To complain to H&M?

[42andcounting]

Quick background, I'm 27 weeks pregnant, baby is average size, but bump is probably a bit above average size. Where I live there is only one shop selling maternity wear, and their range is very limited (especially for an older mummy), so I've been 'making do' with one pair of jeans, one black trousers, some tops and a few summer dresses, most in a maternity size 14, one non maternity 14 loose style dress, and one size 16 non maternity dress.

Last week I got the chance of a trip to and excitedly dashed off to H&M's maternity section to try to get some more jeans, trousers, maybe a skirt & some long shorts. I was horrified to find that their size 18 maternity bottoms were absolutely tiny on me, I couldn't even get them past my knees! The only maternity items that would go round me were a size XL top (annoyingly, massive), and one solitary pair of pink trousers in a size 18 which were miles long, and a bit snug but OK because I bought them to turn into cut off long shorts, just to last through the warm weather. I don't think they will fit for long though, which leaves me wondering what I'll be wearing by 30 weeks!

I left the shop feeling like a right heffalump. Surely if there's one time in your life when you'd expect enough tummy room in clothes its when you're wearing maternity? Am I being unreasonable to email their head office and complain?

H&M is always like that!

I found h and m maternity clothes to be depressingly tiny too, I was a size 12 and had to buy size 18 bottoms. Ridiculous

I had to cut the elasticated bit towards the end, my Gap jeans fitted really well until the end.

Uh, wearing a large size '12' from one shop over a tiny size '18' from another shop doesn't make you any less big you know! H&M can't make you shrink by changing the names of the sizes.

You'd be a total idiot to complain.

H&M are like that, even when their plus size range was still decent I had to buy 3XL when in regular shops I was a XL.

I was under the impression for a really, really long time that H&M was a 'seconds' shop that sold items which had been sized incorrectly. I was really quite surprised to find that they're a mainstream fashion retailer.

Whois, if that's directed at me, then really I am not 'big'. Nor I suppose is the op. I fit in a topshop 12 both before and during my pregnancy. And normally an h and m 10 or 12 is fine. I was agreeing with the op that h and m's maternity gear is ridiculously cut and sized.mim not kidding myself that I'm some slinky size 6. I'm not. But nor am I an 18.

Complain about what? I'm sure they know what sizes sell best and unfortunately for you, its not the one you need.

H & M do special sizing for maternity:

Maternity
1-3 months Use your pre-pregnancy size
4-6 months Size up 1 size
7-9 months Size up 1-2 sizes

this is from their website and is by the maternity clothes in my local store.

I quite like H&M but thought the maternity wear was poor quality and random sizing.

Next was quite good, I had a black stretchy dress in a 12 which I wore all the way through (and my bump was huge by the end)

H&M are notoriously small in sizing. Maternity is likely no different.

Complain... What have you got to lose?

H&M sizing baffles me. I sometimes pick something up that is sized as a 10/12 and swear they mean age 10/12, find bottoms especially small sized, tops seem slightly better.

I agree H&M clothes come up small.

The only actual maternity items I bought were from Next, and they seemed massive - even at the end when I had a huge bump!

H&M sizing is totally random. I have managed to fit in a medium, yet also not fit in a 22 (WTF? I'm a 14).

H&M is weird. I'm an 18 but need a 14 in some of their trousers, and a 20 in other styles. Same with tops. What fits round the chest has really weird skinny arms.

Having said that, their maternity stuff online is quite good at the moment, have a look. There and Next for jeans (the under bump ones are good)

H&M maternity is horrible. I was a size 10 pre-pregnancy. Tried a size 14 trousers on when 30 weeks, and could not get them past my knees - I kid you not.

There was a thread not long ago about H&M sizing, it's all over the place. I can be anything from a size 8 to a 16 in there

Thanks all for the replies, good to know it's not just an isolated experience. To the people who think my problem is with having to buy a bigger size, you've missed the point a bit - I'd happily buy clothes in a size 28 if need be, but they didn't go any bigger than their (tiny) 18! Much as I love my bump, I do think that going nude at about 30 weeks is probably not socially acceptable :)

Happy8 - that's very interesting about their 'sizing up' policy, however it's obviously not accurate, as by their logic I should be moving from a 14 to an 18, which didn't fit. I think I might just drop a little email pointing it out anyway, even if that does make me an 'idiot' (thanks for that comment Whois, possibly a little uncalled for??)

H&M runs tiny tiny tiny. I hate them.

Try New Look OP, I found their stuff to be of a decent size in the maternity wear, also Matalan maternity leggings were roomy and comfy.