Tips for Styling Your Bump on a Budget Once You Hit the 5th Month

Welcome to the awkward stage in pregnancy where you’re indistinguishable from a human grower and a human who ate too many donuts.

As if growing another human being wasn’t enough, you’ve been assigned the daunting task of making a beach ball (aka your growing baby bump) look flattering, all while staying comfortable and not overspending in the process. Though society has come a long way in the pregnancy fashion department, it can still make even the most patient woman want to pull her hair out.

You know you can’t get by wearing an oversized hoodie for much longer, and there will come a day when even the stretchiest pants are no match for your baby bump, so now is the time to strategize. It’s tempting to invest in a maternity wardrobe that fits you now and assume that the clothes will magically fit by the end of your third trimester (They won’t; your belly’s expanding by the day!). Or you might think it’s a good idea to go on one huge shopping spree for clothes that are slightly too big for you now in hopes that they’ll last you all the way to the end of your pregnancy. (This is risky. You’ll spend the middle of your pregnancy practically swimming in your clothes, and the end of it looking and feeling uncomfortable in clothes you’ve outgrown.)

Instead, plan to purchase two sets of maternity clothes: one for your second trimester and one for your third. And only buy the third trimester set once you’ve outgrown the clothes in your second trimester set. Look for versatile pieces like leggings with a supportive belly band and tops you can layer. Approach it like a capsule wardrobe to help you focus on the essentials. And don’t ignore your feet! If they’ve started to swell, you may notice your shoes pinching and squeezing in all the wrong places, so invest in some supportive footwear to get you through the coming months. To free up your wallet for all the adorable baby outfits you’re planning to buy, consider borrowing maternity clothes. Do you have a friend or family member who would be all too happy to share their stash? And don’t forget about sites like eBay, Poshmark, Offer Up, and Facebook Marketplace, where you could score an entire maternity wardrobe for next to nothing! Look at you, you savvy money saving mama!

Your new mantra: Style your bump on a budget...so you can have more $ for cute baby clothes!

Baby Size-O-Meter: 5 months = banana

Check out our entire pregnancy series that’s all about YOU. Because being pregnant shouldn’t mean losing yourself and just becoming a baby oven ;)