Question about Maternity Clothes

I need some clothing advice. I'm only 9 weeks so I'm not buying anything just yet...but am starting to get a little pudgy in the middle and wanted to be prepared with my options when the time comes. I am still fitting into most of my clothes, albeit uncomfortably and with the help of control top tights (thank goodness its winter). But I can see the time coming, and very soon, when I will need to buy bigger sizes. This annoys me <_<, since so far it is really only my waist getting bigger so I feel like bigger sizes will look funny. But I've heard that in early pregnancy maternity clothes look funny too. My question is - should I really wait until I'm all out showing to buy maternity clothes? I keep hearing that I won't fit into them for a while and will need to wear bigger size clothing. But that's no fun! Are maternity clothes really just all one size? There are no stages? Are they really only for late pregnancy? Are there certain styles that work better for smaller baby bumps? I only wear skirts to work, no pants really, so I thought maybe just starting with some of those thick wasteband, expandable panel skirts might make me more comfortable?

 

I agree. I think that buying in bigger sizes works best. Plus, after delivery you'll have some things to wear while you loose the weight. Another option that worked well for me is a "bella band". It is kind of like a tub top to wear around your waist. It will allow you to unbutton your pants, but keep them from falling off. It will also hlep to hold up maternity pants that slide down.
IMO, maternity clothes because the most useful at about 20 weeks. As for sizing....I ended up buying Med and Larges from how much I grew from about 20 weeks to term. HTH

 

I think I started wearing maternity clothes at about 14-15 weeks both times. If you have pants that seem to fit, but they are hard to button. Try the elastic trick (Use an elastic to connect button to button) with a big shirt. They also sell The Bella Band which extends the wearability of your non-maternity clothes.

I did have some of my shirts, etc that were definitely too big until I "popped".

 

Thanks! I just ordered a Bella Band. . . It looks like exactly what I need, and more comfortable than tugging up my control top tights all day

 

I bought bigger sizes first. They lasted 2 weeks. I switched to maternity pants around week 9 or 10 and couldn't be happier. I wasn't really showing but all of the weight I did gained was in my belly. You mentioned maternity clothes being too lose. I haven't found that to be the case at all. The tops of them are really soft and stretchy, but plenty snug to keep them up. They also eliminate any sitting/bending discomfort. They're like control tops sewn on your pants, really.

I tried the elastic band solution and found it really uncomfortable. The elastic didn't give as much as I needed when I sat down. Maybe I was doing it wrong.

You buy maternity clothes based on your pre-pregnancy weight, broken down into small, medium, and large. There are also petite and tall options. Motherhood Maternity's prices are really reasonable, but be aware of their return policy (it's different than most department stores). For jeans, I like Target's brand better, though.

So far (I'm 15wks this week) I've only needed to upgrade my pants. Normal shirts, coats, and everything underneath have fit just fine. I wish I could offer you skirt-specific advice but I don't wear them.

 

i was in maternity clothes at about 12 weeks. it was recommended on this board to shop Motherhood Maternity and buy the secret fit belly specifically. i did, and they are the most comfortable fit ever!! i bought about three weeks worth of mix and match tops & bottoms to get me through the entire pregnancy. a lot of their clothes are stretch so it grows with you. also, i love that the tops are long because i knew that i would have issues with my underbelly being exposed. im 25 weeks now and that has happened already! i do suggest finding a store and spending some time trying on everything before purchasing because of the limited return policy. they have a "fake belly" that you can velcro on your tummy to see if the clothes will still fit in a few months. i bought some vneck maternity t's at target, but i didnt feel like they were long enough at the bottom. im saving them now for after the kids are born.

 

I had to go to maternity pants at 9 weeks. My regular pants were just too uncomfortable I had to keep them unbuttoned all the time and it still made my lower stomach cramp at the end of the day. I tried my too big pants that are a few sizes bigger than I usually wear and they did the same. So I went and got out my old maternity pants and I couldn't be happier. They are a little baggy in the legs but the comfort around the waist area is so worth it. And I bet if I went to the store and got new ones I wouldn't have the baggy problem. If they belly band doesn't work or your still uncomfortable I would deffiantly buy at least one pair and try them out. That's why they are there to make pregnancy more comfortable. I'm still wearing everything else nonmaternity and they cover the waist band fine. Good luck and stay comfortable.

 

Once I hit 9 weeks I was in my maternity pants 100% of the time. Nobody can tell they are maternity pants if you cover up the top part with a longer shirt or sweater. I like the Motherhood Maternity stores and they seem to always have stuff on sale. I am short waisted so for me the belly bands were always uncomfortable because it always felt like it was cutting into my belly too tight so I prefer the panel that goes over the whole belly. Motherhood Maternity also has a lot of the same clothes as A Pea in the Pod but with a different label. They are owned by the same company so it isn't too surprising but I was amazed when I first discovered it. I paid $80 for a pair of really cute capri pants at APITP but then a few weeks later found the same pair at MM for only $30!

