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!

I second the vote for Red Herring Maternity at Debenhams.

A slightly leftfield thin I did last time i was pg was to buy some tunic-type tops. Cheap, lovely colours, often over-sized, and often have buttons down the front so do for breastfeeding too.

And I bought a couple of pairs of men's pyjamas in the same kind of shops. They're usually drawstring and button down at the front so suited well for cold winter nights!

I can recommend the following (hope no-one else has mentioned this further down the thread- did try to skim through):

www.babeswithbabies.com/

They are expensive, but I have a gorgeous long cardigan, and their 'grace and dignity' breastfeeding tops are absolutely the best design which I have seen (and such a nice shape that I continued wearing them after I stopped brestfeeding, and will now probably have to fork out for another one)...

willowstar, why don't you buy some long vests to put under your tops. they'll stop you flashing your boobs and will hide your bottom if trousers stop falling down. also helps hide the sweat on hot days!

love this thread, its made me smile I found topshop does good maternity tops, ie fashioanable and wearable, jeans for the last few months- i was HUGE in my first pgncy and cried with joy at their proper over the bump boyfriend jeans i even stopped in the street to ask where did i get them that was winter, and this prgcy, i cut off the bottoms and wore them like that. made mistake of buying under bump jeans which i found in next . fitted until 3 months then couldn;t get my thighs in them..

did get maternity brand here in mothercare called OH Mama, which is very nice.

peacocks do maternity, i really liked it, no grey/ white / black combos

oh, and please note all maternity will be upstairs at the back of shops with only size 8 available. who buys maternity size 8? crap when first pregnant anyway. you try getting a bored toddler, buggy and bump to look at maternity cos you ebayed the first lot as NEVER doing it again

I have just been ranting about this to DH, at work etc etc.

La Redoute nighties are ok but jersey - and everything else I have risked buying from there is just hideous and tent like and has gone back.

Love the advice they all give you to buy your normal size - that's a 14 for me but in H&M a pair of combat trousers (why is it always combats, jeans and yoga pants?) didn't fit me in a 16, 18 and still felt tight below the huge band in a bloody size 20. At 24 weeks my bump would probably fit in a pair of size 20 trousers from M&S, so why would I need size 20 maternity trousers?

On subject of thin, floaty long cardigan, did manage to find one smart enough for work in Monsoon (so not maternity but only has about 4 buttons at top so can do them all up if you like and the bottom goes round most of bump. I got a nice silvery grey colour, I saw blue as well and in a bigger shop perhaps they have more?

M&S have maternity section their website - their stuff always looks crap on there (maternity or not) but last time I looked some of it wasn't black jersey.

i did seraphine for trousers (quite long, but great cut, especially jeans); TopShop for a couple of work jackets (swing ones that will go over just a black top and trousers); h&m for tshirts; but most of the best stuff i went through pregnancy in was NOT maternity. i resorted to it because i was so desperate not to have to wear the godawful maternity clothes that were all i could find (except for the humungously expensive stuff) but it did work quite well.
luckily there was loads of smocky floaty tunicy stuff in shops when i was pg: i bought floaty tops with lots of room and empire line dresses (worn as dresses to start with and tops by the end). a wrap dress from hobbs saw me through to 8 months (fantastic for work) and a couple of smart long cardis (one whistles sale, one french connection) with belts were also really useful - in early stages did up top button above the bump but lef the rest, and in later stages didnt even bother and just tied the belt in a bow behind me - they substituted for jackets for work. trousers and skirts you are stuck with maternity wear but on top you shouldnt be.
most of this stuff i now wear non-pg (the bits that arent' stretched beyond all recognition) so was also much better value
granted i was lucky in that while i had a preposterously large bump, i didnt really grow much elsewhere - except weirdly my feet - but the more non-mat stuff you can get the better.

who buys maternity size 8?

me.

I have boobs(for the first time!) and a giant writhing bump but everything else has stayed the same*.

*SO FAR.

