Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

My mother is weird about maternity clothes

41 replies

Greenlegobox · 31/03/2019 11:41

My mother thinks that any clothes worn during maternity should do as much as possible to cover the bump. She thinks anything which shows it is a bit off. I've turned up for lunch wearing a stretchy long sleeved t shirt thing over maternity jeans. It's not too small or anything. She's acting like I'm wearing something obscene. There's a family wedding next week. She wants me to wear the equivalent of a tent! Anyone experienced this before? My bump is pretty big as I'm 8 months pregnant and this is my second child.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Cookit · 01/04/2019 11:02

@AnnaMagnani ha I thought of Diana too.

Lllot5 · 01/04/2019 11:02

She’s just a bit old fashioned that’s all. Maternity wear used to be tents. Just wear whatever you feel comfortable in and you’ll be fine. Congratulations btw.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 01/04/2019 11:07

I wouldn't enter in to any conversation with her about it at all,just chuckle and say "Oh mum,you are funny" and change the subject.

Original poster

Greenlegobox · 01/04/2019 14:20

My cousin was pregnant with twins a few years ago and we were looking at a photo of her wearing completely normal clothes and my mother said "Really now, that's a bit much" and gave a bit of a laugh. When I didn't seem to be giving the same reaction she was very surprised and said "do you not think so?".

OP posts:

ApolloandDaphne · 01/04/2019 14:27

How very odd. I hated the voluminous maternity wear i had to buy when i was pregnant. The current stuff is much nicer and i love to see a baby bump.

Mesmeri · 01/04/2019 14:28

I wore non-maternity tunics/dresses over leggings. It was OK, but mentally always felt like a mediaeval horse going into battle in one of those tablecloth things. Preferred fitted things because I liked to stroke the bump, and everyone told me how slim I was (I really wasn't).

GetOffTheTableMabel · 01/04/2019 14:35

My mum was exactly the same and because it was quite hard to find the sort of tent dress that she thought was suitable (because they were horribly outdated even 14 years ago), she got her sewing machine out and made me a couple. They were quite something. I could not go out in public wearing them!

EL8888 · 01/04/2019 14:36

My mum has similar opinions 🙄. Which are odd and old fashioned. Who wants to wear a tent? Like other people have said, lm sure you’re not thinking bikini and body paint

organicmama · 01/04/2019 14:44

I love a baby bump!

Cookit · 01/04/2019 14:55

Is it not a bit like superstition around acknowledging a pregnancy though? Or not quite superstitution.
I know that it was never announced that the queen was pregnant, I guess she just wore tents and people pretended not to notice.
My mother was horrified that we had a name planned out for our child for instance and were ok with sharing it.
I think it might also harp back to times when stillbirths were just tidied away and not acknowledged much with the parents sometimes not even seeing their baby.
I suppose risks may be slightly lower now but it’s probably mostly that people are more open now.

kikibo · 01/04/2019 15:05

Whilst you're at it trying not to find a tent, don't forget to get a really big handbag to holiday in front of your bump because even in tent people might see it... 😂

kikibo · 01/04/2019 15:27

Oh bl**dy hell! 'hold in front of your bump'!

TotallyOrganisedMess · 01/04/2019 15:58

My mum is in her 70s and had a similar view. I'm pregnant at the moment and in the first few months she subtly mentioned something about not wearing tight clothes.
To be honest, I don't particularly like having my bump on display and some of the clothes I wear make it difficult to tell that I'm pregnant, but it really annoys my husband if I wear clothes like that when I'm out, he prefers me to wear clothing that clearly show my bump. He worries that if people can't obviously tell I'm pregnant, they won't take any extra care around me and are more likely to bump into me or not offer help etc.
I completely get where he's coming from and I make sure I wear something that shows my bump when I'm going to be around a lot of people. I mentioned it to my mum, and it seems to have helped her to see it differently now!

Graphista · 01/04/2019 16:21

Interestingly Diana would be 58 this year if she were still alive so likely not much younger than op's mum.

But then my mums in her 70's and has never voiced any such opinions so I don't think it's everyone of that generation feels that way.

Directing her to Diana's 2 dil's pregnancy wear is a good idea. They both have worn lovely flattering non-tent but not catsuit style either maternity wear. If it's good enough for the royals...

BlingLoving · 01/04/2019 16:31

this is funny. my mum never saw me pregnant as she visited after baby birth, but I am 100% certain that even at the age of 68 or whatever she was when DC1 was in the offing, it wouldn't have occurred to her to think I should wear tents. I think it's one of those ones you just have to ignore ignore ignore or respond with faked shock and laughter.

OrchidInTheSun · 01/04/2019 20:04

I wore a stretchy top to do a presentation and the baby started doing a very visible jig for the crowd. I wore tunic tops to work after that - no one wants to see the alien in your belly unless they're related to it

Flip

1 2