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If you’re anything like me, you don’t want to (or can’t) break the bank just because you’re pregnant. And yet, you are likely to find there are expenses that have never before occurred to you (like having to replace your entire shoe collection – that one took me by surprise). If you’re budget-conscious, you might appreciate these ideas for saving some moolah on your pregnancy needs:

1. Don’t go overboard shopping early. As soon as you find out you are pregnant you are likely to start wishing you needed maternity clothes and imagining you might see a little bump. Most women won’t need any pregnancy clothes for 2-3 months after they find out they are expecting for the first time. If you purchase too early you may end up with clothes in the wrong size and/or the wrong season. You can stretch your non-maternity pants further with something like this (or a rubberband through your buttonhole and over the button, if your budget’s really tight…or you’re cheap).
2. Consider borrowing maternity clothes. Personally, I haven’t really done this, primarily because we are planning to have enough children to make the option impractical. However, many people find it to be a great option for saving money. You may likely have friends who are ready to clean the maternity clothes from their closets permanently, and may want to bless you with them – don’t be afraid to mention on Facebook that you’re happy to take unwanted items off peoples’ hands!
3. Purchase secondhand. Many women get carried away with their maternity clothes purchases, and then wear the clothes only a handful of times. When our hormones and excitement kick in, it is so easy (and fun) to totally ignore my first piece of advice. 🙂 In our area we have a Clothes Mentor store that carries a large selection of clothes in all the name brands. Maternity clothes are pricey – retailers know they have you on the line – and the quality is rarely worth the price. Nice secondhand clothes are a great option.
4. Keep yourself as healthy as possible. That means eating as healthily as you can manage (but don’t be too hard on yourself – sometimes in the first trimester it’s all you can do to find something you can stomach, healthy or no). Also, exercise. The best exercise for pregnancy is walking – and it’s free! You can find many good prenatal exercise DVDs online, as well. If you are currently very active, you will likely be able to keep up your current regimen for a significant portion of your pregnancy (consult your doctor – I am not qualified to give medical advice). Your healthy pregnancy can help you avoid complications, improve your labor and delivery experience, and ease and shorten your recovery time post-delivery. In some instances your healthy habits can also keep your child from a stay in the NICU (for example, if you have gestational diabetes). There is never a guarantee – pregnancy’s annoyingly like life in that way – but trust me, if you do end up with complications, you’ll feel better if you KNOW you didn’t add to them.
5. Weigh your childbirth options. It is far cheaper to give birth without interventions such as an epidural or (God forbid) a C-section. The topic of unmedicated childbirth is at least a post unto itself, so I won’t go into details here. If you’re intrigued by it, though, or if your budget dictates that you need to have as cheap a delivery as possible, do your research! In my area, we have a stand alone birth center for unmedicated childbirth that is considerably cheaper than a hospital stay (that’s aside from the cost of medication and anesthesiologists if you choose medication in the hospital). You may also choose to have a homebirth – this option is cheapest of all, as you will pay only for your midwife’s professional fee and whatever labor tools you choose to have on hand.

I’d love to hear from you! What are your best tips for saving money during pregnancy?