I am now just about 18 weeks along in my pregnancy and I’ve had to surrender all my trendy cool clothes for the most part for maternity wear. I’ve made it a long time with the belly band and other make shift solutions to keep me in my regular clothes but its officially time to make the full transition. I’ve been getting by with maternity tops but now my pants just don’t cut it any more. I’ve resorted to elastic waist bands or those with a mid or full belly panels. I thought making this transition was going to be horrible and I kept myself in denial for a few weeks that I needed these things but I do. Slowly over the last few weeks I’ve been making small purchases online at Nordstrom and Ann Taylor Loft. Nordstrom carries many great brands in today’s fashions but designed specifically for pregnant women which is great. I bought myself a pair of Citizens of Humanity Jeans and a bunch of other tops that are great for work. Ann Taylor Loft online also offers a great mix of clothes and are the only manufacturer so far that I’ve stumbled across that makes their pants in true sizes (2, 4, 6, 8, etc…) instead of the common small, medium and large which I often find challenging to figure out what size I am depending on the cut and the designer.

A few weeks ago, I bought a few things at Belly Dance in Soho; a great boutique that carries many of the same brands as Nordstrom online including Olian and Japanese Weekend both of which fit me really well. My favorite though seems to be Destination Maternity. This store is really three stores in one: A Pea in the Pod, Mimi Maternity and Motherhood maternity. The lines are very distinct from one another. A Pea in the Pod is high end items costing $200-$300 easy unless you find some great sale items which I recently did. The summer line though at Mimi Maternity has been fabulous for me as I’ve bought lots of tops there for work and they have great shorts too. Their prices are more moderate – think Banana Republic range. Motherhood maternity on the other hand is lower end but very practical for tank tops, capris and bathing suits. You can spend a fortune outfitting yourself if you don’t have anyone giving you hand-me downs but you can also mix and match from all price levels and put together a nice wardrobe.

Maternity shopping is certainly an experience and the other day I subjected Darren to it. He went with me pretty much against his will but afterwards he did find the trip interesting and made some noteworthy observations. So much so, he blogged about his experience over at darrenherman.com.