Clothing

When you are four or five months along, your pregnancy will begin to show. Your waist bands will seem tight and nothing you put on will feel just right. This is the time for you to start wearing clothing designed for expectant mothers. Most department stores and some of the women's specialty shops have pretty maternity things for sale. There are many attractive patterns to choose from if you would rather make your own.

You will only need this type of clothing for a comparatively short time, so you will not want to spend a great deal for it. In many cities, there are thrift or commission shops where dresses and other articles of clothing in excellent condition are often sold for much less than their original cost. If you have never been in one of these resale stores, watch for a chance to visit a good one. You may find an attractive maternity outfit there at a very reasonable price.

In making or buying maternity clothes, avoid anything tight or binding around the waist. The skirt of a modern two-piece maternity suit has an extendable belt and an elasticized section in the front panel under the smock. Dresses and slips that hang from the shoulders are good because they do not put pressure on the abdomen.

Whatever you do, get yourself becoming things. There is no reason today why any woman should wear anything drab, ill-fitting, or makeshift just because she is pregnant. You can look particularly well at this time if you take a little trouble to find colors and styles that suit you. Pretty clothes are excellent morale builders.

Panties should be loose enough to adjust easily as your waistline expands. Some have special sections of soft elastic in front.

Brassieres and girdles

It is important for you to wear a good supporting brassiere from the beginning of your pregnancy. This will help your breasts retain their shape. It will also improve your posture and appearance and add to your comfort. The best type has a full cup, wide shoulder straps, is designed to support the breasts from underneath, upward, toward the opposite shoulder, and never "binds." After the fifth month, your breasts will probably not become any larger, so the brassiere that is right for you then may continue to fit for the rest of your pregnancy. Some women wear nursing brassieres even during pregnancy. If you are going to nurse your baby, this is economical because these brassieres have tucks that can be let out after the baby comes.

Your doctor can help you decide whether or not to wear a girdle. If you never have, you may not need one now. If you are used to this kind of support, you should probably continue to have it, but the girdle should never be too tight.

An ordinary elastic girdle without bones will do for the first two or three months. After that, if you wear a girdle at all, you may need a special maternity corset with adjustable sides and back, fitted to your measure. You put it on differently than you do an ordinary corset. Lie down on your back, pull it up into position over your legs, and start fastening at the bottom. If you prefer, you can put it on in the usual way, without hooking it, and then lie on your back to fasten it. You may feel like a contortionist the first time you try this, but don't give up. Hooking your girdle up from the bottom gives your uterus more support. Later in your pregnancy, it will be easier to get into this garment lying down than to struggle into it standing up. Sometimes it helps to put a pillow under your hips.

Shoes

Nothing you wear at this time is more important than your shoes. The increasing weight in your abdomen changes your posture, putting strains on your body in new places. Properly fitted shoes with flat, low, or medium heels will help to balance you. You will certainly want to avoid shoes that do not fit and shoes with extreme heels because these will add to the danger of your falling. Flat, shapeless moccasins are not good either, because they do not support your arches.

If you have always worn high heels, you may miss the dressed-up feeling they give you. Some doctors advise against shifting back and forth from high to low; others approve high heels for special occasions. This is something for you to take up with your physician. He will probably suggest that you try shoes with heels of different heights until you find the type that is most comfortable for you. You will discover that sensible shoes for expectant mothers come in many pretty styles.

Having found shoes that feel just right on your feet, why not stick to them, at least for everyday wear? If you do, you will carry yourself better, you will not be so tired at the end of the day, and you may avoid a good many backaches.

Bathing

A bath every day will refresh and relax you. It is one of the best ways to care for your skin at all times but particularly during pregnancy when perspiration may be a problem. If you perspire excessively, don't be unduly concerned. This is one of nature's ways of taking care of the waste products from your body and the baby's. There are many excellent deodorants on the market and you will probably want to use one.

Until sometime in the eighth month, it is usually all right for you to give yourself tub, shower, or sponge baths. From then on, it is better not to use the tub because you may find yourself quite clumsy and you might fall getting in or out. In the shower, stand on a rubber mat or a bath towel so you will not slip. You may feel more comfortable about bathing toward the end of your pregnancy if you wait to do this until your husband or some other adult is at home to give you any help you may need.

Care of your teeth

It is customary for an expectant mother to see her dentist soon after she becomes pregnant. Your doctor will probably want you to do this. If you have cavities, they should be filled to prevent further decay. A tooth that needs to come out can be pulled unless there is some special reason for not doing so. On the other hand, it is better not to have a lot of complicated dental work done at this time. You need to be able to eat regularly, and repairs that interfere with this should wait, if possible.

Sometimes during pregnancy, the gums become redder than usual and bleed easily. Be sure to consult your dentist or your doctor if this happens in your case and the condition persists. The difficulty may be nutritional. Mouth infections should be cared for immediately.

Care of your breasts

Whether or not you expect to nurse your baby, you will want to keep your breasts in the best of condition. During all of your pregnancy, they should be clean and comfortable. Wash them as you do the rest of your body when you take a bath or shower. If your skin is sensitive to soap, your doctor may suggest a substitute.

About the fourth month, a colorless fluid called colostrum begins to ooze from the nipples. This means that your breasts are preparing to produce milk. If this secretion forms a crust, use a little cold cream, lanolin or cocoa butter to soften it. Small squares of gauze worn over your nipples will keep the colostrum from coming through onto your clothing.

Your doctor may suggest that you apply a cream of some kind to your nipples to toughen them for nursing. If they become inverted, he may advise you to massage them gently. He will show you how to do this. He will want you to let him know immediately if a breast or nipple becomes sore, hard, or inflamed.

Marcus Siegel

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