Shopping for Maternity Clothes on a Budget

So, you've found out you're pregnant and are probably going through a roller coaster of emotions. Don't worry, that's totally normal. Soon you'll be worrying about buying all that STUFF babies need. But before you tackle that problem, what are you going to wear? Maternity clothes can be very expensive today and for those of us on a budget it can be very stressful to find things to wear over that growing body. Here are some suggestions when shopping for those maternity clothes.

Before you head to the stores remember a few things. I found that I could buy regular clothes that were a bit stretchy in a couple sizes larger than I would normally wear and they fit during my pregnancy. I found this worked especially well in rib knitted sweaters. Secondly, you can make your jeans last longer by using rubber bands to clasp them together, giving your belly some more breathing room. Make sure when buying clothes early in your pregnancy, you buy them in sizes that will fit when you are in your last trimester.

The first place I suggest looking for clothes are at thrift stores and consignment stores. Thrift stores will have better prices but it's hit or miss whether or not they will have any and have them in your size. Consignment stores carry gently used clothes at a higher price than thrift stores but will still be much cheaper than buying brand new.

Also ask around and see if anyone you know has had a baby lately and is looking to give away any of their maternity clothes. My husband mentioned to a co-worker that I was pregnant with our first child and his wife sent him to work with a bag of clothes the next day. She was done having children and was happy to pass the clothes along to another mom that would need them.

If you find yourself needing or wanting to buy brand new clothing there are plenty of stores that carry them at a great prices. I found great tops for work and dresses at Target. Old Navy always had great casual tops and jeans for my maternity body. Motherhood Maternity is a great store for all of your wardrobe needs. They also have great sales throughout the year and you can snatch up some good bargains.

You can also check out regular stores that don't normally carry maternity clothes and make them work for you. I found great work pants at New York and Company that were made with elastic bands in the waist. They looked and fit like regular work pants but expanded to fit my belly. The best part was that they also fit after the baby was born and I was working on getting that pre-pregnancy body back.

E-bay is also a great place to look for maternity clothes. You can find just about anything in all colors and styles. Many times sellers sell a lot of clothes in the same size so you can find clothes at a great price when buying the entire lot of them.