to think I might not need maternity clothes?

[LisaLotta]

Sorry, I've already written today about not being able to find maternity clothes in stores. It did get me thinking however, did anyone just not buy maternity clothes? I was thinking that as the weather is nice and it is coming up to summer, that maybe I could just buy stretchy dresses (for now) from primark or H&M etc like one of my friends did.

What did you all wear throughout your pregnancy? Did anyone not bother with maternity clothes? I work with someone who is also pregnant who is a few grades above me. She always looks immaculate and has the money to buy gorgeous clothes. It makes me feel like I need to or that I'm being judged for not looking as nice.... maybe I'm overthinking!

So, as before, what did you all wear and why?

First time round I needed to be really smart right up to the end so I did buy maternity clothes. Second time I just went bigger sizes and DP and my brother's clothes.

Dresses for DC1 - 3, a dress, a pair of jeans and 3 t-shirts for DC4. I wanted shorts but they were more expensive than jeans , and we didn't have much money. It was a sweltering summer!

I would recommend getting a black and white vest extender things, they are like boob tubes but you wear them sort of around your waist.
They hide the fact that normal tops are too short, and can help to hold up the waistband of jeans/skirts. I think I got mine from New Look, I wore theme every day.

I didn't wear any maternity gear - I bought size 14 trousers, which did just fine.

Ive had two kids and didn't buy one maternity item. I just bought dresses and tops a size up and I bought those fastener extenders to close my existing jeans and trousers. I had a few pairs of jeggings too and I cut elastic on them to make them fit and pulled a ribbon through them to tie it.

I had two pairs of jeans (one needed repair and were heavily discounted), a pair of leggings and one t-shirt. I do have a lot of tunic style tops though.

Do you have any friends who might be done with their maternity clothes. I was really pleased to find someone who wanted a few bits of mine, knowing that we’d had our last baby.

Floaty beach dresses and man's shirt over leggings.

I didn't bother with DS2 and I was massive. I managed with bigger/stretchy tops and extenders on my trousers. I'm tall so found it a nightmare to find suitable clothes when with DS1. I managed with DS2 and I went 2 weeks over my due date.

I just bought a pair of maternity jeans from H&M and more or less lived in them for the last few months. I found it was the only place that sold a wide range. The choice is shocking though in other places, I went to topshop and they had maternity hot pants but no work trousers! I would imagine you could get away with floaty tops but it might be worth buying a maternity one so you feel more comfortable.

I bought quite a lot but most of it was a waste. What I found I really needed was maternity jeans, vest tops (to go under other looser tops) and leggings. Everything else you can get away with choosing loose styles/sizing up etc.

If you do buy maternity tops/dresses and are planning to breastfeed make sure you buy ones that also allow feeding, otherwise it's just a massive waste of money for a couple of months (I made this mistake so you don't have to!)

Sainsburys vests are really long so I got several of those then wire normal trousers/shorts/skirts under my bump. Tunics and leggings were good to, most maxi dresses don't need to be maternity ones.

There was a boutique specialising in maternity wear beside my office so I did buy a few maternity clothes : a nice pair of maternity jeans and a posh dress (I had events and a wedding whilst pregnant). I also bought a few pairs of maternity linen trousers from M&S and as a PP said, one of those black expander bands.
I had a lot of tunic/smock tops already.

I had two pairs of maternity jeans.

I just bought thinks a few sizes bigger than normal. I had some tops from before I was pregnant that I continued to wear as I always bought clothes to be baggy anyway!

i never had especially big bumps, so i just wore stretchy things

Don't buy dungarees or jumpsuits. Too much hassle when you need the loo.

I did get some maternity dresses and jeans but never wore any of them. I just got a few stretch tops and leggings a couple of sizes bigger that I wore towards the end. I did get the maternity bands that I used to cover the bottom of my bump when I wore regular tops that were too short due to belly. Maternity clothes are a bit of a waste really

If you plan on breastfeeding then I would buy at least one nice dress that is maternity/feeeding dress.

I had a couple of pairs of materniy jeans that were great, and a maternity swimsuit for the third trimester, but other than that Just wore normal clothes either a size up or stretchy

The H&M sale is really good.....I bought a fab maternity dress for £4! Look out for it. Sometimes non-maternity dresses end up being too short at the front but it totally depends on your shape.

I had to start buying them from 8wks. I'm short and gained 4st after initially losing weight in the nausea phase(despite the growing bump), mainly 8lb 10 of baby in an olympic swimming pool of fluid. I outgrew a lot of the garments before the 3rd trimester. My waist went from 26 to 43 inches! By the final week it was too painful to wear maternity leggings as the elastic under the bump cut in despite them fitting elsewhere. I wore legwarmers around the house unless I had a chauffeur to get me out (I couldn't squeeze behind the steering wheel in the last 3 weeks!)

It took me 3 months to slim down to my maternity jeans!

I preferred maternity clothes as I think they were generally more flattering. I think a lot depends on how you carry, how tall you are and what you normally wear. My normal wrap dresses for work did me until around 20 weeks but I was out of jeans very quickly. I had one non maternity dress from fat face in a size 14 that fitted me right until the end. That was one I bought in the sale accidentally years before that didn’t fit but couldn’t be bothered to take it back and I kept it thinking it would be good for pregnancy times.

Ive just bought some Dorothy Perkins leggings. They’re described as high waist or something and have a thick waist band at the top. You could fit a bump in them easily. I did buy a few maternity bits but also wore stretchy dresses in a size larger. I also didn’t buy any breast feeding clothes at all despite feeding dd for a couple of years. I’d already bought my clothes before I realised they existed - i was living abroad for most of my pregancy and hadn’t even thought of feeding needs.

I did have some maternity clothes, but used to wear leggings and long t shirts or shirts a lot (but then I stopped work as soon as I found out I was pregnant so could lounge about like that - bit more difficult if you still have to dress smartly).

Hi there congratulations on your pregnancy

I did not bother with any maternity clothes, only brought nursing bras

I lived in leggings and long vest tops (from primark) or baggy t shirts

Stretchy dresses are fine, even jeggings the elasticised jeggings are comfy and only £8 from matalan I wore Mine throughout my pregnancy and even after,