The (Maternity) Transformers

Your changing body doesn’t have to mean a major change in wardrobe. As the weeks start whizzing by from the first moment your pregnancy test comes back positive, you don’t have to spend big bucks on clothes you’ll only be wearing for a few months.

These three clothing gadgets can transform what you already have and give your existing wardrobe the mileage you’ll need to take you practically through the whole nine months (and beyond).

1. The Bra Extender

            As your belly grows, prepare to have cleavage (that is, if you don’t already have one!) on the horizon. Add a few precious inches of breathing room to bras you already have with this ingenious piece of fabric.

Armed with extra hooks and eyes, the extender easily attaches onto the bra’s back closure and accommodates the natural blooming of a mom-to-be’s body.

As the mom’s body expands to prepare for the baby—and breastfeeding—then normalizes after weaning, your bra does too! Perfect during and after pregnancy. They usually come in sets of 3 of nude, white and black of varying widths. Available at Maidenform or your local bra distributor, I found cheaper versions at Sogo and Bench outlets.

2. The Belly Belt

As waistlines stretch beyond your roomiest pair of jeans, this mommy invention will help take you through the most awkward stages of pregnancy with just a button and a tuck.

The Belly Belt Combo by Fertile Mind is the brainchild of an Australian mom who didn’t want to invest a lot of money on maternity wear. The result: a practical belt/fabric panel combo that attaches to the top button (or slide fastener) of your regular pants, skirts or shorts and discreetly covers the exposed tummy area with a fabric panel.

Just match with a flowing blouse or long top and voila! you’ve got bottoms from your closet that still fit! Each pack comes with three fabric panels (denim, black and white) and four fabric belts (2 with buttons and 2 with slide fasteners).

It’s a little pricey but a must-have when it comes to easing you into your new body. Check out http://www.belly-belt.com, just click on the Find Store button for the country you’re in for the store in your area.

3. The Tube Top

Ask any expecting mom about her shrinking top collection and you’ll find that at least half of her tops will be useless by the time baby’s 5^th month rolls around.

The answer: the simple tube top. A stretchy tube top that covers the whole torso (pre-pregnancy) can go both ways: as a bra alternative or as a tummy cover-up.

For the latter, layer the tube top under your favorite shirt/blouse and “lengthen” the hem of your now too-short top. 

With the bottom part of the tube top peeking out from under your regular shirts, a two-layered look is created—effectively hiding the tummy. Yay!

This goes hand-in-hand with the Belly Belt since this hides your bursting zipper closure. Play around with colors and prints for more variety. Find these at your local department stores (or your closet!) and buy their biggest size to take you through the next trimesters.