One of the concerns many pregnant women have is what they are going to wear to work when they are pregnant. Many work places have strict dress codes, and standards of dress, and sometimes following those with maternity wear can be extremely expensive, or impossible. So, how can you dress nicely for work without spending a ton of money?

Try some of the following tips for dressing for work when pregnant.

Well, before you worry about what to wear to work when pregnant, you need to understand that for the first few months, you can probably just wear your normal clothes. Most people do not show, and their bodies do not change significantly in the first 8 weeks. So, other than things getting a little more snug, and the occasional need to leave your top button open, you won't need to worry until eight weeks in, and in many cases much longer than that.

Once you hit the point where you need different clothes you have a few options:

One thing many women do is they wear longer shirts, and then they loop a rubber band through the buttonhole and then wrap it around the button. This will give you an extra inch or two of breathing room, which is usually enough for a time. So, you can continue wearing your normal clothes, and just make a few adjustments to how you wear them.

Another great option is to use what is called the belly band. This is a great accessory that goes over the top of your pants, and is just a stretchy band that holds you pants in place so you can leave them unzipped or unbuttoned without worry.

After your normal clothes, even with your tricks, stop working you are in what many people call the awkward stage. This is a time where you are too big for normal clothes, but not big enough to really be in maternity clothes.

So, the best thing to do during this time is simply buy a couple of appropriate and simple pieces, such as a couple of skirts, and pants, with elastic waist bands, that are a size larger than you normally wear. These are also great for post pregnancy before you get your body back. The other option is to buy pants that are low rise, so they can sit underneath your belly.

As far as the top goes, some good sweaters, long jackets and cardigans, as well as tunic tops, loose shirts, and leggings work well. You can even dress up something like quality yoga pants with the right top and some great jewelry to make it look appropriate for work.

Your best bet during the awkward stages of in between pregnancy growth is to choose nonbinding fabrics like jersey, knits, cotton, and viscose - basically anything with stretch, that still breathes.

Once you are in actual maternity sizes, the best thing to do is not overspend on maternity wear, rather, buy five key pieces in similar fabrics and complimentary shades that can be mixed and matched to create a professional, work appropriate attire, that looks great and does not cost you too much. Get one pair of pants, a skirt, a jacket, a dress, and a tunic top.

The beauty of these five pieces is that you can combine them to make least six different looks. For example, you can mix the tunic with the skirt or pants; the jacket with the dress, pants, or skirt; or wear the dress on its own. You can get a few more outfits out of the mix by adding roomy non-maternity sweaters and tops.

It is also good to note that you are not the only person in the world working pregnant, and chances are you have some friends who have been there too. So, any time you can borrow, do so.

Another great way to save is to look in local consignment shops and online auction sites where women sell their pricey maternity clothes.

Last but not least, one of the most important parts of maternity wear is the shoes. You want fashionable shoes with