend buys a maternity version of is shorts! Soooo comfy! I swear I’ll never go back to wearing regular shorts again!
Do you have any hacks to avoid wearing maternity clothes? If so, share the wealth below! I can’t wait to hear from you!
