When did you but first maternity clothes???

[Snook99]

13+6 weeks
Everything is getting a bit tight and uncomfortable now and I need to go shopping, but I still feel "normal" and feel like a fraud. And where is good I'm in my early 20's so want nice fashionable clothes still.

Thank you

I like h&m, especially the t shirts! Maternity clothes will be so much more comfortable. Also maternity clothes are not great in the fashion stakes generally. Some people like Asos for more fashionable things thigh

I started wearing maternity trousers at about 11 weeks as I started to feel a bit uncomfortable. I found some good work bits at Dorothy Perkins, and next have some lovely maxi dresses. Also jojomamabebe has some lovely bits. All online only though which is very annoying xx

I had a brief look at next and they've got a few nice bits but what about over bump and under bump? I know everyone will be different but overall? And also bras (sorry this whole growing this is beyond me and I hate clothes shopping at the best of times lol) is there maternity bras and you buy your own size or do I need to get measured? Sorry for the million and one questions lol x

Go and get measured for bras unless you're very good at doing it yourself. I'd avoid M&S. Don't spend too much as you may well grow out if them.

You might be ok in non maternity clothes but sized up. I bought a load of maternity clothes at around 13 weeks (sale bargains) but only really started wearing them at 20+. Even now, some are too big.

I find over bump jeans comfortable, and under uncomfortable. New look have quite a wide range (online at least) so might be a good place to experiment.

There are maternity bras, but they're just non wired. If that's what you want, non wired or sports bras might be cheaper. I think it's fine to wear well fitting wired bras.

I bought my first maternity clothes at about 22 weeks. Im 30 weeks today and until last week could still wear my work trousers by wearing the band as low as I could. Don't go nuts with maternity clothes as your only in them for a relatively short period.

Most of my things have been from Next or New Look

New bras at 10 weeks. Plain cotton soft ones from amazon just went up a cup size. Starting buying maternity clothes at 16 weeks and gradually phased them in wearing just maternity and no normal clothes at 18 weeks.

Got a batch of stuff from asos in their sale then was given a load of stuff but also have 2 pairs of harem pants I can still wear just worried they look too much like pyjamas in public.

As soon as I told people after my 12 week scan I was into maternity clothes and my maternity uniform for work. So much comfier! Asos is really good, new look and h&m. x

Most of my maternity clothes have come from New Look. I bought a few tshirts from Next but was disappointed with those as they aren't shaped around the bump so just hang. Think they look frumpy so only tend to wear for dog walking!
I started wearing maternity trousers pretty early as didn't like wearing undone normal trousers, I had a belly band but that just annoyed me! Maternity tops came later, I was still in normal tshirts at about 18 weeks.

22 weeks, but I lost a stupid amount if weight with hg!

I was 24 weeks with DC1, 14 weeks with DC2 and around 20 weeks with DC3 although I have favoured looser fitting clothing for a week or two before that - dresses without fitted waists, elasticated trousers etc

I can't remember any preferences with DC1 but with DC2 and 3, I hugely favoured over the bump clothing especially anything with heavier fabric like jeans otherwise you just end up with a hard lump of fabric sitting low on your bump.

Asos, H&M, BonPrix and TopSop are good. Next is a but dull as is New look. Peacocks used to actually be quite good - I think there are still a few stores kicking around. Never got hugely excited about M&P, Isabelle Oliver etc

The problem with over bump before you've got a big bump is that things just fall down! Under bump is therefore much better early on. I had a pair of low rise jeans that I normally have to wear with a belt which fit me throughout my last pregnancy, sitting under the bump.

For my first pregnancy I bought a pair or maternity jeans around 13 weeks when my regular jeans started to get a bit tight. I mostly wear dresses to work so I didn't need much more than that for some time. I started buying other pieces around 16 weeks, after I had told work that I was pregnant (I find that most maternity clothes showcase your bump and until that point I didn't really have one & wanted to hide what little that I did have).

