If you’ve ever been pregnant or are a partner of someone who has, you know how the expensive items specific to being pregnant can easily throw your budget into a tailspin. Today, we’re going to cover the largest categories for spending money while pregnant (besides the birth and the medical expenses related to delivery). Let’s chat about clothing, your health, and time off. If you are done having babies or it’s not your thing, share with a friend who can benefit from earning money while preparing for a birth. I have no idea why there’s not a financial “What to Expect when You’re Expecting” book. I think it would be a best seller. Hmmm, maybe I need to write one.
CLOTHING
Before you jump into maternity wear, you may have a few more options. Getting (not necessarily buying) new clothing is almost always a necessity when you’re pregnant. For your first baby, I’d recommend trying to stay in your own clothes as long as possible. This will cut down on your maternity budget and give you a larger range of options. A hair band (or rubber band) will give you about 3-5 more inches of waistline when you hook it around the button hole of a pair of jeans. Another great option is a belly band. It can lengthen just about any shirt so that your growing belly doesn’t show and you can even walk around with your pants unbuttoned or unzipped without your belly hanging out. This is also true after the holidays or your freshman year of college where you may have put on my extra LB’s. The more you can do these little hacks, the longer you can put off purchasing maternity clothes.
Just because you’re pregnant, you don’t have to look like an oversized doll or a frump. Frilly tent dresses went out of style long ago-thank God. You have lots of avenues to purchase very cute and trendy maternity clothes. However, I did find it extremely disheartening to see prices like $88 for a pair of maternity jeans and $98 for pantsuits and sundresses. Considering the fact that you only wear these items for such a short time frame, I just couldn’t get myself to pay these prices. I don’t spend that much normally; let alone for something I’m only going to wear a few times.
Where should you shop for your maternity wear? Just as I did in discussing general clothing hacks (blog post 4/5/21), I’m going to take you through your options from cheapest to most expensive. The first place that you need to canvas in search of items to wear while you’re pregnant is your husband’s closet. His T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, pants, shorts, and larger dress shirts are excellent to wear while hanging around the house, exercising, or sleeping. Your basic leggings pushed under your belly worn with a long shirt works like a charm. You might also know a male friend or family member that has clothes that he’s not currently wearing.
Also mentioned in general clothing hacks (blog date 4/5/21), you should raid your female friend’s closet. Many friends may be willing to lend you maternity clothes. Just put their initials on the tag so you know who to return to after having the baby. Maternity items are worn much less than normal items, so borrowing or lending will most likely not use the lifespan of the item. I have been lucky enough to have friends lend me some of their clothing as well as lending them out myself. Since your size can change dramatically even within a month, you may only get a chance to wear the items once or twice anyway. I had many items for special occasions that were only worn once.
Garage/Church Sales, and Consignment Stores are also excellent places to find maternity clothes at killer deals. I have found numerous items in this manner. I found a dress at a local church sale that I could wear out to a nice dinner or wedding for $8. I also found shorts to bum around the house for .50 cents--yep you read that right. 50 CENTS! You can’t beat those prices. The consignment stores are more expensive, but you can find some really stylish and cute items. Even though the cost may be a bit more than garage sales, they are still cheaper than purchasing it new.
If you can’t find specific items using these avenues in your area, you will have to venture out to purchase some new articles of clothing. At a minimum, undergarments will probably need to be purchased. Some great places to shop at reasonable prices are Old Navy Maternity (www.oldnavy.com), Motherhood (www.motherhood.com), Walmart (www.walmart.com) and Target (www.target.com). For a larger list, go to www.google.com and type in “maternity clothes".
HEALTH
Being pregnant changes more than just your pants size. There are other items that you will need to consider purchasing as well. Recommended for a healthy pregnancy is prenatal vitamins and Folic acid. Typically, your ob/gyn will write a prescription for these. The supply usually lasts for 30-90 days. For me, with the prescription, my co-pay was $20 at the time. A lot will depend on your insurance coverage. Ask your pharmacist before filling the subscription. You may be lucky enough to get it for free. If not and it’s a large amount, go to one of the warehouse clubs and purchase prenatal vitamins as well as folic acid. I personally found both at Costco. I took it in to my ob/gyn to confirm that they were approved to take and she confirmed. I was able to get one bottle for $15 and use it for my entire pregnancy as well as after while I was nursing.
Due to your growing and changing body, you also may realize that you have additional issues like swelling, circulation, and miscellaneous pains. Some people will choose to do more massages, reflexology, and manicures/pedicures for general pampering. See previous blog post “Finance Hacks for Personal Care” (4/2/21) to find out ways to keep these costs as low as possible.
Back in the day, I used to teach exercise classes specifically for pre and postnatal participants. I taught yoga, ball classes, aqua, low impact aerobics, and weights. We were a great resource for each other for being pregnant, our kids, and motherhood in general. I still remain friends with many ladies from these classes and my oldest is now 19. They are very popular across the country and can be found at locations such as the YMCA or even private studios. You may be able to get temporary memberships (without commitment) for your pregnancy period. If your budget is too tight to be able to afford these costs, especially if you’re anticipating unpaid leave from work, YouTube has lots of videos to choose from that you can do from your own home. Just google “pregnancy exercise” to find a lot of choices for free. You may not gain the friendships or camaraderie from a class, but you can keep yourself healthy and moving throughout your pregnancy, which is important for you, your labor, and your baby. You also may be able to find groups via FB or www.meetup.com.
TIME OFF
If you are currently working while pregnant, you may plan to continue right up until the birth. During your pregnancy, it is not uncommon to have to take some time off whether it’s for sick days, doctor’s appointments, or other medical complications. Some may even have to go on bed rest where you’re not able to work at all. If you do not already have the option with your employer, see if it’s possible to do all or part of your job from home. This can be good for your “off” days where you don’t have to burn through your vacation or sick days. You also need to plan for missed time after the baby is born.
Unfortunately, the US doesn’t have a federal paid maternity or paternity leave. However, four states do provide for it: California, Georgia, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Check with each individual state to see what is allowed. Even though there may not be a mandated leave, businesses can choose to offer this perk to their employees on their own. Additionally, the FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) requires 12 weeks of UNPAID leave annually for mothers of newborns and newly adopted children. If you are not in one of those states, or if your employer doesn’t offer any paid time off, you can take time away from your job without fear of losing it, but you need to plan accordingly since it will be without pay. During your pregnancy, make sure you build and pad your emergency fund of 3-6 months expenses to accommodate for any time that you will have to spend off of work.
Pregnancy brings all sorts of big changes in one’s life, including financial. It’s good to know what to expect during this time to navigate all of the things that may concern you during this time. No need to do this alone. So many people have been pregnant and have done it on a dime. As with every aspect of your life (even growing your family), there are always ways to cut costs and earn money for your family. You CAN do this.
**In a future blog post, we will talk in detail about baby items and expenses.
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