First Trimester

I wore my jeans until I was about 20 weeks. It was the hardest trimester for me to dress in because all my ‘normal’ clothes were becoming very snug, I was still too small to wear tight dresses I looked just very bloated not pregnant, and I didn’t want to go out and buy maternity clothing because everything was very expensive! To make my wardrobe last longer during my first trimester I did a few of these hacks:

• To have my jeans/skirts fit longer – I used high waisted very stretchy jeans, but it came a point, whether it was throughout the day as I ate or even first thing in the morning that the button wouldn’t do up. I then took a hair elastic and tied it around the button hole and button to keep them done up
• There were times my a-line skirts or my pants didn’t have a button so I left the zipper undone a little and put a safety pin to make sure the zipper didn’t come undone and then used an over sized shirt or sweater on top.
• Instead of splurging on maternity clothing, I did buy regular jeans that were a few sizes larger then my size.

Since your body changes so much each month, make sure you shop sparingly and you only purchase items when you need them. Anything you’re going to purchase make sure your bump can grow with it.

Second Trimester

This is when you can start to embrace the bump and show it off. I opted for those tight stretchy dresses, but I also went through my closet to see what I had and found a lot of pieces I was no longer wearing, would fit the bump really well!

You can start wearing your skirts higher up on your waist or you could belt a dress to give yourself a waist and then throw on a T-shirt or an over-sized shirt tucked in.

One of my big go to’s was wearing my husbands oversize button up shirts and biker shorts with cute sneakers or sandals. This allowed me to save on purchasing new tops but giving me a fresh new look!

Third Trimester 

Even though your body is changing dramatically your look doesn’t have to!

During my third trimester was when all the Charlie horses and leg cramps started, which is when I realized my sneakers were going to become my best friend! Swap out your stilettos or wedges for a comfier, safer shoe like a flat boot or sneaker. We are lucky that sneakers are the biggest footwear trend of the season and are acceptable in most workplaces!
As your bump gets larger, you’ll want to opt for a shoe that doesn’t require you to bend over to tie up laces or do up zippers!

During the last couple of months, create a pregnancy capsule wardrobe, keeping only 10-20 items on hand that you know fit well and rotate. Live in leggings with oversized blazers and shirts.

RENT Maternity clothing! This was a big help for me. Currently I am wearing a rented maternity dress because I am getting very big and I am having a hard time finding items in my current wardrobe that fit properly. Those over size t-shirts are becoming crop tops quickly and my leggings are getting very tight.