So your newly pregnant, you wonder whether your fashion sense will have to go by the wayside for the next nine months? Will you be confined to moo moo’s and patio dresses? Definitely not! Not if we have anything to do with it. Follow these tips for finding the perfect style and fit for your body type.

Start buying maternity clothing as soon as you feel a little snugness in your pre-pregnancy pant waistline. For most women, it is usually around 13-17 weeks. You may think you can do without until your really showing, but your body and your baby will thank you for allowing a little extra room. When you start needing to unbutton your pants to sit down, it’s time for maternity wear.

When buying a maternity wardrobe, start with basics and then add fashion pieces to mix and match. Just like a pre-pregnancy wardrobe, you can create quite a few different outfits by investing in basic pieces and throwing in a few bold accents to give your ensemble some flair. Five maternity must-haves are a little black dress, a tunic, a great pair of maternity jeans, a wrap, and a convertible piece. Many maternity designers offer convertible and reversible pieces that you can wear several different ways. Some convert from tops to skirts, others from a dress to a skirt. Reversible pieces often have a solid on one side and a print on the other. Fill in the rest of your wardrobe with items that suit your lifestyle, such as slacks and a blazer if you’re required to dress up for work or trendy maternity tops and capri’s if comfy and casual is your mantra.

Choosing maternity wear that looks flattering can be easy to find as long as you know your best features. It’s all about playing up areas of your body that you want to flaunt and hiding the areas that you don’t. For example, if you now have the bust you always dreamed of, buy a dress with a heart shaped or scooped neckline. If your hips have gotten a little wider than you’d like them to be, look for an A-line empire waist dress in a more forgiving fabric.

Now that you’ve taken Maternity Clothing 101, you’re ready to tackle your maternity wardrobe shopping and there’s no better selection of stylish and trendy maternity wear than right here at Posh! Thanks for visiting our site and we look forward to serving you! If you have any sizing, style, or general questions, please e-mail us at customerservice@poshmaternityonline.com. Our FAQ page has a great sizing chart comparing maternity designers too!