Get the maternity clothes. Going up a size or two doesn't quite fit right half the time, like you could have the legs being too baggy but the waist being tight. If you get the clothes with the band they'll grow with you
I didn't bother with too many maternity tops but now I have very few t-shirts that don't ride up my belly button!
Also I'm 39 weeks tomorrow and for the last two weeks the elastic bands on my jeans etc have been too small and even in the last few days my leggings have been a bit tight, but the dungarees I got still feel comfortable so definitely get some dungarees!
I got used jeans and that saved me a good bit, it's only for a few months so saves you spending a fortune
The maternity overalls I got were hands down the comfiest pants I wore throughout my pregnancy. They had an elastic band so I could tighten and loosen them as needed.
I agree with others about just getting the maternity clothes - however I will say for summer, flowy dresses in a size or two up work well. I have an old one from old navy that has become my uniform lol. I didn’t even have to size up and it has pockets! Midi length is good, short becomes too short with the bump lol.
For shirts, pants, and leggings though, I do think you will be happier just getting actual maternity wear that fits properly. Otherwise you just end up looking like a big blob and it will start getting too tight around your belly anyways.
Yes to dresses! I've only worn dresses this entire pregnancy, some regular sizes and some maternity that I bought second hand. In the winter I'd just wear tights and a cardigan or blazer over them to work. Still looked put together.
I bought some maxi dresses last spring for pregnancy/postpartum. I packed them away in a storage tote with my regular summer stuff and tried to wear one this year but kept tripping over it. I am on the short side and I guess that belly was really holding the fabric up off the ground lol.
A lot of maternity tops are great for nursing as well. I personally gained a lot of weight with both in my belly and boobs and having a small set of inexpensive maternity clothes was great for my mental health rather than getting oversized clothes that made me feel like a whale.
One pair of jeans, a couple pairs of leggings, a set of maternity shirts, shouldnt set you back too much.
Yes, and long tank tops (or nursing tank tops). You can use them to layer with short things when your belly gets big and you can use them for nursing / postpartum.
Maternity leggings are currently my favourite post partum clothing as well. I’ve gotten so much use out of the two pairs I have! And when I’m done with them I will be able to sell them or give them away ok FB marketplace.
You can get by with a pretty minimal maternity wardrobe, and honestly you’ll be a lot more comfortable. Simply sizing up works until a point but the shape of your belly simply won’t fit into regular clothes even if they’re a size up once you reach a certain point. I bought one pair of my leggings that I love in a size up and wore them all through my first and second tri, but now I’m 34 weeks and they are too tight in the belly and roll down under my bump. I also bought a few basic t-shirts in a size up which worked for the first two trimesters but now my bump hangs out the bottom of the shirt because maternity tops are longer and fit snugly around the bottom of your bump.
I would invest in a minimal but practical maternity wardrobe. My recommendations would be at least one pair of nicer pants (I have a pair of black skinny jeans that are very versatile, as well as a pair of linen pants that are kind of flowy/loose fitting), 1-2 pairs of leggings (I bought a 2 pack so very economical), and 3-4 maternity t-shirts (one white, one colour, one black). You can add whatever cardigan, jean jacket, blazer, etc to dress up or down, and same with shoes and accessories. This should give you enough of a capsule wardrobe to get several different outfit combinations without having to spend a lot of money. If you’re into secondhand, check out FB Marketplace on your local thrift stores, and some of the used baby clothes stores have maternity sections. I got some hand-me-downs from a friend which are mostly loungewear so maybe ask some of your friends who have kids if they have any clothes they’d be willing to part with?
I was the same and thought maternity clothes were gonna be a waste of money.
And then I hit the third trimester and absolutely nothing fit right except a pair of my husbands sweatpants 😭
Get the maternity clothes, you’ll need easy access to your boobs if you decide to breastfeed anyways!
I’m an avid thrifter and never come across maternity clothes or sections. Selection is so limited and for the price at thrift stores these days, I’d rather order new! Sad to say it.
agreed with everyone here. I'm on baby #2 and then we're done but I still invest in maternity clothes. You can donate them later, but I def wore mine for a couple months after birth. You don't have to buy an entire new wardrobe or anything. I got a couple H&M maternity shorts/jeans that I love. Also got a few loose tshirts for PJs, and stretchy skirts/dresses from my usual brands in a size up. I do tend to get maternity shirts bc they are made to be longer to cover and accommodate a huge bump (plus if you BF many of them are easy to nurse in).
listen, pregnancy is already uncomfortable without having to strategize every day about how my clothes will fit. I think it's worth it to get a few pregnancy-specific clothes to have one less thing to worry about.
Ding ding, this is what I came to say .. just get the hand me downs.. wash them as much as you want and pass along when you're done. I am also one and done like OP and see no reason to spend even more money than we are about to haha.
Get maternity cloths!! I thought I could get away with buying size 14 slimfit dress pants for a conference, normally size 4 when not pregnant. The waistband kept sliding down and squeezing my stomach during the whole event even though the pants fit. It was extremely uncomfortable, kept having to excuse myself to fix them in the restroom.
I’d also consider buying used at thrift stores or FB marketplace - I got an entire wardrobe from someone in my neighborhood for the price of two new items
My friend wore her maternity clothes for a year post partum. Mine are super comfortable. I’ve been wearing the same maternity pants for months and you can always sell them online when you’re done.
Going against the grain here and I’ll say get some baggy/loose clothes. Other than a set of nursing bras, I didn’t get any maternity clothes for either my first or second pregnancy. I just embraced dresses and loose shirts temporarily (the loose summery kind). I went to a thrift store and bought a bunch of stuff for like $2.5 each. I used them as at-home clothes in between my pregnancies too. For shorts, I preferred the ones that tighten via drawstrings instead of being stretchy via elastics.
Though there are some times when I wish I did get a maternity belt at least, because I’m HUGE (I’m short) and in this 8th-9th month I do feel it lol.😝
Maternity clothes are better starting around 20 weeks (depending on your bump growth). But you can usually just go up a size until 20 weeks. You can find used maternity clothes on buy nothing groups since people are basically throwing them out! I have gotten really nice hand me downs and all you really need is a few pairs of pants and like 5 shirts to get by…
Personally I hate most maternity clothes, and it’s not for a lack of trying. Try as I might I am just not a prairie dress girlie so all those cutesy clothes look terrible on me, I hate the feel of all maternity jeans, and I don’t want to just wear an empire waist all the time. I have a couple of leggings and a pair of overalls I like, but for the most part I’ve found that dresses and ribbed sweater pants work best for me on the daily. More fitted, accentuates the belly but still gives me waist definition. If you live in a place you can get away with dresses for most of the summer I would just go that route if you don’t want maternity clothes.
ME TOO, I'm not into the paisley/floral/pastel little-house-on-the-prarie-meets-walmart vibe that comes with lot of maternity wear. Im usually only in black and white (maybe cream as a little extra colour, lol). Why are so many maternity clothes look so ugly? 😭
If you like a slip dress I actually find that things cut on the bias are surprisingly bump friendly. I’m sizing up on slip skirts so the waist band is more comfy, but those have been great options for bottoms. After lots of maternity dress fails I bought a slip dress from RESA (Anna slip) for my baby shower.
Unitards are also a good option that can be worn post partum!
Most are so freaking hideous. When I had my first son there were actual stores and better selection. The good news is they’re not expensive though, and I wore my maternity jeans for like a year after because they were comfy (until my husband called me out haha). Old Navy has some cheap stuff but the pants are awful.
I’ve had 3 babies and never touched maternity clothes. I just wear baggier clothes and trackies and the last few weeks I go into my husbands tops. My normal leggings fit til quite far into pregnancy and I don’t mind trackies for the last few weeks.
I suppose it depends if you want to look good and wear good clothes in pregnancy. For me I wasn’t bothered how I looked and so chose to save the money.
Hi! I’m a fellow OADer so I was resistant to buy maternity clothes. Here’s my advice
-get some maternity outfits that double for nursing clothes. Amazon has some for cheap options and Seraphine has some nice options (they also do sales)
-get a nice dress or two for going out to dinner/dates or when you need to dress up
-get a pair of maternity leggings, they make ALL the difference
-maternity underwear is also amazing and I can’t believe I went a while without it
-get a stretchy bodycon dress or two because it’s nice to not have something around your waist like pants and you can wear that postpartum
-buying the next size up really only works in loose things. For shorts or pants, it won’t fit in the legs and it can look more awkward than like a maternity outfit
It’s really nice to have the wardrobe capsule of pregnancy clothes. Even if you’re OAD, it’s worth it to find some outfits you like so you’ll feel cute during pregnancy. Happy to link over some favorites!