I love my maternity clothes : ) They are sooo comfortable and I feel much less pudgy in them instead of trying to fit into a pair of regular cut pants. Plus, I am short so I would need to alter bigger sizes, which is always a pain for me...

 

I love my motherhood pants and did not like the target pants at all. I also liked old navy pants and tops. I bought some walmart tops which looked really blah! But Most of all I love my motherhood pants!!!

 

I was a size 4 before I was pregnant. I started wearing maternity clothes by week 10 -12. I loved my clothes from Wal-Mart, JC Penny's and Target. They fit GREAT! I started out wearing a small. Then as I got bigger I went up in size. Some of the clothes are S M L XL and some are number sizes. Every Designer cuts their clothing differently so you should go to the store and try them on. Make sure you get some comfy shoes and some good maternity bras as well. As you get later in your pregnancy you will need them. Keep us updated!

 

I bought some jeans at Goodwill (or local equivalent) for the early stages, and also got some hand-me-downs from a friend who is a little bigger than I am. I could get away with wearing non-maternity until about 10 weeks that way. No, they didn't look great -- everything was way too big in the butt and thighs -- but as you said, maternity clothes don't look that great when you're just a bit pregnant either.

But when I finally did buy some maternity jeans, I found that they fit much better (at that stage) because they allow more room in the tummy, but still fit normally in the butt/legs. (For the same reason, they didn't fit well at all when I got really huge.)

"Small" sizes might be just right in the early stages of twin pregnancy for someone who is normally fairly small. However, although I'm normally pretty small, given that I was carrying twins, I was in XL maternity sizes by the end. (A friend of mine who had a singleton lent me some clothes she wore at the end of her pregnancy -- I couldn't get into them past 22 weeks!) So I did go through a few different maternity sizes during my pregnancy.

I think you're right about the skirts. Some of those stretchy ones would last you awhile -- I was able to wear the same size from about 20-28 weeks.

The things that will last the longest are loose-fitting pants with a really stretchy waist -- not things like jeans or slacks, but more like yoga pants. I got some at Target that I wore from 10 weeks (with the waist rolled over a few times) to the very end (and beyond -- to about 4 weeks postpartum!). Best $20 I ever spent. :ibiggrin:

I liked Target maternity -- Motherhood is OK too, but I didn't think the clothes were as comfy. A Pea in the Pod is just ridiculously expensive. $80 for a pair of khakis? Hello?

 

i fell in love with some green maternity capris my mom got me... i think they will end up extending into my post pregnancy wardrobe... some tops too... i got my clothes from target and some local thrift shops. i'm too cheap to pay full price for anything. but really if you wanna talk about some maternity clothes making you look silly, it could be worse... you could be walking around your house a perpetual zombie living in a fluffy bath robe and flannel pjs like ive been doing the past week. my maternity clothes have gotten uncomfortable. <_<

 

I had stretch jeans pre-preg so they lasted until about 9-10 wks. Then I dug out my old maternity jeans from my first kids to wear for awhile. By 12 wks I realized I needed some bigger pants for twins, and went to motherhood for them, bought my pre-preg size and they still fit me right now at 30 wks. They are the secret fit belly panel ones.

I just got a pair from jcpenney today and I had to order a size bigger because it was the lower cut belly panel, and the jean part wasn't big enough in my pre-preg size to fit around my lower stomach. I don't regret getting them so early, the comfort factor is SO worth it.

Oh I also popped sooner since this was my 5th pregnancy so I really needed the mat jeans earlier than some do!

 

QUOTE(teafor2 @ Jan 9 2009, 08:30 AM) [snapback]1139534[/snapback]
My question is - should I really wait until I'm all out showing to buy maternity clothes? I keep hearing that I won't fit into them for a while and will need to wear bigger size clothing. But that's no fun! Are maternity clothes really just all one size? There are no stages? Are they really only for late pregnancy? Are there certain styles that work better for smaller baby bumps?


The reality is you will probably need to make several trips to the maternity store. I found that yes, there are different types of clothes that suit different stages of pregnancy, some things are more flattering at the beginning and some look terrible until you fill out a bit. I had to try everything on - it was impossible to order online. Everyone's body is different.

I did get a few pairs of regular pants that were one size up from my normal size; I figure I will also wear them on the way back down after my babies are born.

I really like the bella band - it was helpful in the early stages when I wore all my pants unbuttoned and it is helpful now at helping my maternity pants stay up (my belly stretched out the panel on my pants, so I need the extra support to keep them up).

 

When you do buy maternity clothes put TWO PILLOWS in there not the usual one..., and even then they might be too small. Don't listen to the sales people they havent' been pg with twins.... I found I wanted big big big in the beginning. I hated anything tight on my stomach. I wore the large panel pants with a pin on the side to make the waist tight until I grew.

So a few of the large panel pants but also some under the belly ones too. After the babies are born it takes many months before you can wear regular clothes so those "under the belly" ones come in handy AFTER the babies are born.

Also if you buy nice maternity clothes early you feel good and look good. If you try to get away with your dh t-shirts and pants you will eventually need to buy maternity clothes anyway.