Most women will not have to start shopping for their maternity merchandise, trendy maternity clothes or designer maternity clothes right away. The clothes that are already in a woman's closet should be wearable for most of the first trimester. That is unless mother is pregnant with twins or multiples and quite often the second and third pregnancies when a woman will gain more weight. A good rule of thumb is to start considering the clothing maternity store when clothes start getting even a bit tight or uncomfortable. This is the time when a woman can start shopping and looking around to see what sort of options there are available if she hasn't already done so. Online clothing maternity sites are a great place to check out just to see what's available and think about the types of maternity merchandise needed (maternity clothing for the office, casual maternity clothing etc.).

Purchase Considerations

Shopping for maternity merchandise and maternity is a new adventure especially for first time mothers and the choices can be overwhelming to say the least. A few things to consider when shopping for clothing maternity can include:

• the average weight gain for expecting mothers is somewhere between twenty five to thirty five pounds but can be as high as sixty to eighty pounds;

• most women start gaining weight consistently after the first trimester;

• the pregnancy weight gain will be different for every woman, most will notice an increase in breast size while others will even a notice an increase in shoe size;

• good maternity clothes can be worn after the birth of baby while body is going back to pre-pregnancy size;

• maternity clothes should make a woman feel good while offering comfort;

• good maternity clothing should save a woman time and money;

• as soon as pre-pregnancy clothes start feeling tight mother should start considering maternity merchandise.

Tips

Some other tips to

• maternity sizes usually reflect a woman's pre-pregnancy size, so if a woman is normally a size ten the maternity clothing she chooses will most likely be a size ten or size medium;

• the importance of good fitting and comfortable undergarments (maternity bras and underwear) cannot be stressed enough, they should probably be the first thing expecting mother's purchase;

• it's a good idea to avoid shiny belts and things around the hips (especially belts);

• darker colors offer a more slimming look;

• mix and match maternity separates are a great idea (skirts, shirts, tops and pants) in solid basic colors;

• it's a good idea to purchase maternity merchandise in lighter fabrics than normally worn (even in winter months) as mom's tend to overheat more easily.

There is no need for expecting mothers to avoid events, weddings or the office (unless of course they are not feeling well) for fear they won't find something to wear. There have never been more maternity merchandise or maternity options than there are today. Maternity merchandise options used to be limited for the expecting mother but today pregnant women can find fashions maternity to include; maternity jeans, maternity pantsuits, maternity wedding dresses, maternity swim suits, maternity accessories (hairpieces, scarves, jewelry), designer maternity fashions, maternity tees and tops, maternity pants, maternity plus size wear, maternity pajamas and intimate apparel, maternity outerwear, maternity hosiery, and maternity dresses and skirts.

In conclusion the vast array of maternity merchandise available gives pregnant women the choices they need to feel both appealing and comfortable throughout each of the first trimester pregnancy, second trimester pregnancy and third trimesters of pregnancy. One look at any of the wonderful online maternity sites gives pregnant women the options they both need and desire. From maternity wedding dresses to maternity bras and lingerie in funky and hip designs, being pregnant has never been quite so fashionable.
About the Author

Valerie Giles owns and operates Are-You-Pregnant? http://www.are-you-pregnant.com. Find resources and FAQ for expectant parents on our pregnancy web site, including symptoms of pregnancy, conception calculator, trimester development, child birth, breast feeding as well as maternity merchandise. The accompanying articl