Being pregnant does not mean that you have to sacrifice your fashion sense for nine months. Whether you are already a fashionista or just want to avoid looking frumpy, this page will help you learn how to dress fashionably when you're pregnant.

This is not your mother's maternity wear! Hundreds of designers like Juicy Couture, Rock & Republic, Japanese Weekend Maternity, and Bravado all offer fashionable maternity clothing that will keep you looking chic and stylish. There are also less expensive clearance items that can assist you as you continue to wear the clothing brands that you like best.

So many stores offer maternity wear to outfit every fashion taste and style. Online shopping makes the task so much easier as you can see which stores carry the name brand that you like best.

If the brand name is not the main draw but it is about the style, then checking with your favorite department store is a good idea. Both specialty shops and Department stores now cater to the expectant mom.

If you keep this and a few other fashion and shopping tips in mind, you may just get the reputation for being the best dressed mom-to-be on the block.

Especially during your first trimester, you can wear many of the clothes you wore before getting pregnant. There are products on the market, like the Bella Band, to help extend the waistband of pants and jeans so you can wear your favorite outfits for longer. With draped shirts and choosing from your own shirts and fuller cut tops which will be a little looser, you can stretch your time comfortably until you move into maternity clothing.

Your belly will grow as your baby grows, so if you buy all your maternity clothes based on this one size you are in right away, not all of it will fit later on. Some material is less able to be worn in later stages of pregnancy due to the inability to stretch and give. You may find yourself needing larger undergarments as well. This is why it is a good plan to buy items in stages so that the pieces fit you when you will actually be wearing them.

The search for good fashion is important, but you should also bear in mind your own comfort. This is a time to be as comfortable as possible. This includes comfort in the clothing, accessories, and shoes that you are wearing. You may have to pass on a few trends, like tight belts and high-heeled shoes that may be a little uncomfortable even if you are not carrying an extra 10-30 pounds.

Once you have started to show and have begun to feel any tightness, it is the time to get a maternity bra that has a good blend of comfort, style, and support, and that you can wear with many different outfits.

This will increase your comfort level as your boy begins to ache with the increased weight and pull of the baby. Having good support will help keep those back and shoulder aches to a minimum.

One place to begin is to find companies and clothes that fit your current sense of fashion. There is a wide variety of styles available to the expectant mom. Many vendors offer new lines of maternity clothing. If you have a certain brand of clothing or a certain designer that you enjoy before pregnancy, check to see if they also make a maternity line.

Look in the maternity department of your favorite department store for looks that match your taste. Just because you are pregnant does not mean you have to wear something you do not like.

Designers have started creating items like skinny jeans, business suits, and party dresses that are specifically designed to fashionably flatter mothers-to-be.

Your hair and accessories are part of your wardrobe. These are areas where the size of your belly does not interfere in your hairstyle and accessories, it can change the way you look in them.

Perhaps it seems your hair is not complying as it always has. This is possible and can be due to hormones and the fact that with your pregnancy your hair is growing faster. There are also chemical changes that can occur and make your hair texture change. Keeping in mind that these will go away after the baby arrives can keep you from doing something desperate.

You may be tempted to change into the bob that might compliment this fuller face that you find yourself with, but is this a look you will want to continue after the baby arrives, if not then it is best not to make major length changes based on this pregnancy face.

Accessories however can be easily adapted to the new fuller faced you, and will be a testing ground on those larger chunkier pieces that you have been wanting to try.

In short, dressing fashionably with a baby on the way isn't all that much different than dressing fashionably any other time.

True, you may not be wearing those high-heeled shoes for awhile, but you should still be able to keep your current fashion style and update your wardrobe at the same time.

Staying true to your own style will assure that you are just as fashionable while pregnant as you were before.

• Introduction
• Step 1: Wear Your Current Clothes
• Step 2: Buy clothes in Stages
• Step 3: Be Comfortable
• Step 4: Be Yourself
• Step 5: Hair, Makeup and Accessories
• Conclusion