Flattering Maternity Pants

     I had my share of maternity pants issues when I was pregnant with my daughter.  One morning in particular made me realize the challenges that pregnant women face.  I walked to the train station, five months pregnant and feeling every extra pound.  I’d spent the morning the same way I’d spent most of my mornings recently; changing outfits, trying to find something that fit.  Then I’d remembered the purchase I’d made the week before – a band designed to hold up my pre-maternity pants.  This band claimed that it disguised itself as a long camisole and could keep me in my pre-pregnancy (also known as the pants that didn’t give me a saggy butt) longer.  I was sold.

     As I neared the train I took into the city every morning, I saw people’s eyes on me.  I smiled inwardly.  Finally I looked good.  Finally I looked like a normal person again, wearing normal clothes, instead of like 13-year old me, in clothes that were too big in all the wrong places.  Finally-wait a second.  What was that flash of shiny pink?  I looked down.  Were those – yes, the pink, satiny underpants my husband had bought for my birthday (men…sigh) were protruding proudly from my open zipper.  Proudly displaying their tiny blue flowers, blatantly presenting the soft pink ribbon which lined the top.

     I froze feet away from the train tracks, aware of the crowd on the platform torn between watching me try to stuff my pants back into the oversized rubber band I’d naively believed would extend the life of my pants, the other half pretending they hadn’t noticed anything.  Once I’d regained my privacy (but not my dignity), I turned around and walked home to put on my brown maternity corduroys, the slacks with enough room in the trunk that I could deliver my baby in the seat of my pants without anyone noticing.

     Why is it so hard to find maternity pants that fit and flatter without spending hundreds of dollars?  Here are some tips to finding pants that you won’t just find bearable – you may even want to continue wearing them after your baby is born.

Shop online.  Many women, once they’ve finished having kids, use ebay as a way to get rid of maternity clothes.  You can find great pants – including the ever so important jeans – at a great price.

Browse second-hand stores.  This is along the same lines as shopping online.  Women who aren’t going to need maternity clothes anymore often take them to consignment shops to reclaim some of their investment.

Try everything on.  Make a day of maternity pants shopping.  Bring along an honest friend or family member (not your husband or partner who will tell you everything looks good to avoid your hormone-induced wrath).  It may seem impossible, but you can find jeans that show off your curves in a good way at a discount store.

Raid your sister’s closet.  Just like when you were teenagers, your sister or friend’s closet may be a gold mine.  Keep in mind that if the pants are that great and she’s got a few more babies in mind, she may not be willing to give them up.

Invest a little.  It may seem counterintuitive to spend a lot of money on a pair of pants you’ll only wear for a few months, but take into account the number of times you’ll wear them and whether you plan on having more children.  Spending a little more money than you usually would but feeling good throughout pregnancy may be worth it.