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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

What did/do you wear in pregnancy?

59 replies

Dinny · 22/02/2004 12:37

Hi, I'd like to know if anyone managed to get through most of their pregnancy without wearing maternity clothes. I'm kind of thinking jeans/tops in larger sizes... Is this possible? Really want to not spend lots on mat clothes (which seem to be miles pricier than "normal" clothes).

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nutcracker · 22/02/2004 12:39

I bought some stretchy boot cut trousers from BHS in a bigger size, and at first folded the waistband over (as they were to big). I wore them all the way through, and for a bit after as they were very comfy.

Original poster
Dinny · 22/02/2004 12:40

How many sizes bigger, Nutcracker? Two?

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twiglett · 22/02/2004 12:45

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nutcracker · 22/02/2004 12:52

Erm, i think i bought a 14, when i'm usually a 10, so 2 sizes bigger.
I did find i had to buy proper maternity tops though, as just buying bigger sizes didn't work as they didn't hang right.

Mum2Ela · 22/02/2004 12:53

I didn't wear any maternity clothes during my pregnancy and esp not those with the massive waist band that went over yur bump - ugh! I wore linin trousers under my bump and the day I went into labour wore size 14 normal trousers from H&M - just cheap ones. Also wore stretchy off the shoulder black dress from H&M a lot.

collision · 22/02/2004 12:56

Just to say that although I did wear maternity clothes (as I was so excited at being pregnant) it doesnt need to cost a fortune. ASDA now do maternity clothes which are v reasonable and next time I am pregnant I will get stuff from there. I think though I would be inclined to buy maternity trousers and buy cheap tops that are bigger. HTH

Original poster
Dinny · 22/02/2004 12:58

Hate those over-the-bump trousers too. My normal jeans/trousers are OK now (12.5 weeks) small bump is just hanging over the top as they are low cut.

When I go on mat leave in June I am just going to live in bikini, wraparound skirt and vest tops. So we'd better have a hot summer!!!

OP posts:
Tommy · 22/02/2004 13:56

I think it depends on the size and shape of your bump. I couldn't wear any non-maternity clothes, even my dh's XL T shirts!
Argos now do clothes (yes really!) and they have lots of very reasonable maternity basics.
Also...I certainly didn't stop wearing maternity clothes when I stopped being pregnant - ds2 6 months now and I'm still in them

happy1 · 22/02/2004 13:57

Dorothy Perkins do very reasonably priced maternity clothes, quite fashionable too.

popsycal · 22/02/2004 14:07

tesco also have a range of maternity wear now too....reasonably priced

Hulababy · 22/02/2004 14:08

I couldn't get away with non-matrnity clothes once my bump started to grow either. But I didn't spend a lot on maternity clothes. I had some jeans, a couple fo trousers and skirt, and a pinafore dress, and then 2 or 3 tops. I struggled as not many places do petite ranges but found Next pretty good.

fairydust · 22/02/2004 14:17

I had to wear maternity trousors - had a huge bump from 8weeks onwards.

I got some mat trousors from dorothy perkins and they were brill lasted all the way through.

HAve seen that argos now do mat stuff and it's pretty resonable to

aloha · 22/02/2004 14:20

I wore Ghost dresses and a Ghost skirt with elastic waist throughout - after the first four months or so trousers looked utterly grim on my vast behind and thighs. I also wore a fantastic Joseph linen sundress which was empire line and was so tight I could get away without a bra and had fabulous cleavage. All pre-pregnancy clothes - and it was high summer. I wore a sleeveless ribbed vest from M&S with the skirt. I bought maternity trousers and jeans from Formes and Hennes, plus maternity t-shirts from Hennes, but didn't like myself in them at all. I did have one little black dress from Formes (sleeveless, empire line, low neck) that I wore to death and felt really pretty and quite sexy in. I felt fantastic when pregnant, not fat all all, though I was!

zebra · 22/02/2004 14:24

NCT often does hire schemes of maternity clothes... it's very cheap per item.

Hulababy · 22/02/2004 14:25

Have to say by end of pregnancy I was ready to burn my maternity wear as I had had such a limited wardrobe and had worn it all so much.

Original poster
Dinny · 22/02/2004 14:36

Me too - I had two pairs of trousers and a couple of tops. Just can't bear to dig them out again.

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wilbur · 22/02/2004 15:19

I got to about 34 weeks with two pairs of men's combats from Gap - one medium and one large. Still wear the medium now on "fat" days. Also bought a few size 16 elasticated waist things that went all the way. Not very girly, but for a winter preg and running after a toddler, very practical. Also had fab black Ghost dress for dressing up and feeling proud of my bump and that's still good to wear, although too big really on top now.

