Where is best to buy maternity clothes, and what do I realistically need?

[Bunnyfluffy]

Due late May so will be big enough to need maternity clothes from March onwards I guess?

Where’s best to shop (I don’t want to spend much) and what do I actually need?

I can get away with casual for work, so will probably just buy one smart outfit (dress perhaps) for odd days I need to be smart.

Thanks

Congratulations!!!
Don’t buy much unless you really want to. Capsule wardrobe is dull but doable. If you want to spend a bit more you could go for shoes, jewellery, cardigans that will work afterwards too..
I bought a couple of nice dresses I could wear for work and out. Jazz up with necklaces, different cardigans etc to look different.
Dark navy skinny jeans and under bump leggings.
But I had a few long floaty tops and borrowed clothes off bigger friends/family.
You’ll need a coat but doesn’t have to be maternity. Swing coats or capes work well before and after bump.
Serephine is wonderful but pricey. Jojo Maman Bebe is great but I found nothing looked ok without a bump afterwards. Asos is very mixed but you can buy loads (getting free delivery then just send back what you don’t like. Also primark tights are good and you can buy bra strap extenders for pennies to keep your current ones going for longer until you get an idea what size you might end up!
Have fun

Congratulations! I'm due late May too and already can't button my jeans up. Third baby though...

I was 20 weeks before I needed maternity bottoms last time. You can get away with normal (looser) tops a bit longer (even all the way through if you don't mind stretching them) but I'd expect you'll need to buy some bottom half stuff before March.

For me, a decent pair of jeans are essential. Leggings/joggers for around the house. A couple of basic tees/vests that you can wear under normal sized open shirts or blouses in winter (keeping them plain means you won't get as bored of them!). It's nice to have at least one dress or something smarter too.

I needed more smarter maternity clothes first pregnancy when I was working in an office up to the end. I stuck to dresses and maternity tights then for comfort.

Edit to add: H&M has a good value maternity range. Topshop/ASOS too. Quality can be hit or miss with ASOS though, but free returns.

You will probably need maternity jeans before March. I didn't buy any maternity tops as I just wore stretchy vests and cardigans.

I bought most of my maternity jeans from ASOS and New look the first time round, sadly the vast majority of them haven't lasted well so I'm going to have to buy again for this pregnancy. I'm due mid June so a few weeks behind you and I've already moved back into my o,d maternity jeans for wearing around the house as my normal jeans are already a bit tight.

There is one school of thought that you only wear them for a short period of time so don't waste your money on the expensive versions (what I used to think) and another which is you might as well buy the best you can so that they last and look decent as you are pretty much going to be wearing them as part of a a very limited wardrobe for the best part of 5 months (longer if you do t snap back into shape immediately after birth!)

I've heard good things about Jojo maman Bebe but not actually tried them yet.

Agree that H&M is good and I found New Look also good for maternity. I got too much but agree that jeans and very useful, especially as I used them after birth as well for a bit! I didn't find maternity tops as useful as tended to get larger sized normal tops. Wrap dresses were good for work and any going out occasions and also good for after birth.

You will probably need maternity trousers before march, and you will be wearing comfortable maternity trousers for a while afterwards too 😬. T-shirts - I didn't bother, just bought baggy ones. I had one pair of maternity comfy jersey trousers which I lived in (as well as the maternity leggings) for the next year, and one pair of jeans. For work (corporate) I had one pair trousers, one nice skirt and a blazer from seraphine, a few jersey tops from Isabelle oliver and a few dresses from Isabelle oliver and seraphine, some bought on eBay. I had a nice dress ( fairly cheap from asos, but I had to buy a few and send most back) for a wedding, and some summer dresses. I ran out of casual summer bottoms at the end and bought some charity shop skirts which were not very attractive, mostly binned since. Having another baby next summer and will have to do better on the summery bottoms front this time around but have already bought a maternity maxi for summer. I like having easy clothes to wear but you definitely don't need too much, especially if it doesn't work for breastfeeding (if you are going to bf) . Singlet tops under baggy shirts and tees are a maternity /bf goto.

Bras! Don’t make the mistake I made and buy several at once. Your size may change from one month to the next.

Depends a bit if you are planning more than one - I am about to get all mine out again so they do get decent wear.

I struggled to find maternity clothes and bought bigger sizes in "normal" ranges of a lot of stuff. I got some stuff from charity shops as didnt want to spend too much on stuff I wouldn't wear for a long time. Also I had experienced in my first pregnancy buying maternity clothes that didn't work at all, e g mothercare jeggings that just wouldn't stay up.

