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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Maternity wear

68 replies

Slug · 06/04/2001 10:30

Does anyone know where I can get a nice maternity dress to wear to my wedding in July? I'll be 6 months pregnant by then, and I was never a small girl to start with, though morning sickness has done wonders for that so far. I'm not too keen on any traditional wedding gear,(please, no meringues) I quite fancy green actually but so far I can find nothing at all.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Tinker · 18/12/2001 22:45

I got stopped outside River Island by the security guard who thought I'd been shoplifting. He asked, in the street, what as under my coat. "A baby!" He was about 20 and mortified.

2under2 · 19/12/2001 07:31

LOL about the shoplifting accusation!!

I didn't want to splash out on a new coat and bought myself a fleece gilet to wear underneath an ordinary coat. Kept my bump nice and warm and looked fine.

Ems · 19/12/2001 09:23

Brilliant Tinker!

ChanelNo5 · 19/12/2001 11:15

Tinker - I had a similar experience when I was pregnant a few christmas's ago. Foolishly, I stretched my usual coat around the expanding me (and I don't just mean the bump, unfortunately!) and went supermarket shopping with my sister. We got followed by a security guard most of the way round, presumably he thought I'd shoved my christmas turkey up my coat. Don't think he had the nerve to stop us though, as my sister was giving him daggers, and he too was aged about 17. Reminds me of that sketch about the security guard from 'Trigger Happy TV'!

SueDonim · 19/12/2001 12:30

That's a cracker, Tinker!

Bugsy · 20/12/2001 09:45

Thanks all for your tips. I do need to look smart on the days I go to work, so I think I'll eek the current coat out until I can hit the sales. The Evans tip is a good one. I did think about swing coats - you try and find one this year. Everything is so fitted this season.

florenceuk · 20/12/2001 13:34

You could try Marella (or Max Mara if you're feeling rich) - their styles usually have a fairly generous fit. I still fit mine (bought two years ago in the sales) at 9mths.

IDismyname · 20/12/2001 22:34

I seem to remember wrapping myself in one of those cape things. Like a big rug with a slit up through to the middle. A wrappy/ poncho type thing.... Am I making ANY sense?! A look alike pashmina (or the real thing) would do.
Anyway, also seem to remember consuming large amounts of ice cream in office first day back in January as I was so hot!

SueDonim · 21/12/2001 00:05

A serape, wrap/cape type thing? M&S had nice ones and John Lewis.

EmmaM · 02/09/2002 14:32

Help. I'm 13 weeks in to my second pregnancy and I'm having a clothing crisis. None of my normal clothes fit (my trousers are secured with a safety pin right now!), but I don't know whether I'll just look daft or over keen if I go into maternity wear now. What do you think? When I've told people I'm pregnant they ask how many weeks and when told say something like 'oh, only just then'. What makes it worse is a colleague is expecting her first - she's about a month ahead of me - and still appears to be in her normal stuff.

Should I just say stuff 'em and get out the big clothes, or make do for another couple of weeks when I perhaps won't feel silly wearing maternity? I feel a bit shy about drawing attention to the fact that I am expecting.

When did other people start to show in their second pregnancies?
Thanks

Azzie · 02/09/2002 14:40

EmmaM, can't remember exactly when I started to show with my 2nd pregnancy, but I do remember that it was earlier than with the first - 2nd time around your stomach muscles don't have so much fight left in them . If I were you I'd wear whatever feels the most comfortable. My dark secret is that I had one maternity skirt (a smart one from Blooming Marvellous) that I never stopped wearing in between my 2 pregnancies.

pupuce · 02/09/2002 14:45

Me too.... I was wearing maternity wear at 12 weeks the 2nd time around !
Stuff them - wear what is comfortable !

emilys · 02/09/2002 15:23

2nd time round i started showing at a bout 12 weeks, the first time people still thought i had 'put on a bit of weight' when i was 7 months! Be comfortable and happy and i'd totally agree with pupace 'stuff 'em'! Although, good luck trying to get some decent gear!