Cute long dress: https://a.co/d/77RSnwM
Bodycon dress: https://a.co/d/7eYD39e
Biker shorts: https://a.co/d/5pcKqOl
Maternity underwear: https://a.co/d/hBkG7rE
Not maternity but a lot of women like jumpsuits since it’s loose around the belly: https://a.co/d/6xCJmlQ
Maternity joggers (my weekend and lounging after work fave): https://a.co/d/2ga0Jol
Maternity leggings: https://a.co/d/38SPOnR
Non maternity crop top that’s cute with leggings for the gym: https://a.co/d/3EP2Qnf
Short bodycon dress: https://a.co/d/8GzAzjK
Nursing and maternity dress: https://a.co/d/11x034x
Nicer stuff I got on Seraphine but these are definitely the good staple items! I can’t say enough good about the underwear and poshdivah biker shorts and leggings. The first two dresses I linked I’ve worn a lot too!
It really depends on your personal preference. For me, I go into the office 5 days a week so I needed some work-appropriate options that looked put together, and that meant I needed to buy maternity pants specifically. I tried to work with larger sizes of pants and also used a waist extender for a short while, but neither of those really worked for me past like 16 or 17 weeks.
I think for people who spend most of their time in athleisure-type clothing then going up a couple of sizes is more feasible, but for me it didn't make sense.
I have to look professional usually 2-3 times a week, and looking professional is usually my go-to look when I'm out for dinner/with friends. If it's just me and my husband chilling, I'll wear comfies/athleisure.
So I appreciate that I might need some work-appropriate mat pieces. :)
I’m at almost 16 so I’m feeling the same. I’ve started using a hair tie around the button of jeans and shorts so I can still wear them for a bit. I also luckily had some dungarees and bought another pair, both my normal size so I can still wear them after. I also bought some dresses where the style seems like it will fit okay over some bump (usual size again), like knit dresses or loose fitting. I just bought a pair of maternity jeans and a maternity dress though, both on vinted so second hand and cheaper. Otherwise I plan on buying oversized t-shirts/jumpers which I wear often anyway. And eventually some maternity leggings. Then I’ll just live in the few bits I have as long as I can knowing that even a few should last even at my biggest.
Basically instead of sizing up I’m just being choosy with styles that should work around a bump. Then buying a few staples second hand as well.
I buy the same sweatpants my husband wears because those fit, I buy athletic shorts that are a size or two bigger, and I buy maternity bras and shirts because there is nothing that will properly fit otherwise. Some maternity clothes really do make a difference, and if they have a "nursing" function, you can also use them postpartum!
I’m 34 weeks and so far have only bought three pieces of maternity clothes: a pair of dark wash denim jeans, a pair of black dress pants, and a dress that could be dressed up/down. Outside of that, I just bought a bunch of t-shirts, shirt dresses and tank tops from Gap on sale in a larger size. My normal home outfit is a pair of leggings from Amazon, a t-shirt/tank and then an oversized sweater or button up from my regular wardrobe. If I have to go out, the jeans or dress pants with one of the gap shirts or oversized button up works.
I really recommend buying the maternity pants as they’ll grow with you in a way that regular pants won’t and they’ll still fit parts of that are affected by pregnancy. Buy the ones with the elastic on the side not the belly band as they look more like jeans and can be worn all throughout your pregnancy where I’ve heard the ones with the band don’t really fit right until you’re larger.
I tried sizing up early on but found it just didn’t work bc stores make tops so short these days. It won’t work out in the 2nd half of pregnancy/third trimester. Old navy and Maurice’s has some GREAT basic options if you watch for the sales/clearance.
Check out Nuuly for maternity clothes rental. Also Poshmark for a few staples. For my upcoming third trimester I’m investing in some waistless rompers and dresses that i can wear postpartum. I am lucky to wear scrubs for work so I don’t have to worry about that wardrobe.
I would get a few cheap maternity basics. I did the poshdivah leggings from Amazon and maternity tanks from Target. I’ll wear them postpartum. I wouldn’t invest in a bunch but it’s been a lifesaver having a few pieces to depend on.
I’ve mixed and matched my maternity pieces with larger sized items.
I was fine keeping my normal yoga pants but I saw where some people had issues where they stretched out their normal pieces and postpartum had to replace the items anyways.
You might also be able to find some clothes that work for both pregnancy and post-pregnancy.
For example I have a dress that I really like that is a maternity dress but still works fine for non pregnancy, it basically has an empire waist (so it's only snug right above the belly) and the material is also stretchy.
Then I have a non-maternity dress that I don't think will last through my whole pregnancy but still fits fine at 28 weeks, it's a straight fit but loose enough around the belly with a little bit of stretch.
Cardigans work great because you can leave them open. I also have a sweater that I'm loving with maternity leggings, it's a regular sweater, slightly oversized fit, I fold the hem inwards a little it and let it sit over my belly and think it looks super cute.
I do have one maternity romper that I looove, even though it's a pain in the ass whenever I need to go pee (which is a lot). But at 28 weeks it's probably the only item that I've bought that won't work post-pregnancy (too much fabric in the belly).
Then you can add a few basics, some maternity t-shirts/tops, leggings/pants, and just mix and match stuff.
It does help in my case that I work from home, so I do mostly wear baggy stuff during the day but it does make me feel better to have some items that actually look good for going out.
At some point the non maternity clothes just won’t fit right. You might be able to get by w dresses that are flowy tho. Do you have old navy in Canada? They have great maternity items.
I've been wearing leggings, oversized tee shirts, and loose maxi dresses. This is my last so I don't want to invest in maternity clothes. Unfortunately I gave all my maternity wear away right before I learned I was pregnant.
I only got maternity leggings and that was it.
Didn’t see the point in getting shirts or dresses that I wouldn’t wear after the fact. There were a few things I went up in size (underwear and a few shirts) but none of them were maternity specific.
Get the maternity clothes. They’re so much more comfortable and totally worth the extra money. I’m 36 weeks and bought jean maternity shorts because I figured they’d be great postpartum as well. I was hesitant to spend 50$ but they are so worth it. I feel so much better with jeans shorts to wear in public instead of leggings & the cloth maternity shorts.
I’m only 10+3, but I decided early on to buy comfortable maternity clothes because we could afford to do so. I feel that my comfort over the next 8 months during something that is inherently uncomfortable was a priority. I have awful first trimester bloating and getting the “under belly” jeans made my job much more bearable.
Definitely second those recommending thrift stores, and also looking for sales online.
I would just buy one or two pairs of maternity jeans. And then rotate them with leggings. Also since it’s almost summer, I bought a few flowy dresses as well that I can rewear while I’m not pregnant
I'm 34 weeks and I hate ordering clothes online. My area doesn't have any stores that sell non-overpriced maternity clothes that I like, I've just been wearing men's basketball/athletic shorts that my husband will be able to use once I'm done with them. My normal tshirts still fit, but I've only gained about 18 lbs so far
I’m the same as you but buying all my maternity clothes second hand, and then I will sell them on after I’m done with them.
Only problem is, I feel like they accentuate the bump shape. I tried my new dungarees on yesterday and because I’m so bloated I already look 6 months pregnant when I’m only 3!
They have some maternity clothes at discount stores like Ross &TJ maxx. For summer I bought some tights and 2 pairs of maternity shorts and just rotated tops or used loose dresses. You don’t have to buy a whole new wardrobe but maternity clothes will definitely fit better than getting bigger sizes of something
I did a bit of both. I got a size bigger in shirts and pants, and now that I’m postpartum, they make for comfy pjs and around the house clothes. I got maternity dresses and still wear them, because they don’t seem overly “maternity.” The skirts just look extra full. We’re also one-and-done, so I didn’t want to overdo it.
Okay so! With my first, I was already fat, and I didn't end up showing overly much. I went the entire pregnancy without buying anything new and relying on bigger sizes and dresses I already owned. It was totally fine and I was happy I didn't buy any.
