Maternity winter coats- have you bought one?

[missmargot]

I have bought a cheap maternity parka from H&M for dog walking and was trying to be cheap get away with not buying a 'proper' maternity winter coat and instead wearing my normal coats undone but with big scarves or wearing capes. I need to look semi smart for work and the parka is definitely a dog walking coat rather than day to day wear.

This week has been so cold and wet and miserable that I'm starting to reconsider, the baby isn't due until early January and if I'm feeling the cold this much now then by December I will be really suffering.

I've looked on all the usual websites- Isabella Oliver, Seraphine, New Look, ASOS, JoJo Maman Bebe, Mothercare etc and I am really uninspired by the coats out there. So have you bought a winter coat or are you improvising?

I thought I would buy one, then the one I wanted was sold out in h&m, so I had a look at cape coats, loads on ebay buy get expensive when you also search "maternity".... Leaving it at the moment with coat open and scarves... I've managed the previous 2 pregnancies (similar seasons) without one, so I can probably cope!

I haven't this time around (DC4, also due in Jan), but last year I bought a fleece-lined waterproof cape/poncho (a lot nicer than it sounds - sort of parka style), which is perfect. Will also be great for protecting a baby in a sling afterwards. There are loads of capes in the shops at the mo - Sainsbury's had a smart navy (I think) one a few weeks ago. You'd probably get more use out of it than a maternity coat, which has a very limited life IME...

I think I need to check out capes again, I do have a couple which I've been wearing but they are not that warm or waterproof. I did want something with a bit of leg coverage too ideally, but you're right that I will get more wear out of a cape than a maternity coat.

I'm surprised there aren't more options out there, even websites that generally have a good maternity range only have a couple of coat options.

This is definitely my very last pregnancy, so I won't buy one. With DS1 (born late Feb) I had a very roomy regular coat that got stretched to the limit and DS2 was due in May so I was small enough in winter to wear my normal coat.
This time, thanks to my fluctuating weight, I just dug out one of my old size 12 coats which thankfully has enough space for my ever growing bump (due early Jan too!).

I am going to make do, this is my third pregnancy and my last two were nov and jan babies. I do steal dh's coat for dog walking though!

New look have nice maternity coats. I like the snood one on their website. It's only £30 as well and lovely and warm. Looks like it's much more expensive.

I have bought one from Debenhams as I thought I will probably still need a bit of room after baby arrives anyways, but it is really warm and am always hot wearing it!

I've been struggling to find a winter coat too. I tried on the new look coat about a month ago and I quite liked it but foolishly thought I'd leave it a while in case I found a nicer one, now they are really hard to get hold of, I couldn't even find it on the website yesterday.

Hardly any shops have maternity coats on the shop floor and can only direct you to their website.

So I tried the asos parka but it was a really odd size, more room in the bust than the bump, so had to return it. I like the h&m parka but it's not in stock till late nov, and then it might not fit.

Arghh, I'm going to nick my mum's coat and strap hot water bottles to myself. It'll be a good look for the school run.

Yes to cape coats! I picked one up in Sainsbury's. Normally £40 but £30 thanks to their occasional 25% off clothes offers!

Despite DH's helpful comments ('is it a bird? is it a plane?!') I think it looks rather stylish!

I bought a down filled long coat from TK Maxx for about £80 in a size bigger, but my pregnancy spanned the whole winter (due Feb) and I was determined not to be cold! It was great and I managed to zip it right up to the end. Worth every penny, I was not cold once all last winter. It's a bit big now but I've kept it as a spare.

I bought the new look quilted jacket for £34.99 a couple of weeks ago, it was out of stock on their website but I found it on asos. Really pleased with it for dog walking, casual wear and actually fine for my work too as that's not overly smart. I'm short so it gives me decent leg coverage too. Just checked and they still have it, not sure how to link on phone though.

Will check out the New Look costs and also TK Maxx- thank you. I really wanted a nice woolen one but if I carry on being picky there may well be nothing left in my size and I will just have to freeze all winter.

I am due in Dec, bought myself an oversized (I am normally size 8 but bought size 12) coat from sainsburys when they had 20% off so it came down to £30. I need a coat that I can zip/button up, I can't stand the cold!

Do you find that it swamps the rest of you or is it ok? I will try a few bigger sizes on and see if that works.

I had a swing style coat that got me through the winter with DC1. I wasn't due until March, so not quite as big through the cold bit. But maybe bear in mind that, if you have a mid-Jan due date, you might not need to be smart past about Christmas? So there might not be that much of the actual coldest weather?

DC2, despite working in the City in a very smart job, I just wore my parka (normal one, but could still do it up). No one cared.

Personally I wouldn't buy a maternity coat. As long as you have one which is fairly generous across the shoulders/back, I would just invest in a massive scarf for when you can't do it up.

I bought one from this website - I got the grey Cloanna wool coat:

Yummy Mummy

I'm due in Feb and really wanted a coat I could do up properly over Winter when I'm at my biggest, without it drowning me everywhere else. It's not the cheapest but if i think about cost per wear I think it's worth it as it's the only coat I'm wearing from now until then, and probably after the birth until my tummy goes down! And it has a hood, always need a hood! It's reduced to £70 in black but only size large left.

Mamalicious also have their own website with nice looking things so may be worth a good.

worth a good? worth a look!

Oasis has a range of fab wrap coats that would work pre and post baby

I bought this one as have to be smart for City job and am quite pleased with it. I'll ebay it next winter I expect.

www.seraphine.com/wrap-coat.html

I've bought the asos exclusive duffle swing coat in black. It is £80 but fits beautifully, loads of growing room and very warm

This is from ages ago - DS is nearly 19. But I bought a classic swing coat from M&S in a size bigger than I usually wore. DS was a christmas baby and that coat took me right through to the end of winter (it was soft and had enough purchase when my boobs were swollen and sore). It then did at least three or four winters for colder days and got passed from pg friend to pg friend for years after that. I have only just sent it to Oxfam and was one of the best £99 I have ever spent.

I'm hoping to get away with my normal coat undone and a scarf.

TBH its not cold where I am (up north) - yesterday I did school run without a coat as it was so mild. Think I'm feeling hotter than normal due to pregnancy.

I bought a wrap coat a size bigger than usual. Ie a tie to shut it, no buttons. Worked a treat.

I bought this one and I'm really happy with it

snood coat

Very jealous of those of you who have bought normal coats just a couple of sizes bigger! I looked for a maternity coat but the only ones in the shops were £££ so bought a duffle coat from Primark. Prepregant size 12 and only put just over a stone on at 34 weeks, I still needed a size 20 to fit the bump in!