New Look maternity range.

[DontWorrryBaldrickHasACunningP]

The time has come to buy some maternity clothing as my bump has truly arrived, yesterday after mulling over many sites I decided to head into town to purchase some maternity gear. New Looks range was pretty good and not overpriced. However when I got to the store I found out that New Look has decided that their maternity range will only be available online.

AIBU to think this is fucking ridiculous. Surly with womens changing bodies and sizes during pregnancy it would be beneficial to be able to try clothing on, also there is no guidance on their site as to maternity sizing.

Maybe this is out of perspective but I'm very annoyed, it seems like such a stupid decision to make a maternity range online only

It is absolutely ridiculous! My NL maternity leggings were a lifesaver last time round. At least there's always H&M!

That's a shame. I managed to find some stuff in one local to me. Next only had stuff online though. If you do order anything, I found the tops came up quite big - I bought size 14 (I'm usually 12-14 depending on the shop) and they're quite loose.

Couldn't agree more!
I ordered my usual size in maternity jeans at about 15 weeks I'm now hugely over due and they are still far too big for me! I could try eating my way into making them fit me if baby doesn't appear soon...

New look here has a communal changing room. Maybe they thought that pregnant ladies might prefer to try clothes on at home?

Personally I bought 1 maternity blouse, 1 maternity dungarees and everything else I bought ordinary clothes in a couple of sizes bigger than I was. Mind you, this was when wrap round skirts were popular!

Yanbu, lots of stores have started doing it- when I was pregnant with dc2 I ordered most of my clothing online-The New Look near me have made their plus size section online only and have a teeny tiny maternity section, couple of rails with the basics.

I live in Inverness. There is ONE shop, (mothercare) that stocks a small selection of maternity wear. Everywhere else they say "oh you can get it online" er no thanks! So I've got to spend more money to order stuff just to try on,wait for it to arrive, then wait even longer if i need to take it back? Ridiculous.

Awww, that's a nightmare. New Look were the best place on the high street that actually had clothes in-store when I was pregnant (M&S I am glowering at you for having nothing in store despite having aircraft hangar sized shops .)

On a positive note, I found New Look were reasonably fashionable and cheap..... and they deliver into store, so will still be worth looking at. I also quite liked Gap, they certainly used to have maternity clothes in-store.

I have also bought some stuff from ASOS - it might be a bit of a pain sending stuff back but at least it's free. I got some dresses for work that I'm particularly pleased with. Again the sizes seem to run large though (Mamalicious, I'm looking at you...).

That's a shame. When I was pregnant last year I prowled the shopping centre for ages trying to find a single pair of stretchy jeans. Everywhere else only stocked them online. New look was the only shop I could find that stocked them in store.

Be greatful. New Look maternity clothes are awful - unless they have had a massive design overhaul in the past year?

Crop tops, ruching in unsensible places, maternity pants with no place for a bump... it was clearly made by someone who had never been pregnant.

primark wasnt much better.

in the end i bought some weak materialled body con dresses and a jersey dress of ebay, plus longline vests and normal leggings and it was great

I got two tops and two pairs of trousers from there. I had no problems with either of them and have even worn them well after my pregnancy was over.

I didn't buy crop tops though...

The moving it online wouldn't bother me so much if a) there was a maternity size guide b) you CANT buy in store but have to pay for delivery and possible returns.

As for communal changing rooms there are cubicles and curtains like most changing rooms on the high street, it's not as if your flashing your bits to all and sundry

Szeli have I had a lucky escape?

Gap have done the same. Really annoying.

H&m is the only high street shop I know of now that does maternity wear (apart from the specialist ones). Asos is good, and it does free returns.

Owl maternity dungarees?!

Did they have a butt flap for easy toilet access? I can't imagine having to wrestle with dungaree clasps every 10 minutes time Ineeded to wee when I was pregnant!?

I rated H and M. I bought one dress from New Look and it was so long (even over my massive bump) it was clearly intended for the heavily pregnant Amazonian ladies!

It is really annoying! I didn't rate new look for maternity, especially after getting the world's sweatiest work trousers from there. Try jojomamanbebe.co.uk, especially the sale page.

I live near a major city and was very surprised to find the only stores that had maternity were H&M (reasonable price & quality), mothercare (naff quality), and Debenhams (red herring - very nice stuff).

It did my head in. As you say, pregnancy is not a time when you can just order your usual size. So to have the range online only is beyond frustrating.

I am lucky enough to live next to a major city so went there and some stores had a small selection of maternity wear. I tried some on to understand the sizes then ordered online. Otherwise I would have just had to order several sizes of everything then do returns.

I found trying to buy maternity clothes really frustrating. Why shops have decided to make their ranges online only I don't know, considering the amount of pregnant women there are. Plus as I'm short I like to try stuff on. H&M maternity range is not for short people!

I liked Topshop with my first pregnancy two years ago. With this pregnancy I got jeans from Red Herring at debenhams which are great and dresses from Kiddicare. Apart from that as it was summer I just wore my normal vest tops as they stretch.

H and M are great but you need to try on - I am a size 10/12 and I had to buy an 18 in one pair of trousers. The sizes are bizarre.

I'm sure I saw a 'Hands off the Bump' type top in New Look and put me right off.

I did as above and bought some bigger cheap tube dresses and bigger leggings and some jersey wrap type things.

Don't buy too much maternity wear you'll be sick to death of ot by the time you're 9 months and want to burn it.

Agree it's bloody annoying though - they do the same with the petite ranges in a lot of places - like small people should stay in and order online so they don't get in the way.

I ordered mine to collect in store for free. When i went to pick them up I tried them on if they didnt fit I simply went to the checkout for a refund simple

I think so dont

never been so frustrated/flustered in a changing room.

most things somehow managed to turn the world's biggest bump into fat too, very strange

Most places offer free delivery to store which worked well for me - got stuff delivered for free, took it straight to the in store changing rooms and immediately took back anything that I didn't want.

I feel your pain big time OP. I much prefer shopping in store than online. I feel like a freak at the mo! Topshop do stuff near me, and I got some jeans there. Bought some tops from H&M which instantly shrunk after the first wash... Sleeves up to my elbows. Grrr. ASOS do have a good selection, but it's so bloody annoying to come home to that red card which says 'oops sorry we missed you'. Really? Are you really sorry? If so don't deliver parcels at 1pm on a Tuesday when, guess what, I'm at WORK!!!

As you can tell I really do share your pain! Feel totally ostracised.