The one clothing item that no longer works for you once you are pregnant is your pre-pregnancy swimsuit. No matter how stretchy or forgiving your suit may be (or your thought it was), if it is not made for maternity chances are it will not fit you for more than a few weeks into your pregnancy. The belly minimizing styles that most regular one piece suits now cleverly use to suck in your belly is the last style that your doctor would recommend for an expecting mom to wear! Fortunately for you, there are a lot of great maternity swimsuits out there that can comfortably fit your changing body through all stages of your pregnancy and actually flatter your figure!



Prego Maternity Swimwear specializes in swimsuits for expecting moms and offers a wide variety of styles and patterns from serious one piece swimsuits, like the Empire Tank to the modest but cute BabyDoll styles to the sassy tankinis and hipkinis and the bare the belly maternity bikini. Many other upscale maternity designers are also branching into maternity swimwear styles that are hip and fashionable, so there is no reason to shy from the pool or the beach!

The first step to finding your perfect maternity bathing suit is too look for the style that best flatters your shape. Figure out what your priorities are in choosing a suit in terms to fit and support: bust support, more room in the hips or bottom, covering the belly or letting a little peek out, a serious swim or water aerobics suit or a frolic at the beach or lounge poolside suit? Determining your fit goals and your most likely use of your suit, be it serious swimming or wading along the beach, helps narrow down what selections to consider.

If you are buying online, look carefully at the product descriptions or call the customer service number to review any questions you have on the fit of the suit. Some brands run bigger than others and some use more lycra for better stretch. Ideally you would like a maternity swimwear to have about 20% lycra so it can be used throughout your entire pregnancy. Suits that have the best bust support typically fit higher in the back, have wider adjustable straps and less cleavage. Typically maternity halter tops do not offer as much support as tanks unless they fit higher across the bust. Some halter suits have ruching across the front of the busts to offer better fit and support. Also look for suits that have padded cups to offer more structure and support in a bra like fit.

If you are looking mainly for a serious workout maternity swimsuit, the one piece tank style suits provide the least resistance in the water and the best overall support for swimming. If the suit fits higher on the back it will function as a more supportive suit for the serious swimmer.

There are many styles to choose from if you are looking for a cute, flattering all purpose maternity swimsuit. If you want to totally hide your belly, go for a style with bottoms that cover the belly and longer skirt for the top. The babydolls come in both tank and halter styles and also cover the hips and bottom.

If you don't mind showing a little belly as you grow, the maternity hipkinis and maternity tankinis styles come with under the belly bottoms and belly skimming tops. There are many fun patterns out on the market in these styles as well as classic solids that work well for the whole year.

If you need a little extra room in the hips or bottom, look for a style with adjustable side ties in bottoms. This option is available in many of the tankini and hipkini styles as well as the maternity bikinis.

If you are a bikini person pre-pregnancy, there is a good chance you will also want to wear one when you are expecting as well. There is no substitute for a high quality maternity bikini as it is specifically made to fit your changing shape with more stretch, more room in the bust and adjustable ties. There are also many cute bandeau type wraps you can wear with your bikini for pool or beach lounging if you are looking for that option.

Many expecting women find that they really need at least two maternity swimsuits if they frequent the pool or beach or even if they are going to a beach vacation destination. It is easy to burn out on one suit, especially if you are using it several days in a row. Like the maternity or nursing bra rule, you need at least one to wear and one to wash! So, have fun in the sun and find the maternity swimwear that suits you.