Dressing that {almost} Baby Bump

Jessica (expecting baby #1 in August) sent us this question:
I'm in a limbo with my clothes. My jeans still fit, but my slacks and skirts don't. I tried on some maternity slacks and realized I'm not there yet. They were huge in the waist! So what do I wear? My belly has popped a little, but it just looks fat, not pregnant, so I would love some shirts that are a little "flowy"... any ideas?
Hopefully these tips from the Belly Mamas will help you cover that "pooch" while you're dreaming of your soon-to-be baby bump.
From Kim:
Ah, the in-between stage. Not enough to quite look pregnant, but just enough to look like you overdid it on the Twinkies. I sympathize. I suggest low-rise jeans in bigger sizes and forgiving shirt styles. Some of my winter favorites included a long-sleeved Undertease shirt with a flowy tank top over it and a dress with a sweater/cardigan over the top. Also, I used the Belly Button maternity band because I felt too bloated to want something as tight as the Bella Band over my belly — or pooch, at that point.
From Noelle:
Hey Jess! I know what you mean, and there were a couple ways I coped with the clothing-limbo situation. For the pants, I could sometimes get away with just wrapping a rubber-band around the button of the pants, then looping the other end through the button hole and back around the button (kind of in an "infinity" symbol). This way, when your shirt is over your pants you can't tell they're unbuttoned. I also bought a "Bella Band." It's basically a stretchy tube of fabric that goes over your pants and belly, allowing you to leave your pants unzipped/unbuttoned. With a shirt over it, it just looks like a camisole underneath. As for shirts, I found that peasant top-type things worked well, and since it's winter, most sweaters are pretty forgiving.

From Dayna: What helped me when I was in that "limbo" stage was to use elastic hair bands to hold the button and button hole together. It gave me just a little more room so my pants could fit. I would usually wear a long Shade shirt to cover the rubber band and then long flowy shirts on top of that. Ones that A-line under the chest were perfect for covering my little pooch.
From Karlee:
Like I said in my "must haves" post, I recommend the Bella Band. It was perfect for when I needed to start unbuttoning my pants, but not quite into full blown maternity pants. I also loved wearing it after I had Beck to help with the pooch.

Good luck, Jess. And stay tuned for a post all about maternity clothes and stores we love — it'll be perfect for when that little bump of yours really pops.

Keep the questions coming, y'all! {bellymamas@gmail.com}