Maternity tights - the devils work? I think so!

[lynlynnicebutdim]

I am 24w pregnant with DD2 and have a massive bump. Honestly i look about 30 weeks. I physically cannot squeeze my ever expanding body into normal tights anymore without strangulating myself or ripping them so have switched to maternity tights, specifically marks and spencer maternity tights.

The first time i wore them they seemed fine, stayed up well, no problems. Second time they seemed to sag a bit but i could live with it if i hitched abit. The more i wore them though the more they sagged. It started to drive me a bit mad. i read i think on here that a way to get round the sagging was to wear your knickers over the top of the tights as it helped keep them in place superman style. Ok i thought, that is a good idea.

So this morning i got dressed and put my knickers on over the tights as suggested. It seemed to work. Tights didnt feel saggy so off i set to walk to the station and catch my train. By the time i got to the station they did feel a bit saggy but better than with knickers on the inside. I got a seat and zoned out for the rest of my journey. Arrived at my destination and stood up and low and behold my tights AND MY KNICKERS stayed sitting.

With no word of a lie or exaggeration my tights and my knickers were just above my knee! As i stood up the tights seemed to have just slid down me and taken my knickers with them! leaving me feeling the breeze on my bare arse.

I sat back down and let everyone else get off the train then hoiked them up as best i could before penguin walking across the station to the toilets only to discover they were closed (of course they were! its peak hour, why would the loos be open!) before finding a slightly darkened corner and a very nice lady who worked out what the problem was and helped screen me from the passing masses so i could make the necessary adjustments to stay decent.

Surely it is not unreasonable to expect maternity tights (which are not cheap by the way £6 per pair!) to be wearable beyond the first wash or is this what they mean when they say there is no dignity in pregnancy. Do they do this to us on purpose to get us used to flashing our bits in preparation for birth?

Just nearly got myself in trouble giggling out loud reading this thread and getting strange looks from DH and my PIL who are also here whilst I'm being unsociable on MN I have only tried m&s ones on once and they laddered on first try, the mothercare ones seem a bit better so far but also keep falling down! Have resigned myself to wearing trousers until the weather gets a bit warmer as I'm not due until May, but a bit worried the mat denim skirt I bought won't fit me by then which is a bit frustrating!

But aren't hold ups bad for you - give you broken veins and not good for circulation?

Luckily I wasn't working while preggo (a long time ago, too) so don't think I wore tights of any kind.

Have to admit to having a little chuckle at this thread. :)

I have a Seraphine pair to wear for a smart occasion...tried them on to check they fitted and even just trying them on was enough to cause hitching problems...managed to get a hole in the crotch already when trying to hitch them! I've got a pair of Mothercare as back up as I need to wear them all day and be comfortable...aargh!

I get my M&S maternity tights from the outlets for £1.50, never worn a pair twice to be honest but for that price and the frequency of my tights-wearing days i don't mind! they always stay up fine first time :P

are you sure you are wearing the right size??? i have worn M&S mat tights through 2 pregnancies and they have been fine. Maybe you need a smaller size? The 'bump' bit is generous, so a smaller size should still fit over a bump, but might fit you better across bum/thighs?
I am vtall and normally a size 12, and i wear the large ones - but becuase i need the extra length on the leg. They have never fallen down or slipped

I used to wear braces to keep my maternity tights up. Made going to the loo a nightmare, but at least I wasn't constantly pulling the tights back up.

My vote goes to H&M tights. Mamas & Papas were more expensive and rolled down. But my staple outfit through winter was normal leggings under woolly tunic or dress with boots. Fortunately work dress code was verging on the casual end of smart-casual.

My mum tells a story about my great aunt whose drawers (on the days before nice little knickers) fell down while walking through town and she just stepped out of them and stuffed them in her handbag with no fuss.

Haven't read all the replies but I really couldn't cope with them either. I was told to buy one or 2 sizes larger depending on the size of your bump and wear back to front so the bum part is over your bump.. It doesn't work with footed tights but otherwise it was better for me than maternity tights and cheaper.
Otherwise just wear trousers !