It’s a fallacy that women need to dress in over-sized smocks when pregnant.

Size can be a good thing and individuality needn’t disappear along with your waistline. We still want to look chic and fashionable, regardless of our ever-increasing bumps.

There is a point in pregnancy (generally around five or six months gestation) when one’s bump starts to ‘pop out.’ This is when the need for proper maternity clothes kicks in. Read on for some sneaky tricks and tips designed to make life easier with a bump:

Don’t: Rush out and buy maternity clothes in the first trimester.

Do: Use a bump band to extend the life of your tops and trousers. Topshop’s bump band is a best seller and you might even have change for chocolate! An even thriftier trick is to use an elastic hair band and loop it around the buttonhole and back through the button of your jeans. This will allow you to wear your jeans for up to week 17 of your pregnancy.

Don’t: Spend a fortune. It is possible to operate with a wardrobe made up of normal clothes mixed with maternity wear.

Do:  Beg, borrow and steal. Ask any friends or relatives if they have clothing that you can borrow. Clothing often gets passed around circles in these manners. Alternatively, why not join your local freecycle scheme (www.freecycle.org). Freecycle is a genius organization. It's basically a grassroots movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. There’s always plenty of maternity clothes doing the rounds and once your pregnancy is over, you can freecycle it again, thus reducing waste and landfill without spending any money.

Don’t: Wear synthetic clothes on the tummy area. Man-made fibres will make your bump even itchier as they prevent your skin from breathing. Synthetic fabrics also start to smell when it’s hot and sticky.

Do: Let your skin breathe: stick to natural fabrics wherever possible to allow air to circulate. It is now possible to buy maternity wear made from bamboo - a sustainable material, which is also naturally antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-static. It’s also an ideal fabric for hot weather because it stays about two degrees cooler, whilst also keeping you significantly warmer in the cold. Check out www.buyorganics.co.uk for a good (and reasonably priced) range of maternity separates, bellybands and nursing bras.

Don’t: Wear skirts and jeans that cut across your bump. It can be very uncomfortable and put pressure on your tummy.

Do: Make sure garments go under the bump or over it. This is where elasticated waist panels come in handy.

Don’t: Buy a multitude of different maternity tops, skirts and trousers, thus wasting precious time and money.

Do: Invest in a kit like the Bump box from www.bumpessentials.com. A capsule wardrobe in a box, it consists of four key pieces (a camisole, trousers, skirt and round neck top) designed to last nine months of pregnancy. The garments are lovely and soft and have no zips or buttons to dig into your skin. The company has now extended its range to include a ‘wrap tops box’ (containing two jersey wrap tops), a ‘cardigan box’ and a ‘tops box’ (with two round neck tops).

Don’t: Spend on expensive maternity knickers.

Do: Buy packs of cheap knickers, several sizes too big. Peacocks do a selection of cheap multipacks. Their monochrome bikini pants are a good buy.

Don’t: Suffer sleepless nights in the final trimester. Do: Try a maternity pillow. Double sided pillows are brilliant, as they support your bump when sleeping. The ‘sleep easy double sided pregnancy pillow’ from Blooming Marvellous has two padded ends, which act as pillows that will support your tummy whichever side you sleep.

Don’t: Constrict your tummy by forcing yourself into tights that press on the baby.

Do: Opt for specialist maternity hosiery. Spanx (known for their uplifting and firming underwear) have launched a range called Mama Spanx, available from Topshop or www.tightsplease.com . Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan of their maternity tights and let’s face it, she looked blooming during her two pregnancies.  Alternatively, you could go for the credit crunch option! Buy a pair of tights in size XL and turn them back to front! Pretty Polly does a pair designed for the fuller figure. When you turn them round the panel is soft on the tummy and doesn’t have a seam up the middle. Happy days!