Maternity Clothes for early pregnancy

[lenleeds]

Hi,

I'm just 14 weeks and am starting to show. I'm not quite big enough for proper maternity clothes, they look a bit silly, but definitely can't fit into the majority of my normal clothes.

Is anyone able to recommend maternity clothes which will see me right through my pregnancy?

Thanks

Tricky as lots of mat clothes are far too big - I'm nearly 23 weeks and "proper" mat stuff is too big. I bought some Gap Maternity trousers (demi panel cut - comes halfway up bump) that I'm hoping will do me right through, and a jersey skirt that should grow with me. I have been mainly wearing looser normal tops - sometimes in the next size up. Also a couple of dresses and tunics I already had that are cut loosely. I also have some Topshop Leigh jeans (maternity) but they are driving me mad cos they keep falling down as they're below bump /belly. It depends on your style but I am just internet shopping and sending stuff back if it's not right - if you're in Leeds there aren't many shops with maternity ranges AFAIK. I did order some ASOS maternity stuff but it's huge for now. Sent it back cos it totally swamped me.

I have found new look to be the best for maternity wear. They do really nice dresses and tops. Just order in your normal size and they stretch as you grow, plus they don't look they're drowning you. I also got skinny maternity jeans from mothercare which look like normal jeans but with an expander to go under your bump x

Best bet is to get jersey dresses that will stretch as you grow, or something belted under the bust so that you can tie and then loosen as you grow - something like: www.blossomingbump.com/mamalicious-sleeveless-printed-navy-maternity-dress/

Hope that helps x

Agree with Sarah. I have never ever bought anything in New Look before but find at 14 weeks that all of my t shirts are a bit tight on boob area and are riding up (still ok in most buttoned items but not for long).

I went in at the weekend and for £50 picked up a pack of 3 long t shirts with ruched sides, 4 other naice t shirts/tops and some of those tube things to go round your waist and hold up unbuttoned bottoms. None make me look particularly pregnant but will last for the next couple of months while it is still warm. I'll probably then head into jersey dresses/skirts and existing tops and jackets.

Oh and there is a Mamas and Papas factory shop between Mirfield and Huddersfield if you are local. They have some maternity stuff but it just depends what they've got in when you are there.

Brilliant, thank you. That blossoming bump website has loads of lovely stuff - and will also have a look in Newlook.

Thanks x

Most of my wardrobe is from H&M, if you're slightly more petite the maternity clothes tend to fit better I have found. At your stage I found bump bands to be a life saver for jeans and work trousers. I would leave them unbuttoned and then just pop a bump band round the top and I wore my work trousers this way until I finished up at 35 wks! I tended to wear my baggier 'normal' tops at your stage too, my bump popped around week 22 which is when maternity wear started to look a bit more normal.

I got a few maxi dresses from Seraphine which claim to grow with your bump and therefore see you through pregnancy. I think they would look ok with a small bump as they are quite floaty with the waist band above the bump. They are soooooooooo comfy and also really pretty. I love them.

I have given up on skirts and trousers tbh except one pair of mat jeans which keep falling down. I only wear them when I know I won't be walking around too much. Also leggings are fine with tunic tops.

for casual, normal, non maternity maxi dresses in my normal size were fine at that stage and still are at 22 weeks - I did specifically buy the jersey material type ones that are still a bit stretchy. I also was still able to wear a lot of my dress/ leggings combos as they are all elasticated under the chest. I've just invested in a maternity denim skirt which should see me through winter as well with thick tights/ boots.

For work I am lucky being a short arse so all my suit jackets were long enough so I could half do up my zips on my skirts! I finally couldn't do that anymore at about 16 weeks and then bought a work maternity wardrobe. The things I could have worn earlier than I did were a £10 maternity pencil skirt from Asda which I love which I wear with tops tucked in at the mo and it just looks high waisted not necessarily maternity and also a jersey skirt from seraphine (www.seraphine.com/navy-fold-down-maternity-skirt.html) which I reckon I will be able to incorporate into my post maternity work wardrobe as it's pretty stretchy and looks like a normal skirt, just with a clever design!

At some point I am going to have to invest in a maternity coat as I won't make it to the end of November without one! I think that is going to feel like the most annoying purchase as I will only be wearing it for 3-4 months!

