Recommendations for essential maternity clothes

[babyignoramus]

I'm nearly 8 weeks and my jeans are already feeling the strain.. I'm going to get a good pair of maternity jeans - what other items did people find essential, eg tops, jackets etc.? Also, would welcome recommendations for shops that do maternity for petites.

Ta

Camisoles - most of the maternitywear people do them. During my last pregnancy I wore these with normal cardigans or blouses over the top. Comfy shoes - I had some really frumpy ones from Camper but I couldn't have managed without them - my feet got so wide I couldn't fit into normal shoes.

These black trousers from Next

I actually prefer longer non-mat vests - found the maternity ones a bit of a funny shape

Bump band more useful than I thought - a fiver from Topshop in various colours or just buy cheap/secondhand vests or t-shirts and cut the tops off so you can pull them a bit further down.

I bought some maternity tights but found they were really baggy until very late on, so hold-ups/over the knee socks worked better (though hopefully our summer will be nice enough for you not to need them!).

Bump bands for when your maternity tops won't cover your belly any more (happened to me from 6 months ).

And, dare I say it, Crocs are great for fat pregnant feet!

Next is the best place for petite jeans, unless you are willing to pay loadsamoney.

Also make a trip to Primark for their stretchy t shirts. I lived in mine right up to the end - and only £2 each!

Bump bands useful - cheapest is Topshop.

Was pregnant over the autumn/winter last time and will be again this time.. things I found great:

• good pair of maternity jeans (I got overbump ones last time I HATED and never wore - shop around and find a pair which suit your style)
• black trousers (good for work)
• rolltop trousers (good for work - expand well with bump and cover it on those days you feel cold)
• nice pair of slouchy trousers (for weekends/yoga classes etc.)
• first 4 months: belly band to cover undone trousers
• couple of wrap style cardigans (covered bump from when tiny until huge)
• few tops - including a really pretty one for when you're going out/to weddings etc.(topshop were good for these)

didnt bother getting a maternity coat - when got too big for my normal one, just got a coat two sizes larger than my normal size and it saw me the whole way through pregnancy.

topshop great. do maternity jeans, lots of styles, quite small. Didn't buy too many tops, didn't like the tent-like cut. Just got normal with lots of stretch (though topshop did some nice long tshirts with a bit of ruching at the side, good length and not a-line, iyswim...)

so far I'm trying to get by on essentials and using my normal summer wardrobe otherwise, but definate must haves:

• good, fitted maternity jeans
• yoga/slouchy trousers
• black maternity trousers (I have cropped ones which i love)
• smart and pretty maternity dress
• smart and pretty maternity skirt

I've invested in a few maternity vest because they're fairly cheap and you can continue to wear normal cardis etc over the top, also have just bought a few jumpers a soze bigger, making sure they're quite long to cover bump as I'm finding maternity clothes are sooooooo expensive!

H&M good too.

seraphine and formes are both £££ french makes that do small sizes, they often sell quite well on ebay...

I think it really depends on your size and shape. Whats great for smaller people is less good for those who are taller and statuesque.
I look pants in the kind of floaty smoked top that you see around these days but look okay in wrap or empire line desses or tight skirts and tops. Trousers just make me look elephantine even at 4 months.
Get yourself to a good maternity shop and try loads on. you can then buy yourself a capsule wardrobe of stuff that suits

Re bumpbands

instead of paying £10-£12 each for these I went to primark and bought size 10 (im size 14) boob tubes in black white and grey for £2 each!

They are exactly the same as bumpbands, i just wear them on my bump rather than on my boobs and put a top over

You proabably want some non-maternity stuff a size or two bigger than normal for this stage - I find maternity stuff can look a bit odd before you have a 'proper' bump. Also, remember that you will need bigger clothes after the baby is born and you will (proably) cry at the idea of still wearing your maternity stuff!

I'm 15 weeks and I am currently in:

stretchy jersey skirts from H&M
long tops/vests from H&M and Primark
skirts with a bit of give in the waist
drawstring trousers

I have some maternity jeans but the bloddy things keep falling down

I've found long vests that I can wear tucked inside my trouser waistband really useful as they stop the trousers falling down (most maternity trousers seem to do this!). I have a couple of pairs of black trousers and a few tops plus a wrap-around cardi that I pretty much live in.

A pair of over bump jeans, several pairs of stretchy leggings, a couple of dresses for over jeans/leggings, several t shirts (primark 2 sizes up have worked for me) lots of cheap knickers several sizes too big (peacocks do a 7 pack for £3.50) and your normal cardies.

Remember that when you are preg you get a bit more pungent and so trousers will need washing after one wear, when usually I'd get at least 2-3 before washing! In fact everything goes in the wash after one wear as my sense of smell is more sensitive. Meaning you may need more trousers (I have 4 pairs and rotate) and lots of cheap t shirts and vests.

