Maternity clothes nightmare-very fed up

[flowerfairy]

HAve just been to look for my first lot of maternity trousers. After searching the few shops in local main town, i now think maternity wear is either a)designed by men or b) designed by women who have never been pregnant!

I like to check that they fit which is why i had gone to shops rather than on line. Am usually a size 12 pear shape bottom. All i wanted was some over the bump jeans ( had some under the bump last pregnancy and ust found i was pulling them up all the time). Eventually found some over the bump jeans which are reasonably comfortable but had to buy size 14 and not convinced they will still fit me at the end of the pregnancy. Also wanted some work trousers but most are made of that horrid shiny polyester stuff which just makes me sweaty. I am rather picky when it comes to clothes and just want to be comfy. Does anyone know anyone who sells comfy work trousers that are not in that polyester fabric that looks cheap? HAve bought a dress too that i think will be good for work and last well from red herring too. Am very despondent now. Please help.

I got two pairs of great work maternity trousers from GAP (they do a bit more than just jeans, even though the maternity section in my nearest GAP is tiny) - a pair of navy pinstripe trousers (but the stripe is so narrow and so close to the main colour that you can hardly see it, so they don't look too weird and banker-ish, more just like a pair of navy trousers) and a pair of grey trousers. Both over the bump and staying up well so far (26 weeks). I'm surviving with them and some jersey dresses I borrowed from a friend for work, though the latter are getting too chilly now that autumn is properly set in. Good luck!

Mamas and Papas have fab over the bump jeans and under bump work trousers for me - size 12, short and definitely with you on the pear shaped bum.... Their sizes seem on the generous side, which has stopped me heading up to a 14. And they have sales on (web and store) every few weeks where you get 1/3 to 1/2 off all the clothes. And GAP do a lovely pair of (again generous bottomed) black, stretchy waist trousers - not a shiny fabric in sight. Good luck!

Jojomamanbebe is fab, great quality free p and p if no shop near you There is a warehouse sale coming up so will be ultra cheap in Newport and I think there is also sale shop in Windsor.
Also love mamas and papas and gap

I had a hard time finding nice looking things as well. I found that Gap jeans were ok, but after a while didnt give me the support I needed, opted for Mamas and Papas low cut and a belly band and their over the bump jeans in the end. Very comfortable and washed up nice.

In general I went with Mamas and Papas for most of my clothing, they fit well, have a nice 'normal' look to them and washed up well. Couldnt find better bras anywhere else either! And, if you end up needing a swimsuit, theirs fit and stretch really well.

Gap had loads of t-shirts,and some work clothing but they made me feel a bit frumpy as I got bigger.

H&M had some nice basics like vests for under things they fit really well, but other things were a bit... hum...

Jojo Mama Bebe has alot to choose from but sometimes their patterns were a bit odd. They did have nice summer vests though and a few jumpers that were nice. The thing I loved the most were the nickers though! Soooo comfortable and washed up without shrinking! Mother Care's pants have a huge tag at the back and shrank quite a bit... not sure if it's all of them or just the type I got, but I had 2 packs and they did the same thing.

I tried to buy things from the nice on line shops that I saw in all the mags, but when I'd get things home they didnt always fit and I wasnt up to sending things back after a while. But, if you're willing there are so many options!

Good luck! Hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well!

Topshop Baxter maternity jeans... but with an expandable belt (but I have never found a pair of jeans that actually stayed up either over or under bump).

I actually gave up on a lot of maternity wear and looked for forgiving shapes in the main lines.

I've had a nightmare trying to find things that look half-decent & fit! After weeks of looking like a big fat sausage at work my mum suggested I take a look with her in H&M.

Amazingly it was a succesful trip! I have tried to just get a "look" that I can mix & match as I really dont want to spend a million quid on clothes right now.

I bought several pairs of cord trouseres, a couple of black stretchy skirts...some nice work shirts that can also probably be worn with jeans at the weekend...and a few nice woolen tops etc too. Spent about £130 and hopefully I am sorted!

Give it a go - maternity clothes are never going to be the most fashionable but you just need to find something flattering & you can always dress things up with good old accessories & a nice pair of shoes!!

I've just got my old (from 2008) mat clothes down from the loft & can't believe how horrible the work trousers are! Am also dreading trawling around the few maternity shops we have in our town.

I bought a lovely bf dress to goto my SIL's wedding from babeswithbabies - they were really helpful with sizes (sent me a selection of stuff to try on when I was panicking about what to wear the week before the wedding!) from what I remember the prices are a bit wierd, some really (IMO) expensive stuff, but my dress was only £30 - the least I've ever spent on a wedding outfit!

Have you also looked at Heavenly Bump Maternitywear. I bought some great black trousers there which I wear for work. It's www.heavenlybump.co.uk
Hope this helps!

i love everything i've bought from Isabella Oliver. it's pretty expensive but really good quality, stylish, and i'd say worth the extra money. you only need a couple of things to get by.

Im hating looking for maternity clothes!

Dont wear under the bump stuff because my doughnut hips push them straight back down again. Got a pair of leggings from asda for £8 and got a couple of bits from ebay which im waiting to turn up so fingers crossed &

Just to update have recently found out that the mamas and papas store near us is a factory shop so managed to get a work pair of trousers (had to shorten them though) and cords for total £18. They both fit under the bump, so am having to compromise on that! I think i must be abnormal in shape from my crotch to hips & waist. HAve to make sure that i wear a vest or something i can tuck into the trousers otherwise i seem to show off my builders pregnancy bum. Thanks for all of your help.

I managed workwise during my preg with 2 or 3 maternity skirts which I got in a sale. Gave up on trying to find maternity work trousers altogether!

Out of work, I have to say I have lived in my mothercare maternity leggings with long tops/short dresses over. Nothing else is as comfy and it's meant I can carry on wearing a lot of my existing clothes over the top and not spend a fortune.

I bought some maternity jeans from New Look a couple of weeks ago and wish I hadn't bothered because they don't stay up for more than 5 mins. At least they weren't expensive.

Now I am on maternity leave, it's all about the leggings. I'm not ashamed to admit it! Soooo comfy!

I have lived in a pair of over the bump Zara maternity jeans. The Gap jeans were lovely and they had a huge variety but too short for me (34"leg...) by an inch. I bought Gap black work trousers not shiny polyester and look great with everything. You do need a belt tho.

I also bought Dorothy Perkins combats ( over the bump) from an NCT sale for 1.50..the best bargain yet.

I tried to buy trousers on ebay but I have a long leg and so not a lot of luck there....but have bought 2 pairs of blooming marvellous trousers for walking the dog.

I'd give ebay a go, stick to your normal size. If you get a pair for 99p and love em then get annother pair. If they dont fit send them up the road to the charity shop or put them back on ebay..