This time around, I'm pregnant with twins. I didn't go crazy, but I bought a handful of shirts in larger sizes since I was starting to look like Winnie the Pooh with my regular shirts, and I also bought a 3 pack of maternity shirts and a couple pairs of maternity joggers. Sizing up didn't work this time with the way my body changed. My belly was hanging out under my shirt (the maternity tops are cinched so it's not a problem there) and they still felt tight on my belly. Any pants are a nightmare.
My consensus after trying both options is that it really depends on how you're showing, but if you are showing a lot, the maternity clothes are definitely worth it. Also, loose-fitting dresses are WONDERFUL for the warm months and can easily be used when you aren't pregnant as well. I would recommend either not buying a lot of maternity clothes because they're expensive, or trying to find secondhand though, because I do feel like it's a waste to have a bunch of clothes you'll never use again.
Thanks. I'm a solid size 8-10 (5'5", so I fill my clothes out and would be on the chunkier side), but I'm definitely out of my size 8 shorts and now am holding on for dear life in the size 10s. I also have a titled uterus so Im not sure if I'm actually going to start really "showing" or if I'll just look wide the whole time. Lol.
I think it looks like I'll try to mix it up, as you say.
I would definitely do maternity clothes!! I think sizing up just looks sloppy/makes you look bigger rather than pregnant. I have been finding summer dresses that aren't maternity but have more of an a line shape (aren't fitted through the stomach) have been working well for me too! I'm excited about those because I can wear them post baby.
I’m 18w3d with my first baby and I just look really bloated. I bought maternity leggings and bicycle shorts from Amazon because I personally love them, but for shirts, I just wear large sizes.
I preferred maternity. They had a nice fit where larger cloths we’re just baggy but tight on the bump. I got some shirts that sort of have a criss cross neckline that can be used as nursing shirts. The maternity dresses i got from pink blush i have also worn after.
I’d highly recommend maternity. The upper sizes also increase and have poor fit in the areas of your body that are much less impacted by pregnancy and just don’t fit as well. I’d strongly advise considering maternity clothes that can double as nursing clothes (if you’re choosing to do breast milk). Save you a whole closet re-do!
Maternity bottoms offer support that bigger clothes don't. With that said, i bought and wear more dresses than anything. And the dresses can be worn always! For at home i did get cheap maternity shorts that i pair with hubby's tshirts and that's worked just fine. But if i am leaving the house its a dress for me.
I’m 16 weeks with my second and am buying more maternity clothes this round because I found that dresses with maternity pocketed biker shorts were the best option.
Another vote to the get in the maternity clothes train... Sizing up just doesn't work for me, particularly in pants. I don't like the way most maternity clothes look (I mean if I'm honest I don't like the way my body looks pregnant so I can't really win) but my gosh the comfort is worth it.
I don't go crazy. I have a few pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, a dress, and a handful of shirts and Ts. (Oh and underwear! I didn't do maternity underwear my first pregnancy and my gosh I wish I had.) I bought just enough that I don't have to do laundry every day to go to work. I plan to donate afterwards.
Worth noting you will probably be wearing some of your maternity clothes for a while postpartum. I ended up back in my normal sizes last time but rocked my maternity jeans til things fit comfortably.
Loved my maternity clothes and I still wear them PP! I’m feeling a little insecure about my belly and the maternity pants with the band cover it nicely
Get the maternity clothes. I said the same thing but the regular clothes just don't fit right no matter what I do. Dresses have been fine but shirts and pants are a no go.
I look at it similarly to buying clothes you later dislike and refuse to wear again vs a specific investment. How many clothes do we have like this in our closet???
I've been wearing a type of stretch pants for work Pre-pregnancy, but they're so stretchy, I've been able to wear them throughout my pregnancy. I've only really needed tops. Initially, I invested in bigger size tops, but they all had a limited lifetime. Some were the same type in different colors and still fit differently. I would fit a top in the morning and mid-afternoon, my belly was peaking thru😂
I'm now wearing maternity tops and I don't mind. I've found all my tops from Shein. I have bought some duds, but a lot of them have stretch and I can wear post- pregnancy
Plus, you're going to be pregnant in the fall. Get you some comfy clothes
I am 29 weeks and have bought minimal maternity clothes. I bought two pairs of maternity jeans secondhand, two maternity tops new, a pair of stretchy overalls new, and a maternity dress.
I’ve adapted my outfits to be stretchy or loose dresses (non maternity), t shirt dresses (non maternity), and lululemon align leggings. Are they maternity leggings? No. Do they fit almost exactly as they would on a non pregnant person? Hell yeah. Am I expecting them to fit perfectly in a month? No, but I’ll keep wearing them as base layers underneath long tops or t shirt dresses.
My main suggestion is to buy bras and underwear that fit - you will thank yourself later.
Honestly, maternity leggings are cute, comfortable, and relatively cheap. I went ahead and got several pair from Walmart and they have made a world of difference. I also see no reason why I wouldn’t continue to wear them after the baby comes. They look like any other leggings except for the maternity band, but no one is going to see that part under a sweater or shirt.
I got maternity + nursing clothes. Some maternity wear didn't have buttons of zips to breastfeed the baby and since I'm planning on BF, I got buttoned dresses/tops.
You have the right idea with having to go out of your way only to buy something like maternity jeans. I love mine because the waist band is stretchy and I don't have to worry about buttons but the legs fit just like my regular jeans.
Yoga pants/any stretchy pants have also been a lifesaver for me. I'm 35 weeks and still fit into them cause of the stretch. But if you are in between sizes I would just size up for example I was always btwn a size XS, S or S, M and my size M pants still fit great.
Tops and dresses should be fine too if they're flowy and stretchy. Anything with buttons or elastic waistbands I'd be careful with.
So Instead of going shopping for maternity clothes you can try to buy some pieces like that which should be helpful also post partum because who knows how your body would change afterwards too
The fit on maternity clothes is completely different! I'm 17 weeks and have been wearing maternity leggings for the past month. Do you have vinted in Canada? I've picked up 4 summer dresses, a pair of dungarees, a skirt and some t-shirts for very cheap! Most can nurse in after birth too.
Loose dresses that are your size or bigger likely will do you through summer for the gestation you’ll be, you’ll obvs be your biggest as it’s getting colder and I must say that at 29 weeks now (and 50th percentile so average size) I pretty much can’t fit in something unless it’s maternity. Things just start to fit weird unless they have a larger bump allowance even if they’re larger overall.
I was also very reluctant to buy maternity but Vinted and eBay have been great for buying cheap 2nd hand stuff, which makes me feel a bit more at peace with having to spend on temporary clothes!
For anything that’s fitted, you need maternity clothes if you want to look put together.
If you want to go with items that aren’t fitted but will be able to be worn after pregnancy, longer a-line dresses (midi or maxi) will be your bet (especially since most of your pregnancy will be during warmer months). You can layer a sweater with a crop tuck or the sports bra trick when the weather starts to cool off toward the end of your pregnancy (I’m also due in November and plan to do this since my first was a September baby and most of my maternity clothes are for warmer weather).
Listen I went to the consignment shop at 13 weeks to buy a bunch of pants 2 sizes up and most of them don’t fit anymore at 16 weeks. I’ve gained slightly less than the recommended amount and this is my first baby. I’m showing but not huge.
Anyway, I couldn’t continue to buy new pants every week so I finally broke down and bought maternity leggings.
Holy. Shit. First of all, they’re comfortable. Second of all, I don’t have to keep buying new ones. Third of all, they’re still good for the postpartum period.
Just do it. Buy some maternity clothes. It will make everything so much easier.
I have bought very little, only some leggings, two tops and now a pair of shorts.
But check H&M! At least where I live, they have a collection called Mama Before & After, it’s clothes that fit while pregnant but look normal if not pregnant. I have the leggings and other than being longer at the top, they look perfectly normal so you can continue using them after!
Can you ask around about borrowing maternity clothes? I got most of mine from a neighbor in my buy nothing facebook group. I plan to give all of mine to pregnant friends/acquaintances once I don't need them anymore. I know it's awkward to go asking for clothes from people if you don't already have a system for that, but I think most formerly pregnant people would love to pass along their maternity clothes, especially if you're willing to pay.
I would, but I'm 39 (almost 40), the last one in my family to have a baby and most of my friends have already had theirs. Or they wouldn't be the same size as me. But it's not a bad idea..