Lived in H&M stuff first time round (good for long legs) and then gave all my maternity clothes away... Guess who now needs them again!!! Haven't started looking yet (undone trousers stage...) but reading this thread makes me quite depressed because nothing seems to have changed in the last few years

I have a good selection of normal maxi dresses that are doing me much good lately. A couple of pairs of maternity jeans (which are both boring, but acceptable, apart from falling down every five minutes) and a few longish normal t shirts and i've been fine up to now.

alana, I think it's just H&M's sizes that are funny. I'm normally a 10 with them and had to buy a size 16 in maternity jeans. Their tops were my normal size though.

I couldn't find anything in H&M that came even close to fitting last time all a really od size/shape

Totally agree with lack of decent maternity clothes anywhere.

I stick to leggings and empire line tops- not maternity but a couple of sizes bigger. Also found a nice max dress in H&M, again not maternity. Stretchy vests and long cardies also good.

I'm still wearing my normal jeans unbuttoned with a bobble looped through the button hole and over the button though not for much longer as they are rather tight. I have never managed to find a nice pair of maternity jeans

That's my maternity wardrobe I'm afraid, not very exciting but only 3mths to go!

So agree with all of this. My personal pet hates are:
-Sleeveless.
-Plunging necklines, thanks very much I've always had a cleavage and as I'm only 5'0 I can't wear plunging necklines without flashing my bra.
-Nothing reasonably priced and sensible for work. Only polyester black trousers.
-Too much pink. I hate pink. And I have red hair and don't actually want to wear pink. (When DD was born - with red hair also - dyed all her pink clothing presents lilac...)
-Anything semi-reasonable is out of stock.
-Prevalence of jeans.

Last time, I pleaded with my Mum and got a Simplicity pattern and she made me two dresses, two pairs of linen trousers and a top. But I can't wear the trousers yet as they're very final stage and I'm nearly 26 weeks. Huge for that, but still only 26 weeks

Yup, its b**y awful!

I can highly recommend Seraphine for jeans and trousers though. They fit me perfectly so far (although I'm not quite 15 weeks yet), don't fall down and their sizing (across trousers, not sure about the rest of their range) is consistent. They have a sale on at the mo. They also have a stretchy leather belt which looks great with the jeans.

Can't find any work trousers on any website that aren't black synthetic jobs. Where are the smart wool trousers??

Gap jeans kept falling down on me and pulling my knickers with them! Utterly dreadful. Now I have 2 pairs of Seraphine jeans I'll never wear the Gap ones again! Really wasn't impressed with the choice at Gap for anything to be honest.

Think the general choice of tops is pretty awful. Too much sweaty synthetic stuff and not enough cotton.

Generally I've had to buy everything mail order because there is so little in the shops. Does anyone have the web address for H&M maternity as I can't find it?

Can I just add - if you actually manage to find decent maternity pyjamas for the hospital without winnie the bastard pooh on them, make sure you take a few pairs with you.

Don't do what I did and take only 2 pairs of nice PJs, which got covered in blood (sorry TMI!), leaving me with only an emergency nightie for when the visitors came.

In all the family photos of me and lovely new DS I am NOT wearing my beautiful, carefully selected new bedwear - I am wearing a bloody blancmange coloured nightie which says "under this I'm naked"

Got most of my stuff on ebay, or borrowed from friends, or just bought some bigger sizes in charity shops (currently sporting an East top!). And I don't wear PJs - just got next size up in M&S sale for when I had DS. Remember maternity wards are very warm for normal grown-up people.

The decent stuff will be going back on ebay after DC2 but not till next year!

Agree on polyester trousers tho don't mind the black.

M&S surprisingly good? I had to waddle to Oxford St in ancient tracksuit in order to try stuff on, but was v pleased when got there.

What's with dresses designed so you can't wear a proper bra? Pregnant = needs straps.

When I was pregnant with DS I got some great stuff from H&M - fast forward 3 years, and there was nothing at all I would consider wearing - haven't even bothered with Dorothy Perkins, NExt, etc - most of the stuff I have bought has been via ebay, or in New Look - they do have some naff stuff, but some of it is great - I got a really lovely dress for work, which was just like something I would normally wear. It has been the best place so far.

