Help me through the minefield of maternity clothing and avoid OH t shirts and jogging bottoms!

[OMGBFP]

Been too busy thinking about baby clothes to think of maternity clothing!

How many pairs of maternity trousers will I need?
Trousers - under bump, over bump, narrow bump band, stretchy pocket bits?
Which would you say you found more comfy? Any good quality but reasonably priced brands?
I've lots of flowing style tops which should suffice so do I really need any specific maternity tops? Do I need nursing tops or can I just use normal tops with ease?
Are dungarees out?

Tell you what, though: jogging bottoms are bloody comfy... "

they are yes I agree, but I don't want to look like one of those young gals with trackies and ugg boots on with a huge bump hanging out

Suck it up, splash the cash and buy Isabella Oliver. It is imo one of the few maternity collections which make a larger lady look pregnant as opposed to fat.

Sign up to their mailing list as they frequently have excellent discounts e.g., I got 2 tops and a wrap dress for under 100. I had my baby a month ago but have lost the weight and the wrap dress is still completely wearable (as will be the tops).

As you're busty you need to go in at the waist otherwise people will think you're just fat. :(

I also like crave and picchu for maternity. There's a good bra place called something like "nursingbras.co.UK" - you'll have to Google it.

There is loads of good stuff out there on the High Street imo. I invested in two pairs of good JBrand jeans when my bump first started growing and have worn one or the other almost every day, supplemented by some super soft jeans from H&M which fit and wash brilliantly.

Gap have their sale on and do good maternity vests which I wear under normal tops to cover my bump. H&M's vests and tshirts are great too - really stretchy. I just can't get on with the Isabella Oliver wrap tops but know women who swear by them.

Next and New Look have some good leather ballet flats in atm for good prices. I throw a leather jacket and scarf on & usually sunglasses.

I bought a few pairs of jeans which were uncomfy by week 20 and I've sold them on eBay for almost what I paid.

Re bras. I'm a 34F pre pg. I wore maternity bras during my last pg but this time I'm in larger sizes of my normal bras (underwired tshirt bras by Freya) I wore these from when my dd was 3mo and bf her for 2 years so never had a problem with underwiring. A proper bra is crucial for me both pain wise and to get my clothes to fit properly though I would advise getting a few nursing bras for the first few weeks.

I placed a big order with Figleaves so I could try them on at home. Their customer service is good and when I returned over half of them they refunded me very quickly.

IO etc way out of my price range but thank you anyway. Good tip about waist, will bear that in mind. I would normally wear baggy stuff but thinking this may be the only time I ever get to wear something tighter and not worry about lumps and bumps!

MM have been reading lots on underwired bras, seems they aren't the evil they once were as long as they don't press your boobs at all. bras are a challenge at the best of times even more so when big cup sizes so not relishing this hunt!
Good to hear that jeans sell well afterwards, they WILL NOT! be needed again :)

Hiya, matalan are fab for maternity leggings. have them in black, navy, denim looking ones and grey and are only £8, seriously ive lived in them

i splashed out on a couple of pairs of jeans off ebay that were still new, 1 is over the bump which is so comfy, the others are under the bump which i find stops me from moving comfortably so they will be getting sold quite soon!

also mothercare has a sale on at the moment, its better to go to a store as there's not much on the internet but they had some lovely dresses/tops and pants for around £11 each. trying not to spend so much on clothes for myself as we need to buy for a baby but couldnt resist buying some new things in there the other day. i found new look jeans not so good at staying up as the bump bit is just a piece of fabric with a small piece of elastic in the top bit, so i was constantly pulling them up all day long, whereas the ones from mothercare, the bump bit was all elasticated so just stayed where i put it. they may not be all the same in new look so worth trying a few pairs on and seeing how they move about with you.

Ebay good for getting pricey stuff that you wouldn't otherwise afford. Look up Isabella Oliver and JoJoMamanBebe (they have some quite nice stuff I got some lovely pyjamas in their sale)

Under bump/stretchy pocket trousers were useless to me after about 27 weeks. Since then it's been the big jersey panel all the way! Mine were from New Look, I got them in size 18 and am 36 weeks now and they are still going strong after a lot of wear. The black trousers I got with the stretch elastic in the side pocket have not been worn in ages. Under bump is very annoying after a certain point.

For casual wear, tshirts from Matalan have been fine for me along with my new look jeans. I haven't got any special maternity cardigans because the current fashion for waterfall cardigans is perfect if you are pregnant. I have gone for the tight tshirt look rather than the baggy top look otherwise I would just look fat.