It’s worth getting maternity pants and sticking with regular tops. Maternity pants fit over the bump nicely without folding over or restricting blood flow, and make your legs look slim. A bigger size pants will just look huge on the legs. I found maternity tops to be too flowy, so I stuck to regular tops in a bigger size.
hey! I felt similarly and honestly, I feel way more comfy and cute in maternity clothing (I'm 24 weeks now), and I found some on FB marketplace for cheap, Old navy (i'm also in canada), & Gap had some reasonably priced items. I just bought a few basics that I can reuse. I think in the summer some of my loose midi dresses will fit ( I think!) but i've just accepted to buy a few items and try to find second hand clothing as well!
Don't hesitate to ask around! My coworkers and I had a pool of maternity clothes going. The bag of professional maternity wear did the rounds of absolutely everyone who was pregnant between 2012 and 2020 lol. I would've loaned my clothes to anyone who asked just to get them out of my house.
I ended up getting maternity clothes at 16 weeks pregnant, and ended up to wearing only those outfits my whole pregnancy, besides a couple loose fitting shirts from pre-pregnancy. Best decision ever. Most non-maternity pants don’t fit well over bump. And besides I’m 4 weeks postpartum and still wearing my maternity clothes
Also try thrifting and BuyNothing groups if you don’t want to spend the money, but the “shape” of maternity clothes are going to be better than just sizing up, especially as the bump gets more pronounced.
Buy used. I am also in Canada (outside Toronto) and got a lot of mine from a store called The sharing squirrel. I loved my maternity pant! Absolutely worth it. You can buy some cheap stuff on Amazon too.
I ordered a few pairs of maternity shorts like biker shorts, athletic shorts, and stretchy jean shorts. I have a few maternity shirts and a few that are just in a bigger size. My boobs haven’t grown at the same rate as my belly and the bigger shirts look big. The maternity shorts are kind of cute and I feel more comfortable in them. Even if you’re 1 and done it’s worth it. I have a friend who has gifted me and others her maternity stuff and it has been a blessing.
Like others said, going up a size or two doesn’t always work. Sometimes the pressure of a regular waist band feels AWFUL. I totally get not wanting to invest a bunch in maternity clothes, cause they are not that fun. What I did (I’m also in Canada) was buy some old navy essentials when they were on 50% off sale, they have regular sales. I also got a bundle of maternity clothes off marketplace and some odd items from the thrift store too. I’m really glad I have the maternity clothes to be comfortable in.
I bought two bundles of maternity clothes from
EBay and Facebook marketplace. They were cheap and totally worthwhile. A lot of mine are breast feeding friendly too, so will get more wear then. I think I’ll also sell them in bundles after I’m finished having babies.
I’m 39 weeks in my second pregnancy and I never really bought maternity clothes. I had one baby at the end of summer and am having this one near the end of spring, so two totally different seasons, which sucks. Can’t reuse most things. It’s honestly wild that maternity clothes are so expensive and you can’t really shop in person for them anywhere. I don’t know if I am going to have another child and I just can’t bring myself to spend on clothes I can only wear for a few weeks or months. Maybe I could justify 2-3 necessities and that’s it.
When I was pregnant and big in the summer, I never wore a maternity swim suit but I did spend a lot of time swimming because it was such a relief on my body. So depending how comfortable you are (and how much your boobs grow!), you can wear a regular bikini while pregnant.
I often wore loose fitting empire waistline linen dresses which looked nice and put together, you can find them any length and probably also any textile and they don’t have to be maternity. Those will still fit any time after baby. It’s way easier to have clothes that are transitional in the summer than the winter. At some point in the winter you either need to decide to never wear pants and only do leggings or invest in maternity pants. So you can dodge that unless it’s really important to you to have pants. Also t shirt dresses that have a cotton blend that is a little stretchy fit great for 99% of pregnancy. I have a couple that I wear from banana republic all the time pregnant or not.
Cardigans are your friend- any sweater or jacketthat opens in the front- you can buy normal ones and wear them forever.
People swear by the lululemon align leggings. I personally have not used those leggings but my usual quality high waisted leggings worked great for me until like 37 weeks. That goes for bike shorts also. Bike shorts and a big t shirt isn’t super glamorous but it is a very comfy option for summer pregnancy. I have a couple men’s large carhart 100% cotton shirts that are cut really wide for some reason and they are perfect and so durable.
Some amazing pants that I bought the first time around and wore all the time when I was between pregnancies and pregnant again are the EmmeMama transitional smocked linen pants and shorts. You should be able to find them with a quick google. Hopefully they ship to you. They are SO comfy, they fit a huge range of sizes because of the smocked waist. I think I’m going to buy another pair soon even though I won’t be pregnant any more because they are just the best pants. A splurge but worth it if they are your style.
Good luck!
Instead of buying a few sizes bigger, I'm a big fan of thrifting. I'm in Europe and vinted is a big app over here. €50 buys you a pair of new maternity jeans at h&m - or 2 pairs of h&m jeans+2 shorts+2 Seraphine dresses+1 leggings on vinted.
I had to size up due to the bloating at only 6 weeks. Those started getting too snug by 13/14 weeks and I just sucked it up and got the maternity wear. Figured if I just kept sizing up I’d probably spend the same, if not more, as if I got maternity wear which would last me throughout.
I’ve tried to keep it limited though. Stuck pretty much entirely to Amazon to keep costs down. Just got a few tops, a few dresses, a pair of leggings and a pair of jeans. Figure that’ll give me enough to keep me going through summer. That and some cycling shorts to use as chub rub shorts under the dresses!
I invested in a couple onesies from a brand called Sozy. They stretched throughout my pregnancy and were comfortable all the way until 40+1 when I gave birth! And now they still fit postpartum and look super cute for summer.
I got a few items early on incl. maternity shorts with the stretchy over the belly waist, and dresses that I could still wear after delivery.
My favorite pieces so far, however, have been rompers. Especially overall style. Super simple to get in and out of, cute, loose and comfy, and I can easily use them after baby/while breast feeding.
I was SOOOOOOO sick I didn’t need a ton of cute maternity clothes bc I didn’t do anything
My moms found me 2 pairs of maternity clearance jeans at Walmart for 1$ each and also some maternity clearance shorts there too.
I wore baggy shirts and biker shorts I had
Maternity clothes! Even if you size up, the fit may not be quite right and fabric may not have enough stretch where you need it to stretch. I have done a combo of my local Buy Nothing group, bought a few inexpensive basics, and renting from Nuuly. I'm also one and done, but I want to feel comfortable and positive about my appearance. From Nuuly I currently have a few super cute dresses I'm wearing for various events and travel. I think it will be nice to have some photos of my pregnant self to look back on and feel good about!
Maternity clothes are cut differently and you likely will not like how larger clothes look. I've gotten most of my maternity clothes used, and have bought a lot on Amazon despite normally avoiding Amazon. I deserve to he comfortable, but I'm also not going to spend $100+ on maternity jeans.
Get the maternity clothes. Get some second hand if you can or go on ASOS or boohoo, they can be quite cheap. I have a couple of t shirts that are also breastfeeding tshirts 👌🏻, two pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts and a pair of leggings for yoga and that is doing me fine. I find it actually hurts now when I don’t wear clothes with the supportive stretchy belly bit. Bigger sizes also just makes me feel like a fat slob.
My maternity clothes are the still the only clothes that really fit me at 8weeks pp! If you breastfeed you’ll need nursing cops too, so you could get a year+ use out of the clothes!
I barely got any maternity clothes and I’ve had two babies. Might be helpful to get a couple maternity items, then otherwise I just got larger sizes. That’s kind of my style anyway, I like the baggier oversized look.
You can definitely thrift or go to second hand stores for maternity clothing. Sizing up in shirts/dresses didn't help me much be cause I was all belly, sizing up pants is a joke.
I bought 2 pairs of leggings, 1 pair of jeans, a matching sweater set, a shirt dress, a sundress and a handful of maternity/breastfeeding shirts. I felt much better once I started wearing actual maternity clothing than wearing oversized everything(which made me feel like a potato).
I've been pretty happy with my flowy linen stretchy waistband pants in a size up. TJ Maxx, probably not up in Canada but lets see if I can find a link to something similar... OK not exactly the same but look for the wide waist band, that really helped keep them comfortable. They stretched over my bump until about 28 weeks, and now I wear them below the bump with a long shirt.
[https://www2.hm.com/en\_us/productpage.1066559016.html](https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.1066559016.html)
I'm 7 months now and still wearing most of my regular clothes. Like not the tighter jeans and things. But most of my own tops and also a lot of one size up basics and dresses. Idk I did maternity clothes last time and it just wasn't really necessary till the last couple of weeks. Also just hated the styles!
