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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that one rack of clothes in a big store does not qualify as a maternity 'service'?

53 replies

MrsHelsBels74 · 27/05/2012 19:22

Before venturing out today I checked Next's website & it specifically said there was a maternity wear 'service' which I took to mean a half decent selection of maternity clothes would be there.

After looking around the store (which is a big one) I asked someone. They showed me where it was but did say it wasn't a big section.

She wasn't joking...there was one rack with one sort of trousers, one pair of jeans & 2 tops...that was it.

AIBU to think this is a bit shit?

OP posts:

Magneto · 27/05/2012 19:25

When I was looking for maternity clothes it was the very same in every store I went too... And my 3 closest next stores didn't even have a maternity rail section.

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 27/05/2012 19:26

I just bought leggings in Evans - that said, that's where I shop anyway but I just bought bigger ones. They have lovely tops, tunics, and dresses too, and I found them much more comfortable than "special" maternity clothes, mainly because nowhere makes them in my size to be fair, but Evans did me just fine. They start at a 14-16 too, so even if you're much thinner than me, you'd be able to find something...

Lilliana · 27/05/2012 19:26

YANBU I posted on this exact problem earlier and it was also Next, I wonder if we have been shopping in the same store or of this is their general level of mat wear. Was really disappointed, no one seems to stock mat wear any more.

AnitaBlake · 27/05/2012 19:27

Definitely not, I could have written your post myself. I was completely gutting to find just a few rails in the childrens dept was the whole maternity range.

New Look have a much better selection ;)

Harr1etJ0nes · 27/05/2012 19:30

I went in a huge debenhams and approached a group of staff. Only one knew where the 3 pairs of maternity jeans were. Luckily one fitted.
They were v apologetic though.

McHappyPants2012 · 27/05/2012 19:32

Yanbu bit of false advertising

QueenKong · 27/05/2012 19:33

I found ASOS had the best selection if that helps.

Kveta · 27/05/2012 19:43

yanbu - no shops seem to have maternity wear on display anymore. and those that do will have 4 misc items in randomly selected sizes. I ended up ordering a load of next stuff and sending half of it back.

CheshireDing · 27/05/2012 19:49

M&S is the same you can only buy on line, and don't get me started on Mothercare (I came out crying).

As someone else has said I found New Look the best. I absolutely loved the stripey fitted tops, jeans and linen-y type trousers I got there last year, lived in them!

Original poster

MrsHelsBels74 · 27/05/2012 19:55

I've never seen a maternity department in New Look, or is it on-line? I tend to think of New Look as being for young teens!
Trouble with Next online is that most of their stuff is out of stock so can't be ordered.

I wouldn't have minded quite so much if I hadn't made an effort to find out if maternity wear was available before I went out (being far too pregnant & hot to go out if I could help it).

I nearly cried when I went into M&S afterwards & they didn't have a maternity department at all.

OP posts:

takingiteasy · 27/05/2012 19:55

Yanbu I noticed a huge difference in the ranges this time round compared to what was available 6 years ago.

issimma · 27/05/2012 19:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Itchywoolyjumper · 27/05/2012 20:02

New Look are great aren't they? I think we must have been wearing the same tops, Cheshire :) I also got a really lovely wrap around flora dress which grew with my bump in there and I can still wear it now without it looking too pregnanty.
Topshop are pretty good for jeans and Primark were surprisingly good for tops, they've got such a big range of sizes and shapes in you can always find something.

StepOutOfSpring · 27/05/2012 20:10

I found it virtually impossible to find any nice maternity clothes which weren't black!

GusTheOneEyedPolarBear · 27/05/2012 20:22

YANBU! Hated clothes shopping when pregnant! I'd go into my nearest city thinking I'd be falling over decent maternity bits and always came home annoyed and deflated
from finding fuck all. New look and Dorothy perkins were best of an awful bunch. Didn't help also that I'm 5'10" and carried small with both my boys so needed tall maternity trousers which didn't go over my bump, it's like asking for the moon on a stick.
In the end I went to afforable maternity.com and got some lovely old style Blooming Marvelous Jeans and brought large tops from Matalan. They might be worth a look if you're stuck.

Rabbitee · 27/05/2012 20:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Longtalljosie · 27/05/2012 20:35

It's really changed in the last three years. When I was pregnant with DD there was Blooming Marvellous (now just a Mothercare label and nowhere near as nice clothes) and ordinary stores stocked a decent range. Now all mat wear (or nearly all) has been relegated to the internet - which is really irritating. Gap and Jojo Maman Bebe have clothes in store though

Greenshadow · 27/05/2012 20:35

You should have tried looking 20 years ago - that was bad. There are so many more places now that offer at least a small selection.
Mothercare was the only high street place to sell any, though you could order from a catalogue at one or 2 places (don't remember any on-line).

DeathMetalMum · 27/05/2012 20:37

Yanbu I also found this went looking for one of three things that i had seen online in next and couldnt find anything or even any suitable replacement. I was even at Meadowhall shopping centre when I was looking so I would have expected those stores to have a decent range. H+M have a really good range of Mat wear unlike the other stores the have 10x the amout they have on their website, that was in a number of their different stores. Though i thought it was a bit strange it was in the childrens section which was on a completly different floor to the rest of the womens clothing

PurplePidjin · 27/05/2012 20:48

Gap near me has one pair of trousers, one jumper and one t shirt, all £30-40

H+M and Matalan both have loads!

littlemissnormal · 27/05/2012 20:50

If you go onto the Next website they usually have loads of maternity wear in the sale section. I got some really nice wrap dresses for work from it for £15.

catyloopylou · 27/05/2012 21:01

I got most of my maternity clothes from H&M (18 months ago) & the choice was good. M&S only did them online. I actually found Mothercare good and Mamas & Papas for workwear. Babes with Babies I liked but expensive. But the item I wore most was a pair of normal jersey trousers in a larger size from M&S.

CheshireDing · 28/05/2012 06:49

You can get New Look on line or in the shop (although it was a big store I went in). They had offers on last year such as 2 tops of £12-ish etc, I have just looked on their site and they still have the linen trousers that I loved (so are in the loft for next baby)

It was my first time shopping for maternity stuff though so I wanted to go to the store to try it on.

They have got shorts too, can't imagine weather shorts with a big bump!

roundtable · 28/05/2012 06:58

I bought most of my stuff from America. Good quality, with dresses pleated under the waistline to accommodate your bump rather than just extra long material.

I mainly bought from Motherhood Maternity, they may ship internationally.

Asos was good too, apart from their leggings.

Cheshire, I have 3 pairs of maternity shorts, they've been a god send!

roundtable · 28/05/2012 07:00

Oops, make that 5 pairs.

One pair is tailored for work though.

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