Every woman has a different body shape and different pregnancy gains. Also, the baby’s position in the womb might affect the tummy’s size and shape. If you are a person who wears loose and elastic clothes, you might switch to maternity clothes in the last weeks of the second trimester.
There is no strictly predicted time when you should switch to maternity clothes. You will feel it on your own. So, when do you start to wear maternity clothes? If you want to know, I will try to give you an answer and guide you on how to determine when is the right time for it.
When Do You Start to Wear Maternity Clothes?
Most women switch to maternity clothes in the second trimester. Depending on your tummy shape and size, you can buy maternity clothes between the 14th and 18th week of your pregnancy when the tummy starts to grow and show. However, you might switch to maternity clothes when the regular ones get tight.
The first trimester would not change your body a lot. It is still early to switch clothes since the fetus is as big as an olive. The key moment happens in the 5th and 6th month, or around the 16th week of the pregnancy.
In the second trimester, as I just mentioned, the fetus develops and grows fast. A healthy woman may gain around 5 pounds, which is not a huge difference that requires buying maternity clothes.
However, it depends individually since not every pregnant woman deals with the same pregnancy “issues.”
You might prolong maternity clothes shopping time if you have stretchy leggings, loose shirts, and hoodies. If you start feeling uncomfortable in regular jeans and tight shirts, it is okay to buy a pair of maternity jeans.
Instead of buying maternity tops and dresses, you can buy regular elastic dresses that you can wear even after the pregnancy.
Read more: When Is the Best Time to Start Buying Baby Clothes?
Tips for Buying Maternity Clothes
Now that you know when do you start to wear maternity clothes, let’s see some tips on when you will be buying such clothes.
Size
Maternity clothes size is the same as your regular clothes size. If you regularly wear medium size clothes, you will keep wearing medium, even maternity clothes. Most maternity clothes are flexible, loose, and contain more elastic, so they grow with you.
You would not need to buy bigger maternity clothes since they are stretch and adjustable and will fit you for a few months.
Or, you can buy regular clothes in a size bigger than you actually wear. For example, you can buy a loose shirt or hoodie, even choose something from the male’s section since male clothes are extra comfy to wear, whether pregnant or not.
Quality
You do not need to focus on the clothes quality because you will wear them only for a few months or probably for other future pregnancies. When it comes to the clothes quality, choose pleasant and soft materials that will make you feel comfortable while wearing them.
During the pregnancy, you will feel bloated and heavier and need something comfortable to wear. Loose and soft clothes would not put pressure on your tummy.
Skip the fashion clothes for a few months because it might not be worth paying hundreds of dollars for high-quality maternity clothes.
Buying a fashionable piece of maternity clothing is okay if you feel happy and excited wearing it. I recommend having one or two pricier and quality pieces since I have been through it, and I advise you to be a fancy mama sometimes.
Essential pieces
Let’s get back to the essentials since you will wear them during the pregnancy and a few weeks afterward.
- The essential piece of maternity clothing you should buy first is a bra. Your breasts will grow during the pregnancy, and you will need a bra that will fit your breasts and make you comfortable.
- Then, underwear. Every pregnant woman needs high-waist maternity panties that will support the tummy. These panties are extra comfortable, and you can also wear them after giving birth.
- Jeans! Every mom needs a pair (or maybe two) of comfortable jeans to wear when going out casually.
- Leggings. They are the piece of clothing you will wear most of the time. They are comfortable, come in various colors, and suit various purposes. You can wear them at home, do pilates, do yoga, and go for a walk.
- T-shirts. These are not so essential, but it is good to have one with a funny baby image on it.
- Hoodies. If your pregnancy is during the fall and winter days, it is good to buy maternity hoodies to keep you and your tummy warm during the cold days.
From regular to pregnancy clothes hacks
If your tummy is not yet visible, you can still wear regular clothes by doing some hacks. You might have heard about the jeans hack. Place a piece of elastic band and tie the button with the buttonhole. You get a few inches wider jeans, and no one will see the elastic extender underneath your shirt.
Borrow your partner’s shirts and hoodies. All women look prettier in loose male clothes, so be a pretty mama and enjoy the comfort of the male shirts during your pregnancy without buying loose maternity shirts with baby prints.
Wear your maxi skirt above your belly. You can still wear some pieces of your regular clothes if you adjust them with your bump.
Extend your regular bra in the first months. You just need to buy a bra extender, and your regular bra will last much longer.
Also read: When Should I Start Shopping for Baby?
Conclusion
So, when do you start to wear maternity clothes? But no precise answer will bring you to the desired information.
If you are a sporty girl with many loose t-shirts and leggings, you would not even have to buy maternity clothes.
However, the average time most moms buy maternity clothes is in the second trimester, somewhere after the 14th week.
