Hints and tips for saving money on pregnancy clothes

• Wear your pre-pregnancy clothes as long as possible-I managed to wear
  many of my hipster jeans a fair way into the pregnancy as they fitted under my belly. At nearly 34 weeks I am still wearing some of my pre-pregnancy jeans. Sometimes I leave the top button undone under an extra long shirt. A small hair elastic can be used to go through the button hole and attach at each end to the button, to stop the button sticking out.Elastic waist-ed or tie up trousers work well too and you don’t have to buy them from the maternity section. For some reason the word ‘maternity’ seems to add to the price!
• Check out Big W, Kmart etc when they have sales-I managed to buy a two pairs of maternity pants on sale for about $20 Australian one at Big W and one at K Mart. I must admit – no pair of trousers stays up well. It is a bit like trying to keep trousers on an egg.
• Hints for tops-I found men’s singlet’s and boob-tubes (worn below my bust) a good way of lengthening t-shirts. I have also picked up a few cheap long t-shirts. When choosing t-shirts it is important to choose long ones. I have found that even some maternity t-shirts are not long enough to cover my belly at 33 weeks. Remember that your trousers are probably going to be worn lower as your belly expands hence the t-shirts need to be even longer.
• Clean your teeth before you get dressed.-As my bust and belly expanded I found I wore more things on my t-shirts than previously (especially toothpaste). I found it better to clean my teeth before I put my t-shirt on. Depending on your stain removing skills you may also find your t-shirts need retiring earlier.

For ways of wearing your pre-pregnancy clothes longer see

Save money on pregnancy clothes - raid your mans underwear drawer

 Maternity bras

I found that maternity bra’s had a few different support structures inside for when the cup is pulled down to feed. The lady at the bra shop told me that the triangle rather than the single strap was better as you did not need to adjust yourself after feeding so it was much more discreet for feeding in public.

I bought some cheaper maternity bra’s that I fitted myself at Kmart and Big W at about 5 months as my pre- pregnancy bras were no longer comfortable. They cost $20 - $25 Australian each. They had a thin single strap inside to hold the bra in place during feeding.

I was fitted for bras at David Jones at 7 months (my last trip to the big city before birth – I would have waited longer if I lived in a city). I tried on bras ranging from about $40 to $60. Luckily for me the ones I found most comfortable only cost $40 and $45. In comparing the structure of the cheaper bras with the ones I bought at David Jones I could see why they cost more.

To cut costs you could have a free fitting at a good bra shop, buy one bra there, and write down the names and sizes of the ones you find most comfortable and try to source them over the net more cheaply.

I also bought a bra strap extender to lengthen the back strap. As my baby sometimes sits high and makes it hard to breathe I need the extra room to gasp for air.

I have also been told it is likely I will need to wear a bra to bed when my milk comes in to hold breast pads in place so the sheets don’t get soaked with milk. Something to keep in mind when deciding how many bra’s to buy.

 For more advice on choosing a maternity bra see

 Maternity Bras in Pregnancy

Also lots of great advice given in the comments on this q & a

 Q & A - Maternity bras

 
Shoes

I recommend getting a comfortable pair of leather slip on shoes. Bending over to do up laces gets uncomfortable as the belly grows and with leather shoes the leather stretches with your feet if they swell.

Wearing long socks can help if you are having trouble with swollen feet. I find I get less discomfort from swollen feet with knee high socks than with ankle socks. If swollen feet are still a problem you may like to try support stockings.

 These are some of the things that worked for me. Six weeks and one day to go --and counting!