There is no better time to celebrate your individuality than when you are expecting a baby! At Uniquely Woman we appreciate that during this exciting time in your life you will want to look at your very best - hormones are raging and you very often feel that your body is not your own anymore; therefore it is more important than ever that you find fashions that will help you look and feel your very best.

A question of timing
A dilemma that faces most mums-to-be is 'when should I be wearing maternity clothing?!'. Many women feel uncomfortable in their normal wardrobe very early on within the pregnancy, with bloating resulting in trousers and skirts feeling tight. However at 6 weeks pregnant most women also feel a little embarrassed wearing specialist maternity clothing. Our answer to this is that every woman is individual and therefore in the same way as every woman is different pre-pregnancy, every woman is different when pregnant! Some women will suffer early pregnancy bloating more than others; some will not show any bump at all until 4 or even 5 months in to their pregnancy! With this in mind, you should not be deterred from buying well fitting specialist maternity fashions from as early as you feel uncomfortable. For most women this will probably occur around the 10-12 weeks mark, but with others it can be earlier or much later.

Discrete 'cheats'...
It is worth remembering that many maternity garments are discretely designed and tailored so that they can be worn from early pregnancy throughout the whole 9 months. Stretch panels and self-adjustment tapes in jeans and trousers are a God send in enabling you to combine fashion and comfort from early on in your pregnancy until you are ready to give birth.

However, if you still feel that specialist maternity clothing is that little bit too 'mumsy' for you early on in your pregnancy, or indeed you wish to conceal your pregnancy from friends until that all important 12 week scan, an interim solution may be to buy a couple of garments in a size bigger than what you normally wear. Nobody will notice the difference but you will feel a whole lot more comfortable during those early days. The disadvantage of doing this is that these garments will not last you for the whole of your pregnancy, although they may come in handy after the birth in the time before you regain your former figure.

A second 'cheat' that will buy you a little time before you make that investment in maternity wear is the good old elastic band! An elastic band is an excellent way to modify existing trousers if you don't feel quite big enough to buy maternity wear. By looping an elastic band through the buttonhole at the front of a pair of trousers you can gain that all important extra inch of comfort that will see you through a few more weeks. The only disadvantage with this is that you need to remember to cover up the elastic band, therefore limiting you to longer length tops and blouses. Most women start to get noticeably big bump-wise at around 16 weeks, so after 16 weeks the elastic band will most probably have to retire unfortunately.

Don't bump up your normal size!
Another common dilemma for first time mums-to-be is what size should be selected when choosing maternity styles. It comes as a surprise to many to find that the size should remain in line with your 'normal' pre-pregnancy dress size. That is to say if you are a size 12 pre-pregnancy, then you should choose maternity wear in a size 12, and so on. However as with 'non-maternity' sizes, maternity sizes can also differ between stores and so it is always worth trying on the garments before you buy if possible.

The one exception to this sizing rule is of course your bra! Most women find an early sign of pregnancy is the expansion of their bust with most women increasing at least one cup size through their pregnancy. Breasts will often feel tender and sore early on in pregnancy and you may notice the increase in size as early on as 6-8 weeks. Our advice is not to struggle on with your existing bras. It is vital that to get as much support as you can for your expanding chest by investing in a good bra. A good supportive bra will help ease some of the aches and pains you are feeling in this area and you bust will thank you for it!

Don't be a bump frump
Remember we are living in the year 2004 now and whilst it may have been frowned upon in 1954, the modern mum-to-be to be should be proud of showing off her ever expanding tummy by wearing anything from figure hugging jersey tops to even cropped tops that proudly show your bump to the world.

Even if this still sounds a little risqué for you, you should not be afraid to maintain your fashion sense as much as possible by choosing maternity styles and colours that reflect your pre-pregnancy wardrobe. Mixing and matching is always a good option. It is obviously worth bearing in mind that your maternity wardrobe will have a limited life (until next time..!) so it is probably sensible not to go too overboard with purchases of maternity clothing. With this in mind it is good to have a few items that will mix and match well hence always creating a 'new' outfit. It is also worth remembering that being pregnant doesn't mean that you have to forget about accessorising outfits. Investing in a few bright accessories such as earrings, necklaces, and evening scarves that don't break the bank will make a big difference when 'glamming up' each outfit; and the accessories will still come in useful after the birth.

Things have fortunately moved on from1954 and gone are the days of smock tops, dungarees and long floral dresses with bows galore! Now you can buy all types of casual, formal, work or occasion maternity wear from an extensive range of suppliers catering for all pockets.

So whether it is maternity combat trousers you want, or a formal black office skirt, an outfit for your friends wedding, or a simple summer dress, check out the Uniquely Woman supplier directory. Simply select MATERNITY from the pull down supplier category list and hey presto, you will be faced with so much choice you will need 9 months just to search through the selection!

Enjoy your pregnancy by looking and feeling your very best!