To be clear, when I write maternity clothes on a budget, I’m talking about keeping it cheap. There are several reasons to try to find cheap maternity clothes. They’re all equally valid. Maybe money’s just tight, or maybe you want to make sure we reuse what’s already produced. No matter why, there are several smart ways to do this.
In this article you will get 3 kinds of tips on how to get stylish and quality maternity clothes on a budget.
- Reuse & repurpose
- Where you can buy cheap maternity clothes
- Rent & borrow
The text is divided in 2 sections, the first one covers tips for Trimester 1, and the second part is about Trimester 2 and 3. If you want more tips on how to hide a pregnancy belly, just click the link to get to that article.
Trimester 1 on a budget
Please start with remembering that we’re all different, and there’s no right or wrong. Some women get a big belly bump straight away (usually mostly because of bloating), and some doesn’t show at all at this stage. You usually get bigger quicker the second and third time around. If you’re going through IVF, there’s a big chance you’ll get really bloated at some point. No matter what will happen to you, it’s good to be prepared. Especially if you’re planning on hiding your pregnancy for awhile.
Use and reuse the clothes you have
The hair-tie trick for pants
This is probably the oldest trick in the book. And that’s because it’s easy and ingenious. With just 1 or 2 elastic hair-ties ju can make your jeans and other button pants last way longer into your pregnancy. Take a look at the pictures and guides below.
Using 1 hair-tie
1. Loop it around the button
2. Thread the other end through the hole
3. Loop that end over the button
Using 2 hair-ties
If you also need to let down some of the zipper you can use 2 elastic hair-ties.
1. Thread the first hair-tie through the zipper hole
2. Thread the second hair-tie through the button hole
3. Loop them both around the button.
Use your maxi skirts
If you have any Maxi skirts, chance is you can wear them for a long time being pregnant. Just wear them a little lower than usual (under the belly), or move them up over the belly. If you don’t want people to see that you’re pregnant, choose the latter one. This only works if it has a loose fit of course.
The skirt in the picture is from Amazon.com →
Loose fitting sweaters and shirts
The most obvious thing to use is loose fitting sweaters and shirts. That will also help to hide the pregnancy for awhile. If you don’t own much flowy clothes, maybe you can check your partners wardrobe? Does he or she have anything you can borrow?
Wear your clothes longer with a Bella band
A Bella band is an elastic seamless waist extender. You wear it over your unbuttoned pants to hold them up. It essentially lets you wear your regular clothes much longer. The band is also great to wear postpartum when you transition back to your normal clothes. I think it’s super comfortable and even offers a little bit of support.
Buy Bella bands from amazon.com →
Maternity clothes on a budget for Trimester 2 and 3
In trimester 2 and 3 your regular clothes will probably not fit that great anymore. You’ll need to find some other options. It’s actually very possible to create a pretty versatile maternity wardrobe with a few well selected and cheap items.
Buy cheap maternity basics
If you buy some cheap tanks, t-shirts, pants, shorts, jeans and leggings you can combine that with every cardigan, kimono, blazer, scarf, jacket, etc that you own. You don’t have to get all of them if you don’t want to of course. Just get the ones you’re comfortable in. I have to warn you though, over the belly-maternity pants and leggings are insanely comfy.
You basically don’t have to buy anything else and you’ll be fine. Maybe not for a party, but for anything and everything else. It’s obviously not high quality things, but you really don’t need that. You’ll be using these clothes for a short few months.
A great place to find cheap basic maternity clothing is Amazon.com.
By maternity clothes Second hand
There are a number of places where you can buy used maternity clothes. They only sell items that are in great shape. Some of them sell all brands and some focus on more expensive stuff and designer clothes. Either way, you’re saving money. And the environment. It’s better to make use of the clothes that are already made.
Here’s 3 great second hand maternity shops
You should also check out local second hand stores. There are almost always something near to find if you just search for it. Another great place to look is Facebook. I can almost guarantee there are several groups in your area that you can join.
Rent your maternity clothes
If you don’t like the idea of wearing basics and need more diversity in your closet, you can rent your maternity clothes. At first I thought it sounded like a bad idea. I mean, renting means both pay and give back. Why not pay and keep? After reading up on it I realized renting does have some perks.
Why rent maternity clothes?
- Save time – get personalized clothes sent to you
- Don’t worry about the price – use expensive and designer dresses once and then return them
- Flexible plans – there’s usually no commitments
- Sustainable – clothes get used and reused
- Freedom – extend your choices without paying more
- Free shipping and returns
Where can I rent maternity clothes?
There are actually quite a few places that offers maternity clothes for rent. The ones I present here don’t all have the same offer. They all have their own unique take on it.
Nuuly →
6 items per month and no hidden fees. Shipping, repairs, laundry, and unique styles are included.
Renttherunway →
Rent a designer dress for a special occasion or get items sent to you each week, every other week, or every month. You decide your own plan.
Motherhood Maternity & A Pea in the Pod →
At Motherhood Rental you get 3 items at a time and swap when ever you’re ready. If you find something you can’t live without, buy it at a discount.
Stitch Fix →
Get personalized styles for trimester 1, 2 and 3. Tell them your price range and let the stylists get to work.
Borrow from friends – it’s free
I was lucky enough to have one friend and my sister in almost the same size as me. At least for some part of the pregnancy. Since we weren’t pregnant at the same time, ot at least not in the same trimester, we could barrow clothes from each other. That way we extended each others maternity wardrobes without spending an extra dollar.
Buy cheap maternity clothes on sale
There are a few maternity shops that are quite cheap to begin with, but also always have stuff on sale. If you have the time you can make amazing bargains here. I’ve made some easy shortcuts for you to click.
ASOS Maternity Outlet →
Motherhood Maternity Sale →
OldNavy Maternity Sale →
An example of a set of maternity clothes on a budget
I had a look around at Amazon and at the Sale pages of the other sites and came up with a pretty nice set of maternity clothes. There are basics to mix with the clothes and accessories you already have , but also items for a party and some bottoms. I wanted to get stuff that that could actually get you through the entire second and third trimester. Everything from a warm jacket to a bathing suit. A complete set of maternity clothes on a budget, so to speak.
- 1 pair of jeans
- 3 tops
- 3 tank tops
- 2 dresses
- 1 pair of leggings
- 1 pair of pants
- 1 tankini + tankini bottoms
- 1 jumpsuit
- 1 warm jacket
The budget for this was $222.62. The average pregnant person spends at $500 for every pregnancy.
Things that might interest you
Here are a few suggestions for articles that might interest you. Feel free to ask questions and give your personal shopping advices in the comments below.
Leave A Comment