The things that got me through were a pair of very comfy maternity jeans (got dark blue so could be worn smart and casual); black dress trousers for work with a huge over the bump bit in them; a maternity shirt for work (would chop and change that and other tops); a non-maternity black vest from H&M which was rather long and stretchy so fit til the end - wore under every top to make sure I wasn't flashing the flab; a long cardi (was maternity but didnt need to be) as it was winter but I was constantly roasting, so needed something warm but not too warm; a pair of black maternity leggings from H&M which I should have bought many pairs of as I wore them dayitme, bedtime, everytime really. Only about 7.99 a pair too.

I then wore my normal tops as they have a bit of stretch, with the thought that if I was going to be buying clothes, i'd rather buy new non-maternity clothes after baby arrived and stretching these than pay money for maternity tops.

Unless you see nursing tops in the sale, maybe just pick up one or two. I bought a nursing vest and a button down top, with the view that if BF worked for me, id order some more. As it was, I ended up FF, so glad I didnt waste money buying specifically BFing tops.

Have a look on ebay, people often get rid of stuff. I wore second hand jeans/trousers through both pregnancies.

I like variety , so I had a fair bit I think.

black trousers (asda)

Leggings

existing tunic tops

linen trousers

2x jeans

2x skirts, worn with tight tops

2x crinkle dresses in size up, those ones with the stretchy tops. Summer dresses.

Long vests in a size up

TRacky bottoms in - you guessed it - a size up, for round the house.

Wouldn't bohter with feeding tops, just buy slightly looser than usual and wear a vest underneath.

Bump bands finally come in useful here - they can cover your tummy while you life your top to feed.

Bravissimo is good for mat bras.

ps I would also stick the rule - tight on top/loose bottom and vice versa, so you don't look like a cloud.

Although it is the one time in your life you can get away with tight bottom and top.

I found bump bands useful towards the end when bump got so big there was a gap between the bottom of my tops and the top of my trousers - saved me from flashing my stretch marks at the world !

Would recommend wearing underwire or flexi-wire bras - I wore rubbish non-wired maternity bras from mothercare and m+s first time round and my boobs were a sorry sight after. Second pregnancy I wore flexiwire nursing bras and they are much better. It is definitely worth shelling out cash in this area !

Quick tip for buying maternity and nursing bras. They are quite pricey IMO and the ones on sale are often in odd sizes (small back, big cup)

I bought some 32 e nursing bras from marks and spencers in the sale for 3 pounds for a pack of 2! I went to the market and bought 2 bra strap extenders for a couple of quid so the back is much bigger!

Asos online has some nice stylish maternity clothes and always seem to have a sale on.

I got some very nice bf tops from mamaway - No idea what their mat stuff is like as I discovered them too late

Heavens to betsy love! Take a chill pill! Stop stressing and just see what fits you month to month.

Save yourself a bl**dy fortune as well.

I have bought and loved things from Dorothy Perkins (leggings, tunics, yoga pants - best thing ever) and H&M (dresses, jumpers, trousers).

H&M trousers I have had to go two sizes up - 12 was just a bit too tight, but 14 I have to hoike up all the time but I do love my over the bump jeans, and my latest purchase - some under the bump skinny chinos!

I'm just coming up to six months now, and have managed to keep wearing quite a bit of my non-maternity gear - jersey dresses, peasant tops, long-line t-shirt/strappy tops... although I have to say at this point, wearing anything too loose just makes me look fat rather than pregnant, which isn't helping with the whole being offered a seat on the tube thing...

As you don't need workwear, I wouldn't have thought you'll have much trouble finding stuff - it's the needing to be smart that is a pain in the arse for me at the moment (although I am rapidly beginning not to care). As summer approaches (I hope!), I will probably switch to roomy shirred summer dresses.

Also v lucky to have a mum who is a dab hand with a sewing machine

On the bra front, I am also quite big up top. I bought a pack of 3 genie bras from tesco for £40, and I have to say they are the most comfy thing ever I sleep in one every night, and have even started wearing one during the day sometimes (they come with little padded inserts if you want a bit more padding/peanut smuggling prevention). I had been soldiering on with my underwired bras, with the aid of an extender to increase the back size a bit, but the more LO keeps hopping up towards my ribcage, the more uncomfortable it is getting...

the DP yoga pants that someone has already mentioned are brilliant. I wore them during and after pregnancy until they disintegrated :)

Definitely go for over the bump trousers - I'm a size 16 and I found it impossible to keep the under bump trousers up - they were literally just falling off me and were really uncomfortable.

