After spending several thousands of pesos on maternity and nursing clothes (they aren't cheap!), there are a few things I wish I had done differently, and a few things I'm glad I had the wisdom to do.

1. Instead of buying maternity T-shirts, buy large-sized nursing T-shirts instead. I didn't do this and now I regret it. When I was around 6 months pregnant and my biggest T-shirts were getting a little tight around my belly, I bought two casual maternity T-shirts. I used them a lot (every weekend), but now I realize that after only 3 months of maternity use, plus maybe two months of post-partum use, I won't be able to use them again (until my next pregnancy, that is). And if I do use them postpartum, they'll be a little bit of a hassle to use if I need to breastfeed or pump every two to three hours, since they aren't nursing shirts.

In retrospect, I should've skipped the maternity T-shirts and gone straight to nursing T-shirts. A lot of casual nursing tops are loose around the belly precisely to allow women the adjustment period necessary in the postpartum phase. If I had bought some slightly loose nursing tops when I was 6 months pregnant (instead of maternity T-shirts), I would've been able to use them throughout my third trimester plus they would've gone to good use after my pregnancy as well.

2. Instead of buying maternity bras, consider buying sports bras. I'm glad I did this. I have friends who used those bra strap extenders that allow to continue using your regular bras well into your pregnancy, but in my case my cup size changed dramatically, and my old bras simply wouldn't have fit well. And this isn't just a comfort issue: wearing bras that are too tight aren't healthy especially if you're planning to breastfeed.

Instead, when my cup size started growing (which in my case happened quite early in my pregnancy), I bought a couple of sports bras a size larger than my pre-pregnancy size.

It was a fantastic idea, and along the way, I ended up buying a few additional sports bras in the same size. Because sports bras are made of stretchy fabric, they can accommodate your growing breasts. They're also comfortable and they provide good support. In fact, I think I might still be able to use them when I start nursing. Because of their material, they're easy to just pull up over the breast to expose the breast and allow baby to nurse.

3. Instead of buying, borrow. I'm really glad a friend of mine lent me her old maternity clothes. I ended up saving so much money because I didn't have to buy too many maternity clothes of my own. With her clothes and my maternity clothes combined, I had a week's worth of office clothes, plus some casual combinations for the weekend.

4. When buying maternity trousers, the best kinds are the ones with several button holes, that can last you throughout your pregnancy. There are many kinds of maternity pants. Some have nothing more than a garter front. Some have a tie front that you can adjust as your belly grows. Some have a few button holes around the belt area which you can adjust to two or three sizes.

The best ones I've found, though, are those maternity pants that have several button holes (as many as six or seven) around the waistband, which you can continue adjusting all throughout your pregnancy. These are the most sulit because they last the longest and you can continue using them postpartum while your belly hasn't fully shrunk yet.