Maternity clothes, how little can I get away with?

[TribbleTuckandDismount]

My maternity clothes from DC1 are more geared towards summer so I need some new tops.

How many tops can I get away with as a minimum? I'm a SAHM, so don't need office wear.

[terilou87]

iv kind of avoided maternity wear, iv gone for tunic style tops and leggings. now its getting cold i been buying chunky long jumpers and leggings i find them more comfortable and after babys born i should still be able to wear them.

[BananaPie]

I'd say 4 - one on, one in the wash, one drying, and one for emergencies!

[TribbleTuckandDismount]

Thanks Banana, Terilou I'm not a leggings sort of person (plus that would require new boots which I can't afford at the moment ).

[BuntyCollocks]

I'm just wearing stretchy normal clothes. I discovered a hatred for all things maternity apart from the jeans through necessity this time, and both mine are dec/jan babies!

[Pascha]

I've got a couple of wrap-type tops and a couple of pairs of jeans. I like fitted clothes so as long as the top is long and stretchy it's fine. You can get some good bargains on eBay for a few quid.

[DontmindifIdo]

Do you have a couple of pairs of jeans? If so, just buy some cardies, ideally wrappy or waterfall types you can wear for breastfeeding, wear with your summery maternity tops. Buy some maternity tights to make the skirts/dresses more wintery.

[mrsbugsywugsy]

I have two pairs of trousers and two maternity tops which I mostly wear for work. I've also bought a couple of cheap tops from Primark in larger sizes. Around the house I wear some H&m jogging bottoms in two sizes too big, with old baggy jumpers. I look really hot .

My main expense so far has been bras, i seem to go up a size every few weeks and it's bad for your breasts to wear the wrong size.

[AlisonDB]

I haven't done Mat tops, just normal tops but couple of sizes bigger, And a warm winter coat.
Try looking in charity shops that way you are not spending too much on items you womt wear again. I got my coat from a charity shop, it's Dorothy Perkins, it's not a mat coat but fits my expanding bump, it's in perfect condition and was only £6.00
or asking friends who have recently been preg,,,
I have done mat jeans and have 2 pairs, both New look, and cost £16.00 each.

[halloweeneyqueeney]

I don't do maternity lines, one size up in long tops from H&M and button extenders plus a bump band from ebay and that's me done!

[mummy2benji]

I've mostly managed in ordinary clothes as had a couple of stretchy knit tunics that have lasted me up until nearly 38 weeks, one pair of maternity jeans although I have now given up trying to look smart and am living permanently in a pair of M&S jogging bottoms that probably look very chavvy with my North Face ankle boots (my jeans kept falling down). I have a couple of maternity tops too and a couple of ordinary tops that just about still fit with a long cardi wrapped around. It depends on how big the bump grows! I was bigger with ds so it was harder but am carrying much smaller with this baby girl.

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

A couple of pairs of jeans and some maternity tee shirts and some normal long cardigans. You can still wear the maternity stuff afterwards as if you are like most of us, you won't be back to your pre pregnancy clothes for a few months!

[ivanapoo]

I'm 7 months and wearing my normal tops and dresses - I had quite a few loose or stretchy things already and cardigans/blazers still fit. I have bought or been given a few pairs of maternity trousers and bras and a smarter fitted dress and top for work.

The thing I've found hardest is the boredom of wearing the same 10 things on rotation... I miss my fitted clothes but refuse to spend £££!

[MummyTeach85]

If you think you might bf look for maternity/nursing tops. Then they will have a longer wear life this pregnancy? This is my plan, but I am only 5 weeks with my first!! Jojo Mama Bebe do both maternity and nursing as do mamas and papas.

[Startailoforangeandgold]

DD1 is 14. I'm wearing the George button through night shirt I bought for her birth as I type.

It's basically a long button through brush cotton shirt. It's far out lived many things and it's still too big. DD was a tot it's always been too big

[whatsonyourplate]

I've got a big cosy cardi (non-maternity) that I just layer over everything - you can get away with summer tops then, especially if you get a maternity vest or two to go underneath.

[osterleymama]

I second the ebay suggestion, you get things in such great condition for next to nothing. There is also a chain of charity shops called Fara Kids (I know of two in West London but not sure if they are everywhere) and they have a great second hand maternity section.

I prefer proper maternity tops to bigger sizes of normal tops because they are cut to fit the bump better. But then my bump is enormous so perhaps that wouldnt matter so much if you are smaller.

[KatAndKit]

The waterfall cardigans that are about at the moment are ideal for pregnancy and they are on quite cheap in asda.

What you need depends a lot on your original shape and size. Some people get away with buying next to nothing and others don't. Also depends on how smart you need to dress for work. Maternity jeans were essential for me and I was still wearing them the first few months after the birth. The ones with the big blue jersey bump panel were the most comfy. I also had some maternity black trousers but they were an underbump style and didn't last till the end. I think some maternity tops or dress are a good idea - they are more flattering than just wearing ginormous tops. I got a few from ebay and I will probably sell them on on ebay if my next pregnancy happens to be summer instead of winter.

