Things Nobody Tells You About Being Pregnant, Part 4: Clothes & Fashion

Before I begin, let me just say that I know that maternity wear has come a long way in the last few years. No longer are women expected to wear tents with giant bows or their husband's oxford shirts. As a society, we are no longer hiding behind our bellies but showing them off, proud of what they contain. But that's not really what this is about. This is about the reality of actually having to purchase and wear maternity clothes.

At first, your own clothes become a little snug, and you're able to get by wearing your regular "fat" clothes or using the trusty rubber band thru the buttonhole trick. That only lasts so long, though, no matter how small you are. I'm convinced one of the greatest maternity inventions of late is the Bella Band. It allows you to wear your own clothes a bit longer a little more comfortably by actually letting you leave your pants unbuttoned, yet hiding your belly, holding your pants up, and not leaving a rubber band indention on your stomach. Mine was well worth the money. Some opt to purchase a few pair of pants that are a size or two larger than their regular size, so as to have "regular" clothes to wear just a bit longer, in the stage where the maternity clothes don't quite fit. I personally found this thought depressing, mainly because I didn't want to have to buy two sets of clothes to get me through the pregnancy. Also, it's an easy way to not ever get back into your regular clothes after the baby comes - just stay in the larger size. Not quite my goal, so I don't want to give myself any excuses.

Fortunately, due to the current styles, you can get away with wearing non-maternity tops for quite a while. They make you feel not quite so huge, and sometimes are easier to find on sale. But from what I hear, you shouldn't count on wearing those non-maternity tops you purchase during your pregnancy after the baby comes. I'm told that you get so tired of those things you don't ever want to see them again, even though they're not officially maternity clothes. I can understand that. But I'm so cheap, I'd probably end up wearing them - at least every now and then.

Like I said, maternity fashion has come a long way. I have found quite a few maternity items that are comparable to my regular clothes in comfort and style. In fact, one of my favorite places to shop, Gap, carries some great maternity fashions. But here's my problem: I'm a bargain shopper. When I shop for clothes, I always buy off the clearance rack, and will still turn my nose up at something if I think it's priced too high even if it is 60% off. But when you have literally two pair of pants you can wear in public, price becomes not as much of an issue since nakedness is frowned upon by our society. And since you will now only have three pair of pants, you want to make sure that third pair is one you will really love because you'll be wearing them like crazy.

I really hesitate to order clothes online because I am so picky about fit. But since none of our local Gap stores carry maternity clothes, what's a girl to do? I ordered a pair of pants from Gap. But it wasn't that easy. I'd been checking out the Gap website for a few weeks, trying to figure out the perfect pair of pants to get. They had to be versatile enough to be dressy and casual, and possibly even super casual. I finally narrowed it down to two pair, but wasn't sure I was willing to pay what either of them cost. Sure, they were on sale, but like I said, something that's not REALLY on sale just isn't worth it.

So as I agonized over the pants, checked back a few times a week to see if they had been discounted even more, Husband watched the whole ordeal. Finally, one night as I sat at the computer staring at the pictures of the two pair of pants side-by-side, he'd had enough. "Will you just buy the pants? You know you're going to wear them almost every day until the end of the summer. It's worth it. Just buy them." So I did. And they finally came. And they're fabulous, of course. But watch...they'll put them on clearance in another week or so and I'll kick myself for not waiting to get them.

So now I'm up to three pairs of pants to wear in public...something I'm going to have to work on. But man, does it hurt to pay retail (or close to it) for clothes! Do they make an epidural for that?

Entire What Nobody Tells You Series:

Part 1: You Always Have To Pee
Part 2: Snot and Boogers
Part 3: Weight Gain
Part 4: Clothes and Fashion
Part 5: The Ugly Baby
Part 6: The Loaded Question
Part 7: The Gear
Part 8: Your Crazy Mind

And then:

Some Pregnancy Advice
Some MORE Pregnancy Advice