Why Buy Clothes You're Only Wearing For 9 Months? These Rental Companies Can Help

Yes, you need maternity dresses to attend weddings and other events, but what about all of those other days between week 4 and week 41? Le Tote Maternity ($89 a month) lets you rent both full outfits and individual pieces based on stylist recommendations and wear everything you receive as many times as you'd like. You can then return pieces in a prepaid envelope when you're done or — if you really love something — buy it for 50 percent off the retail price.

You've probably already heard of Rent the Runway ($159 a month) for borrowing designer clothes, but did you know they also carry plenty of designer maternity duds? Enter your due date on the site, and you can find styles that are perfect for your current stage, renting up to four pieces as a time. Swap for a new piece whenever you want, and reach out to the Rent the Runway Maternity stylists if you need some assistance selecting your next look.

At LaBelle Bump ($69-$99 a month), the stylists work to deliver clothes that are tailored to you and your taste. They'll have you complete a short questionnaire to determine your style and then send you a box of pieces selected just for you — no two boxes are ever the same! You can also exchange any number of clothing items as many times as you want (choose between three or five pieces), and you can even buy pieces at a discounted price.

Mine for Nine is here to bring you hard-to-find maternity designers for a fraction of the retail price. Unlike other rental companies, you don't pay a monthly fee to borrow items, instead you get to choose and pay for every item you want to borrow individually. From dresses to coats, the site offers a variety of pieces in dozens of designers and styles that you can either borrow or even purchase if you really love.

BellaNové ($129- $199 a month) offers three different membership options: a Starter closet where you'll get five items a month, an Enhanced closet for eight items, and an Ultimate closet for 12 items. Choose the membership that works best for you, and then you can browse the collection for high-quality work-appropriate pieces that can accommodate bumps of all sizes.

If you're looking for a dreamy, bohemian-inspired maternity gown, Mama Bump Rentals (pay per item) is the place to go. Choose from a wide range of evening wear and casual dresses, provide your size, select your desired rental date, and then receive your gorgeous designer gown for your baby shower, wedding, maternity photo session, pregnancy reveal, or any other occasion you have in mind.

If you're looking for more than just a few pieces each month, then Armoire ($149 a month) is the way to go. The team will help you build your own personal maternity closet based on your style, and you can pick your favorites from the pieces they come up with. The best part: you can borrow up to 16 new looks each month and exchange your pieces for new ones at any time!

Rather than offering brand-new designer duds, Motherhood Closet ($150 for three months) offers gently used consignment pieces that you can purchase at up to 90 percent off the retail price. You don't have to buy, however — you can also utilize The Clothesline Club, which allows you to borrow 15 designer pieces for up to nine months from the maternity closet. You can extend your membership for as long as you need it, and you can also swap out your pieces at any time for new ones.

Just as the name suggests, Buy or Borrow Maternity (pay per item) allows you to shop by trimester and either buy or rent the pieces you like best. You can rent as many items as you like, paying per piece per month, and at the end of the month, you can extend your rental, return it, or buy it for a discounted price. Available items include tops, pants, skirts, dresses, jumpsuits, and even diaper bags.

Though primarily for stylish kid fashion rentals, Rainey's Closet Maternity (pay per item) is working on expanding its new maternity collection for moms-to-be. Rent beautiful special occasion dresses for five days and for only a fraction of the retail price from brands like Fillyboo, Ana Brandt, and Sew Trendy. While you're there, you can also shop for any little ones you might already have, too.