Hot Mama: Being Comfortable in Your Pregnant Skin

Hip (and Affordable) Maternity Clothes

One of the best ways to send your I-feel-frumpy state of mind through the revolving door to Hotel Get-A-Load-Of-Me is by revamping your maternity wardrobe. Thankfully, the era of maternity muumuus with patterns so bold that one could be seen coming a mile away on Madison Avenue at rush hour is long gone. The celebrity-sported maternity lines which were once reserved only for those with a bank account balance that grew in tandem with their bellies are now being created for the rest of us. An added bonus: they're cute!

So, toss the sweats that are two sizes too big and hit the mall. Find some styles that catch your eye. Spend a bit more to buy a few bottoms that you really like (because the part of you from the hips down is likely to be the part about which you feel not-so-good), and pair those with bright, fun, stylish tops. Liz Lange has a maternity line at Target which is not only affordable, it's adorable. The Gap has done wonderfully with their collection (and you can return items that don't fit properly directly to the stores, saving you shipping charges). The affordable options available online are limitless.

Product Availability

With so much merchandise on the market geared toward pregnant women—from stretch mark minimizing cream, to sunscreen that allegedly prevents chloasma, to leg cream that can supposedly bring immediate relaxation to legs and ankles—there's nary an excuse not to feel spectacular, or at least have fun trying.

According to Stephanie Breemes, mom of one-year-old Ava, "If a company sells you on the promise that its lotion will reduce or prevent stretch marks, I think it's worth a try. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I got my hands on Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula lotion for stretch marks and was a faithful user right up until the day I delivered."

A firm believer that doing whatever it takes to feel your best is an important part of being pregnant, Breemes continued to use that lotion even after her belly grew so large that stretch marks ended up making a small appearance in her last trimester. "Mentally," she said, "it made me feel like I was at least trying to take care of what used to be my body!"