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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think maternity clothes are rubbish and overpriced?

53 replies

ethelfleda · 25/08/2017 23:22

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??

OP posts:

ProseccoPoppy · 26/08/2017 14:03

Loved my seraphine dresses- not the deep v neck ones though (same problem as pp - short and busty so looked... interesting). New look is really cheap and if you pick carefully has a fair number of nice things, otherwise eBay bundles.

BlurryFace · 26/08/2017 14:04

Other than a couple of bits I got used, I wore elasticated trackie bottoms sort if tucked under the bump and my DH's tops (he's 6'+ and 20 odd stone, you could literally fit two of me).

Not a very fashionable look, but I didn't give a shit.

grandOlejukeofYork · 26/08/2017 14:10

I've had hordes of children and never worn maternity clothes. Never saw the point.

MikeUniformMike · 26/08/2017 14:13

leggings and man's shirt is fine.

PancakesAndMapleSyrup · 26/08/2017 14:15

I love jojo. Their stuff is well made and pricewise inline with other normal clothing. Tjey have a sale on and also normally if you buy one top and want another it will have £5 off for example. Im still wearing their clothing post baby (tops and dresses) as i like them.

ProseccoPoppy · 26/08/2017 20:14

Those who say they didn't wear maternity clothes, I get how that can work at home but how did you manage workwear? That's what I've spent the most on (which tbh is in line with what I spend most on for normal clothes). A suit jacket I can leave open but I literally can't see how I would have managed without some nice smart maternity dresses. Also maternity tights.

fuckingroundabout · 26/08/2017 20:38

I was very thankful I was still in my size 10 clothes the day I gave birth with both children. Maternity clothes are so expensive!

Eleventybillionfucks · 26/08/2017 23:07

Just buy larger sizes of normal workwear ie if your a size 8 usually and your about 6 months pg buy a size 14. Honestly don't get the need for special clothing just for pregnancy its just normal clothes with a bigger pricetag

confused123456 · 26/08/2017 23:11

I hated maternity clothes. I got a couple of pairs of maternity jeans from new look, both under and over bump, and hated them both.
In the end, I just wore clothes a size bigger than usual (I was lucky, my t shirts and tracksuit bottoms fitted throughout my pregnancy, so i only had to buy a few dresses and some leggings).

ApproachingATunnel · 26/08/2017 23:13

I got some decent (ish) stuff from New Look and Red Herring when i was pregnant

ProseccoPoppy · 27/08/2017 08:08

Eleventy I didn't really feel maternity clothes were that expensive tbh and in a nice seraphine dress and a pre pregnancy jacket I looked/look smart and professional while clearly pregnant (I'm getting a second wear out of it all with baby 2). If I'd bought bigger sizes of my normal stuff (tailored dresses, mostly) it would have cost at least as much if not more and I think I would have looked fat rather than pregnant, they wouldn't have accommodated the bump properly but would then have been massive over my hips and the shoulders would have been all wrong.

(Full disclosure - I quite like maternity clothes, well, not jeans, but the workwear and smarter dresses for weddings or events can be really nice)

SpringtoSummer · 27/08/2017 08:22

For work clothes I used eBay for more expensive brands and got a couple of shirts and chinos from asos and h&m. Wore my usual jackets undone.

For outside work, asos for summer dresses and new look for t-shirts. Just discovered that hush harems also fit at 38 weeks - wish I'd tried earlier as so comfy!

LellyMcKelly · 27/08/2017 08:49

I went to Primark and bought floaty tops three sizes bigger than my usual size. They were great and did me during breastfeeding etc.

Mycarsmellsoflavender · 27/08/2017 13:49

I had a couple of non maternity White Stuff dresses ( one empire line, the other a stretchy knitted dress) which lasted me right to the end of my last pregnancy ( winter baby, DC4). Maternity jeans and trousers never worked for me - they just kept sliding down as my waist was bigger than my hips. I used normal leggings too and just wore them under the bump.

