Just because I'm pregnant, it doesn't mean I want a...

[GentlyDoingIt]

...wrap-around top

...comedy slogan t-shirt ("Does my bump look big in this?" aaaargh!)

...black wardrobe - I am not in mourning

...pair of pyjamas/nightshirt with Winnie the Sodding Bastard Pooh on them

...in fact pair of pyjamas with any kind of slogan or picture motif on them

...pyjamas & tops with those tiny little adjustable bra straps that just fall off in bed and give you a dead arm - I want some wide straps please!

Sorry, been doing a bit of online shopping and am starting to despair. Why is it so hard to find clothes in colours other than black, grey and navy? If we must have dark colours, how about a bit of teal or purple? Or can we go mad and have a print that was designed after 1996?

I really want a pair of crisp, white pyjamas or nightshirt - proper ones, with buttons and a collar (yes I know they will be ruined but I WANT THEM.) Where are they?

And if I read the words "soft cotton jersey" once more... I want linen! I want cheesecloth! I want broderie anglais!

Things I hate are under the bump trousers & skirts - ok if you've no stretch marks but otherwise I wouldn't want my front on display.

I'm trying to find long ankle length light weight cotten skirt at the moment. All skirts are viscose/ polyester or knee length or short & fitted.

It's still early days for me but my lands end ruched side swim top and skirt is great.

Oh, and nightwear - I buy non maternity strappy things and then for breast feeding I just pull the straps down.

Some of us do need to have proper maternity clothes though Schulte. I got so big that everyday clotes just wouldn't fit. Some mums I know can just wear a bigger size but some of us expand just all over with huge bumps.

schulte same here with breastfeeding nightwear. I've got 3 dcs (youngest 2m) and I've never owned a nursing PJ/nightie ever. I don't own nursing tops, however I have splashed out on a lovely Bara Glad nursing dress.

Mybox even worse: some women (like me ) grow out of their 1st lot of mat clothes and need to buy some more bigger mat clothes towards the end of their pregnancy! I gained 4 stone x 3. Like you I couldn't wear normal stuff but in a bigger size for the last 2-3 months of my pregnancy either.

Ooooooh I can sympathise with you all - DS was born in Sept last year, so I was properly pg big all summer. Gap Maternity saved my life. It is worth travelling for, and they always seem to have a sale rail.

Did you know that you can get mat clothes from Asda online? Not bad, good prices.

George maternity wear

BC - I grew out of my blooming mavellous biggest size - apart from one super stretchy skirt & an isabella oliver long black skirt. This showed me the lack of bigger size maternity wear. Gained 30 kilos at the end!

Mybox I gained 25kg x2 and 26 last time, so outgrew my 1st lot of mat clothes. I learned my lesson the next 2 times and always bought normal size + 1!

Personally I find that the choice of mat clothes now is much much better than 7 years ago, when slogany T-shirts and jeans were all that was on offer and long length mat jeans was nowhere to be found at least now even Next maternity does them. Nowadays there is far more choice. H&M e.g. Blooming marvelous has changed what they've got on offer and it's got almost no slogans in their last catalogue.

Next step is a few stylish dresses you can wear while nursing.

Gap Maternity not just in London - I got mine in Leeds. I think they have it in Manchester too - so I guess the larger shops in big cities (not Sheffield though). Have just tried to Google to no avail.

have you tried independant maternity shops? Slightly more expensive but miles better choice and quality than high street.

My fav brands were Noppies and Mamalicious.
Noppies
Although TBH Mamalicious jeans were a little odd, tops were cute and NO SLOGANS!!

It's true, there's bugger all in London either, it's online or nothing. You're better off finding a branch of Jojo Maman Bebe or Gap Maternity somewhere in the outskirts than braving Oxford Street.

Oh poo, I was looking forward to going shopping for 'fat' clothes. Just feeling a wee bit depressed now . Should have realised when that top arrived from my mum (huge white floaty summery thing- I'm 9 weeks!).

There's a Gap Maternity in B'ham too, but only since this spring or something. All I remember is that when it arrived it wasn't quite worth it anymore for me to get anything from there.

I know Noppies, it's Dutch or Belgian I think. I didn't know you could get their stuff in the UK. Their clothes look just like what my friends and family wear when I go back home.

There is Gap maternity in Guildford and in Bluewater, they generally tend to be in the Gap Kids stores (not Baby Gap) confusingly. Would agree they have a good range and they do have a sale on atm, bought a couple of tops at the weekend for a tenner each.

I like Red Herring Maternity at Debonshams but it's quite expensive. Because it's summer though, you can get away with non-maternity pretty smock type tops, often in bigger sizes. I've lived in those, teamed up with leggings.

