Maternity Clothes for the Expecting Mother

You are now into your second trimester and feeling great about yourself and life in general. You may feel a bit bulky at your stomach and breast but that has not put you off because it is your baby inside. You are now all set to go out and meet your best friend. You decide to treat yourself to wearing that favourite outfit of yours which you reserve for special occasions. But, soon you are grunting and groaning trying to fit into the dress. You are able to fit your hands in through the sleeves. But just when you have to fasten your shirt buttons, you find that you are not able to bring both the ends to meet. Or they may look as if they are going to burst on your body any minute. You make repeated attempts with various dresses but with no luck. Soon you find yourself sitting dejected on the bed with a little mountain of clothes by your side. Groan, you wonder if there are any dresses at all that you can wear which fits your bulky body comfortably. Do not despair for help is at hand.

Maternity outfits have been designed keeping you in mind. They are both practical and stylish. It is a good idea not to invest in expensive or too many maternity wears as you will need them for only a brief period. Locate a store in or near your locality and treat yourself to some outfits that make you feel good. Some of the stores may also offer online shopping.

Maternity Stores in India

A large number of stores have been opened in India to cater to the clothing needs of the pregnant woman. Some stores are dedicated exclusively to maternity outfits, while some others have a separate section catering to these. Some stores you can walk into for your maternity wear are MotherCare at the Shoppers Stop, Cherish the The Mother Store, Westside, Studio Mom, Maa'ternity to name a few. Cherish the Mother Store also has an online store. A few other online sources that you can choose from to pick your maternity outfits are Ebay.in and RateTag India. Most walk-in and virtual stores help you to select from both Indian and international brands such as Morph, Cherish, Mother Care.

Choosing a Maternity Outfit

Different kinds of maternity outfits are available such as jeans, bras and panties, kurtis, shirts and pants, footwear etc. Stop for a minute and consider the following as you shop:

• Compare various stores and check out different catalogs to find out the range of products that each store offers along with their prices.
• Check out different outfits in the store and find the one that you are comfortable in. It may help to buy clothes that are just bigger around the stomach and chest alone rather than an overall bigger size. Maternity garments of your pre-pregnancy size may work out the best for you. This is because these garments are designed to give more space around the breasts and stomach.
• Make sure that you can move about freely in those outfits and carry out your normal chores without any restriction. Buying cotton maternity inner wear is a good choice as they feel light on your skin.
• Try opting for maternity bras with wide straps, bands and at least a couple of adjustable hooks that support your swelling breasts. Buy only a few of them at a time as you may need to buy more in different sizes in the coming days.
• You may find various outfits in different colors, cuts and designs that help you look trendy rather than oversized.
• Ensure that the fabric used to manufacture the outfits are of the best quality. This is to ensure that rashes do not form around the stomach because of low quality fabric.
• Avoid footwear with high heels and complete flats. It is preferable to buy footwear with very less heels and one size bigger. Your feet tend to swell as you progress with your pregnancy. A bigger size helps in your feet feeling comfortable. Shoes with soft soles are also a good choice.
• Pick out outfits that you can mix and match. This will make it appear that you have more outfits than you actually do.
• If you are planning to nurse your baby, buying maternity outfits that help you do this is a point worth considering. You will not have to spend money a second time on yet another set of maternity clothes.

If you do not want to spend on maternity wear and yet feel comfortable in some loose outfits, try raiding your partner's wardrobe!