Maternity jeans and trousers for the not-thin and pregnant?

[HardCheese]

Am getting on for 14 weeks and just spent a dispiriting hour on Oxford St trying to find a couple of pairs of smart-ish maternity jeans or plain trousers for someone who was a 16/18 on the bottom half before getting pregnant. Tried Gap, but though their stuff was nice, the sizes seemed to stop at a fourteen, and Dorothy Perkins provided a nice dress, but no joy on the jeans, while I discovered that the big H and M on Oxford Circus doesn't even have a maternity section, and neither does John Lewis. Couldn't face trailing to Regent St in the rain to Mamas and Papas or the other H and M.

Any recommendations for good maternity trousers for the non-stick insect?

Jojomamanbebe.

It's the H&M on Regents Street that have a maternity section, upstairs, not any of the ones on Oxford St. I've got a pair and they are fine.

Sheesh, call me naive, but I expected to float into a world of lovely, comfortable, good-looking trousers once pregnant! Annoyingly, the US Gap website has loads of lovely-looking, well-cut maternity denim, but none of the stuff I really liked is available in the UK. I look like having to go through my second trimester with Grumpla's arrangement involving old jeans and the postman's elastic bands!

Can I say again how weird it is that finding maternity clothes is a lot more like buying some kind of fetish-wear than I'd anticipated? Shop assistants looking at me like I've asked for something odd, and saying they don't have a maternity range, that only one branch stocks it, or that I can buy it online, probably. For crying out loud, it would be easier to find XL rubber bondage gear (in London, anyway)!

Try peacocks for a cheapie pair - they go up to a size 18 I think and they cost about £16

I tried H&M for trousers/jeans, but was put off by the "sizing guide" which suggested you buy your usual size for months 1 to 3, one size up for months 3 to 6, and two sizes up for months 6 to 9. I didn;t really fancy having to replace my clothes that regularly!

Next was great for me because of thir length options, but be warned that their long length trousers aren't particularly long - I cant wear mine with heels. They're also more generous round the legs and bum, so if you do decide to rder online I'd definitely suggest ordering an smaller size in addition to your usual size, for choice.

I'm going to try Grumpla's elastic band sugestion. Perhaps it will enable me to wear jeans which aren't gigantic around the bum area!

Have you tried George at Asda?

I got a really comfy pair of work trousers there when I was pregnant. They were no more than £15 iirc.

I liked Red Herring too for their jeans. Lasted all the way through.

Next is good too but try and find out if there is a clearance store near you. I managed to get loads from there.

H&M have about 4 different shops on oxford street and they all have different sections so you've just been in the wrong one. I was a 16-18 and have been wearing 14 or 16 in their maternity jeans, been living in their black denim leggings, heaven!

New Look ones are huge on the legs, I've tried on a couple of pairs of 'skinny' and they fit bump but are crazy baggy on my legs :(

Asda have some lovely larger size maternity clothes.

H&M are rubbish for sizing - I'm normally a 14-16, and I have a (non maternity) size 18-20 skirt from H&M which is tighter than my (non maternity) size 14 skirt from M&S. I only ever buy stretchy tops from them.

The good thing about new look is that you can return anything you don't want to the store. Also I know people say go with your pre pregnancy size but I found my bum and thighs grew with my bump so ended up a size bigger

I'm a size 16 and for the first time ever I've braved skinny jeans (am 31wks pg with dc3) from maternity at M&S. They are fab! Look great and are soooo comfortable. It's online only but delivery is free into a store and you can return them to a store. And I think they come in 3 leg lengths.

BTW, regarding sizing, I actually go down to a 14 in most maternity trousers as it's only my horribly fat tummy that forces me into a 16 normally and obviously maternity clothes allow for that anyway!

I'm apple shaped pregnant or not and I swear by Mamas & Papas maternity jeans, I have five pairs I have size 16's which last time lasted until about 7 months then switched to 18 (usually an 18 anyway), then after PFB was born the 16's were very comfy until I got back into pre-preggo trousers.

There is also the advantage of buying some over priced baby items whilst you are there!

Am still keeping everyone's other suggestions in mind, but today found some quite nice things in the Red Herring maternity range at Debenhams, as suggested by sandra2011 - decent over-the-bump bootcut jeans and black trousers (and a rather nice dark blue knitted dress). I found I went down two sizes in the trousers from my usual size, oddly - it seems like quite a lot! - which is one of the things that makes me reluctant to buy online.