Maternity Clothes

I’m in my first trimester, and my pants are getting snug. What did you do for maternity clothes?

Our Mommy MD Guide’s reply: When you’re looking for affordable, comfortable work clothes, Old Navy tops my list. Several of the slacks are made to grow with you: from barely a belly to enormous. Most of Old Navy’s clothes mimic its women’s line. If you check the sales rack, you can usually find slacks from $10-$30 and buttoned shirts from $5-$20. The website has more options than the store. Visit the store to try on your size, and then buy the rest online.

—Tyeese Gaines Reid, DO, MA, a mom of one, an emergency medicine resident physician at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, and the author of a time management book for women, The Get a Life Campaign 

Our Mommy MD Guide’s reply: A few months into my first pregnancy, I bought a few pairs of new pants that were a size bigger than what I normally wore. Even though it cost a bit, I knew that I was going to have more children, and so I could wear them again. Plus I knew I’d wear the pants after my baby was born while my body returned to pre-pregnancy size. They were a great investment!

Especially during my third pregnancy, I wore a lot of dresses to accommodate my big belly. They weren’t even maternity dresses—just regular flowing, empire waist dresses. I lived in those. They were loose and flowing enough to accommodate my growing belly and breasts.

—Lezli Braswell, MD, a mom of one daughter and two sons and a family medicine physician currently working in an emergency room fast track in Columbus, GA