When it comes to maternity swimwear, there's never been a greater selection and diversity of styles available. In the past, most pregnant women either avoided the beach entirely or do their best to cover their growing abdomen in conservative swimwear and a cover up. Times have certainly changed. In this day and age, it's not uncommon to see a woman eight months pregnant sporting a bikini. While this may be true, most pregnant women still feel more comfortable in a one piece but that doesn't mean it has to look matronly. Here's how to choose a one piece maternity swimsuit that's stylishly practical:

Decide if You Want to Look Pregnant or Cover it Up

If you don't mind showing off your pregnancy a bit, you can choose from a variety of one piece styles that will show off your expanding abdomen such as an empire tank or a keyhole style swimsuit. If you're a bit more modest, you can opt for a style with a flouncy skirt such as a baby doll style with a halter back. A flouncy skirt can look stylish while making you feel a bit less self conscious about your expanding abdomen.

Plan for Your Expanding Abdomen

As your abdomen continues to grow in size, you may not want to invest in another swimsuit. To avoid this, choose a suit with tie closures as opposed to clasps. As your abdomen distends, you can simply adjust the ties to accommodate your expanding girth. This can be a big time and money saver.

Reconsider Basic Black

Although a solid black swimsuit is slimming when you're not pregnant, it does little to distract the eye away from your growing abdomen when you are. Try on a print one piece maternity swimsuit and you may find the pattern draws eyes away from your abdomen and towards your upper body and face. A print halter swimsuit top with a center pleated skirt paired with a simple tie bottoms can be very flattering. One piece maternity swimsuits come in such an array of colors and patterns these days that there's no need to stick with basic black. Experiment a bit and find a shade and pattern that expresses your personal style and makes you feel good.

Be Sure You're Supported on Top

As your breasts expand in size, you're going to need adequate support. The best option may be a shelf bra with underlying elastic. If you're smaller breasted, a bandeau style or halter top with soft cups or even a strapless style may work best although a strapless style may be impractical if you plan on swimming laps in the pool.

Choose Your Material

Cotton is a nice fabric for swimwear because it bleeds but a suit with some lycra has its advantages because it expands as your abdomen does. That added stretch can be important as your pregnancy progresses.

Decide if You'll be Swimming or Merely Sunning

If you plan on swimming laps in the pool for exercise, a tank style one piece is probably your best choice. If you'll be spending most of your time in a beach chair or walking along the shoreline, you can choose a less practical and more stylish type of one piece maternity swimsuit.

You don't have to dread shopping for a one piece maternity swimsuit. The fashion world has responded to a woman's desire to be stylish during her pregnancy by design lots of flattering options. Have fun selecting your suit!