[MrsPear]

Hi i am sahm and it's the 2nd time i got this far too. I have bought this pack of three t-shirts from new look not glam in any way but they are a cheap basic at 16.99 - less than £6 each! I am supplementing them with two tunic tops i have (not maternity) that got to wear with slim jeans - they are both empire line so plenty of extra material for growing bump. I am wearing my normal cardis with three buttons done up. Any ideas of what to do about a coat? Breathing in doesn't work so well when pregnant!

[KatAndKit]

Last winter I got a coat from Asda. The style they were selling cost £20 and it was a lovely coat with only three buttons at the top, so above the bump. I went up one size from normal and the coat was baggy at the start but lasted me right through to 8 months, it would have done till the end but it was spring time by then and I just wore a big cardigan.

[panicnotanymore]

I'm an H&M fan - found some great bargains reduced. The over the bump trousers are very comfortable, and stay up! The T-shirts with the side ruffle that allow for stretch are also very flattering. I haven't bought much, but I feel much more attractive in properly fitting clothes than baggy stuff that just makes me look like I've got no shape.

[nenehooo]

I've bought 1 pair of mat jeans and 1 pair of mat leggings and that's it! Otherwise a few big jumpers that can serve as dresses from h&m and making do with what I've already got. Luckily I've always been partial to slouching around in baggy joggers and hoodies so homewear isn't a problem!

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

I haven't bought any maternity clothes as they always seem too stretchy - LOOK AT MY BELLY BUTTON - type things! I only have one maternity t-shirt as it's a sort of novelty one. I am just wearing all my usual clothes (half way through). All my clothes were designed to disguise my hips so they're all very loose/A-Line around that area so I am safe. Can not recommend leggings enough. All my dresses are summery but - I am going to pair them with winter type cardies.

[theTramp]

I've found the proper maternity clothes look nicer, are more comfortable and make me feel better. The whole - two sizes bigger etc - thing doesn't work for me at all. That said, certain styles of clothing seem (I'm still at small bump stage) to be just fine. As noted with Waterfall cardigans, see also swing coats, the present over-sized jumper thing and empire line dresses (albeit longer empire lines for me because I am quite long).

I invested in a couple of Isabella Oliver maternity dresses which will expand along with my bump - and they were worth every penny, I am living in them. Not cheap, but they wash brilliantly. I have a plain black one that is work friendly and a striped one that is weekend friendly and all-in-all they are more me than jeans and over-sized tops that just don't fit well. They will also last from start to finish. There are regular money off offers, so worth a look I think.

For more clothing ideas there's a host of website URLs and shopping feedback from numerous Mums new and old on the maternity clothes thread in Pregnancy.

[emeraldgirl1]

theTramp - I am with you on the whole not-liking-two-sizes bigger thing. I think it is very personal and depends on what shape you were pre-preg and what styles you usually wear.

I have friends who looked great in bigger sizes but I have a very athletic build (well that is what I call my massive shoulders and wide torso!) so I NEED fitted clothes otherwise I end up looking 2 sizes bigger.

Tried on my first nice loose empire line style yesterday (am 17w) and almost cried because I was hoping it would make me look Jane Austen esque and romantic and I just looked like a whale!!! So it has to be fitted and stretchy for me. For me, too, it is worth investing in a few 'proper' maternity things (am saving money usually spent on wine!) as I feel miserable and totally unlike myself when wearing baggy styles in bigger sizes. Honestly not worth the misery for me, especially as I struggle with body image at the best of times.

That said, I have struggled with the couple of IO things I have tried so far because I fear they are made for people who were v slim indeed pre-preg and who only put on any weight slap-bang on their bump and not on hips etc... Fair or not, do you think? Any other suggestions of places to try? Not a fan of JoJo so far but I love my Serpahine jeans.

[theTramp]

I accept a lot of IO stuff is form fitting, ie tight, so if you feel flabby it won't help you, but not everything that they have and pregnancy - bump support - slips are great, smooth out all that requires smoothing.

The maternity clothes thread has much that's positive to say about Seraphine, although I've yet to try them out. Personally I've struggled with alot of the other brands. Too short for me is a common issue and I'm really pissy about the quality of a lot of the clothes out there. Ok it's for 9 months but I want it to wash well, me to look ok and for it to perform it's function. Jumpers made of viscose & polyester for instance can get stuffed.

I'm finding bat wings and longer lengths are handy but honestly alot of the "cheats" I was told about when I got preggers may work if you're 5ft5 but when you're 6ft they don't. It's amazing how many pregnancy tops already fail to meet my hips for instance or dresses that look like they shrunk in the wash.

Normal empire lines look dreadful on me - the boob line being in the wrong place - but some of the longer ones work great and really look nice. Ok I look pregnant in them - but hurrah I am!