Your basic maternity wardrobe

Source: Excerpted from Pregnancy and Birth-The Essential Checklists, Canadian Edition, copyright 2009 DK Pub

• Think about the seasons for which you are shopping, so you don’t end up with a collection of long-sleeved maternity tops if you’ll be heavily pregnant in summer
• Start with a few items and add pieces as you need them’aim to buy one or two new items every month throughout pregnancy to keep reviving your maternity wardrobe
• For the office, purchase a few pieces of neutral, simply shaped basic garments, and accessorize them with scarves and jewelry
• Don’t hesitate to accept offers of maternity clothes from friends and relatives; wearing these clothes at home will leave you with a little more money to spend on clothes for going out
• Keep your own style and comfort level in mind’if you weren’t comfortable wearing dresses or sweater sets before your pregnancy, you are unlikely to be so now
• Buy quality, feel-good clothes’you are going to be wearing these a lot
• Invest in two good-quality maternity bras, and don’t be surprised if they need to be replaced in a few months
• Maternity underwear is an unnecessary expense’just buy a larger size; however, this doesn’t apply to other maternity clothing, which is specially designed to accommodate your growing bump
• It’s worth investing in a good pair of maternity pants’something stretchy, with an adjustable waist, or low-slung trousers that can sit neatly under your growing bump
• If you’ve got an old pair of jeans that are ready for recycling, cut out the front, and sew in an elasticized panel
• Raid your partner’s cupboard’large T-shirts or dress shirts can be pulled in with a low-slung belt to create comfortable maternity wear that doesn’t impact on your budget
• Empire-cut dresses will see you through most of your pregnancy
• You can purchase a ‘belly band,’ which is designed to fill the gap between shirts or tops and pants, as your waist expands
• Don’t forget your shoes’your center of gravity changes when you are pregnant as your weight shifts forward, and high heels can be dangerous (not to mention uncomfortable); look for elegant flats or shoes with a low heel
• In the summer, opt for clothing made of natural fabrics, such as linen and cotton; loose-cut dresses and pants and flowing skirts and tops will help you stay cool
• Think twice before investing in a winter coat’you are likely to feel very warm toward the end of your pregnancy, and may find it more comfortable to wear plenty of layered knits rather than one coat or jacket