When I got pregnant, I was nervous about my body changing so drastically. I realized that I was going to create another human being in 40 weeks. It blows my mind that a new life is made in less than a year. Crazy!!!

One of the things that I struggled with was maintaining a positive body image throughout the whole pregnancy. I had always felt that my body was something that I had pretty good control over. If I felt bloated then I drank more water and ate better. If I wanted to indulge in chocolate lava cake then I could, but I knew that I would need to run an extra day that week to balance out the choices I made.

What I didn’t expect with pregnancy was how I would feel about my body creating a little human. This is something that I had no control over, or any experience in dealing with for that matter. I mean, you can read all the books about pregnancy, but nothing really prepares you for actually going through it.

I continued working out throughout my pregnancy so I could maintain some type of consistency when it came to dealing with my body. I knew that I could feel good about myself if I maintained some kind of workout regimen. What I ended up doing was going to the gym a few days a week and attending at least one yoga class a week. This helped me stay sane and helped keep me from getting frustrated about pants not fitting the way they used to because my body was changing so rapidly.

With working out and trying to feel good about myself, I decided that I would make finding and wearing cute workout clothes a priority. Enter the InDependent | Fitness Facebook group. I was able to get great advice from group members on where to go for maternity workout clothes. This not only made me feel good about myself while my belly kept growing, but maternity workout clothes kept me motivated to continue working out through the pregnancy.

Here is the information that I received from all our wonderful military spouses:

Old Navy for tops. I never wore maternity bottoms to work out. Spandex is your friend! – Laura R.

I never bought anything special for yoga or workouts while I was prego. I agree, spandex is your friend. I also had long tank tops from Target that I would double up, that or the hubby’s t-shirts! – Johanna T.

I found some pretty comfy maternity workout pants at Motherhood Maternity. They were awesome post pregnancy too when I needed workout pants and nothing else fit. – Linzi A.

All my stuff is from Old Navy, though I found that some of the most comfortable tops are non-maternity. This is my current fav: Women’s Burnout Tees. – Lindsay T.

What I ended up finding out on my own is that Maternity Motherhood can be expensive, but they have a high turnover of items, so you are likely to find great deals on clothes on their sale racks. Check with your local store, if you have one, to see when they get new stuff in and then usually a day or two afterwards they mark down the older inventory.

Also, Target carries the maternity version of the basic black workout pants that most of us have in our closets. These were a little more pricey than what I usually pay for pants, but they have been worth every penny. I love the belly support the maternity pants give me. It’s like they are giving me a hug.

Another item that has been a lifesaver for me was investing in a Bao Bei Maternity Belly Sport Bra. Yes, it is expensive, but it is supportive and gives you the coverage you need as your belly grows.

What maternity clothes do/did you like the most? Where are good, inexpensive places to shop for maternity workout clothes?