Maternity Clothes

I finally broke down and did it - I bought maternity clothes today. I've been putting off buying them because I wasn't mentally ready for buying clothes that I'm going to "grow into." The thought was just too weird since I haven't really felt pregnant. However, in the past few days I've started to pop out some more and my regular pants were not comfortable anymore, even with my Bella Band.

Why didn't anyone tell me that buying maternity clothes was going to be so stressful! I walked into a maternity store ready to spend, but where to start? I want something that looks nice, but I essencially have to buy a temporary wardrobe for the next 5 months, so I don't want to spent too much.

Someone recommended that I buy some clothes now, and more later as I get bigger. That sounds good, but what kind of things should I buy now? I want things to mix and match, but does that mean that I shouldn't buy things that are too spring/summer-y, or trendy? I want to keep my style, but maternity clothes tend to be more "girly" than I'm used to with flowers, lace, and sequins.

There are so many styles to chose from - pants that have a full belly panel, the mid belly panel, the lowrise pant, the roll down panel, etc. How do I know which one I'll like the best? Should I buy one of each? Then, there are the fit questions - if it fits comfortably now, will the pants be too tight later? If I buy loose pants now, will I grow into them? How do I know where my belly is going to be? Agh, so many questions!!!

After all the questioning and wondering, Patty helped me pick out a few pairs of pants, a skirt, and a couple of longer shirts. I'm wearing one of those pants and they are so comfy! I can already tell that I'm going to be getting a lot of use out of them. Suddenly, wearing maternity clothes doesn't seem all that bad and scary. Plus, my new pants help accentuate my baby bump - woo-hoo! Hopefully buying maternity clothes will come easier with time...