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?

I enjoyed shopping for maternity clothes - mostly from eBay because they’re only worn for a few months so last and sell on well.

I dont think just sizing up would have worked for me - maybe in tops, but definitely not bottoms.

Also my over bump trousers/skirts were really comfy for afterwards too (c section)

If you are short or hourglass shaped (like me), sizing up will make you look like the back end of a bus.

Do you suit floaty maxi dresses generally? If so, go ahead. I need clothes to be fitted or they swamp me - I tried on a lovely seraphine dress which I had seen other pregnant women looking great in, and the v-neck came down to my navel and I looked like I was wearing a tent. I bought a couple of fitted jersey shift dresses and they looked far better.

My friend has been wearing loose sized up dresses and they suit her, but now she is 7 months pregnant the bump is making them progressively shorter and shorter. Her previously-knee length dress is now not far below her knickers at the front. That may not be a problem in your line of work, but it is in hers.

I bought a pair of jeans, a couple of vests, a skirt and a dress for work. I mixed these with stretchy stuff I already had and a few maxi dresses from primark. I did buying a couple of non pregnancy breast feeding tops once DS arrived as a lot of nursing tops also had room for bump. Again I mainly adapted what I already had (one up one down)

I bought maternity leggings and a couple of dresses but everything else I just bought size 16/18 (stretchy dresses, tunic tops, tshirts etc). I tried lots of maternity jeans but didn't find them comfortable.

I'm 31 weeks and living in those basic stretchy midi dresses from primark, still in a size 10! They are the most perfect maternity clothes if you're into that kind of thing!

I bought a couple of pairs of jeans which I hated but finding tall maternity jeans was a nightmare! But other than that just got loose fitting clothes a size bigger. I found boohoo good never bothered with their actual maternity range but just got a few basic tops and dresses one size too big.

I only bought a couple of pairs of maternity jeans and just got size 12 tops to wear from Primark. Never bothered with special nursing tops either (just nursing bras)

I had one pair of jeans because the stretchy waist panel was sooooo comfy. Otherwise I just wore my normal clothes. But I was fat to begin with which helped, and had a neat bump that was all out the front (despite my giant baby).

I brought one pair of mat jeans and a bigger bra size. plus a few tops a size bigger than usual that i still wear now.

I wore those jeans so much I felt like they should be burnt.

First pregnancy I just bought a few pairs of mat trousers and made do with stretchy tops and tunics from my wardrobe.

Second pregnancy, I needed a rake of fucking kaftans.

I was small but needed maternity clothes. You can get them cheap in H&M. A friend was trying to be ultra cheap and tried to get away with normal clothes but all that happened was she ended up having to buy them anyway on in her pregnancy, and I have memories of her jeans constantly falling down due to her bump. I’d rather be comfy and look ok rather than get up one day and find nothing fits! I also found I had to wear maternity clothes until my babies were about 10-12 weeks old, despite putting on little weight- about 1 1/2 stone. Many of the pregnancy tops in H&M double as nursing tops. I definitely got the wear out of my clothes!

I bought a bandeau for my jeans and 2 pairs of maternity leggings and that was it.
Bought a couple of tops in the next size up.

I was lucky though as I only put on 9kg and hardly showed.

I’d invest in a pair of maternity jeans and a breastfeeding dress everything else can be loose tops, get a stretch vest top thing, bras are a nightmare!

This is me at 7.5 weeks, I have already been in maternity trousers and tights from around 5.5 weeks. I have a couple of tops and a dress already, and I will buy more maternity wear in the coming weeks,
I am petite and short, and I need to look smart for work, so squeezing into non-maternity doesn’t appeal personally.

I kind of think you deserve some properly comfy clothes. Bigger sizes are necessarily compatible with a bump which sort of shifts your waist to a deferent place. I was big in winter months so had pregnancy jeans and a pair of black pregnancy trousers and skirt for work. I'd have gone for some
Shorts for the summer I think. I used them fir second pregnancy too, so they earned their keep

I bought mine from eBay.

First time round I didn't buy much - quite a few of my dresses fitted me the whole way through as I like floaty/circle skirts and bump was low.

This time, my bump is really high which means nothing fits, the waist on everything pulls (making it look too tight at the back) and there's no way I could wear normal clothes. Just sizing up won't work for me - very hourglass so sizing up just results in loads of extra fabric at the back/shoulders and me looking like a beached whale.

I think it depends on how your bump sits. I got some stretchy tops and dresses but I definitely needed maternity jeans and leggings for comfort. Have a look for bundles on eBay. You can always resell stuff

Season makes a difference too. I had a Christmas baby and an Easter baby. The Christmas baby was born in the coldest December on record and my humungous bump made a size 8 maternity coat essential as sizing up to size 16 plus would have been farcical with the shoulders near my elbows. (Fortunately well used next pregnancy). Because my thermostat was running high, indoors I was OK with the shorter sleeves bought earlier in the warmer months.

Second time with the second and third trimesters falling mid-winter and a very late, cold spring, I had to restock on long sleeved tops and jumpers to get me through as my body temperature hadn't soared by then. (My "smaller" bump actually fitted in maternity clothes until the end on that one).

An early autumn baby makes it more likely that floaty summer fashions will suffice.

I only ever had maternity jeans and a couple of tops. I was lucky when I was pregnant that the style of clothes in the shops worked with a bump!

I needed jeans and that's all I bought. I was pregnant over summer so I just lived in bodycon midi dresses from H&M.

"I didnt need maternity clothes. The day i delivered i was still in my size 10 jeans"

Oh really? Smug twit

I didn't buy any maternity clothes.

I lost weight during pregnancy (no illness, carbs just didn't agree with me so I cut them out) but my bump was ENORMOUS!

I managed to get by wearing leggings with either loose fitting smock type tops or stretchy tops/dresses.

M&S also do a range of smart clothing that has elasticated waists rather than button and zip - I just bought a couple of these skirts for work.

I made this choice too. At 27 weeks I'm still in clothes that are a size too big, oversized anyway or floaty but honestly, by 32 weeks I'm going to have to upgrade! Its not an issue with fitting into them but then riding up over the bump.

As others said, it depends on your body type and how your bump sits.
I’m tall and slim and wore regular clothes throughout. I only really started to look like I was pregnant from about 7mths and people thought i was only about 3mths.

I bought some maternity jeans and work trousers and a couple of tops. But in the last month I got a pretty big bump but still was pretty much fine in stretchy clothes or slightly bigger sizes.

I had 2 friends pregnant at the same time, 1 is very short so got big quite quickly. She needed quite a few maternity clothes as anything in a bigger size just swamped her.
The 2nd friend was somewhere in between the 2 of us. She lived in leggings and oversized jumpers / tops and to be be brutal, looked a mess. Like she’d escaped a house collapse with only her comfy just going to bed clothes.

Maternity clothes don’t have to cost the earth, just get a few basics to see you through even if it’s just to look presentable for work