Maternity clothes advice

[Junebug]

I've just hit 16 weeks and finally been paid (it's been a loonnnnggggg month!) so I'm thinking it's time to start investing in some maternity clothes. The only thing is, I'm not really showing too much yet, just looking a bit podgy! Is it too early to be buying or should I wait until my bump pops out?! It just seems too early to be buying stuff that's supposed to last the rest of the pregnancy, but I may be in bump denial!

 

[Pippa1703]

im sticking with leggings(maternity or otherwise) and casual dresses that go with converse or pumps. It's worth getting a good pair of maternity jeans they should last you from early pregnancy to the end if you get a good pair

 

[Gemsy]

I bought some over the bump maternity jeans early on, I'm still in them, they are pretty much all I wear! I just couldn't carry on walking around with my trousers undone

 

[shell30984]

I bought a few items from new look - leggins/one pair of jeans and a few tops! Found they were really good value!
Didn't want to over spend on jeans incase we have a hot summer

 

[Junebug]

I can't wear leggings and lovely comfy things for work - it's work clothes that are going to make up the majority of the shop tomorrow....how boring I just find it nuts that jeans I buy now are supposed to fit now and last until the end!! I think I'm going to go for 2 pairs of work trousers, a pair of jeans and a top or two for work to get me started until Mr Bump appears properly. If I try lot of styles on in different shops, it might make ebaying a bit ealier later on.

Can I not just cut slits in the sides of my 'thin' clothes?! It's not like they're ever likely to fit again at the rate I'm shovelling down the junk food at the mo!

 

[Clairebear83]

George is really good value too x

 

[Junebug]

I didn't realise Asda did maternity....good tip!

 

[umbongo]

I got under bump jeans and for work I got two pairs of smart trousers from eBay. Really cheap and look fine. One pair are adjustable and the other ones fold over so both should last til I finish with. Then just long tops.
I have maternity tights which are super comfy and bump bands which are well worth getting. X

 

[Caoimhe..x]

I'm going shopping tomorrow too, bump isn't massive but I've had to unbutton all my jeans when sitting down and its really annoying me now. Gonna try asda and new look. Can't wait to get new clothes xx

 

[ellesbells]

I got a pair of maternity jeans from primark for £11. Red herring are good at debenhams especially if its a 20% off weekend. My bump came early or wobbly mass is a better description. My tight clothes made my sickness worse. You could sew panels into your skinny clothes? I brought stretchy tops in a size 2 x bigger from primark too. Hoping they last. Any empire line dresses should do the trick too.

 

[JJ Mum]

Peacocks did some reall value priced maternity work trousers, do try on as mat clothes really vary in how they fit you

Buy your normal size usually

I need to investigate too, not brought any either but my bump is a really odd shape , sort of lardy and really high up nothing lower down ( guessing from all my kids it knows where it can go!!) so mostly it doesnt get in way of trousers so im using the hairband on trouser button so its more comfy

I only brought one pair of jeans last time and one pair of summer black cotton trousers and once it hot cold ( jan baby) i couldnt wear the thin trousers and thrashed the jeans and had to be cold everytine i washed them!!

Im buying two pairs of jeans, i got sick of sains tracky bottoms, they sat under bump niceky and wore then after birth when too blobby to get back into jeans

Happy shopping

 

[Geekachublog]

I went to H&M just to pick up a few maternity tshirts (we don't have a H&M by us, so thought it was worth it whilst I was there), they were only £7 each and they are so comfy.

 

[babybee]

For me I hated maternity clothes for work as they were overpriced and accommodated my bump but looked crap everywhere else. So if after you've looked around you feel like I did, this is what I found:

For work I got one a couple of those 'bandage' skirts or stretchy skirts that are knee length in a larger size as it was nicely fitted everywhere and went over my bump nicely. I would then wear a a shirt/top tucked in for the early bump months and in the later weeks I would wear a loose fitting top over it.
Here's a pic of what I did (25 weeks)
View attachment 37957

For trousers, I wore my pre-pregnancy ones the whole way through but I just didn't do them up. I put a bump band over the top and then a long boob tube over that and wore a loose fitting top. It looked fine and noone could tell.
Here's a pic of that (33 weeks).
View attachment 37958

Also smock dresses in larger sizes with one of those baggy blazers are great for work.

I also invested in lots of loose fitting tops and waist belts. This way they went nicely over the bump and covered my bum and my open trousers thing I did but the belt would also show off the bump.

Sorry for the long response! I hope you have better luck than I did with maternity clothes!xxx

 

[Junebug]

Some fab ideas thank you I'm worried about work clothes bing overpriced too,never thought of trying to stretch my current ones further with long flowy tops,might see how long I can make that work! I don't like the cr of shopping,but love wearing new clothes,so hopefully it's not too painful and I can enjoy next week showing my new purchases off next week! The weather doesn't help...should be buying lovely summer things but it feel like autumn!

Thank you

 

[Littlesammy]

Has anyone tried maternity waist extenders? I've seen some on amazon and was thing of trying them so I can wear my skinny jeans a bit longer. Might be ok for work trousers too. Xx

 

[Junebug]

T'was a disaster

I was never going to enjoy it, the whole shooping centre was packed with kids on half term, driving me nuts. For years, I've walked around Dotty P's and New Look picking up lovely things and then having to put them back because they were maternity, and guess what, they've stopped doing a maternity line in store (not all BTW, just the one's I went to). This was in one of the biggest shopping centres in the country FFS! The Asda I went to didn't have their maternity range in store either. Debenhams had some stuff, but nothing in my size was out (size 14, nothing too unusual!) and not one bleeding shop assistant was to be seen to ask if they had my size. I was nearly on the verge of tears by then, so I just left. Thought I might treat myself to a pretty pair of shoes on the way out to cheer myself up, and they didn't have my size in the one's I like either.

Thoroughly depressing afternoon! Hate shopping online for clothes, but looks like the shops haven't given me much choice! Hope the rest of you Tri 2 ladies have more luck with your shopping! Thanks for the advice x

 

[babybee]

Sorry to hear it was a tiring crappy day of shopping chick. The exact same thing happened to me. I went to the giant Topshop on Oxford Street and the maternity section was shockingly small and crap!

 

[holly1]

Has anyone found some decent maternity work trousers? all the ones i keep seeing are a bit blergh. They all seem to be flare or really baggy on the legs, would like slim trousers (not skinny) although with a stretchy band so i can grow into them. I think my bump is more bloating? but still my work trousers are not going to last much longer and its making me feel more queezy them being a lil too snug.

 

[Gemsy]

The high street is absolutely APPALLING for finding maternity clothes, none of the stores stock them! It is infuriating, do they not think that pregnant women leave the house to shop?!

 

[holly1]

The high street is absolutely APPALLING for finding maternity clothes, none of the stores stock them! It is infuriating, do they not think that pregnant women leave the house to shop?!

Its so annoying, the clothes just look so frumpy ergh desperatly need to decent clothes...