Name: Sandy Frinton
Age: 32
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, New York
How far along: 28 weeks
Favorite look: Jeans

I’m a preppy, classic dresser, and I typically wear clothes from the Gap, Eddie Bauer, and L.L. Bean. My husband likes me to wear the kinds of things I always wear. He doesn’t like “pregnancy clothes.” I don’t think he’s used to my new body.

My favorite maternity clothes are my husband’s old Levi’s jeans from college. I found a bunch of them when we were cleaning one day. They’re in all different sizes so I can grow into some of them. His big jeans were a great find because I’m still too small for maternity jeans. His Levi’s are baggy, long, and so comfortable. You can’t beat the fact that they were free. I don’t want to invest money in clothes until I’m skinny again.

People say that I look cute in his jeans and I like that I don’t look as big to the outside world as I really am. I top the jeans with his old oxford shirts—white, pink, yellow, and pinstriped. I just throw them in the washer and dryer and roll up the sleeves. With his clothes, I’m sporting bigger sizes, but I feel confident knowing I’ve kept my style.

Name: Jill Holder
Age: 33
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
How far along: 36 weeks
Favorite look: Power suit

I’m very short, so I’m conscious about looking round and stocky. I like to wear clothes that give me a shape. Most maternity clothes are “tenty,” like smocks and baby doll dresses. I just can’t do the look where clothes balloon out over the belly.

So my best find has been the business suit I bought for less than $50. It’s charcoal gray and has pants, a skirt, and a jacket with a zipper down the front and two pockets on each breast. The jacket also has a clip so I can taper it in the back. I like that I can switch off between the skirt and the pants. Everything is made out of cotton jersey, so it’s comfortable and machine washable.

I spice up the suit with a pair of black leather mules. It’s easy to forget I’m pregnant because I look so chic in the outfit. I can walk into a meeting and be taken seriously. One guy at work didn’t even know I was pregnant. When I wear bulky maternity clothes, people just look at my belly. When I wear my suit, people look at my face.

Name: Angie Tucker
Age: 29
Hometown: Garden Grove, California
How far along: 26 weeks
Favorite look: Stretchy separates

It’s difficult to find stylish clothes that I’d wear if I weren’t pregnant. It’s bad enough that you gain weight, yet don’t look pregnant until the fifth or sixth month—the last thing you want to do is wear dorky clothes.

I’m normally thin and big-busted with an hourglass shape. I like to dress sexy and wear fitted fashions, and pregnancy is no exception. My favorite look is a long, black stretch polyester-blend skirt with a black short-sleeve top. The top was $14 and the skirt was $20. The shirt is stretchy and snug. It shows off my belly and has a scoop neck that looks great, especially when I wear a little choker necklace. The skirt has a drawstring waist so I can roll over the top to make it shorter if I want. I wear black slides to show my toes. I get a lot of compliments when I wear my sexy outfit. It’s nice to know I can be pregnant and keep my personal style

Name: Jadie Gamble
Age: 38
Hometown: Atlanta
How far along: 31 weeks
Favorite look: Bathing suit

I’m kind of chubby, and I got bigger sooner than other women. When I was six months pregnant, I probably looked like I was at eight months. I’m really big now and people ask me if I’m having twins. But I’m not worried about the weight gain—I think I look pretty good all around. In fact, I like showing off my pregnancy.

I bought a great black one-piece swimsuit with spaghetti straps for $35. It has a skirt that makes my thighs look nice, and its scoop neck shows off my cleavage. The other day I felt so good in it, I pranced around the pool.

I actually feel more confident in a bathing suit when I’m pregnant than I do when I’m not expecting. In a bathing suit, people definitely can see that I’m pregnant. My husband likes when I show some skin, too. He says I look like a really cute pregnant chick.

About the Author
Julie Weingarden is a writer based in Royal Oak, Michigan. Copyright © 1999-2002 ClubMom, Inc. All rights reserved.

From the time your child is born, make reading aloud to your child a part of your daily routine. Pick a quiet time, such as just before you put him to bed. This will give him a chance to rest between play and sleep. If you can, read with him in your lap or snuggled next to you so that he feels close and safe. As he gets older, he may need to move around some as you read to him. If he gets tired or restless, stop reading. Make reading aloud a quiet and comfortable time that your child looks forward to.

Try to Read to Your Child Every Day
At first, read for no more than a few minutes at a time, several times a day. As your child grows older, you should be able to tell if she wants you to read for longer periods. Don’t be discouraged if you have to skip a day or don’t always keep to your schedule. Just get back to your daily routine as soon as you can. Most of all make sure that reading stays fun for both of you!

Pick the Right Books
Give your baby sturdy board books to look at, touch and hold. Allow him to turn the pages, look through the holes or lift the flaps. As your child grows older, have books on shelves or in baskets that are at his level. Encourage him to look through the books and talk about them. He may talk about the pictures and he may “pretend” to read a book that he has heard many times.

For a late toddler or early preschooler, use reading aloud to help him learn about books and print. As you read aloud, stop now and then and point to letters and words; then point to the pictures they stand for. Your child will begin to understand that the letters form words and that words name pictures. He will also start to learn that each letter has its own sound — one of the most important things your child can know when learning to read.

Ask Your Child for Feedback
Encourage her to ask questions and to talk about the story. Ask her to predict what will come next. Point to things in books that she can relate to in her own life: “Look at the picture of the penguin. Do you remember the penguin we saw at the zoo?”

Reread Favorite Books
Your child will probably ask you to read favorite books over and over. Even though you may become tired of the same books, he will enjoy and continue to learn from hearing them read again and again.

The books that you pick to read with your child are very important. If you aren’t sure what books are right for your child, ask a librarian to help you choose titles. Read “predictable” books to your child. Predictable books are books with words or actions that appear over and over. These books help children to predict or tell what happens next.

Encourage Your Child to Listen and Repeat
As you read, encourage your child to listen for and say repeating words and phrases, such as names for colors, numbers, letters, animals, objects and daily life activities. Your child will learn the repeated words or phrase and have fun joining in with you each time they show up in the story. Pretty soon, she will join in before you tell her.

Be Enthusiastic About Reading
Read the story with expression. Make it more interesting by talking as the characters would talk, making sound effects and using facial expressions and gestures.

Buy a Children’s Dictionary
If possible choose a dictionary that has pictures next to the words. Then start the “let’s look it up” habit.

Keep Materials Handy
Make writing materials such as crayons, pencils and paper available.

Go to the Library
Begin making weekly trips to the library when your child is very young. See that your child gets his own library card as soon as possible. Many libraries issue cards to children as soon as they can print their names (you’ll also have to sign for your child).

Show Your Child That You Read
When you take your child to the library, check out a book for yourself. Then set a good example by letting your child see you reading for yourself. Ask your child to get one of her books and sit with you as you read your book, magazine or newspaper. Don’t worry if you feel uncomfortable with your own reading ability. It’s the reading that counts. When your child sees that reading is important to you, she may decide that it is important to her, too.