7 Smart Ways to Save on Maternity Clothes

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It is so exciting to watch your baby bump continue to grow throughout pregnancy. However, the ever expanding size of your waist can make fitting into regular clothes harder. If you shop smart, you don't have to let the cost of new maternity clothes flatten your budget.

1. Thrift Stores, Yard Sales, and Consignment Sales

Shopping second-hand is a great place to start your maternity wardrobe search. In my experience, you will find maternity clothes in either excellent condition or in very worn condition. This is because a pregnant woman will usually only wear out her favorite pieces, while only wearing a certain dress or blouse a few times.

The thrift store can have very outdated items (think Motherhood Maternity circa 1980s). However, I have personally scored great maternity pieces at yard sales and a semi-annual kids' consignment sale. Look for yard sale listings that advertise maternity clothing or baby items. Many women are grateful to sell their maternity clothes for very little or even give them to you because they are sick of wearing them. When shopping a consignment sale, wait for the half off days to score an even bigger discount. Also, shopping yard sales with a large, pregnant belly has gotten me a bigger discount, but your mileage may vary. (See also: 6 Ways to Save on Pregnancy Expenses)

2. DIY Maternity Pieces

If you have even a hint of sewing skills, you can pull off a handmade belly band, maternity pants conversion, and nursing tops. These DIY maternity wear projects are easy:

• Maternity jeans (Use an old or thrifted pair of jeans and $2 worth of elastic)
• Jersey knit pencil skirt (Uses about $8 worth of knit fabric)
• Ruffled belly band
• Transforming a regular shirt into a maternity shirt
• Nursing bra
• Nursing tank and belly band

3. Invest in Basics

Chances are you will want to spend most of your time in leggings, tanks, and flowy t-shirts. No need to pay a premium for these items at the maternity store. Instead, just buy inexpensive brands (i.e. Forever 21 and Ross) in a size or two up. Expect that you will not be able to wear them after you lose the baby weight, since your bump will stretch out your pieces, making them hang oddly.

4. Extend Your Clothes

A bra extender and belly band (purchased or DIY) will allow you to fit into your clothes for a little bit longer without damaging your current wardrobe. A bra extender costs $3.50 to $7 on Amazon, and a belly band can cost $10 to $20. The bra extender is the best buy, since buying new bras, on top of buying nursing bras, is costly.

5. Share With a Friend

If you have friends that have recently had a baby or will have their baby months before you, then ask if you can borrow their maternity wear. You don't even have to be the same exact size, since maternity clothes sizing is quite forgivable.

6. Buy in a Lot

One thing I did to score a great deal on maternity clothes was to buy them in a lot. I was able to get a whole wardrobe for about $80. This lot included about 20 pieces, and at the end of my pregnancy, I even sold a few pieces on eBay, earning my money back. I ended up getting my maternity clothes for about $4 a piece, and even if I sold all of them for $1 a piece at a yard sale, I would have earned ¼ of my investment back. This is not too bad considering maternity clothes can be hard to resell, especially for how much they can cost.

7. Shop Clearance

Don't forget to check out the clearance racks of your favorite maternity store, as well as other stores that do not specialize in maternity. Stores like Ross, Marshalls, Target, and Old Navy can have great deals on their maternity clothes. Look for a coupon or Target Cartwheel offer to save even more. (See also: 5 Surprising Ways to Save Money During Your Pregnancy)

Remember that your maternity clothes will only be worn for a few months, so think wisely before spending several hundred dollars on fashionable maternity pieces.

How did you save money on maternity clothes?