These 5 Expenses Surprised Me The Most About Pregnancy

August 01, 2017

When preparing to start a family, most couples are aware of the added costs they’re getting in to — child care, diapers, gear, etc. What I didn’t factor in when I got pregnant with my daughter was the added cost to clothe my growing body. Here are five things I had to shop for during my pregnancy, some completely unexpected.

Shoes. I expected my waistline to expand, but it never occurred to me that my shoe size would change. I ended up having to go up a full shoe size the last few months of my pregnancy, and my feet were so swollen during the last few weeks that I ended up just buying a pair of black flats that could change with my feet and wore those every day til I delivered. Since I knew (hoped!) that my feet would go back to their normal size eventually, I shopped consignment shops for this temporary need. I was surprised by how many shoes I found that had been barely worn or with the tags still on them, so have continued to shop consignment for everyday wear as well.
Underwear. Never being well endowed, the highlight of my pregnancy was being able to completely fill out tops for once. This also meant that I was changing bra sizes constantly. I started lactating about eight months in, so before my daughter was even born, I had to switch to nursing bras with extra padding or I had to buy padding for my bras. Stores like Target, Marshalls and TJMaxx had great inexpensive options. I also found that bikini style panties handled my growing tummy better than briefs. This may be TMI, but I wished someone would have mentioned this to me before I was pregnant so I could be prepared.
Occasional outfits. Most expectant moms know they’ll have to buy some maternity clothes, but those occasional items like bathing suits or wedding wear are tough to spend a bunch of money on when you know you might only wear them once or twice. This issue continued even after I delivered, much to my disappointment. To deal with this, I sent out an S.O.S in the form of a massive text message (no shame in my game!) to other moms asking to borrow clothes. I always found a generous mom who not only offered her clothes, but also gave me baby items like clothes and blankets.
Work clothes. I was determined to stay in my clothes for as long as possible, which lasted about 4 months. At first I used belly bands, which allowed me to wear my pants unbuttoned and unzipped for a bit longer. Once I grew beyond that little fix, I hit up every consignment shop in my area. I learned that when children’s consignment shops held their massive seasonal sales events that they also included maternity items, which enabled me to buy many clothes at great prices. This, plus asking friends for old clothes, allowed me to build my work wardrobe pretty inexpensively.
The “in-between” stage. I wish I had known about the weird period after your baby is born when you still look pregnant, but you are too small for maternity, yet too big for your own clothes. The kindest thing I did for myself during this period was to rely on spandex and anything with elastic to get me through until I’d lost my baby weight.

One of the biggest hang-ups I had was asking for clothes — I felt like I was asking too much, but it turns out I shouldn’t have been so shy. When my turn came to help other expectant moms, I was only too glad to clean out my closet and get rid of the those maternity clothes. If you’re expecting your first, do not be afraid to reach out to friends for help — they’ll be glad knowing that their stuff will be going to good use!

Want more helpful financial guidance, delivered every day? Sign up to receive the Financial Finesse Tip of the Day, written by financial planners who work with people like you every day. No sales pitch EVER (being unbiased is the foundation of what we do), just the best our awesome planners have to offer. Click here to join.