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You are pregnant! Maybe you are excited. Maybe you are scared. Maybe you are surprised. Regardless of how you feel, you will need to prepare yourself to dress the part of the mommy-to-be.

Today's maternity designers know that you do not have to wear appliqued ducks on your shirt to show the world that you are going to be a mother. You can be beautiful while you are pregnant, but you will have to plan out your wardrobe.

First, start shopping now! Do not put off the buying. You will be tempted to shop for your little pregnant belly now, but be practical. You obviously do not need the clothes now, so shop the clearance racks. The clothes that are on clearance now are the clothes you will need once you are visibly pregnant.

Be sure that you purchase clothing that will be able to grow with you. Some tops in particular are not able to grow as your belly grows. Instead you may find that by six or seven months in, you have outgrown all of your maternity wear. If you have an unlimited budget, that may be a great option as the clothes you purchase really will fit you at various stages of your pregnancy.

The general rule is to purchase in maternity clothing the same size you wear now. If you are very small, you may want to consider moving up a size as your body may add some fat to prepare for the baby. For most women, however, if you wear a medium shirt now, that is what you will need for your pregnancy.

Do not forget to purchase good shoes. They are a must in any mom-to-be wardrobe. No, there are no "maternity" shoes. Instead you should look whenever you are out for shoes that may be comfortable in the waning weeks of your pregnancy. Look for shoes with soft sides. Do not go for hard boots or other similar shoes. Instead look for something cloth or with a lot of give. Your feet will swell, and they will tend to get bigger throughout the day as you are standing on them. That means that you need to get shoes that will "grow" with your feet.

Be careful about buying shoes too early in, though, because you could find that your feet grow, and they will not feet by the time you are ready for baby.

Maternity underwear also can be a big purchase. There are bikinis, thongs, and all of the other sexy undies available for non-pregnant women. Some women feel incredibly sexy when they are pregnant and want to keep with the same style. These underwear are made specifically to allow you to keep that feeling at the same time you are wearing undergarments that accommodate your belly. You probably want to pick up at least one full-sized pair of maternity underwear though. They are unattractive; get over that part. They will be comfy when you are feeling bad, and you will be grateful later that you picked them up.

Remember that when you are shopping for your maternity wardrobe you should splurge on yourself. You deserve it.

By Julia Mercer