8 Ways to Save Money on Maternity Clothes!

Some maternity wear out there sure is cute! But have you seen the prices of some of this stuff?! I mean, like, are you punishing me for carrying around another person?! I resolved from the moment I learned I was pregnant that I was NOT going to shell out crazy amounts of dough on maternity clothes and you shouldn’t either. Here are some things you can do…

Make Use of What You Have

Maxi dresses are your friends! I own about five or six and had them in heavy rotation throughout my entire pregnancy. Despite their being made of a light material and usually meant for warmer weather, I layer up and wear them in cold weather as well. Just pair it with a cute blazer! Maxi skirts also came in handy right up to the day I gave birth. The elastic band allows them to stay put over your belly and the abundance of fabric gives you plenty of room for growth.

Basically, anything with an elastic waist or made with spandex (like tank tops and tees) should carry you through you entire pregnancy and you can usually use them afterwards- I do!

See What to Wear for a Maternity Photo Shoot to see how I made use of already owned pieces.

Thrift!

You can find some real gems at thrift stores on the cheap! True, they may not have a maternity section but don’t let that stop you. All ya gotta do is buy larger sizes on certain items or look for those stretchy spandex/elastic waist items. I scored a really cute oversized sweater for a buck that had more than enough room for the belly and still looks cute post-pregnancy.

Look for Sales

I needed jeans for work as part of my uniform so I couldn’t completely escape buying at least some maternity clothes. But, whatever I DID purchase was always bought on sale. I’d pop into Old Navy (right across from the job!) and check periodically. I was able to get all three of my maternity jeans at 30-50% off! I also scoured the sale racks weekly and made out with a few basic tops for super cheap.

Shop Sales on Non-Maternity Wear

Speaking of sale racks, don’t just check the maternity section of your favorite retailers or specialty maternity stores. Get out of the mindset of “maternity” and scope out non-maternity wear too. Just before finding out I was preggers, I purchased the three maxi skirts mentioned above for about five bucks each during an H&M sale! Keep your eyes peeled for end-of-season sales, go a couple sizes up and save on basics like tanks, tees and leggings or boxy sweaters for fall/winter and loose, airy tops for warmer weather, like the one I wore to our baby shower.

Sign Up for Email Alerts

When you start a baby registry, certain stores will ask if you’d also like to receive info from their partners. These will often include sites that sell maternity wear, so I’d check “yes” if I were you! I got discounted nursing bras and a nursing cover-up from these other sites by signing up. Online specialty stores like motherhoodmaternity.com or destinationmaternity.com will also have periodic sales or heavily discounted items so don’t forget to sign up with a few of these so you can stay on top of promotions and deals to save!

Ask Your Mommy Friends

Often times, you’ll have that mommy friend who can’t wait to pass on her maternity wear if she was recently in your shoes. Other times, you just have to ask! If you’re comfortable enough doing so, ask around to see if any moms you know still have and are willing to give or loan you their old maternity stuff. One less thing to worry about.

Raid Hubby’s Closet

Coming down to the last trimester especially, you may spend most of your time at home. Why not hit up the hubby for old tees or basketball shorts to laze around in.

Check the Doctor’s Office

While at your periodic OB/GYN visits, check their bulletin board. You’ll find lots of good things to know including advice about your health, information about programs you can take advantage of AND you may also catch notices about where you can find affordable consignment maternity clothes! In some areas, there are nursing programs out there for low-income moms which will not only provide you with health services but they’ll also throw baby showers for their participants where you’ll find donated maternity wear as well as things for your little one.

How were YOU able to snag good deals on maternity clothes?

Feature & Pinterest image: DFinney Photo