In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

Time to Shop Maternity!

Your second trimester can have you feeling ready for loose fitting clothes
Time to Shop Maternity!
Credit: Jozef Polc © 123rf.com
Sunday September 29, 2019

Some women will be excited to have an excuse to go shopping, while others may be reluctant to spend a lot of money on clothes they'll only wear for seven months. No matter which camp you fall into, there is no denying you'll likely need some new duds to make it through the next two trimesters.

If you start with a few key pieces that can be mixed with other essential must-haves, you can get by with a minimal amount of maternity clothes on a smaller budget. If you want to buy more, it is easy to add coordinating items to keep your look fresh, but shopping at discount retailers or looking for sales can still keep your budget in mind.

Key Items



  • A Great Bra - One of the first things you'll notice need a new product are your growing breasts. We recommend a comfortable nursing bra that will accommodate your growth for the next six months. Choosing a nursing bra over a maternity bra means double duty for the price of one. Nursing bras are designed to accommodate breast size fluctuations during breastfeeding, so they are a good choice for pregnancy fluctuations.
  • Black Stretch Pants - A great pair of basic black stretchy pants that can go with anything are perfect for maternity wear as they can be worn multiple times a week paired with different tops and accessories to create a whole new look. Co-workers will never notice the pants repeat with various stylish blouses on hand.
  • Comfy Shoes - A pair of comfortable shoes without heels can help you keep your balance and prevent back pain. You might consider shoes that are a half size larger than you normally wear as most women's feet grow or swell during pregnancy.
  • Tank Tops - Add a few tank tops to your list of must-have items. These tops are suitable no matter what the weather and can be paired with sweaters, cardigans, blazers, and other accessories.
  • Maternity Jeans - Jeans are a staple in most wardrobes, and maternity wear is no exception. Whether you can wear them to work or just for the weekend, these stylish pants shouldn't be overlooked.
  • Simple shirts - A few simple shirts in various colors can mix and match with tank tops and pants for a week's worth of work-ready outfits.

Just remember that no one expects pregnant women to invest in an entirely new wardrobe. If you plan to have more children then a larger collection might be worthwhile, but in the end, keeping it simple is a good idea that will allow more funds to go toward your new arrival's needs.


Honest, objective reviews. Led by a Pediatrician.

BabyGearLab was founded by a Pediatrician Mom with a mission to provide a reliable, independent, source of information to new parents. Our experts have tested thousands of baby and kids products to share key performance, health, and safety findings. We spend tens of thousands of dollars crash testing car seats to inform our ratings. And, we combine our review work with gobs of expert parenting advice. To assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing by people who care.

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