I hear what you're saying about the price of isabella oliver but one of the wrap tops with a maternity vest underneath will keep you going for literally months and months during and after the birth. Wear for wear it will be your best purchase ever but the initial outlay is a bit steep - however, there are always quite a few on ebay so check them out as their quality is good and they wash well.

IO is out of my price range too.....so I bought it all on eBay and plan to sell it on afterwards too. It is fabulous quality so lasts way longer than 9 months. It is the best fit of any maternity clothes I have. I am curvy and GAP maternity do curvy jeans, which are great, make me look much slimmer than when I was still wearing my pre pregnancy ones with the button undone red herring maternity at debenhams has good quality tops. I paid around £16-18 per top which is actually about what I got my IO tops for from eBay. I use bump bands to cover the gap caused when non maternity tops ride up, which happens as bump grows. Got black and White one for £8 for two in Asda. Debenhams black opaque maternity tights are much better than m&s ones. I found that tops/ dresses with ruching down the sides are by far the most flattering....look is pregnant not fat!

I wore yoga pants with a tshirt at weekends until I was 7 months and then switched to DH's shirts as bump hung out of the bottom. For work I bought 6 maternity dresses that I wore with thick black tights which were the support ones for obese people.

Jersey dresses and leggings are my fave for comfort. As the weather warms up floaty maxi dresses-I found Monsoon fitted me all the way through my last pregnancy and the v necked ones were great for feeding afterwards.

Second pregnancy happened quite quickly so stayed in nursing bras (M&S) for a couple of months. Then the search for a pretty non wired larger bras......cannot recommend SIMPLY BE enough. They do a double pack (in different colours), they look feminine and are really comfy (and not pricey).

Leggings, long floaty tops & long slimline floaty or tube type vest dresses when it was hot - got me through, bar bras I didn't buy any maternity stuff at all - I did have a fab pair of stretchy, lace up front jeans that were brilliant in the early months - just loosen up the lace as you need :) no idea what brand though - but if you spot anything similar might be a good investment

Oh & invest in some Crocs flip flops - your feet are likely to expand in later months, which should be warm & they are so light comfy - & I HATE normal Crocs

I love my H&M maternity jeans! They look just like regular jeans! Under the bump ones, just looks like you've got a tshirt tucked in to them as the blue fabric bit comes from under and covers the bump :) They were only £30 so not too bad.

I'm currently 30 weeks and a size 20. I'm still not wearing maternity clothes. My jeans don't fit anymore but I'm wearing the £9.50 M & S elasticated waste casual trousers. Have just bought a size 22 but they are a little bit big still so will do for nearer the end.

Am only now starting to need a bigger bra, I can't abide underwired so will be looking around to get some cheap ones to last me until I need the nursing ones. I don't want to spend a lot of money getting nursing ones now as I don't know what size I'll need when the baby comes.

Maternity clothes aren't that easy to find when you are a plus size. New Look and Matalan are the only high street shops we have around here that do maternity and New Look don't go up to a size 20. It's frustrating that you don't seem to be allowed to get pregnant if you are fat!

OP, I'm also an 18 and busty, oh and only 5ft 4in. I have had a few rants on here about maternity wear over the last few months.

I have got through with buying very little in the end - 2 pairs of over bump jeans from Next, that are still too big around the bump (34+2). 2 pairs of maternity leggings from eBay (new). Two specific maternity tops and a lovely dress from Curve Maternity, bought new from eBay for a fraction of the price. The rest of the time I wear my pre-pregnancy tops, I have quite a few tunic style and looser fitting tops that look fine. I also got 3 pairs of maternity pj bottoms which I wear with my normal pj tops, I just find the maternity over bump style comfier than wearing my standard pj bottoms under the bump.

I would advise against buying loads of things - this time I'm a SAHM, but even when I was working last pg, I bought a couple of pairs of trousers for work, a few tops and the rest of the time used my pre-preg tops again.

Think about what you need to start with - something to wear to work? A pair of trousers or a skirt and a few tops. Casuals for the weekend -jeans, legging or trousers and a few tops again, supplemented by your pre-preg wardrobe.

Bras - invest in a couple now and wash and wear turn and turn about. You might go through a couple of sizes before the end of your pregnancy and once your milk comes in, so don't go over board initially.

Next are quite good, reasonable price and quality. M&S had some good things for me last pg, but not this. La Redoute have quite a big range. Mamas & Papas have some lovely stuff - but it is on the pricey side. eBay can be very good, a lot of people sell on bundles once they have finished - I'm currently selling on my unwanted maternity wear from last time as it is the wrong season. Also, you can get some next bargains from secondary Market traders, selling on bigger name maternity wear for a fraction of the cost.