At what stage did you start wearing maternity clothes?

[naturelover]

I'm 17 weeks pregnant and don't really show yet (I'm tall), but NONE of my usual clothes fit either. Is it worth buying a few things in a bigger size in the meantime? I'd like to get value for money in terms of the number of times I wear things! I'm sure that actual maternity clothes would just fall off. My tracksuit bottoms are very comfortable, but not really right for the office or my trip to Paris next weekend!

As the opposite to Kama I had to wear Matty trousers from 7 weeks onwards. I'm very small and short in the body and people were congratulating me at 8 weeks! You could see my 'slope' from the top of my body.

By nine months my bottom rib had come away from my sternum with the strain!!!

Not nice.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I trekked up to Oxford St today and bought a maternity top from Benetton (bit huge for now, but too pretty to resist), some Top Shop adjustable maternity jeans that I can wear immediately (yay) and a non-maternity top from H&M that is really useful.

Two things I learned, to hopefully save some of you some inconvenience:

• Contrary to what I was told on the phone by Next, the Oxford Circus (not Bond St) branch stocks maternity clothes. However it is the smallest department in existence and my advice would be shop online.

• The Oxford Circus H&M does not stock the maternity line - instead it's the Marble Arch branch. I'd had enough of the crowds so will save that for another day.

Sorry for the very London-centric advice but hope it's of use to some of you.

I had the same problem with H&M, was about to give up after I'd trekked up to Marble Arch but I eventually found it and they do have quite a good range there, some good basic trousers and tops. Had a mare with their jeans though, I'm normally a 14 but the legs were so skinny I couldn't even get them on! And the 16s were massive.