TOP SHOP - definatly the best maternity clothes. can get them online. Really pretty and fashionable

My problem has been my boobs - mind you they're a problem when not pregnant also, but at least I could wear Bravissimo tops. All empire line maternity tops have the "under" boob band nicely going round my nipples, and I second what was said early about needing to wear a bra underneath - what's with all the strappy tops? All I want is a nice light, cool, cotton sundress or two, but all of them have no scope for wearing the necessary scaffolding underneath without showing off acres of bra/brastrap.

Grrrrrrr.

try www.hotmilklingerie.co.nz/
for undies,

i agree that newlook had a reasonable range and was able to source a skirt in pink from them, as well as black linen. also non-maternity ranges in the right fit worked well, eg large jersey dress from monsoon, top from ASDA (is it me or do they just presume you have a huge tum from eating their phenomenally cheap range of goodies?)

be comforted that your boobs will settle down. My husband thought all his dreams had come true with my pregnancy bust reaching HH - but it quickly settled down post-partum.

can i add to your list of don't wants

-polyester - you'd don't do nasty itchy polyester for other women, why the hell for pregnant ones? (i'm thinkng Monsoon & next)

• smocks - I am not, nor have i ever been , a peasant and have absolutely no wish to look like one. Also, if you think covering the bump in enough material to construct a tent out of is going to make it look smaller think again.

-isabella Oliver- what the hell is it that makes her tops worth £40 + ON EBAY

-jojomamanbebe- great, your skirt covered my bump. Shame that in the merest gust of wind, it shows my enormous post-baby rear end to such an extent that all the world is my gynecologist!

-M&S- all your other bras come in colours other than white & black, and have lace on. Why not maternity?

-three-quarter sleeves- my belly has got bigger. My arms have not go shorter, and still (as it was winter) need covering. Kindly do full length sleeves, so that my arms don't freeze off. (red herring maternity particularly at fault here)

now you may say that pregnancy doesn't last long, but as it takes a bit to be arsed with wearing nonslobby clothes retrieve your previous dimensions, it would be nice if they designed clothing with the 'fourth semster' in mind, that you wouldn't mind wearing afterwards as well.

oneopinionatedmother just laughed out loud at your "my belly has got bigger. My arms have not got shorter" comment!! That is so true.

Just got home from Fosse Park shopping centre.

• M&S -very small selection.
• Gap - quite impressed - has linen trousers and quite a big range of stuff, not a slogan t-shirt in sight!

We've had Mumsnet books ... how about the Mumsnet range of maternity wear?

I have been living in longline vests from DP's normal range in a size bigger than usual. They are just getting to be not long enough at 30 weeks, so have bought some from New Look's Tall range. I still have my lovely maternity Topshop jeans from 4 years ago, they don't do anything like it now

Anything maternity from DP/New Look/Next is horribly matronly and makes me want to weep. Aside from the three pack of next long sleeved tops that arrived yesterday from their autumn/winter collection (v comfy)

Took a day off work on Monday to go maternity shopping with my birthday money and came home thoroughly depressed, but Hurrah! for the internet because after 2 months of trying several shops (and buying every pair I found on Ebay) I have finally found a pair of Maternity jeans that not only look good, but also stay where they're supposed to (unlike my 2 overpriced Next pairs ) rather than needing to be hitched up (along with my knickers) every time I do something more strenuous than stand still! (M&S Ltd Collection kickflares if you're wondering -delivered this morning and testing well throughout the day) The rest of their stuff, sadly, is still crap though.

Also got an old lady style nightie from M&S in a larger size which I think will be OK for hospital (has button-down front too so should work for B/feeding) ...Felt utterly hideous in the mothercare b/feeding nighties I had last time around and can't find anything else so think old lady is the way to go!

I'd also like to add my observation that according to maternity "designers", short people don't get pregnant either. Being short AND fat myself means there's absolutely no hope at all for me - apart from my new jeans, of course, but I don't see them lasting me to 40 weeks either.