I didn't buy a lot of maternity stuff first time round. I mainly went with floaty tops, leggings, oversized sweaters and skater style dresses that just went over the bump. And then I was able to wear those after I gave birth to hide the pregnancy belly that never went away

The things I did buy were a maternity coat (was definitely necessary!!) and an excellent pair of maternity jeans from Mamas and Papas. I was very much an 'over the bump' pregnant person so needed a good pair of jeans.

Wrap tops from JoJo Maman Bebe are good as you just tie them in different places as your bump grows. I ended up with 4 this pregnancy; they were the best thing for work.

I actually also loved topshop Leigh jeans from 14 weeks. I found over the bump trousers were too baggy early on but they fitted really well from the start because they just had a comfy, low, elasticated panel. They've never really fallen down for me.

Pepperberry (online) aren't maternity clothes but are clothes for 'curvy' women. Not plus size. You order in your usual size and there's more room for the bust and where your bump would be. Many are quite stretchy. I have found them great for early pregnancy and again post baby when nothing else fits but maternity clothes are too big.

Also. If you have long tops and your trousers are just starting to get a little snug then I found that putting a hair bobble round the button, threaded through button hole, and looped back on to the button of things like jeans and work clothes have me an extra few weeks to find clothes I wanted rather than needed xx

I showed very early (now 31 weeks) I've only brought 2 pairs of mat jeans from primary costing me £5 each.
I just stating buying clothes in a size up.
For the bottom half, cheap shorts with elastic aged waist (Mataram £3 each in black pink and white)
Linen trousers, wore with a belt at first as size up was too big, I now have a hair band looped through the button hole and button ( same with work trousers)
Top, just long tank tops which are everywhere - h&m is good
Or any long t-shirt that's quite plain (patterns stretch)
Dresses - in early stages I wore body on midi dresses as they make bump look lovely, then moved onto floater Maxis, (primark and boohoo)

I also found the odd summer dress which is a skater style that works, but watch the material other wise it ends up surfing off your bump!
Round the house it's the boyfriends cotton shorts, pj bottoms, Trackies and any top.

I found maternity stuff is quite pricey, and not always comfy or even a great fit.

Just build up a little capsule wardrobe, you don't need loads xx

I'm 32 weeks and am still wearing t-shirt 'dresses' from Primark- I bought them size 14/16 (usually 8/10) and used to belt them which worked well. Now they're just loose. They're only £5 each.

I invested in some maternity leggings as I found loose jersey tops saw me through to about week 24, then maternity tunics or oversize long t-shirts.

I bought a couple of maternity jersey dresses (H&M are good) and some maternity jeans (Primark) and some bump bands (online).

I'm 30 weeks and still wearing mostly non maternity clothes - jersey dresses, empire line jersey tunics etc - over maternity leggings (so they don't fall down) if needed, or over non maternity harem pants from Next. I just bought two vest tops from Dorothy Perkins today that were £8 for two, and are long enough to cover my bump - probably half the price of maternity ones, but the same.

I'm 31 weeks, but initially when normal clothes started feeling tight, I wore a pair of under the bump trousers from New look which are so comfy with my bigger looser tank style tops which I bough especially, but I know I will wear again after pregnancy - but then I was trying to hide bump as I'd started a new job and also needed to be smart for work!
I found asos website good, and got some amazing bargains in their sales for maternity clothes. Free returns. I've also got bits in H&M, new look, mothercare and Jojomaman. Living in maternity dresses at the moment - but I'm not sure how they'd have looked in early stages - possibly okay, but then you may not want dresses as you'll be probably be needing something warmer as you get bigger - having said that, since around 26 weeks, I am constantly hot and was always someone who felt the cold. I have forgotten what it's like to feel cold!!
I still fit in non-maternity maxi dresses and have bought some cheap stretchy vests and shorts a size bigger for wearing round the house.

I bought a belly belt off amazon which works well and I still wear my normal bottoms. Top half ice got t shirts and vests from primark in the next size up.

That 10-20 weeks stage can be very difficult. Bump bands/elastic bands for trousers are a saviour.

Would definitely recommend Seraphine - their jersey dresses will hopefully last me through my final 3 weeks of work (finishing at 37-38 weeks), whilst other dresses got too small 4-6 weeks ago. Some Seraphine worn better than others, but on the whole their clothes are excellent & as a previous posters mentioned, they seem to grow with the bump.

Next maternity jeggings were a lifesaver for me - I wore them from about 16 weeks all the way through. Elasticated waist so just stretches with you