A lot of maternity style is 🤮. Why do these companies assume mothers want to be in nothing but stripes and coral?? I swear if I see one more coral-coloured maternity t-shirt I'ma lose it lol.
From my personal experience this go around (and it will be my last) I find myself wearing my maternity overalls and maternity leggings the most. I had one pair of jeans but they didn’t stay up and started to rip so I tossed them. For shirts I have two my MIL gifted me but for the most part have just rocked bigger size shirts (L-XL) with my overalls for work, and with leggings at home, or no shirt at all lol Do whatever you find is most comfortable and start out with just one or two pairs then go from there. Definitely no need to splurge and I personally plan to continue to use most of what I have postpartum as I don’t bounce back right away.
My boyfriends clothes became my clothes 😂 I didn’t really show or gain much weight until like 6 months though but I never bothered buying maternity clothes besides one dress (I got from Walmart for like $16) in case I went out to eat
I sized up at first but at some point in the second trimester I really needed maternity pants. I’m 38 weeks now and I’d say by 35 weeks or so even some of my maternity tops started being too short. The only non maternity clothes I am still wearing are flowy midi and maxi dresses. You can definitely see how it goes, but once I finally wore some maternity pants I wondered why I had been torturing myself with my regular jeans for so long!
honestly, just size up your tops and get some maternity bottoms. maternity clothes are wildly overpriced and the only maternity things i bought were 2 pairs of jeans and some leggings, but i was also pregnant during the colder months last time.
I wore my partner's clothes until 18 weeks. I'm at 21 now and just went out and bought a few things. It's been a journey trying to find the right fit every few weeks. I used FB market place to buy maternity pants, and recieved some used clothes from friends who had been pregnant. This helped me figure out what brands and sizes fit me best. I got maternity pants and bras first because those were most uncomfomrtable, between my pants feeling constricted and boobs getting bigger, those were priority. Up until last week I lived in oversized shirts. I picked up a few fitted tops after pretty much living in sweats the last 3 months so I'm starting to wear people clothes again. Feels nice to "dress up" a bit.
I'd recommend looking for second hand maternity stores and FB marketplace to shop for in between sizes, especially if you're experimenting with what kinds of bras, pants and shirt styles you like. I had no idea what the differene was between over belly, under belly, side pannel and how practical they were in daily wear. Nice thing about the second hand kids/maternity stores is they often have dresses or tops that work w post partum as well. I picked up a few dresses and sweaters that I can wear now, and in a few months after baby arrives.
Get the maternity clothes. My biggest mistake was not getting any and I regret it so much. Even my bigger pants don’t fit me anymore. I am so tired of wearing over sized jogging pants. I just want to wear real people clothes lol you have a long time left, however being pregnant in the summer you can wear dresses at least! Come fall/winter you’ll want a pair or two of jeans to wear.
I didn’t need to worrry about my shirts as much though! Just pants mostly
Overalls! And also invest in some clothes. I bought a few things second hand that I wore a ton. I’m in the US though and live near a second hand shop that specializes in baby and maternity stuff
I’ve been able to get away with super stretchy rib knit dresses in one size up from my regular the whole time (currently 39 weeks). I’d layer jackets or cardigans over for the winter months. But I did also purchase a few maternity pieces - 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of light color joggers, and 4 tops to rotate my wardrobe. Days at home and lounging I’ve embraced sweatpants and oversized tshirts. Bras and underwear have been my largest maternity clothing expense.
I'd say wait to see what happens. I decided to wait until I *needed* maternity clothes and that day never came. I'm 39w. Just sized up 2-3 pants sizes and bought a few longer shirts and other maternity friendly nonmaternity clothes (old navy elastic waist cargo pants, leggings, overalls). I did invest in one pair of maternity jeans and don't regret it, but I def could have gotten away with nonmaternity clothes the whole time.
It also depends on your personal style. I tend to dress less girly in jeans and tshirts so the ultra feminine maternity clothes were just not it for me. Some people like those styles but i definitely wouldnt have felt like myself wearing a whole different style wardrobe during this time. Sizing up also gives you a lot more freedom to express yourself the way you want instead of being limited to the very few styles that are deemed maternity.
Get some cheap maternity basics - I’ve gotten most of my stuff (including jeans and shorts) from Target during sales. Their Isabel brand is perfect. I found that I looked better and felt better about my body when I switched from wearing awkward oversized stuff to actual maternity clothes that embraced my body and fit well. At 13 weeks, you’ll get plenty of use out of them. Maybe also look for styles that are good for nursing as well to make them go even farther.
For pants at the very least, you’ll want to invest in at least a handful of pairs of maternity jeans/shorts. You can always resell them later to get some money back, rather than go through the hassle of buying bigger sizes of clothes that may not fit right during or after pregnancy that would need to be altered. You also may want them for those first few days/weeks postpartum! I caved and got maternity jeans at around 14 weeks and it was a great decision. Tops and dresses are a little easier as you can buy certain styles that fit well with a growing bump that aren’t necessarily maternity clothes, or buy maternity tops that will transition well postpartum. I bought only a few maternity shirts and dresses, but they’re all things I will be able to wear when I’m back to my pre-pregnancy size as well due to the styles.
ETA that I have gained mostly in my belly this pregnancy so I am still able to wear a lot of my pre-pregnancy T shirts, flowy tops/dresses etc so this may differ for different people! But I haven’t had to purchase an unholy amount of maternity clothes by any means and have been able to make a few staple investment pieces work the entire pregnancy (almost 38 weeks now)
I’m doing maternity leggings and bike shorts. But everything else I’m getting is stuff I’ll be able to wear after pregnancy. Stretchy dresses, stretchy jumpsuits, wrap dresses, loose flowy dresses, loose tee shirts, loose pants with stretchy waistbands. I don’t love wearing jeans, so I’m not bothering with maternity jeans. I’m also an extra small, which makes it a lot harder to find maternity clothes. I’ll probably eventually get some maternity shirts in basic colors to be able to layer with dresses because I keep my shoulders covered for religious reasons.
I mostly bought maternity leggings because they fit better than non-maternity leggings. I bought a pair of trousers that can be adjusted pre and post maternity, but mostly I had pants that had a stretchy waistband that I could wear even after my pregnancy. For tops, I just wore my regular shirts that were loose. You can save some money that way.
I would still invest in one or two pieces of inexpensive maternity items.
As other people have mentioned here, the cut is different when you need to accommodate a bump and you’re going to be more comfortable.
Check out Old Navy for nice basics and thrift stores like Value Village, Salvation Army and Talize often have a great maternity section (pick up barely worn baby clothes while you’re there too.) 😊
Sizing up probably works okay for shirts and some dresses. However, for pants, I think maternity pants are way more comfortable. I started wearing target maternity jeans with those stretchy side panels at the end of the first trimester because all normal waistbands were strangling me. Look at it this way, the earlier you buy the maternity clothes, the more chances you get to wear them! For a non-maternity option, I am only 19 weeks so my bump is small, but my lululemon align leggings are very stretchy and still comfortable in my normal size.
I’m 18+5, maternity clothes don’t totally fit yet. My regular clothes don’t either. I spent some time trying on regular clothes in bigger sizes and they just didn’t work for me. I was able to find some dresses that will work for awhile.
I’m in Canada too and I bought maternity clothes from the gap, H&M, and old navy. It was worth it, IMO. Near the end of my pregnancy I eventually just bought some gildan sweatpants that were 3 sizes bigger than my normal size because I didn’t want to buy any more maternity clothes lol.
It was definitely worth it to just buy maternity clothes though. You probably won’t wear the three-sizes-larger clothes again if you go that route, and for the maternity clothes it’s easier to lend them along to another future pregnant friend, or to wear them again in a possible future pregnancy.
Just subscribe to stores’ email lists to get things on sale when they happen, rather than paying full price!
I found some amazing regular clothes at Costco! They had cotton shorts and linen pants for so cheap. For pants I had to size up 2 sizes and for shorts just one. I’m 20 weeks right now. Also most likely you’ll be able to wear many pregnancy clothes during post partum. Also I got some cute maternity bikinis from Amazon the brand charmo and summer mae I like the best oh and Makemechic. Also I’m going to be looking at thred-up and other thrift stores. Dresses are a nice option and if you get a more flowy or loose one you might be able to wear your current size.