Honestly I wouldn't buy a lot. You will need jeans quickly but all I bought (and all on sale) were -

• Bras x 2 (ASOS maternity bras - came in a two pack)
• Black t shirt (asos)
• 3 work dresses (all topshop sale

Buy
Nursing bras - you can wear them as you get smaller as you reduce feeding too
Jeans - I found gap and h m the most comfiest. H m sizing is hit and miss, gap sizing is consistent
Cardigans - rather than jumpers, bought one maternity cardigan which I wanted rather needed for a december birth but got away with non fitted cardigans
Vests - yes as they tend to be longer
Bump band - extends life of your trousers
Leggings - yes as I coudn't and can't (due April) stand thing on my stomach
Feeding tops - think about what will double maternity/nursing for the weather when ypu give birth. Its hard when it is your first to decide how at ease you are to feeding in public. If you find the idea hard then the tops help.
Dresses - I bought a few as had romantic visions of wearing a maxi with a bump except I never really got a huge bump so looked as I was drowning in material.
Maternity tights - great for winter
What clothes you need really deoends on how fitted your clothes are now, if very fitted then probably a few more items.

Nursing bras- I rate the LoveSIA brand off Amazon.

Bottoms- those Sainsbury’s non maternity leggings at two for £10 are good, and google “Belly belt” to get more out of your usual jeans.

Tops - normal clothes in larger sizes, and Gap in very good for mst basics; sign up to their newsletter and you can routinely get 40% off. (I also like their zip up babygrows and bear hoodies.)

Congratulations

I recently went shopping with a friend who is due in May too - H&M maternity jeans looked great, she was very happy with them.

Thanks all

Jeans still fit fine, I’ve had bad sickness so not gained weight yet.

Thankfully I have a winter coat that will go over a bump, so don’t need to buy one.

Can probably manage with my current wardrobe until I get a proper bump.

Will check out ASOS. Never shopped there before

I bought some great things on ebay when I was pregnant. Believe it or not I still use the black cardigan and black leggings and this is now ds is aged 12!

I second ebay. Most things are in good condition as they haven’t been worn for very long. I bought a lot of new maternity clothes but now wish i hadn’t bothered as i’ve had such little wear out of them!

Tights and bras were essentials. I bought a few voluminous / directional knit things from Cos which weren't maternity per se but were plenty big enough (and I'm a size 14 normally so not a twig) and wore those with black leggings/tights, ankle boots and a statement necklace. I think I looked alright. I never bought a coat. I had my baby in January and just wore my normal coat unbuttoned with a scarf or this big vintage tweed number.

Ok how does this list sound? Am I missing anything?

Tights x2
Leggings x1
Jeans x2
Skirt or shorts x1 (due at end of May, so weather could be warmer by the end of pregnancy)
T shirts (short sleeve)
T shirts (long sleeve)
Smart dresses x2

I already have a coat that will go over a bump and cardigans, a couple of big jumpers that will go over a bump

And I'll wait and see about bras as impossible to predict size at this stage ....

I bought 2x work trousers (one elasticated waist and one expanding button waist)
2x wrap tops (jojo maman bebe - I still wear them now and youngest is 2)
3 x long sleebe tops
2 x short sleeve
1x dress
1x cardigan

2x bump bands (covered gap between trousers and tops before I wore maternity clothes. Also useful for breastfeeding as I hated the tops you post your breasts through and instead lifted my top and the bump bands covered wobbly post birth tummy)
1x swimsuit. Cavernous.

Reading with interest as I'm due my 2nd at the beginning of May and have kept nothing from first time round! I bought far too much as well! I expected to show really early this time as everyone said you do with your second but nothing yet. With my first I was about 6 months before I needed mat jeans so you might last till March! A bump band is good for that inbetween stage when you can't do up normal trousers.

On a stricter budget this time round so am planning on getting the following.
Leggings x2
Tights
2 pairs jeans
A few wrap dresses that can be worn with or without tights and will hopefully do for after.
3 or 4 plain tops to go with stretchy skirts or under cardigans that I already have.
I also have a few loose jumpers and jumper dresses that will fit over a bump.

Topshop and asos sale and eBay have been useful.

Won a couple of Isabella Oliver dresses on eBay, one for £15 the other for £8 including postage. Let’s hope they are as described and in excellent condition .....

I had:
2 pairs of leggings
2 dresses
2 jumpers
A dress
A couple of tops
A shirt
A pair of jeans
A bump band which stood me really well until I hit around 32 weeks so I could wear my normal trousers.
I also just told work I was wearing what I had. I ended up wearing my jeans to work for the last couple of weeks.

Most of my stuff was from H&M.
But friends tell me asos is good, or just buy secondhand off eBay.

If you want to wear tights buy maternity ones. Normal tights will just unravel badly down your bump and you'll be stood with them at knee height

I did not bother with maternity clothes. My normal size tracksuit bottoms and t shirts that I wear round the house fit until the end. My normal jeans fit until around 20 weeks. My leggings, long jumpers and cardigans until 7 months gone. When I needed them, simply got some light dresses (was summer), and some leggings in the next size up. My tops to go out in also fit until the end.

My eBay purchases have been arriving this week! Very exciting.
I have got a couple of Isabella Oliver dresses for work, a JoJo Maman top, some JoJo shorts (I'm due late May). I've also won 2 pairs of JoJo jeans but they have not arrived yet. Pretty pleased with the money I'm saving and all the stuff that has arrived seems to be in pretty good condition, I guess because people don't wear maternity stuff for that long.