High heels in pregnancy: Forbidden fruit? Why a cute T-strap can suddenly feel like your best friend.

Today a fellow writer asked me about yet another potentially forbidden delight during pregnancy, and I just couldn't help but respond here. Her question: Do you wear high heels during pregnancy?

I must preface my answer with two facts you should know:
1) I live in Denver, where it seems almost everyone lives in North Face jackets, so I often don't have as many chances to dress up as I'd like. (Considering I'm a true Southern girl who would wear a formal evening gown to a Little League baseball game if it were socially acceptable, I will likely NEVER live in a place where peopled dress up as much as I'd like...unless I travel back to the antebellum era with Scarlett and Rhett...but that's beside the point.)

2) As much as I enjoy dressing up, I have a practical side (my college roommates would never agree, but I DO!). I am just shy of six feet, and I love to walk fast. So, even when I''m not "with child," you won't usually find me traipsing through the grocery store in five-inch stilettos (although I am occasionally jealous of the girls who do ... until I realize their bunions are almost as big as their back problems).

That said...

I adore cute AND comfortable shoes, so I thought I would be donning flats for most of my pregnancy, but…surprise! I’ve found an occasional high heel does wonders for my self-esteem. I found a pair of racy black T-straps at a consignment shop that are amazingly comfortable. I pull them out whenever I need a self-esteem boost. At a time when my belly is so big, and I often feel…less than delicate…the shoes make me feel pretty.

I’m almost 8 mos. pregnant and I try to only wear the heels for a portion of the day, not all the time. Why wouldn’t you want your legs to look longer and your calves to look more impressive when you feel a little like a blimp from time to time? (Don't get me wrong, it's totally worth it. But a happy blimp beginning to find her inner nurturer is a blimp nonetheless.)

I haven’t felt unsteady at all…but I think it’s important to choose shoes you’ve “road-tested” and know you can walk in without teetering on the edge of a fall. The straps on my favorite heels--and the fact that they aren’t unreasonably high--help a lot.

With all the "Thou shalt nots" of pregnancy, this is one that should be thoroughly enjoyed IF it's comfortable.