Maternity Clothes Essentials: Your Guide

Looking to find the balance between stylish and comfortable during your pregnancy? You don’t need to abandon your sense of fashion as your bump grows. Many labels have even created a maternity range, so check if your favourite designers have done this

It’s best to purchase maternity specific clothing rather than going up a size or two in regular clothes. Maternity clothes are made for bumps and will fit better, resulting in you feeling more confident.

Having a few pieces of statement jewellery is a great way to dress up any maternity outfit (as well as letting your style shine through), meaning you can buy more basic, reusable/versatile items. Plus, jewellery will still fit when your little one is born!

It might also take a few weeks for your body to return to its pre-pregnancy size, so these items may also be valuable in those first few weeks of motherhood.

Here is a list of essentials you might want to consider when your bump starts to appear.

Maternity jeans/leggings

Like most maternity wear items, nicely or correctly fitting jeans or trousers can be difficult to find, but once you’ve found the right pair for you they become a wardrobe staple.

The large discount department stores such as Target, Kmart and BigW all have maternity wear departments, where you can pick up affordable separates. ASOS also has a great range.

Belly belt

These inventions are great! Designed to fit with regular jeans or pants, a belly belt allows you to continue to wear your regular clothes for longer. They might not stretch all through the nine months, but they will give you some time before you need specific maternity wear.

Maternity tops

At least one white and one black t-shirt will be a wardrobe staple. As your bump grows you’ll need the extra length, so take that into consideration or look for tops with side ruching which stretch over your growing bump. Pair with a bump-friendly cardigan to keep you and your little one cosy and warm.

Special occasions

If you have a wedding or special occasion to go to when you are expecting, consider something simple and elegant – black works for most events. Another option is to take advantage of some of the maternity wear hire companies around, which means that you can hire an outfit as a once-off and look great, without a huge cost.

A maternity bra

We know you’re not breastfeeding yet, but during pregnancy you might suffer from breast pain and tenderness and when that happens you’ll need the extra support and, most importantly, comfort. Especially at night time. Make sure you are fitted properly. The right time to be fitted varies for woman to woman, but many women find that around four months is a good time.

Comfortable shoes

If you’re comfortable in heels, by all means, wear heels. Alternatively, pick up some cute flats. Whatever style you decide, you may want to consider going up a size to allow for some swelling. Another option is to try the ‘wide fit’ range now offered by some retailers.

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