This is a question popping in the head of almost every first time pregnant lady. The build up of the excitement and anxiety of the little pea growing within you coupled with the continued desire to dress in latest fashion styles adds towards the shopping excitement.
Besides we all want to show our kids pictures of us carrying them in our bellies. Pictures capturing those special mom and child exclusive memories. That in itself is a motivation to dress well. However, given the growing belly and ungainly size to which our bodies can grow doesn’t always help towards this end. Add to this the discomfort of being pregnant.
While every woman’s body grows and changes differently at this time, the need to purchase maternity clothes will vary, we believe it is ideal to start buying your maternity clothes within the first trimester, sometimes as early as 8 – 10 weeks. This is because pregnancy brings with it a lot of changes to the body – morning sickness, back aches, fatigue, heart burn and not to mention the small belly (which to the world may not still be visible). The last thing the body needs at this time is to have snug clothes on (and here we include bras and underpants too) as they could possibly further aggravate the discomforts. A pair of fitted jeans/ trousers or a skirt on the belly area will only land up pressing the belly aggravating the heartburn and when nausea sets in, ask the experts, your entire day can be ruined.
Maternity clothes are designed especially for women during the phase of their pregnancy. They are correct and current size and designed to accommodate the growing belly (and in some cases hips and thighs) without compromising on comfort. To this add the advantage that since they are of correct size, they will always fit well and give a sharp styled look. In a nutshell, look smart, fashionable and trendy without compromising on comfort.
Always remember, pregnancies a time to look and feel great! So own your confidence and celebrate the bump in style.
So here's our quick guide on what you could need as you go along your pregnancy:
1. First item most women tend to pick are pregnancy styled bottoms. Be it pregnancy jeans, pregnancy leggings or a good pair of black work pants suitable for your pregnancy journey. You may need these around 8-10 weeks into your pregnancy depending upon your discomfort levels. Make sure to buy a pair which is verstaile to wear morning to night as well as formal to casual occasions to maximise your wardrobe looks.
2. If you were able to get by your entire first trimester in your pre-pregnancy clothes, then maybe during the later part of your second trimester you will surely start to feel the same discomforts some feel at the end of their first. This is when you could look at putting away your prepregnacy bottoms and invest in a good pair of maternity bottoms which are both comfortable (fabric and fit wise ) which supports the growing belly and versatile. You could also consider getting a few pieces of dresses (short or maxis depending upon your comfort style) for added comforts as dresses are flowy, airy non restricting and most comfy to wear throughout pregnancy.
TIP: pick a dress which has a concealed nursing option to make it last longer for you. :)
3. Late 6th-7th month, the breasts start to feel heavy & sensitive. Also with the weight gain around the hips, some women start to experience chaffing between the inner thighs. This would be the right time to invest in some maternity under garments.
TIP: choose maternity bras which are designed even for handsfree nursing, without any attachments.
4. By the late third trimester one is full blown pregnant and starts to only desire comfort clothing. You could start investing in some maternity tops (tip: get ones with handsfree nursing options), nursing sleepwear and comfortable pyjamas to lounge around the house.
For a more detailed discussion on shopping trimester wise read our blog "Pregnancy Must Haves by Trimester ".
Do share your views in the comments below too :)
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