How to Buy Maternity Clothes on the Cheap

After finding out you are pregnant, you may be among the many women who wait with eager anticipation to the time when you can fit into maternity clothes. Some women dread wearing maternity clothes, but for first-time moms especially, the milestone of no longer fitting into your regular clothes is an exciting one. You can finally announce to the world -- without saying a word -- that you are pregnant.

Buying maternity clothes, however can be a hefty expense. Think about it -- you're essentially replacing your entire wardrobe for about a year (don't forget the postpartum period!). Here are a few tips and tricks to cut corners when buying maternity clothes.

1. Borrow! Do you have friends or family members who are either done with or in between pregnancies? If their pre-pregnancy size is close to yours, chances are that their maternity clothes size will fit you. Ask if they would let you borrow a few key pieces of their maternity wardrobe. Be sure to take good care of borrowed clothes and be prepared to return in good condition, or replace if necessary.

2. Buy second hand. Because pregnancy is short-term, there is a slew of gently used maternity wear floating around the planet. Often, women will sell large portions of their wardrobe in lots. You can find second-hand maternity clothes in a variety of places, including:

• Consignment sales or shops
• Garage sales
• eBay
• Craig's list
• gently-used.com

3. Buy on sale. This includes both maternity clothing and non-maternity clothes. Often, you can find regular tops that are longer in length, stretchy or have an empire waistline that work well to wear during pregnancy. So, check the sales racks in the regular clothing section -- you might be surprised! The bonus about these items is that they can often be worn during postpartum and beyond.

4. Rubber bands, belly bands, safety pins. There are lots of tricks out there to extend the life of your own clothes throughout pregnancy. A hair band will give you about 3-5 more inches of waistline when looped around the button hole in a pair of jeans. A belly band will lengthen just about any shirt so that your tummy doesn't show, and allow you to walk around with pants unzipped/unbuttoned without showing. The longer you can wear your own clothing, the longer you can put off having to purchase maternity clothes.

What are your tips for buying maternity clothes on the cheap?