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 bought 1 pair of jeans 1 pair maternity leggings and a maternity dress. The rest of the time I just wore stretchy clothes. I didn’t wear any maternity clothes until about 7 months in.

Play it by ear, but you’ll almost inevitably need at least one pair of specialist maternity trousers/jeans. You might be able to raid your DH’s wardrobe for shirts depending on his size and style. I used a mixture of specialist maternity gear, oversized men’s shirts and stretchy waist stuff in a size up (September births so no coat needed).

Also think about what you’re going to wear in the 6 months post partum. A wardrobe full of Primark stretchy summer dresses won’t help you much in November if you’re breastfeeding and you still don’t quite fit into all your pre pg clothes.

I thought about my wardrobe in 2 blocks: Full On Maternity Clothes (7-9 months) where you’re the size of a house and need specialist clothes, and Midway Clothes where you need something with a larger waist and bust but can get away with standard stuff in a larger size. The second set is where you’d be well advised to plan ahead especially if you’re planning to bf, so that you can reuse things post partum. So perhaps think about tops and stretch waist skirts for that stage rather than dresses. Fat-bloke buttons on your existing jeans will help you transition through the midway stage and back again.
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I think it depends on what season you are heavily pregnant in.

Dd1 was born in September, and I only needed a pair or two of maternity leggings and some trousers for work.

Dd2 was born in January so I did need maternity jeans, jumpers and a coat.