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I am pregnant. Have I shared that? I mean I have mentioned it to you, correct? Like 5,000 times, right? I know my husband would agree with that last part. He feels the brunt of my whining, groaning, general heavy breathing, and constant reminders that I am indeed growing a baby over here. I also am great at wanting my back rubbed, the laundry basket delivered up and down the steps, and begging for a nap during the day on the weekend. I do deserve those things though. If you don’t agree, stop reading.

The second time around isn’t a charm. No, not for this ole’ girl. I swear every night my back is going to break in two. I can feel it knot up and tighten and pretty soon I am in agony with upper back pain. This is just one side effect. There is heartburn from the depths of Hades, dizziness, and constant pressure and pain over each nook and cranny of my body.

I sound like I am complaining. Okay, I am complaining. The reality is that what I am trying to do is set you up for the blog post which features some of my absolute favorite pregnancy clothing products. The top things I cannot live without. Why? Because they bring me a bit of comfort and joy to this otherwise changing body. I would recommend them a 1,000 times over to my family, friends, or enemies. Yes, even enemies get the love from me when they are going through pregnancy. 🙂 Plus, when you feel like everything is changing and you are constantly uncomfortable, you grab onto the small things that make you feel beautiful, comfortable, and semi-human again. These Maternity Fashion Basics make me feel all of those things!

Plus, I am not all into buying a bunch of clothes on items that I won’t need after a few months. Instead, I tried to purchase as minimally as possible this time around. I focused on the basics highlighted here and then wear pre-pregnancy clothes to compliment my body – open-front cardigans, flowy tops, and dresses, you get the picture.

Maternity Leggings – Get yourself a pair, or two, or three. Just live in these. I know I do. They are perfect for casual dress and perfect for work attire. Because they are thinner and tight, I can wear these with dresses, or longer tops, and I never feel like I am dressing down. The best part is when I get home. I can exchange the dress or top with a comfortable hoodie or t-shirt, and I am in PJ mode.

Maternity Tank Tops – You need this! And, you need one in every color. I own white, black, and green. These are a great way to look like you have a bunch of maternity clothes when the reality is you are wearing one of these tank tops and pairing with a non-maternity sweater, button-up, and/or jacket.

A Comfortable Dress – I bought one dress this go around that was specifically a maternity dress. I made sure it was one that would grow with me and my belly and was comfortable. Otherwise, I tried to extend the life of my pre-pregnancy dresses. The form fitted ones were moved to the back and my flowy ones are now in the spotlight.

Cardigan Sweaters – So, this is a great investment when you are pregnant because these can last through nursing and post-pregnancy. This is where I choose to splurge when I shop because I do not feel like I am buying clothing that will have a short lifespan. I love these this season – This One and This One.

Belly Band -This is a great item for the first and early second trimesters. This is how I sustained buying maternity jeans for so long. With a belly band, you can continue to wear your pre-pregnancy jeans, shorts, and dress pants. You just slide this over your waist to hide the buttons that will not close anymore and the belly band looks like a tank top layer with tops. I bought a black, white, and nude, so it would go with various tops I had.

In total, I have purchased one pair of maternity leggings, one pair of jeans, three maternity tank tops, and three belly bands, which are all maternity specific clothing items. I am in my third trimester and have been able to use these basic items to compliment the clothes already in my closet.

Hopefully, you will find that you do not have to spend a great deal of money on clothing when you are pregnant. Save that money instead of a spa day, lunch or dinner date with friends, or manicure before baby arrives.