Hatstand · 27/08/2017 14:33

YANBU. I had a few pairs of leggings/jeans from Jojo, really lovely and comfy but they started falling apart before the end of the pregnancy! Next time it'll be baggy men's clothes all the way.

ChickenBhuna · 27/08/2017 14:41

Maternity clothes at dreadful! I've wasted so much money ordering and returning (thus losing my p and p fee) lots of things!

I've found second hand Topshop dresses from eBay and leggings and harem pants to be the only things that work. Maternity jeans cut into my lower stomach making me want to pee myself and many things I've ordered (new look , purpless) are just poor quality itchy fabrics.

Most recently I realised I couldn't do up my usual raincoat so thought my last maternity expense would be a cheap maternity pac a mac...could I find one under £20? He'll no. And for six weeks of wear I couldn't bring myself to pay more so I ordered a regular pac a mac in a larger size. It'll do.

daisypond · 27/08/2017 14:47

I didn't buy a single maternity item of clothing. I had a dress that I bought for a wedding, but in a bigger size - it fitted fine, so I wore that. I wore a wrap-around skirt a lot - just adjusted the wrap. I wore my normal trousers, but didn't do them up and wore a long tunic-type top over it so you couldn't see.

PickingOakum · 27/08/2017 15:34

The first time round, I bought stuff from asos, both asos and new look label. None of the stuff washed well at all. One pair of maternity jeans actually shrank.

This time round, I bought some leggings, jogging pants, a dress and some jeans from M&S. The leggings and joggers have been brilliant, but the jeans are now too tight below my bump. My DM also gave me a few stretch maxi dresses she had that had a lot of slack in them, and they've been very useful.

Maternity wear is pretty dire, tbh, unless you spend a lot of money. I've no idea why it's so difficult to buy decent stuff, but then it's pretty difficult to buy nice non maternity wear these days...

Rockandrollwithit · 27/08/2017 15:38

I found H&M the best for workwear although the sizes come up small. ASOS is good (and cheap) for casual dresses and big comfy tops.

I'm 37 weeks now and live in leggings and DH's T-shorts.

AgentCooper · 27/08/2017 15:45

It is really frustrating. I assumed I'd be able to walk into most shops and just get stuff out of their maternity range so it's annoying that most of it's now online only.

However, I do feel I've done OK and not spent too much - scoop necked tops in black and navy from Red Herring with ruching so they stretch, a couple of black jersey tube skirts from H&M, cheap black and grey maxi dresses from Boohoo which actually have some shape to them and look lovely, red wrap top from Jojo in the sale, Mamalicious wrap dress from Asos for about £18. A fair bit of stuff has been sent back, right enough, but I do kind of feel that I have a capsule wardrobe that works now! I had big boobs to begin with so got a maternity swimsuit from Boohoo in the biggest size and it's fine.

I don't wear patterns, don't like anything loose, baggy or twee so I straight up refused to start looking like a fucking circus tent and spend at least 40 quid per garment for that privilege.

kaytee87 · 27/08/2017 16:00

Mothercare
Asos
Jojo maman Bebe

Just order online then send stuff back if it doesn't fit.

blueshoes · 27/08/2017 16:10

Wish asos was around when I was pregnant 14 years ago. I would have killed for the selection of maternity clothing on there.

FlaviaAlbia · 27/08/2017 16:14

I'm only 10 weeks but I've just been shopping and now I remember how hard it is to find maternity jeans that don't fall down. I can't bear anything tight on my stomach at the minute and I'm pretty sure I've lost weight with heartburn and nausea.

I was just going to give up and wear dresses with boots and then I realised I'd have the same problem with tights

Hallomiaddicted · 27/08/2017 17:18

It's not that difficult, ASOS have loads, Jojo and new look etc. Order a batch online and send back!

Original poster

ethelfleda · 27/08/2017 19:07

I think I may just live in the three pairs of jeans I have and get stuff in a bigger size from Primark as others have suggested. And definitely am going to keep shopping in the men's section in Asda!
I have a bloody black tie event to go to a month before I'm due as well! I'm just going to assume they wouldn't kick out a pregnant lady for not having a floor length gown on

OP posts:

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