I never really bought that much - as in most 1st pregnancies, my bump was small for a long time and I didn't really need much. I was able to wear most of my regular dresses until the end, and I just bought a few pairs of leggings, tshirts & tops, and a skirt. I didn't even buy a bathing suit for our babymoon at 28 weeks, just wore my regular bikinis. I bought regular knickers from M&S in a larger size & ended up buying more maternity and nursing bras than I needed because I couldn't find any that I liked / supported me enough / didn't make me look frumpy (I'm a 36DD)

For my second pregnancy however I showed a lot more early on. I was wearing my maternity jeans by 11-12 weeks and I found I needed more tshirts and dresses. I work in a very corporate environment and I LOVE Isabella Oliver dresses which are very stylish but also very expensive. Worth every penny however.

For casual wear I quite like New Look. For less corporate work wear Seraphine is ok but very hit and miss.

Wow loads of advise thank you!!! :) one thing though a few people have mentioned belts?? What are they? And belly is deffo having a growth spurt this was last weeks pic (trying to take 1 a week) x

Topshop and asos. Topshop do a maternity version of Leigh jeans that are so soft and comfy but don't look scruffy. They stretch a bit once you've worn them a few times so maybe a size down from what you'd normally wear...

I invested in maternity leggings and jeans, and some loose 90s style tunics and tops 1 size up (belt over bump) or stretchy fabric. Saw me through from the "teen" weeks to now (22 weeks with bump) in far more style than spots-n-stripes maternity.

For on trend maternity, New Look, Topshop, ASOS and H&M are good. Also on EBay there are several sdhops selling perfectly good leggings cheap.

PS. For belts, put "bump band" into eBay. They are like the middle of a tight T-shirt, so you can layer them over a normal top and trousers with the button open and get a few more weeks wear. They look like the bottom of a vest or T-shirt underneath

My experiences

First into Topshop Leigh under bump jeans at 13+4 and been wearing them ever since. Preferred h&m over bump jeans between 22-34 weeks but don't get on with them now at 39 weeks so back in under bumps.

Don't bother with maternity tops! I personally found they were largely unnecessary unless you need fitted/smart as one size up usually suffices. I was a 10/12 pre pregnancy and at 39 weeks am still wearing size 12 primary tops! Just pick the long ones as otherwise you'll flash bump and that is not a good look! All my slightly longer length tops still fit fine and were half the price of maternity tips.

Dresses, asos and mothercare are ok. There are a few awful ones out there but if you pick through you can usually find something nice. Again you can often wear non maternity (still wearing a size 12 stretchy dress here) but going up a size can make them too big on the neck etc so be careful.

Even non stretchy material in a flattering cut can work for a lot of pregnancy, until the last few weeks. Don't feel you can only wear maternity tops from now on!

I'd definitely get a couple of nice pairs of jeans and then go through your current tops and find out what fits and what isn't going to work. Jumpers are not friends! But cardigans are fab and very useful!

Oh, and I'm 21 so I know how you feel!

I went straight into maternity stuff when my normal clothes got too tight, I figured I was going to have to buy some eventually so didn't see the point in paying out for sized up normal clothes and then maternity if that makes sense. I've still not got much of a 'bump' at 20 weeks, but have definitely thickened round my waist and can't handle anything tight now round there as it's really uncomfortable.

My best work buys have been a couple of jersey type material skirts from next maternity that sit under bump but are so stretchy that you could wear them around it if you wanted, got one knee length and one a bit longer and wear those most of the week. Jeans are a nightmare as I'm nearly 6' tall and normally buy tall range trousers - it's hard to find long enough maternity stuff, they don't seem to wonder what happens to the people who buy tall range when they fall pregnant.

If you want to browse in the shops for maternity clothes, you are very limited as it tends to be only the bigger branches and even then the selection is small: H&M, New Look, Top shop and mothercare.
Online there are a lot more options. Asos have a great range online as do next and the above shops have a better range online.
I've bough quite a bit from asos when they have sales and got some great bargains.
I agree that you can wear normal clothes in a slightly bigger size, but I'm now 21 weeks and finding that smarter clothes for work which I bought in one size up are starting to look rubbish, so have had to purchase maternity tops which I've got from asos and H&M.
I have under and over bump trousers. I prefer the under the bump ones, as find I get hot in the over the bump ones as it's an extra layer, but they do need to be really soft if you wear under the bump. My under the bump ones are from New Look and I wear them every day as they are so comfy and elastic like jogging bottoms at the band, but smart enough for work.