SofiaAmes · 02/09/2002 16:57

EmmaM, who cares what anyone else thinks. You're the one who has to deal with being pregnant which is uncomfortable enough without adding to it with too tight clothes. I am normally quite thin and gained lots of weight very quickly in both my pregnancies, so both times I was in "fat people" sweats (i was too cheap to buy maternity wear) by 6 or 8 weeks. I couldn't wear even my baggiest clothes by 10 weeks. I'm 36 weeks now and finally broke down and bought a couple of maternity trousers a few months ago as I couldn't even fit the "fattest" sweats.

Joe1 · 02/09/2002 17:02

I didnt show so quickly or have been so big second time round but couldnt wait to get into maternity clothes at around 12-14 weeks. I hated that tight feeling I was getting from my ordinary clothes, I just wanted to be comfy. I enjoyed shopping for maternity clothes and they have some great ones in H&M and now Asda have started selling some great clothes too. Be proud of your bump and dont worry what others say.

duffy · 01/10/2002 13:59

Any tips on what to wear in between the bit where your ordinary clothes are too tight and maternity clothes are way too big?

bundle · 01/10/2002 14:03

duffy, I bought a dress from Evans for a wedding, I think it was only about £25 and I didn't want to spend too much...just got the smallest size which I think was a 16.

Bozza · 01/10/2002 14:07

Duffy I would suggest comfy clothes that are a size or two bigger than normal. These could also prove useful postnatally as you come back down. I hated the few months after giving birth as far as clothes were concerned.

badjelly · 01/10/2002 14:08

I just got a few cheap things a size or two bigger than normal with the theory that they will fit again afterwards!

Philippat · 01/10/2002 14:17

Recommend East, drawstring or elasticated waists particularly. I was happily wearing a pair of drawstring trousers I'd bought years previously from them right through to 9 months.

H&M's maternity wear is good too because it's not so obviously maternity wear that it's loads too big when you start wearing it.

FrancesJ · 01/10/2002 21:42

I know it's been summer, but I've practically lived in sarongs - very, very comfy indeed. You can buy nice silk ones that look good over black tights, too, or maternity leggings, because obviously, come winter, you'd freeze wafting around in just a cotton wrap. With my first pg (a winter one) I invested in one nice black velvet skirt with an elasticated 'hipster-fit' waist (from Marks, I think), in two sizes bigger than normal, and that lasted me through (sitting under bump at end) with long tops. With this one, I bought one pair of drawstring/elastic trousers, and, likewise, they're still being worn.

EmmaM : like everyone else has said - it's the comfort that counts, nothing else. Everyone shows pregnancy in different ways and at different times anyway - I know people that didn't show for a good four months, but looked enormous at the end, and I'm one that showed pretty much straight away, but then just sort of stayed looking the same until about a month ago, while they'd expanded much more obviously in a shorter time. It doesn't matter a jot, anyway, so long as you're comfortable

Katherine · 01/10/2002 22:41

Bozza - I was so shocked to find how big I was after DS. I suppose I expected to just go back down really quickly

EmmaM - It was hard facing the fact that I'd never wear some of that stuff again (although at least after BF DD I ended up loosing so much weight that I was lighter than pre-pg! Probably from lugging small child round on each hip. Not that it lasted very long.

Its well worth investing in some comfy stretchy clothes now, you have to face the fact - its not just for the next few months but proably for ages after as well so you will get your moneys worth from them. However if you don't want to go for obvious maternity stuff then just invest in some stretchy larger sizes. I got some gorgeous dresses which I've continued to wear ever since.

SoupDragon · 02/10/2002 09:21

I bought jeans in a larger size in stretch denim for the "just fat" stage of pregnancy & the "still fat" stage of motherhood. I also lived in some drawstring trousers from Monsoon. H&M were great for cheap maternity stuff which looks different from the usual things on offer from, say, Mothercare.

wmf · 02/10/2002 11:37

Shirts which have big splits up from the bottom of the side seams (there's probably a proper name for that style, but I don't know what it is) are very useful. I have several from well before pre-pregnancy life which I've worn throughout both pregnancies and after the first - the 2nd hasn't finished yet. They're particularly good at 'slimming down' during the 'just looking fat' stage at the begining, and the 'still looking pregnant' stage after the event.

bundle · 08/10/2002 18:13

funmum.com has a liquidation sale on - not much left by the look of it, but very cheap stuff.

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