Contributed by Cindi Pearce, Catalogs.com Info Guru

Pregnancy is challenging, in more ways than one. From an aesthetic perspective, it is rather difficult to pull off chic and/or professional and not looking like a dirigible when you are packing an eight-pound-baby in your belly, not to mention that extra water weight gain.

Trying to look good, particularly if you are in the latter stages of pregnancy, is indeed tricky. However, now that maternity wear has essentially come out of the closet and there are designers who are catering to this population it is not nearly as problematic.

Here are the top ten ways to look good while pregnant:

10. Pamper yourself

Treat yourself to a regular at-home spa treatment. You deserve to be pampered … soon you will have only miniscule amounts of time for yourself! Schedule regular visits to the salon to get a manicure and pedicure. This is especially important when the concept of touching your own toes is beyond comprehension. Remember that in the last month, a clear polish is probably the choice of your OB.

9. Love your mane

Enjoy your shiny, bountiful pregnancy hair. When a woman is pregnant, she is raging with hormones, which benefit her hair, nails and skin. Hair goes into a resting stage during pregnancy, meaning that it doesn’t fall out like it normally does. That’s why your hair is thicker and looks better than it ever has before. After you give birth, you may experience some hair loss but that is temporary and will remedy itself once your hormones get readjusted. Some women, however, experience dry, lifeless hair during pregnancy. If this is the case, it is advisable to deep condition your hair regularly.

8. Butter up

Grab some tummy honey butter and rub it in, daily. When you keep your expanding belly moisturized this prevents stretch marks from occurring and moisturizes deep into the layers of your skin. Tummy Honey Butter contains cocoa butter; vitamins D and E; lanolin; wheat germ oil; vegolatum, which is a plant based alternative to petrolatum; jojoba-, avocado-, olive- and sesame oil, and aloe vera gel.

7. Stay in shape

Swimming is a great way to stay in shape while you are pregnant, and you can actually look good while swimming laps. There are also nursing swimsuits available, which are a terrific idea for mothers who want to keep swimming post-pregnancy. Some of the bathing suits cover the belly and some, such as the tankini, give a peak of exposed skin. The maternity swimsuit will fit throughout the duration of your pregnancy and can be used afterward because it bounces back into shape and regains its original shape. The tankini features a bikini cut bottom with more coverage than a regular bikini and a tank top. This is a very cool looking bathing suit and particularly good for those who don’t mind showing off their rotund belly.

6. Pretty workout clothes

Get the perfect maternity workout-yoga pant, which can be worn whenever you feel like it and not just to the gym. Stretchy supplex material prevents the material from rubbing against your skin and irritating it. This comfortable, good-looking pant can be worn after pregnancy as well.

5. Support the girls

Wearing a good bra throughout your pregnancy is essential. It will provide you with comfort and support and prevent sagging breasts. If you buy a nursing bra, which you can wear during your pregnancy as well as afterwards when you are actually breastfeeding your infant, you are getting a two-for-one. Nursing bras are extremely convenient.

4. Wear REAL clothes too

There are so many beautiful non-maternity tops on the market today that can be worn when pregnant. Buy some. Any top that has an empire waistline is great for a pregnant woman. There’s room for her growing belly. If the material is stretchy it allows room for ample belly expansion. You do not have to wear maternity clothing just because you are pregnant.

3. Leg care

When you are enormously pregnant, blood has a hard time getting through the veins in your legs. This causes swelling and leg discomfort. The amount of blood in your body when you are pregnancy is nearly double of what it is normally. Hormonal changes occur and this allows your veins to become more flexible during pregnancy but these hormones also make the walls of the veins and the areas near the venous valve to become less competent and weaker, which results in a backward flow of blood. This is why you should wear maternity support hose during your pregnancy. Gradient compression socks are specifically made for pregnant legs. They reduce venous congestion and support the superficial veins in your legs, which reduces swelling and increases blood flow.

2. Cradle your belly

Wear a belly support belt while pregnant. You can hide it under your clothing or reveal it. That’s your choice. It gives you great lower back and belly support, which improves your posture and eliminates the likelihood of an aching back. In addition, the belly support belt helps you maintain your balance, which may be off during pregnancy because your center of gravity has changed. Wearing a belly support belt during pregnancy helps reduce the risk of developing stretch marks. It also improves the circulation in your pelvic area, prevents pre-term contractions and reduces pressure on the bladder. Some belts are designed to lift the belly to relieve the pressure that the woman is experiencing. There are various types of support belts. Get the one that suits you. The belt is adjustable and you can change its size during your pregnancy. It can also be worn after you have given birth.

1. Buy something special

Whether it’s a piece of statement jewelry, the perfect maternity party dress for the holidays or a chic – and expensive – low-heeled boot for keeping your feet comfortable and attractive, you deserve to invest on one really good indulgence. You’re going to be a MOM for the rest of your life, now, rejoice in your pregnant body!

Gone—and good riddance to them!— are the amorphous maternity tents of yesteryear that made gestating women look even larger than they actually were. Gone are those atrocious assemblages that passed for maternity bathing suits. Gone is the taboo against showing off your pregnant belly. You do not have to hide it under layers of pleats and poof anymore. Show it off. A pregnant belly is a beautiful thing.