My maternity wardrobe last time round was a disaster area. I bought too much stuff, most of it crappy cheapo stuff, too.

This time I've invested a bit of dosh in a black wrap dress and several different coloured wrap tops from Isabella Oliver, a trendy lightweight raincoat/trench coat thingie and some decent bras.

I've bought various other bits fairly cheaply from Gap, H&M and a few bits from Top Shop (vests, t-shirts, a few cardis/cover ups and some summery stuff).

I've also stuck to a colour scheme - boring, but makes it a 'capsule wardrobe' so I can mix and match things.

Girlwiththemousyhair - where did you get your yoga toursers from? The normal stretchy ones I wear for my yoga class at reaching the end of their stretchy, and this is something I haven't found anywhere yet?

Thanks, Z.x

Mothercare do a petite maternity range and also do things like jogging bottoms. Haven't bought anything from there yet but am planning to.

Topshop brilliant and you can buy online with next-day delivery if you are impatient! The jersey-type material dresses are great as very comfy to wear (more so than having trousers/skirt round your middle) and you could wear over jeans/leggings to be more casual. Also New Look have a good range of mat clothes and are very cheap - I bought some summery bits and pieces for a holiday.

I am "petite" too and I have found that maternity clothes seem to be more flattering than just getting normal clothes a size up. The maternity ones fit properly and just show off my bump nicely without making me look fat (at least I hope they do!).

Also I would say don't go mad at this stage - I think I went a bit over the top with my shopping! Try a bump band plus a hairband as Hanaflower suggests for a while.

I couldn't have done without my Primark boob tubes and long thick cotton scarves that fit round my bump, keeping up my wide open (regular, not maternity!) jeans. Use them like a belly band (ten times cheaper!) and you don't really need to buy maternity clothes at all!

Here are my most worn things...in order of favouriteness!

• maternity PJ's (mothercare, in size that seemed ridiculously big when I bought them)

• tracksuit bottoms for pg yoga and generally slobbing round the house in (mothercare)

• 5 smart/pretty jersey dresses for work (mostly black or navy so they all go in the same wash! topshop are fab for these - they seem to get a new dress in every couple of weeks)

• smart flat shoes (proper shoes - ballet pumps made my feet ache, walking to work in trainers then changing made me feel like a tramp)

• jeans (gap)

• t-shirts (peacock, gap, new look)

• light jacket/mac (topshop)

• maternity tankini (rigby and pellar warehouse sale)

That's quite a lot isn't it? I had a splurge at 4 & 5 months when I was just starting to show, so that I could get the most wear out of things. since then have just been buying occaisional v cheap or sale stuff. I would vote for maternity rather than normal stuff in a size bigger - it hangs much better.

New bra! how could i forget bra! Just one... have kept it going as know I'll have to get a whole load of feedign ones after, disgusting aren't I

Don't think you have to change your style when you're pregnant, you'll prob find that the kind of clothes you wear normally but in a maternity style will be the most comfortalble. e.g. Even before i was pg my work wardrobe was mostly made up of little black dresses. I tried to get a pair of maternity trousers but could never find any i felt comfortable in - so i've ended up with loads of little balck maternity dresses instead!

I think it varies a lot depending on your size and how you grow during pregnancy.

First time round, I needed maternity bras and otherwise I probably could have got away without maternity clothes until the final month - it may be different this time though. I think women who wear jeans/ trousers a lot probably need something sooner even with a small bump in some cases.

I really dislike clothes made of very clingy stretch fabrics whether or not I'm pregnant and found one top from Mothercare I bought was a waste of money - didn't like it much on, and the sleeves were very tight - I wore it to the GP's without thinking and couldn't roll up the sleeves for a blood pressure test.

I agree about wearing jersey dresses but a top and skirt or trousers are a better bet for scans and end of pregnancy check ups, so you can roll top up and skirt/trousers down without but only expose the relevant part of your body.

Dorothy Perkins has the advantage of being cheap, especially if you're not sure how much you're going to wear stuff.

Formes do viscose double layered tops which are fantastic (tho pricey but i got mine on ebay) They are v comfortable and i am still wearing mine 3 months later.

Formes do viscose double layered tops which are fantastic (tho pricey but i got mine on ebay) They are v comfortable and i am still wearing mine 3 months later.

Next and Mothercare seem to be best for petites as far as I can tell. The petite/short sizes aren't stocked in many stores but these shops have a reasonable selection on line. Have also bought some cheap but pretty decent linen trousers from New Look online and shortened them myself. I seem to be a totally different shape from my last pregnancy (which was only 14 months ago) and the clothes that I bought then don't fit very well. I seem to live in black trousers (formal for work, slouchy for home) and am trying not to spend too much for just a few months wear.