to want to go IN to a shop and try ON maternity clothes?

[MyNameIsKenAdams]

Because apparently I am.

So far this morning ive tried
Mamas and Papas x2
Next x2
Mothercare
H&M
Primark
Asda
Dorothy Perkins
New Look x2

All I want is a dress to wear this evening. The only stores that had any stock jn were h&m (leggings, jeans and tshirts), Mothercare (found one casual summer dress) and New Look (dress pants and vests).

Am sick. Naively assumed that I would at least find maternity wear in these shops but everything js now online.

so that means any last minute purchases are now impossible and if ever there was a time when your body was doing all sorts of crazy shit so you didnt know what would fit and how jts during pregnancy.

So come the eff on shops. And Mamas and Papas has shocked me the most. It isnt even catering for Mamas in store anymore.

AIBU or do I need to get with the times?

[Hoppinggreen]

There's a large mammas and papas near us and you can try on in there.
Large Gap as well.
Is there an out of town one anywhere near you?

[MyNameIsKenAdams]

Yeah I tried a shoppi g centre one and then drove to an out of town one. Both sans maternity wear.

[CailinDana]

Very annoying. But the maternity market is a small one so retailers don't make an effort with it. Could you look for a non-maternity jumper dress? Is that too informal? IMO pregnant women look gorgeous in anything.

[ThePrisonerOfAzkaban]

My towns the same not ONE shop sells maternity wear. Not ONE!!! Apparently we aren't allowed to get pregnant in my neck of the woods. We are a city too, admittedly properly the smallest city in the world but still.

[CumbrianExile]

Yeah, I noticed last year when I wasnt pregnant the asda near me (huge Walmart type one) had loads of maternity wear.
Went in last week, and nothing! I have a couple of hand me down jeans, but nothing else!

[BrianButterfield]

It's shit, isn't it? Try looking for maxi/wrap/empire line non-maternity dresses - I was wearing these all through pregnancy.

[HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs]

Peacocks sell their maternity range in store.

[Nojustalurker]

Red herring at Debenhams in Newcastle had some stuff in.

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

Blooming Marvellous we're the best for this but I think the brand has been sold to Mothercare and the shops closed now :(

I've had lovely maternity dresses from Debenhams and Mothercare before. I just don't think it's worth most normal shops carrying much stock.

[TheWiseOldElf]

Gap used to do maternity in larger stores but now it's online only as well (as I found out to my cost after driving miles to a large out of town store!). I agree it's totally rubbish but it's because there isn't enough demand.

[SackAndCrack]

Thats the one thing I hated about pregnancy. The frigging clothes.

I also have enormous bumps (short torso, massive children) and look utterly ridiculous in anything maternity.

I always stuck to jogging bottoms and long vest tops.

Classy. Not.

[JohnnyBarthes]

Our H&M has loads. I look on enviously - when I was pregnant I had a choice of a couple of bits in Dorothy Perkins, Mothercare (which was grim) or Blooming Marvellous (which was expensive and seemingly aimed at women far beyond childbearing age).

[hunreeeal]

Yes I was going to say Debenhams. Or Top Shop?

[JohnnyBarthes]

Ghoul - I think my pregnancy must have coincided with a particulalry bad season at Blooming Marvellous!

[ShadowFall]

This really annoyed me when I was pregnant as well.

The big Mothercare, Mama & Papa, and New Look shops in out of town retail parks near me stocked some maternity clothes when I was pregnant with DS2 last year.

I know this isn't meant to count as maternity wear, but I did manage to find some smartish tops in Evans that fit all through my pregnancy.

[callamia]

And you get stung for postage...
I had a rant at Next about this, and they waived the p&p. It is rally annoying though - the time when you've no idea what size you are, and it's impossible to try things on. Gap seemed to be the best for actually stocking clothes, New Look and Next were the worst.

[IsChippyMintonExDirectory]

Maternity clothes are beyond shit if you're lucky enough to find somewhere that stocks them. If you want anything other than a tacky mind the bump/hands off the bump/I heart my bump collection in afraid you'll be sorely disappointed. I sympathise, I don't understand why more places don't stick them, pregnant women are everywhere!

[Hobby2014]

I've not read all the comments and I'm not sure what sort of things you're after but i ordered a massive load from new look, if you spend £65 or more you got free next day delivery and then free returns to store. Very hassle free, quick for delivery, and didn't cost anything if I didn't like anything. In store I had a try on of one thing they had in my size to check it would fit, then knew what size to order.
But yes it's bloody annoying, I spent so many wasted days travelling about trying to find some maternity stuff and most stores didn't stock in store, only online, and those that did was only leggings and tshirts. Debenhams also has stuff in store, can't remember what department, maybe red herring? But I bought some work trousers there and they had loads of other stuff.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Jojo maman bebe
Red Herring maternity at Debenhams

Either any good? Anyone in your NCT/GP pregnancy group who can lend you one?

[Trooperslane]

Some New Looks do them.

I went to exchange a jumper in Gap last year for a different size and all the mat stuff had vanished.

The staff were - they hadn't even noticed!

It's a pain in the arse OP. It did my head in too.

Would highly recommend ASOS if you have a few days in future - I loved them.

Oh - Top Shop is worth a look.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Look at local listings on eBay, Netmums and free cycle - you might get lucky!

[breatheslowly]

My local town had no maternity wear. I went to a great maternity shop in York while I was on holiday.

[MsSampson]

Depending on bump size/how many weeks you are, Monsoon currently have some empire line jersey dresses that accommodate a medium sized bump, and would then work afterwards too. Also, lots of high street maxi dresses work - in fact, because I'm a short arse the bump actually helped stop them dragging on the floor.

[Melonbreath]

I feel your pain. I had a wedding to go whilst massively preggo and there was NOTHING in the shops. I ended up ordering online last minute and the dress was hideous. It made me look frumpy and dumpy, of which I am neither. I wore very glamorous shoes and a hat and hid behind everyone else for the photos.
I'm still cross!

[Trinpy]

There definitely used to be a lot more maternity clothes in highstreet shops. Pre-pregnancy I always seemed to be accidentally wandering into the maternity section of shops, now when I actually need them, those same shops have got rid of them . There is only 1 shop in my city that does mat wear and the selection is tiny.

I also found asos really good for the range they stock and for returns.