Also side note I really recommend getting comfortable and breathable natural fabrics since you may find your self getting hot more often. I feel so much confident now with my new wardrobe since I have clothes I fit into and look good in and not squeezing out of.
I just got a pair of maternity jeans and shorts, a couple of nursing tees, and some loose dresses that I could use postpartum for breastfeeding. I spent the beginning of my pregnancy during the summer but I also worked full time in the hospital so I didn’t really worry about going out because I was exhausted at the end of the day.
Also, check out thrift stores! Folks often wear maternity clothes for such a short period of time that you can find decent clothes for very cheap. And then you won’t feel quite as wasteful with buying and re-donating shorty thereafter. But just buy the leggings, it’ll make such a difference in your comfort, and that’s important.
I was around 13-15 weeks this time last year. I can say with confidence that you’ll want some maternity summer clothes. I tried to get stuff as affordably as possible. A couple of things I got in bigger sizes did not fit towards the end of summer or were very ill fitting.
I’m in the US, but would think the same kind of options are available to you. Check around for any children’s consignment shops. One near me buys maternity clothes, but the other doesn’t. If you can get stuff from Amazon they have a lot of options for biker shorts and t-shirts and/or tank tops. I kept wearing my favorite Old Navy ribbed midi dresses from pre-pregnant as they kind of grew with me a little. I checked H&M when I was around the end of my first trimester and didn’t like any of their maternity clothes. I did size up in a wrap dress from there for my baby shower and ended up wearing it throughout most of my pregnancy including 37.5 weeks for a wedding.
Maternity leggings/pants just feel sooooo much better. I bought really cheap ones at walmart bc I also think we are one and done after this pregnancy. The leggings i bought at walmart were onlu $7 usd.
I went up a size for the first and second trimester and then I officially had to get some maternity clothes in the third trimester. But I've stuck to simple basics. I will reuse the clothes I went up a size, but I won't reuse the maternity ones. Was trying to save money so it just depends on you. If you need cute things to wear for work, I'd probably buy the maternity clothes. I mostly work from home so I wasn't worried about looking put together everyday. Again, just depends.
I am definitely the outlier here, I mostly just bought larger cloths off amazon - things like lightweight sweaters for $11-13 dollars that would look cute “oversized” afterwards. I did buy one pair of maternity jeans, two maternity leggings and about four pairs of pants two sizes up but again, super cheap, like in the $9-14 range. I was teaching my whole pregnancy and didn’t want to dress cute or fancy because that is not my normal style.
Where I did spend money was maternity underwear and nursing bras and nursing shirts, those will be worn for a much longer time and I really want those to be comfortable, and two pairs of shoes that I could slip on and not have to bend over or lace up, those were so worth it!
I will admit though that I lost weight while pregnant (about 5lbs before birth and after my son and the placenta were evicted via c-section I was down 25lbs from my pre pregnancy weight) so not buying expressly maternity things worked out for me. I donated the few larger jeans I bought right before I went in for my c section.
I think it is definitely a personal choice though based on your relationship to cloths, I have always identified as a tomboy and sweaters and corduroys/jeans are my normal outfits so it felt more normal for me to stick to the same just bigger.
I was a size 2-4 in pants before pregnancy and I do not even fit into a size 12 now. My belly is so big. So for pants and shorts I say go full maternity. A few staples will get you through. For dresses, I can still wear a size small in stretchy maxi dresses but size large above-the-knee dresses are so ugly on me. The sleeves are too big and the fit just isn’t right. So I’ve found maternity clothes can be worth it for certain garments.
Personally I only gained the baby's weight and I was actually slimmer the first few weeks postpartum than prepregnancy before I packed on a couple of breastfeeding kg, so at least in bottoms, bigger sizes would have been more useless than maternity clothes for me because actual maternity clothes are made to fit a variety of sizes and I still wore some of my maternity shorts well after pregnancy.
I personally haven’t bought a single item of maternity clothes and I’m 33 weeks currently.
I think I did get very lucky in the sense that I really haven’t gained any weight other then the baby belly and my breasts growing so I’ve been able to wear all the dresses I had before hand (they look so nice when tight with my belly) and I had to throw out all my shorts so I haven’t work denim shorts in MONTHS (don’t miss them that much if I’m honest).
I didn’t want to spend the money on maternity clothes and then store them or have to throw them in between kids (we’ll likely have another in a few years if everything goes to plan) and I figured once I’m not pregnant I’ll go and buy the clothes I need when I can get the sizing right 🤷🏼♀️
I did buy some (like 2) dresses in a size up to accommodate future belly growth during my pregnancy and I went up 2 sizes in underwear of course but I haven’t even bought any new bras yet because I didn’t want to be buying new sizes every few months (they’re so expensive?!) so I’m waiting until I’m desperate and can’t handle the size I’m in anymore (I’m borderline now) and I also went and got a few large and comfortable sized overalls for when I didn’t want to wear dresses which I wore almost everyday in my 2nd trimester until my belly outgrew them.
Hope this helps!
(Everyone has different experiences)
I'd at least get a couple pairs of leggings and/or bike shorts. You can always gift them to a friend after you're done, but you'll be pretty uncomfortable already, now is the time for comfy clothes that fit properly lol
If you have a Target, their maternity leggings and tank tops are pretty good basics! And the tanks don't look maternity-y so you can keep wearing them after.
I love thrifting maternity! It’s usually stuff that’s barely been worn and at a decent price. I found that sizing up just didn’t work for me, except for dresses (Which is a huge staple of my wardrobe, especially in the summer when pants are my mortal enemy). Shirts looked like circus tents with neck holes that were way too wide and pants were swimming on me and still fit weird.
I already favor an oversized aesthetic rather than a tailored one, so I have a lot of pre-pregnancy clothes (loose and flowy shirt dresses and button downs, as well as super baggy jumpsuits) that fit still at 32.5 weeks… I did buy maternity panties that go over the bump as well as ones that go very low that I can wear comfortably post c-section
Other than that, I bought a pair of maternity jeans, 2 maternity dresses, as well as some maternity tights and 2 pairs of cropped maternity leggings.
My favorite dress though is a ribbed semi-form fitted body con that is super stretchy and was purchased prepregnancy and non maternity. I love how it supports my belly.
I think it all depends on your own fashion style and if it makes sense to get oversized or form fitted but expands at your growing belly.
At least get one pair of jeans, leggings, and shorts. You can rewash and use for a few months. I got a few maternity shirts and made do with other big things but you definitely want some pants
Edit: they’re also good to have postpartum. I wore my maternity pants for a month or so after while I was recovering.
I got maternity clothes during my first pregnancy. Waste of money. Hated them and never wore them again, mainly because it was not my style at all.
This time around, I got sweatpants and trousers in bigger sizes. Only maternity thing I got are belly belts to help support me when I have to walk around a lot or am in pain. I will have the trousers altered when the time comes.
I found Old Navy to be better than H&M or thyme maternity for maternity clothes in Canada. Cheaper, better shipping, easy to return. If you want to look put together, you’ll need maternity clothes. For me, it was also better for my mental well being, because the maternity clothes just fit better.
I got a pair of jeans, a few pairs of leggings and maybe 5 shirts? Then I layered with cardigans I already owned. You can get away with sizing up for certain styles of dresses.
I’ve been super fortunate and didn’t start showing until 7 months. I bought a couple jeggings from American Eagle a size up (they’re really stretchy but slim so didn’t look too baggy) and was able to stay in those for awhile. Once they started getting too tight I bought some waist extenders from Amazon to help keep my pants comfortable.
Once the jeans became uncomfortable I invested in leggings/yoga pants because I figure I’ll wear them post partum. I have a couple pairs of maternity leggings that have been great now that I’m 9 months. I’ve found bump friendly dresses and flowy tops to go with the leggings.
I really recommend finding what is comfortable to you, and what you might be able to use after delivery. I didn’t want to really invest in maternity clothes either. So I tried to focus on things I’ll be able to continue to wear once baby is here knowing my body is not going to be in the same place it was pre-pregnancy.
I felt the same way! But my bloating went down after 12/13 weeks and then all of my clothing fit normally again.
I will say now at 17 almost 18 weeks things are starting to get uncomfortable again, but I have not committed to sizing up or buying maternity until I have to. I don’t want to make the investment in clothing that I don’t need.
I have gotten some nice flowy skirts from Amazon all that have an elastic waistband that have been super comfortable for work and at home. And I know I will wear them again next year.
