How to Shop for Hot, Stylish Maternity Clothes During Your Third Trimester

OK, those paneled jeans and Spanx might have helped during your first few months of pregnancy, but now you're just trying to find maternity clothes to wear during your third trimester that don't resemble grandma's shower curtains on your body. You're beginning to think that it's really cute for those size 2 maternity clothing models whose babies have got to be undernourished if they're really pregnant to wear tube tops and mini-skirts, but that's just not going to work for you. Congratulations. You are a part of the 99.9% of other pregnant women in their third trimester who are desperately seeking a way to stay hot and stylish in their maternity-wear without looking like a knocked up cheerleader. Keep reading for a few tips on accentuating the positive with your maternity clothing and hiding those sneaky little signs that your water is about three seconds away from bursting onto the floor.

First, go long with your maternity tops during your third trimester. Yes, Britney Spears can somehow get away with showing her belly in her ninth month of pregnancy while prancing around Hollywood, but someone might actually be a bit offended in the real world if they happen to catch a glance of your stretch marks. It's tasteful and attractive to wear tunics and longer tops during your third trimester to not only give your silhouette a slimmer appearance, but also to hide that elastic waistband we all know you have underneath lurking underneath.

Next, don't be afraid to wear a top that's tighter around the bust. Many women are accentuating their fuller bust lines during their third trimester now and enjoying being able to flaunt what they didn't have before. While the belly should be kept under looser fabrics, feel free to select maternity clothing with elastic and/or piping just underneath the bra line.

On that note, select maternity tops with flattering low cut or v-neck styles. While you certainly don't have to show off any cleavage if you prefer not to, wearing high-collar styles draws attention to a puffy face, dark under eye circles, and any added baggage that the face and neck might have taken on. Many women notice a bit of roundness added to their faces during the third trimester, and wearing lower cut tops detracts attention from this problem and gives the body better proportion.

Next, go ahead and throw out those three inch heels if you want to, but don't opt for the grungy old sneakers in your closet during your later pregnancy months. Choose ballet slippers with lots of details and hardware to give your look a more polished edge. Pile up on as many styles and colors as you can, and take advantage of the more stretchy materials that many ballet shoes have to offer. Your swollen feet will appreciate your efforts!

Next, think twice about sleeveless tops during your third trimester. If you've been pregnant before, you already know all about the arm bulge that can take place in those last few months. However, cap sleeved tops are a great stylish replacement. Just a little extra fabric in your maternity top sleeves can make a great deal of difference.

Finally, go extra-feminine with your maternity clothing during your third trimester. While many women opt for sweats and ponytails, which is certainly understandable, letting go of your appearance isn't a great way to keep up your self-esteem when your body is undergoing the changes of pregnancy. Keep clothing stylish and beautiful during your entire pregnancy by tweaking a few little details for the sake of comfort, and never tell yourself that this just isn't your time to be pretty. Put in a little extra effort and have fun being attractive during all nine months.