I guess I’m pretty lucky that at 29 weeks pregnant I can still wear most of my pre-pregnancy jeans. Please note that I said I can wear them, but that doesn’t mean I can wear them as well as when I am not pregnant. I’d like to thank a little thing called the Bella Band for helping make that possible. If you don’t know about Bella Bands, they are this little piece of stretchy elastic fabric that serve as a band for the top of pants, jeans, etc. They are like the elastic that gets sewn into maternity pants. They help to hold you in and prevent the dreaded muffin top from happening. I will say, however, that I’ve tried on a few outfits in the past week that have accentuated muffin top and it isn’t pretty, even when pregnant.

With my first pregnancy I was so excited to be pregnant. I ran out to the maternity shops and bought maternity clothes. I bought shirts with empire waists, a pair of designer pregnancy jeans, Capri pants, blouses, sweaters, and swimsuits. It’s funny buying maternity clothes because at the stores they have this fake bump to try the clothes on with. The bump can’t be more than a mock three months pregnant and it doesn’t make it possible for you to buy clothes that you’ll be wearing at 9 months, but it will give some sort of pregnancy effect, I guess.  I don’t think I went overboard, but looking at my box of maternity clothes now, maternity clothes are the worst. What was I thinking? Well, I shouldn’t complain should I? We’ve all seen the clothes that our mothers had to wear when they were pregnant with us. Talk about tents! My poor mother! I think they were also made out of polyester, which can’t be comfortable.

Two pregnancies later I have vowed not to buy maternity clothes anymore. Not are they over priced, but they are just not practical in the long run. One minute your pregnancy clothes are good for the summer or spring and then your next pregnancy you need things for fall and winter. Now what? I’ve never been this pregnant during the winter months. I can’t very well wear my swimsuit and white Capri pants now can I? So this time around I’m all about leggings, tunic tops, long sweaters, and borrowing my husband’s puffy jacket.  Most of the clothes I wear I could wear not pregnant but maybe with a cute belt or something for style. I definitely don’t think I look schlumpy even though at times I feel like I do. For comfort, I love wearing my yoga pants, stretchy tops, and sweaters. I do have a few t-shirts from my previous pregnancies that are long enough to cover my tummy, something that regular shirts, unless they are long, won’t do. I have a few long tanks and shirts from a company called LA Made, which I love. You can also buy some longer shirts and tops from regular stores. Buying a size bigger in tops may also be a way for you to get through your pregnancy.

If you must buy maternity clothes, two of my favorite places to pick up a few transitional items have been Old Navy online and Target. Trust me if you don’t make a huge investment in maternity clothes you’ll be happier in later pregnancies knowing that you didn’t waste your money in previous pregnancies on designer jeans that won’t fit you in your current pregnancy because you are smaller. What a bummer. Here’s to avoiding the muffin top, saving money by not buying useless articles of maternity fashion, and enjoying the expanding middle at the same time!