Before you throw out all those low rise pants because you're too old for them and you don't want to be lumped in with Britney and her fall from glory, keep them around a little while longer if you plan on getting preggers. If you are anything like me you will not enjoy many of the maternity options available to you in early pregnancy...

Your old regular pants: You might get away with these for a little while, but you will eventually be popping buttons left right and center, ruining your regular clothes and not being particularily comfortable. Put them away.

Full panel maternity pants: They have thier place in the pregnant world, but they are meant for big bellies with a good enough basketball to fill them out tautly and hold them up. They are the ugliest and the least appealing of the bunch, like the granny underwear of pants. It feels like you're wearing thick cotton granny underwear and they're sticking up over your pants 10 inches and your pants are falling down.

Hidden panel or adjustable waist pants: In theory they should look the best, with no visible stretch panel. The elastics are held in place by buttons, and you can let them out as you need too. For me, I find the elastics annoying, they're scratchy, they don't stay tucked in so it looks like you have to little pokey things sticking out. They also give you a bunchy butt, because all the adjusting happens in the back and gives you a paper bag effect in the waist area, like a pair of comfort waist pants from Tabi that your Nana would wear.

Demi Panel: Ah, that's more like it. A big 4-5 inch band at the top of the pants holds everything in place snugly without falling down. These might not be what I am wearing at 9 months but I'm pretty sure someone will have to burn them to get me to stop wearing them 9 months after the baby comes. Everyone should have a pair of these for long car trips and fat days and Thanksgiving. They can be difficult to find but are SO worth it.

Low rise: Just when I thought I was too old, I have discovered a new use for the junior section. Low rise and super low rise jeans with the really long tank tops all the kids who weren't around in the 80's are wearing now are awesome for newer bellies. And its cheaper than actual maternity jeans, which are a total rip off. They go under the gut, the tank top goes over the gut. Do not attempt without a long enough shirt or you will look all trailer park-ish.