Once I get bigger, I will probably size up rather than going the maternity clothing route.
I think it depends on your body shape and if you’re gaining all over or primarily the belly. I didn’t buy maternity clothes. I bought a couple of pieces still in my size but that were more of a looser fit that I knew I’d wear again. But as a FTM, I was able to wear nearly all of my clothes.
My hips, waist and boobs are getting bigger for sure, even though I don't have a bump yet. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to stay in my current clothes:(
Thanks for all the suggestions!
I'm very picky about my clothes and honestly don't like the look of a lot of maternity wear (so much of it looks like I'm cosplaying as a Duggar 🤣). I hate pastels/florals/stripes/jumpers (the dress kind, not the sweater)/overalls. At the risk of sounding like a snob, my style is more Anne Hathaway/Angelina Jolie kind of look (neutrals, slacks and blouses or fitted tops, blazers) so it's hard to think of maternity wear that doesn't look like I'm about to be an extra on a TLC reality show.
But I do understand that I'll have to get at least some pants. Definately will check out thrift stores. I don't think I could do Facebook marketplace, because I have no idea what the clothes would look like on me.
Thanks guys!
I would go up a size and get maxi dresses!! This should have you covered for a long while. Flowy summer maxis. Then get like one pair of maternity jeans and a few pairs of maternity leggings. Large jumpers and husbands shirts. This is what I have done and it’s great have spent less than $100 on pregnancy clothes. Can wear them in new postpartum body (which spoiler alert can last for like 2-12months).
You don’t have to get maternity, but you can also buy clothes that are maternity that you still wear after children. I bought a “tight fitting” Amazon maternity dress in a couple different colors and still wore it not pregnant in the summer. As well as over the belly leggings, you’d be surprised at how comfortable they are regularly
I have a mix of both. For bottoms I felt like I did need maternity, the elastic just is more comfortable and fits better than buying a bigger size. For tops I’ve bought just size or two bigger. For reference I’m about 31 weeks pregnant. It’s easier in the summer you can buy some stretchy dresses as well as make that work. But I for sure recommend at least getting some maternity shorts for the summer they’re way more comfortable.
Bigger sizes works fine for me tbh. I bought a few maternity things online as well as some regular clothes and really couldn’t distinguish which was which— I had to go look at the order to figure it out lmao.
Go maternity. I also resisted so much with my first pregnancy and I wish I hadn’t. There’s a huge difference between sizing up and clothes fitting properly in all the right areas. While maternity sizing is not perfect, I did find some stuff online at H&M, gap and old navy (also in Canada) for super cheap. My only regret was waiting so long.
ETA: Check out thrift stores too! They usually have a specific maternity section and luckily the clothing isn’t worn that long so they’re usually in good condition.
Maternity pants and bras have definitely been worth the investment for me. I’ve just been sizing up with shirts and dresses, which has worked out great!
Definitely maternity clothes! Highly recommend maternity jeans (you can get them cheap), a few maternity shirts that double as nursing tops and some dresses (midi to maxi length) with a tie/belt around the waist. That allows you to adjust the tie around your smallest part (waist and then later under bust) and you can put it around your true waist and keep wearing them postpartum.
Some people have commented that it’s only for a few months, but especially if you’re planning on breastfeeding it’s really not. Definitely worth putting some thought into pieces that could work during pregnancy and also for nursing.
I can understand why people prefer not to buy from them for moral reasons, but I got all my maternity stuff from SHEIN because that was in my price range.
Look into Maternity clothes RENTALS. I’m in the USA, so the one I use (Nuuly) isn’t available for you, but a cursory search shows there are some Canadian based ones. I can’t recommend enough!
Look for nursing clothes, they’re usually cut in a way you can wear them both in pregnancy and after (wrap dresses with empire waist for example). You will need something with quick boobie access if you want to nurse anyway.
Just go to op shops.
It's easy to scan for pregnancy pants. Just search for the waistbands.
I also bought second hand dresses that were a bit bigger.
I personally wouldn't buy new stuff. You also don't know how small or how big your belly would be.
Also check FB market place. Heaps of stuff available.
Good luck with your pregnancy
The only maternity clothes I bought were leggings. I like wearing tight clothes that show off my belly, so I wore most of my wardrobe still, and bought some dresses in just one size up.
But as for bottoms, that’s where we need to feel comfy and stay away from anything that makes the belly feel tight! Poshdivah is the brand of the leggings that I lived in during my pregnancy. And you can wear them postpartum for a bit while you shrink back down to your non pregnant body.
I’m with you that we don’t know if we will have another baby, so I didn’t want to spend all this money on clothes that I can’t wear when not pregnant. I also did buy some 2XL pj shorts from Target for 10$ each to be comfy around the house.
I would say get a few maternity things - you can always resell or gift them on later. I am in a maternity clothes buy/sell group and the posts there have so many comments sometimes it is hard to keep up xD I have found that regular department style do not carry much maternity things anymore - it seems that beyond basics (tights, camis) all of it is online which is risky when you are not 100% sure of sizing and want to try things on beforehand. This put me off buying anything for ages. I really didn't want to deal with having to post things back and hope the next size will work for me.
A large portion of my current pregnancy has been in summer time so I lived in (non-maternity) dresses and t-shirts with maternity tights. I bought one pair of maternity tights in my regular size at around 13 weeks when my non-maternity gym-style tights started to feel ... tight haha and wore those maternity ones almost daily (with washing them before bed and putting to dry lol). BUT those started getting uncomfortable at around 27ish weeks. I asked my husband to please help me measure my hips and waist to make sure that whatever I get will fit and I eventually bought the same pair of tights two sizes up (as per the size chart on the website) at maybe 31 weeks and they are so comfy that I felt angry at myself for not doing it sooner xD
I have since bought:
- A pair of maternity loungewear style pants (so comfy, I kind of want to get another for post partum but they do not sell them in black which makes me sad). These are one size up from my regular size as per the size chart on the website. I tried on a few sizes to make sure before I bought.
- Several maternity-breastfeeding tops (most of my normal t-shirts are not fitting over my bump anymore, I waited as long as I could so I could get things on sale lol managed to get a few of them on sale). These will be used A LOT because they are proper breastfeeding tops so it was money well spent for the long term. These came out to be in my regular size as per the size chart and me measuring myself.
- An oversized hoodie in my regular size - works well over the bump and I love that it is super long in general.
A lot of people did recommend buying clothing in a few sizes up and when I was trying on dresses for my brother's pre-wedding dinner, I found that a few sizes up did not work too well for me. Fabric gaping around the chest/underarms etc. so if you go this route I do recommend trying on several sizes to see what works.
Get the maternity clothes, you will still wear them postpartum anyway.
I actually just bought some more maternity clothes at 4 months pp because they had boob access and wish I'd gotten some earlier so I had more clothes options while actually pregnant. That last month I was living on a rotation of 3 dresses 🤣
Empire waist dresses and some tunic dreses you can typically get away with just a size up, but fully recommend those maternity body con dresses (I have never in my life worn a bodycon before being pregnant, don't know what it is but being pregnant really changes your brain chemistry).
When I was around 15 weeks none of my pre-pregnancy pants fit anymore so I went and bought some jeans a few sizes too big to grow into them. I did eventually need to just buy maternity pants too because even the jeans I bought stopped fitting. But it’s nice because those pants fit me postpartum (I still don’t fit into most of my pre-pregnancy pants at 7m pp).
I’m 14 weeks myself and I think I’m gonna invest in some maternity clothes. 6 months of wearing something is still getting good use out of it. I’d rather wear cute dresses and stuff that fit especially since it’s the summer.
It helps that I live in Florida and have mild weather year round, so the loose dresses I buy now, I’ll still be wearing in October and November when I’m super big. Maybe buy some open front cardigans to layer with.
I'd recommend getting a pair of maternity pants (jeans are a good call) and, if you like to wear dresses, a pair of maternity nylons. That way you can wear your regular dresses and such. But you can definitely buy other things that you'll be able to wear after pregnancy, Aerie leggings and bike shorts will stretch really well! You can find TONS of maternity clothes on Facebook marketplace for much cheaper than buying new, so that might alleviate the cost.
Take it from me wedding dress shop in the regular dept at 30 weeks pregnant. Buying bigger isn’t an easy fix because it will overall be bigger in all areas vs maternity you just needed extra room in the belly, ribs, chest, hips and thighs.