AnnaK · 22/02/2004 15:28

I treated myself to a pair of under bump jeans (£30, I think) and a pack of three T shirt tops (£25) from Next. I love the jeans and will still be wearing them afterwards until I fit back into my own and the tops are really smart. I normally avoid Next because I find everything looks 'worn' after a few washes and requires replacing the next season unlike M&S, Laura Ashley... so the Next mat clothes have been a pleasant surprise. I also invested in two pairs of over bump work trousers from Mothercare: very smart and very comfortable (supporting the bump a little) until they became too tight and the skin around my belly button hurt! (At about 7 and 8 1/2 months so the under bump jeans have been great.)
In a catalogue Bump to 3, they have a belly belt which suggests you can continue to wear your own trousers by simply adding a small front panel of fabric (white, black and denim supplied). You would then have to wear tops to cover your open trousers, though.

spots · 22/02/2004 17:52

I thought a good way to get nice mat. wear on budget might be to get a dressmakingpattern and run up a selection on sewing machine... this still seems like a good plan when I get round to doing it. All that extra belly could show off a fab few lushy fabrics and I can't afford the readymade stuff I want to buy. But now I have to get round to making the things

Linnet · 22/02/2004 23:19

with my first pregnancy for work I just bought shirts in bigger sizes and I had an old skirt from when I was a bit bigger that I wore constantly. By the time I finished work I couldn't do the zip up at the back properly but it didn't matter as my shirt covered it. I also had a horrible dress that I had bought in a bigger size and a horrible skirt with an elasticated bit at the back. For outside of work I had horrid maternity trousers that were far to big and baggy and long and I hated them with a passion. They all went in the bin after the baby was born.

This time I managed to stay in my normal jeans(outside of work)and my usual work trousers, with the button undone, until 26 weeks then I moved into my maternity trousers that I'd bought from next. Also got another pair from next last week. So I'm wearing them to work and out of work as I'm not planning on buying maternity jeans. I've bought two shirts for work from Asda in bigger sizes and a woman I work with donated me a black top which I love and two shirts. So my entire maternity wardrobe this time consists of two pairs of trousers, 4 shirts and 1 black top.

gingernut · 22/02/2004 23:33

I think it depends how big you get but I can't imagine many people get away without buying maternity gear. I am normally small and slim (or at least I like to think so!) and when pg I had a huge bump but didn't put on weight elsewhere. So I found that trousers in a larger size just looked totally daft - even in the early stages they didn't give me enough room for the bump but they hung off my bum, hmmm attractive! So for me it was definitely better to invest in some `proper' maternity gear.

Whatever you do, I'd advise you to get at least a few things you really like because that way it's a bit more bearable when you have to wear them ALL the time.

zippy539 · 22/02/2004 23:42

I think it depends if you are working/have to look presentable/smart or not. Thankfully I didn't - I got by on a pair of cheap maternity jeans from Dorothy Perkins, a pair of elastic wasted wide legged trousers from H&M, plus a couple of stretchy tops and an empire line top which I LOVED and would wear to this day if it hadn't literally rotted under the armpits (sweaty pregnant woman, moi? ). I think I spent about £100 on maternity stuff - all H&M/Dorothy Perkins.

motherinferior · 23/02/2004 08:00

First pregnancy I had two pairs of trousers from Jojo - a green moleskin pair which were a disaster (kept falling down) and a black PVC pair which were rather fab despite having that awful 'apron' effect. Second time round I wore stretchy velvet skirts (my usual ones) as long as I could; I did buy a pair of under the bump jeans from Blooming M which I would NOT recommend; and ended up - in high summer - wearing drawstring trousers (many from my local charity shops) pushed down under my enormous bump, ditto a couple of pairs of PJ trousers from Primark.

Were I ever to do the biz again I would splash out £70 on a pair of mat jeans from Seraphine and wear them nonstop.

CountessDracula · 23/02/2004 09:13

Dinny I acutally altered a couple of pairs of suit trousers - they had a front seam and I opened it up and put some stretchy elastic cotton in there.

My bump was so huge though that I had to wear mat clothes. Mainly black H&M boot cut trousers for work, with shirt over the top - didn't bother to buy a jacket as I just carried one with me and didn't put it on!

Towards the end once it got very hot I lived in sleeveless T-shirts and a stretchy skirt that I got from Blooming Marvellous.

Found that a black Pashmina went a long way too.

Azure · 23/02/2004 09:26

There is no way I could have got away without wearing maternity clothes - in the last couple of weeks even most of those didn't fit. In the earlier stages I tried on some clothes in bigger sizes, but the fit was all wrong. I felt much happier as well as more comfortable in the maternity gear. Cost a fortune, although I did borrow some from my sister and then lent my stuff back when she became p/g again.