To think maternity clothes are rubbish and overpriced?

[ethelfleda]

Or am I looking in the wrong shops?
I'm 6 months and have managed so far on 3 pairs of maternity jeans and have just worn my regular, stretchy clothes as well. I was going to try and wait until the autumn stuff was in the shops but I'm starting to get uncomfortable now.
There is a decent sized shopping centre near me with about 8ish different (all superstore sized) women's clothes shops. Only two of them stock maternity clothes and they are cheap looking and seem much more expensive than other clothing.
I've tried shopping online but not having much luck there either - Asda only do every other size... i.e. 8, 12, 16 (I am a size 10!) And other stuff I have ordered I've had to send back as it fits badly and is cheap!
I've not got a huge budget to blow so I'm trying to be careful what I buy! Has anyone got any tips of where I should be shopping??

They're awful.
I bough a job lot off eBay and a few stretchy tops from primary.
I survived my pregnancy in the same 3 dresses, 2 tops, 1 jumper, 1 pair of jeans and countless leggings and tights... and DHs clothes

Funny enough the only clothes I have bought are from the men's section in Asda. Bloody comfortable lounge wear! It's very unfortunate that I can't wear jogging bottoms and over sized sweatshirts all the time.

YANBU. I have one nice dress from ASOS I think ... some leggings and that's it.

I bought a PJ playsuit thing 4 sizes bigger than I wear and love basking in that at home. I refuse to spend any more money on maternity stuff because it's just rubbish and over priced

Asos have a good maternity range compared to most places I think. H&M online also have some nice maternity bits, especially their jeans.

H&M menswear do a really wide range of t-shirts and soft jersey shirts that must be made for short, narrow-shouldered pot-bellied men, as they fit both my dad and pregnant women.

They are quite cheap.

I bought cheap floaty dresses from primark and wore these with leggings.

I have bought all my maternity stuff online from Asos & New Look. I usually try to get sale stuff but it's generally ok and can get a lot for say £80. I have bought way more than I should have really though as I hate wearing the same thing over and over.

Jojo Maman Bebe have some nice bits (and a sale on).
Otherwise tops/dresses in larger sizes seem to work well with maternity jeans or leggings.

Online shopping is your friend. Order loads in multiple sizes in the knowledge that you'll send most of it back because maternity sizing is weird (I was both XS and L in H&M, at the same time). "Order your pre-pregnancy size" my arse. Maternity shopping is a complete pain.

I had two Seraphine dresses for work, one pair of Gap black work trousers, loads of H&M and Gap jersey maternity tops, my existing cardies not buttoned up, and a few jumpers two sizes too big. And some Gap maternity running leggings, which I wore for antenatal yoga and for slobbing about the house. And some PJs for post-natal.

I'm a 30H, so I didn't fit into maternity swimsuits at all - far too small in the cup. I got an underwired swimsuit in 34G (same cup volume, looser band), with lots of ruching on the stomach, and that actually fit ok (and has continued to fit while breastfeeding).

I got one of those zip-in panels for your coat instead of buying a whole maternity coat - just as well as I was put on inpatient bedrest from 29 weeks until delivery! I'd have had about two days' wear out of a coat. The panels can then be used over a sling after you've had the baby:

www.boots.com/zip-us-in-jacket-expander-panel-10207183?cm_mmc=bmm--Google+Boots+PLAs--BAU--C=%28GB%3AWhoop%21%29+Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Baby%28GB%3AWhoop%21%29+Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Baby&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInJqrt73z1QIVo7DtCh0wigKgEAQYAiABEgLySPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Oh I also found that most maternity clothing is for giants. I'm 5'2. So with my massive pregnant boobs, all of those v-neck and crossover tops from Jojo and Seraphine were completely obscene....

I mainly wore normal stretchy jersey/knitted clothes in a size 12/14 (am an 8 usually)

I did buy one lovely rose-print dress in Debenhams which was so nice I wore it even after I had DS.

New look has jeggings for 20 quid and most tops down to 7 quid

YANBU it's shit. Search maternity bundles on ebay that's your best bet.

I was 8 months pregnant this time last year and luckily got away with only buying 2 pairs of maternity jeans from H&M in the sale at £10 each (flared jeans I might add ) and one maternity dress in the Mothercare sale from Blooming Marvellous at a bargain £12 that I gave to a friend (I'd like back for DC2 when that happens!) I found most H&M basic range of skirts, leggings and long jersey tops did the trick and most dresses with elasticated waists were fine. I agree though there needs to be a proper (reasonably priced) shop to accommodate!

I had to start buying maternity clothes from 8 weeks despite losing weight from nausea. I outgrew all the Dorothy Perkins things by 6 months. Jo Jo Maman Bebe lasted best. By the end, a long bodied vest was essential as most items stretched so much to go around me that they wouldn't meet in the middle.

At least I got a second wear from.DS2.

I used to wear bigger sized clothes from the charity shops when i was pregnant. I didn't even realise maternity clothes were a thing in this country.
Could you try ebay?

H&M Mama trousers are smart enough for work. Also T shirts.

DPs also good. Debenhams Red Herring is ok.

Seraphine is good for nice dresses etc.

But yes in general the offer is poor.

Topshop maternity is pretty good IIRC. I got a decent formal looking black jacket and wore that with trousers from mothercare for every single work press conference I had to attend for 6 months. They also had the inevitable Breton stripey top but for about a third the price of the Borden one . I found Gap maternity jeans pretty good.
Most of the shops have taken the majority of their maternity collections online which is frustrating, but you can always order and return.

get seraphine on ebay - great quality and not exprnsive second hand

Also if you end up buying a winter coat, hang on to it till January and then it in eBay. The shops stop selling them in December so you'll probably get more than you paid for it

New look is cheap as. Hips and some very decent stuff. I got the most amazing maternity jean for £15 and they lasted for 3 pregnancies (and I never stopped wearing them in between). This pregnancy I've invested in a full wardrobe, mostly from Seraphine and the materials, cut and shape are excellent. Yes they cost more but clothes cost (and should cost) some money.

New Look maternity was alright for me (order online) and sale items from JoJoMaMaBeBe (I got a great pair of jeans and a lovely jacket there that I lived in for the last few months).
Also nothing wrong with just buying some stuff in a size (or two) larger, especially sale items, this has worked for me with leggings etc. I wouldn't spend too much because you will only be wearing these items for a few months at best.

I bought loads from asos. I'm nearing the end now (35 weeks) so am desperately looking forward to getting back into proper clothes!!

For work I bought stretchy tube skirts from asos and a few tops. Wore my regular size cardigans/jackets over these just undone.

I've got three pairs of jeans from new look. That's about it. I bought one seraphine dress which made me look enormous. So wore that once.

Jojo is good but agree - the sale is your friend here.

I had two pairs of Red Herring jeans, New Look leggings and a couple of tops from H&M. I wear a lot of tunic style tops anyway and some of them I was able to wear right through. Also bought a few normal tops in a bigger size.

You're not wrong though, maternity clothes are awful generally.

I've saved all maternity things from six years ago so I look really dated. You seem to have to buy online now to get decent stuff and the trousers are all made for six footers which look redic when it's skinny jeans. Found whitstuff seem to have tips which provide a lot of tummy coverage so been getting those in a bigger size.

Now 30 weeks so oversized festival tshirts from the 90s is all that fits.