For nightwear try getting a cheapie Primark nightie in a much bigger size than you'd normally wear. I'm a 10 normally but ended up giving birth in a size 16/18 one. And it had broderie anglaise on it! The top looked lovely in my hospital photos (good job I was sitting on the blood-soaked other end... went straight in the bin after, though at £4 I didn't shed many tears).

Topshop have good skirts, though I resent paying £40 for something I'm only going to wear for 3 months.

Beware sizing of maternity clothes. I'm normally a 12-14 on the bottom. At H&M I would have had to go up to a 16 in their maternity range, at Dorothy Perkins, their 12 is frankly too big. I bought a nice enough pair of combats from DP but they slip down all the time. For the rest I'm making do with my roomier normal clothing. Luckily have not put on too much weight yet (7kg at 35 weeks). Reckon I can slum it for the last month without sinking any more money into maternity wear, which is, I agree hideous on the whole. Cannot bring myself to wear the few items passed down by my friend- they just scream "MATERNITY WEAR!!!!!".

GentlyDoesIt you're on re the maternity business - it's so obvious from this thread that the majority of designers have absolutely no idea what we need/want!

I was all excited by those TopShop maternity links till I looked more closely and realised the biggest size is a 16 Now I remember why I have always hated that place - so size-ist! Even when I slimmed down to an 8 I refused to go in there in memory of the previous misery years.

SOOOOO glad I'm not the only one who has put on stupid amounts not accounted for in the "regulation pregnancy weight gain tables" Just during the IVF cycle alone I stacked on 3 stone (bl00dy hormones) and another 3 has come to party with the first 3 since Trying not to add any more but fat chance since I have 16 weeks to go

Think I am going to hold out re buying any more new clothes as long as possible - today defiantly wearing non-mat clothes (old T-shirt & gypsy skirt from Asda with stretchy smocking along waist £5 - bargain!)

My favourite maternity top is from Asda!

They don't seem to have any here now though. Am pissed off that I missed that swimming costume, as mine is horrendous!

I was looking at the sale in La Senza the other day and a lot of the sale nightwear seemed to be maternity stuff, and it didn't even has Winnie the Feckin Pooh or a rabbit in a nightcap sleeping on the moon with a load of 'zzzzzzz' above it or anything!

I would have to second Primark on the nightwear front - a good range plus it's so cheap you can throw it away after... I just bought a broderie anglaise set there about 2 weeks ago! the other thing they do which is great is their beachwear range, for wearing generally. I have a long skirt which can also be a dress - this basically has smocking for about a foot at the top so is great for expanding bumps.

For actual nice clothes that you might want to wear ASOS are good although I found their sizes slightly small - at 32 weeks I'm up to a 12 from an 8! And Dorothy Perkins do nice shirts/top, as well as being fairly true to size which I like - I'm in a broderie anglaise type shirt now, think I'm feeling the same as GentlyDoingIt on that score!

I went through my wardrobe last night and filled a giant binbag with all the clothes that no longer fit. It's so depressing... I used to be a size 6

I have been mostly making do with a couple of Isabella Oliver bump bands for my existing trousers and some non-maternity empire line dresses from Monsoon. However, I did buy a gigantic purple linen tent from Gap Maternity whilst on holiday in the US. I look like a barrage balloon but it was wonderfully draughty and comfortable when I was on the Hoover Dam in temperatures of around 50 degrees C.

Sadly I think the pregnants are too small a market to make designing a wide range of nice seasonal clothes worthwhile profitable.

Agree most mat wear is rubbish but I don't find it any more or less rubbish than previously!

I hate all the low cut/slogan/tight fitting stuff, I just need smart and cheap to wear to work

Having said that I got a couple of larger size tops in Bon Marche (£6 total) they should do for a bit

There is a Gap maternity section at the Fosse Park (Leicester) store. I can remember growling as I went past after mc as there was a pregnant dummy display in the window.

Trying not to get carried away for above reason - if all goes to plan I'm due March. I saw the new Autumn/Winter Next directory and looked at the maternity section. My reaction was 'God that stuff looks depressing!'. I don't wanna look frumpy!!

M&S used to have a maternity section but thinking about it, couldn't find it last time I was in the Fosse Park branch.

Thanks guys for the useful tips. Got the most god-awful breast feeding nightshirts last time from Mothercare - they are DEFINITELY gonna have to go... Other gripe is maternity jeans I got last time from Next - couldn't get them on past about 7 months.

I'm going to a wedding this Saturday (I'm eight and a half months pregnant) and it's been frickin impossible to find a decent wedding outfit that doesn't emphasise my Sherman-tank physique.

BUT - today as a last resort I popped into H&M Maternity section. Initially I thought, ah shit - nothing wearable, minging colours and styles - then I found a simple black dress (stuffed into the tankini section) which looked quite dull but I thought, what the hell. Tried it on, and could have wept with joy. I actually look NICE in it! With a few colourful accessories I'LL LOOK PRESENTABLE!

Thankyou Jesus!