When I got pregnant with our son Elijah, one of the things that worried me was the expense of maternity clothes. My husband and I had only been married a month and a half when I got pregnant. As newlyweds, our finances were stretched pretty thin, especially with both our student loan payments. Is it even possible to purchase a maternity wardrobe on a budget?
Thankfully, I learned that it is possible to buy essential maternity clothes without breaking the bank. A family member had given me $100 to get some maternity clothes, and I made it my goal to stay within that budget.
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How I Built A Maternity Wardrobe On A Budget
I feel I should add a quick note before going into what I bought while I was pregnant. For the first trimester or so I was able to continue wearing my usual clothes. It was only in the latter half of my pregnancy that my clothes began to not fit anymore.
In all likelihood, the same will be true for you! Most women are able to wear regular clothing until they begin to show.
Secondly, I live in Texas, and most of my pregnancy landed in the warmer months of the year. If I had lived in a colder region, I likely would have spent more on warmer clothing–and more of it! Keep in mind that if you live in a colder region you may need to expand some on my basic maternity wardrobe. Or move to Texas. 😉
The Basics
Maternity Camis
I pretty much lived in my maternity camis when I was pregnant. Between the actual Texas heat and my own body heat, I was always so warm that I usually just wore a cami around the house. I also layered them with other maternity blouses/shirts. That way if my shirt was a little thin or a little low around the neckline I was still covered.
I got mine from Walmart, and they were super cheap! I think I ended up with four or five in different colors.
Nursing Bras
I didn’t buy any nursing bras until the last few months of my pregnancy. Until then, I was able to stick with my regular bras. A family member gave me a few, which saved me a lot of money. I ended up only needing to buy a couple. I ordered mine from Walmart, which saved me a lot of money.
Around the same time I bought this nursing sleep bra, which I loved! Cause, ya know, leakage happens. It was super comfortable to sleep in, and helped me stay dry during the night.
Tops
Shirts/Tunics
While I was assembling my maternity wardrobe on a budget, my number one goal was to spend as little as possible on each item I picked out…while still picking out cute clothes! Most of the shirts/blouses I got were from the brand Planet Motherhood and Oh! Mamma. Both can be found online at Walmart.
After picking up a few shirts and blouses from Walmart, I added a few tunics from Amazon. I absolutely loved these tunic shirts from the brand Larace. They’re made of rayon, which is stretchy and super soft. Bonus: They still look great after you’ve given birth. A year later and I still wear these tunics.
Sweaters
Although I hadn’t planned on it, I did eventually end up getting a maternity sweater toward the tail end of my pregnancy. Technically I could still fit into my regular hoodies, but the maternity one was more comfortable and lighter (but still warm). This is the one I got from Walmart. Unfortunately, it is no longer in stock, but you can find similar ones here for a great price!
Pants
Maternity Jeans
I also got my maternity jeans from….you guessed it, Walmart. I’m just being honest, Walmart has super cheap prices on their maternity clothes. Since I live in a hot climate, I only ended up buying one pair of maternity jeans. It was enough for me to have a single pair to wear when I needed jeans to wear out somewhere.
I got mine from Planet Motherhood online through Walmart. The demi panel worked fine for me, and they were very comfortable! Plus, they only cost me about $16.
Shorts
I think I only bought one pair of shorts while I was pregnant, and I think it may have even been before I found out that I was pregnant. That being said, I didn’t buy any shorts that were specifically for pregnant ladies. I wore regular shorts the vast majority of the time. They were more comfortable than any other option, and I didn’t have to buy a whole new set of shorts.
Shoes
The one thing my maternity wardrobe on a budget did not include was shoes. I did not buy any new shoes during my pregnancy.
Typically I wore either flip flops or my sneakers. I continued to wear flats to church and special events, up until the last month of my pregnancy. At that point my feet swelled enough that it was no longer comfortable to keep wearing flats.
Rather than buying new shoes, though, I just loosened up the laces on my sneakers and sucked it up the last few weeks. Within two weeks postpartum the swelling in my feet and legs had disappeared, and I was good to go!
Overall, I found it relatively easy to purchase my maternity wardrobe on a budget. And a tight budget at that! The key is to continue wearing your regular clothes as long as possible, and then buy maternity pieces that can fill a variety of needs.
What maternity essentials are in your maternity budget? Share with me in the comments below–I’d love to hear from you!
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