Maternity Lingerie Buying Guide
Maternity lingerie shopping made easy !
Pampering Mom.com
Shopping for
Maternity Lingerie:
What Every Woman Needs To Know!
Regardless of how much or how little you spend on your maternity wardrobe, the one area where you probably shouldn't skimp is in your lingerie and intimate apparel - your underwear. While some stores can go overboard in trying to convince you of what you need (will you really be all that comfortable in a pregnancy thong?) still, there are some basic maternity undergarments that can make an important difference in not only how you look, but also how you feel.
According to Colette Bouchez, author of the new book "Your Perfectly Pampered Pregnancy" (Doubleday/Broadway Books, NY - Feb. 10, 2004), among the most important is a well-made pregnancy bra.
" Depending on how quickly your breasts enlarge, you may have to change sizes or even styles more than once during your pregnancy, so it's not necessary to buy a lingerie wardrobe right from the start," says Bouchez.
That said, she adviseses women to do a little window-shopping early on in pregnancy, to familiarize yourself with what's available in the maternity departments. When the time comes for a new size or style you'll have an idea where to go to find what you like and need.
For most women, Bouchez says that a bra with wide set straps that are
also thicker in width helps give much needed support while minimizing
pressure on your shoulders.
"Remember, together, your breasts can gain as much as 5 pounds during
pregnancy, which in case you don't already know, can feel a lot like hanging a
watermelon around your neck and expecting your shoulders to carry the weight,"
says Bouchez. So, she says, the thicker the straps the more the extra weight
will be distributed, which means the less your shoulders and upper back will
feel the strain.
You should also seek out the smoothest, softest fabrics possible, choosing bras
with a minimum of seaming in the cup area. In fact, the smoother and softer the
cup is, the more comfortable your growing and tender breasts will feel. Also
remember, says Bouchez, you are going to need more coverage than you did before, to
help support painful and tender breasts, so by pass the décolletage styles and instead
In general, she advises that when purchasing maternity lingerie look for fabrics and styles that will hold up to repeated washing. Remember, you probably won't purchase as many pieces as you normally might do, so each one is going to get more than the average number of washing. Styles with lots of lace or other trims, or thin or fragile fabrics may not hold up as long as you need them. What can also help: Hand wash and line dry your maternity lingerie. This puts less wear and tear on fabrics than a washer and dryer, the heat of which can also quickly beat up elastic and spandex.
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