Before you get to shop for your newborn, YOU will have to take care of dressing for your changing body. When dressing for two, you have to consider more than just your growing belly. Your widening hips will narrow your selection of pants in your pre-pregnancy wardrobe, forcing you into either maternity clothes or sweat pants. The latter should NOT be your only solution, neither should your husband’s side of the closet.

Your will find that your breasts are changing throughout the pregnancy, getting bigger with time with the climax a few days after delivery when your body starts to produce  milk for your newborn. These changes will affect your choices of tops and dresses in your closet. Along with your growing belly and changes to your hips, you may find yourself with a shrinking number of clothes in your collection.

The best approach you can take to a constantly changing body is to divide your maternity shopping into two parts, and don’t shop for maternity clothes before you need them. You don’t know how your body will change. Even if this is not your first pregnancy, you can expect to be surprised with the changes to your body.

The first part to your maternity wear shopping should take place when you first notice you are running out of clothes that fit you. Don’t get carried away, especially with bras. Your breasts will keep growing. Get a good bra that supports you well, but wait with nursing bras until after the delivery, once you have reached your maximum size.

During your first trimester you may not need maternity pants or skirts, but can use a belly band to hold up and hide your unbuttoned pants, or a pants expander that will allow you to keep wearing your pre-pregnancy pants for a while longer.

The second trimester maternity wear shopping will probably take place when you outgrow your bottom options even with the support of the belly band or pants expander. When you are ready for maternity pants & skirts, buy a pair of maternity jeans , basic pants that will expand with your pregnancy and one nice pair of pants or skirt for special events or work meetings.

During the third trimester, if you plan on breastfeeding, you can start looking at nursing tops and nursing dresses. Maternity and nursing clothes of high quality will grow with your pregnancy and then shrink with your sliming body after the delivery, saving you money and time, you can spend with your spouse before the delivery, or your newly expanded family, after you give birth.