My Take on Maternity Clothes

Ah, maternity clothes. They have come such a long way from the days of polyester tents designed to conceal your growing baby bump. Now the majority are designed specifically to show it off, and while I love that, fashion never comes without a price. Let's face it, maternity clothes are way, way overpriced when you consider the short amount of wear you typically get out of them. It drives me wacko that a basic long-sleeved cotton shirt can run upwards of $25 or $30 dollars, and don't even get me started on anything dressier than that.

Being a working mom, looking nice and put-together is important to me. Over the years, I have dropped some substantial deniroes on my work wardrobe, and for me, pregnancy isn't a reason to sacrifice style. I'm not willing to sink a ton of money into a temporary wardrobe, but neither am I willing to schlep around in my husband's sweaters for months on end. Enter the bargain hunter in me, and she loves a challenge ;) The love of a good deal is genetic in our family - it's been passed down through my mom's side and I have to say that as a result, I feel like this generation is pretty darn good at sniffing out a deal.

I present to you, Exhibit A:

Flutter-sleeve blouse by Motherhood Maternity. As a general rule, I hate Motherhood. Generally ugly and usually frumpy clothes that are always overpriced? No thanks. But, I found this on consignment for a mere $3. THREE dollars! And it's adorable. While the weather is cooling down here, this would look super cute over a white long-sleeved shirt.

Another consignment find - a purple wool sweater dress that I snagged for five bucks. Perfect for fall and winter! Sweets was born in August, so I lived in yoga pants and tank tops at the end of my pregnancy with him. This time around, I need some cold weather staples and this fit the bill perfectly. With tights or leggings and boots, it will be adorable.

And speaking of leggings, behold this pair from Pea in the Pod that I scooped up for...you guessed it, $5! Pea in the Pod has some very nice things and the quality is great, but the price tag is generally higher than I am willing to pay. Imagine my delight to find these for steal! All three of the above pieces came from the same seller and cost me a whopping $13 total. They are in terrific shape and I'm sure I could consign them myself when I'm done with them.

My favorite cloth diaper site, diaperswappers.com, has a "Maternity and Postpartum" section where mamas can sell their gently used items and I check it out a few times a week to see what's floating around. I have found some stellar deals there, including the ones above. A few of my other fav ways to find cute maternity clothes at a reasonable price:

• Local consignment shops - I know of two in my area that have a maternity section. The selection is of course relatively limited, but it's worth checking out. I have found some great stuff this way.
• Burlington Coat Factory - I'm not sure if all the locations have a maternity section, but the one nearest me has a nice little section where I've found some inexpensive basics.
• Marshall's/TJ Maxx - I love these stores anytime, and while they don't have a designated maternity section, if you're willing to spend some time browsing you can find some pieces that work great from pregnancy into postpartum.
• Zulily.com - a flash sale site, Zulily posts different deals every day, usually for a substantial discount. There is almost always a maternity sale section, but you generally have to act fast, as when the merchandise is gone, it's gone. I found fabulous deals on dresses for my BFF's wedding shower and rehearsal on Zulily.

I love shopping, I love a deal, and I love being pregnant, so for me, it's a win-win :) Happy shopping!