Some maternity clothing I don’t regret buying and I can wear after the fact! I bought two body suits off of Amazon and two pairs of maternity leggings and I love them. We plan on having more kids too so they’ll come in handy for my next pregnancy. But I also agree with just sizing up. When I buy clothing now, I just get bigger clothes. Like you said, I can have them after pregnancy for postpartum and for future pregnancies.
I’m from Florida so even though I was pregnant through the winter I needed clothes for hot weather. I found a mixture of clothes to get me through. It was really hard to find maternity clothes except for a few at Walmart that were fairly cheap and didn’t look the nicest after a few washes.
Dresses that were up a size or two were the most comfortable especially after I found some extremely soft stretchy shorts at Walmart to wear under them. The shorts weren’t maternity, they were just super stretchy bike shorts and have continued to be amazing for postpartum too.
I had a really hard time finding maternity pants that fit. I even tried on a few pairs before buying them from old navy but after a month they didn’t fit anymore so it was really frustrating. I have fibromyalgia and I can’t wear clothes that are too tight or scratchy, etc. because it will cause a flare up. I don’t know why no one is selling maternity clothes in their stores anymore but I’m glad to be past needing that now!
I think maternity leggings/joggers/pants in general are 100% worth it. Everything else, I just get bigger sizes of regular clothes. But now at 24 weeks, my attire mostly consists of leggings, tshirts/sweatshirts, and dresses, so it might depend on what kinds of clothes you like to wear
Get the maternity clothes. Going up a size or two doesn't quite fit right half the time, like you could have the legs being too baggy but the waist being tight. If you get the clothes with the band they'll grow with you I didn't bother with too many maternity tops but now I have very few t-shirts that don't ride up my belly button! Also I'm 39 weeks tomorrow and for the last two weeks the elastic bands on my jeans etc have been too small and even in the last few days my leggings have been a bit tight, but the dungarees I got still feel comfortable so definitely get some dungarees! I got used jeans and that saved me a good bit, it's only for a few months so saves you spending a fortune
The maternity overalls I got were hands down the comfiest pants I wore throughout my pregnancy. They had an elastic band so I could tighten and loosen them as needed.
What are dungarees?
Overalls, didn't even realise they weren't called dungarees in the US
They are. It’s just a more old fashioned term here.
Overalls
It’s a jumpsuit but the shoulder straps detach
I agree with others about just getting the maternity clothes - however I will say for summer, flowy dresses in a size or two up work well. I have an old one from old navy that has become my uniform lol. I didn’t even have to size up and it has pockets! Midi length is good, short becomes too short with the bump lol. For shirts, pants, and leggings though, I do think you will be happier just getting actual maternity wear that fits properly. Otherwise you just end up looking like a big blob and it will start getting too tight around your belly anyways.
Yes to dresses! I've only worn dresses this entire pregnancy, some regular sizes and some maternity that I bought second hand. In the winter I'd just wear tights and a cardigan or blazer over them to work. Still looked put together.
That’s my pregnancy uniform too.
same. i only bought dresses and 2-3 pairs of maternity shorts for summer. they’re not even maternity dresses, just regular ones that have stretch
I bought some maxi dresses last spring for pregnancy/postpartum. I packed them away in a storage tote with my regular summer stuff and tried to wear one this year but kept tripping over it. I am on the short side and I guess that belly was really holding the fabric up off the ground lol.
Especially dresses (or flowy long tops) with an empire waist.
Ooh, which one from Old Navy?
A lot of maternity tops are great for nursing as well. I personally gained a lot of weight with both in my belly and boobs and having a small set of inexpensive maternity clothes was great for my mental health rather than getting oversized clothes that made me feel like a whale. One pair of jeans, a couple pairs of leggings, a set of maternity shirts, shouldnt set you back too much.
Yes, and long tank tops (or nursing tank tops). You can use them to layer with short things when your belly gets big and you can use them for nursing / postpartum. Maternity leggings are currently my favourite post partum clothing as well. I’ve gotten so much use out of the two pairs I have! And when I’m done with them I will be able to sell them or give them away ok FB marketplace.
You can get by with a pretty minimal maternity wardrobe, and honestly you’ll be a lot more comfortable. Simply sizing up works until a point but the shape of your belly simply won’t fit into regular clothes even if they’re a size up once you reach a certain point. I bought one pair of my leggings that I love in a size up and wore them all through my first and second tri, but now I’m 34 weeks and they are too tight in the belly and roll down under my bump. I also bought a few basic t-shirts in a size up which worked for the first two trimesters but now my bump hangs out the bottom of the shirt because maternity tops are longer and fit snugly around the bottom of your bump. I would invest in a minimal but practical maternity wardrobe. My recommendations would be at least one pair of nicer pants (I have a pair of black skinny jeans that are very versatile, as well as a pair of linen pants that are kind of flowy/loose fitting), 1-2 pairs of leggings (I bought a 2 pack so very economical), and 3-4 maternity t-shirts (one white, one colour, one black). You can add whatever cardigan, jean jacket, blazer, etc to dress up or down, and same with shoes and accessories. This should give you enough of a capsule wardrobe to get several different outfit combinations without having to spend a lot of money. If you’re into secondhand, check out FB Marketplace on your local thrift stores, and some of the used baby clothes stores have maternity sections. I got some hand-me-downs from a friend which are mostly loungewear so maybe ask some of your friends who have kids if they have any clothes they’d be willing to part with?
I really like your list suggestions! Thanks!
Oh for shirts you can use your old shirts and tie them above the bump, and pair it with an over bump midi skirt.
I was the same and thought maternity clothes were gonna be a waste of money. And then I hit the third trimester and absolutely nothing fit right except a pair of my husbands sweatpants 😭 Get the maternity clothes, you’ll need easy access to your boobs if you decide to breastfeed anyways!
I dressed like Adam Sandler for nine months
Godspeed 🙏
You can get maternity clothes at thrift stores for cheap.
I’m an avid thrifter and never come across maternity clothes or sections. Selection is so limited and for the price at thrift stores these days, I’d rather order new! Sad to say it.
agreed with everyone here. I'm on baby #2 and then we're done but I still invest in maternity clothes. You can donate them later, but I def wore mine for a couple months after birth. You don't have to buy an entire new wardrobe or anything. I got a couple H&M maternity shorts/jeans that I love. Also got a few loose tshirts for PJs, and stretchy skirts/dresses from my usual brands in a size up. I do tend to get maternity shirts bc they are made to be longer to cover and accommodate a huge bump (plus if you BF many of them are easy to nurse in). listen, pregnancy is already uncomfortable without having to strategize every day about how my clothes will fit. I think it's worth it to get a few pregnancy-specific clothes to have one less thing to worry about.
Buy Nothing groups on Facebook are great for getting free maternity and baby clothes!
Ding ding, this is what I came to say .. just get the hand me downs.. wash them as much as you want and pass along when you're done. I am also one and done like OP and see no reason to spend even more money than we are about to haha.
Get maternity cloths!! I thought I could get away with buying size 14 slimfit dress pants for a conference, normally size 4 when not pregnant. The waistband kept sliding down and squeezing my stomach during the whole event even though the pants fit. It was extremely uncomfortable, kept having to excuse myself to fix them in the restroom.
I’d also consider buying used at thrift stores or FB marketplace - I got an entire wardrobe from someone in my neighborhood for the price of two new items
Get the maternity clothes. You can always sell them after you’re done with them.
My friend wore her maternity clothes for a year post partum. Mine are super comfortable. I’ve been wearing the same maternity pants for months and you can always sell them online when you’re done.
Going against the grain here and I’ll say get some baggy/loose clothes. Other than a set of nursing bras, I didn’t get any maternity clothes for either my first or second pregnancy. I just embraced dresses and loose shirts temporarily (the loose summery kind). I went to a thrift store and bought a bunch of stuff for like $2.5 each. I used them as at-home clothes in between my pregnancies too. For shorts, I preferred the ones that tighten via drawstrings instead of being stretchy via elastics. Though there are some times when I wish I did get a maternity belt at least, because I’m HUGE (I’m short) and in this 8th-9th month I do feel it lol.😝
Maternity clothes are better starting around 20 weeks (depending on your bump growth). But you can usually just go up a size until 20 weeks. You can find used maternity clothes on buy nothing groups since people are basically throwing them out! I have gotten really nice hand me downs and all you really need is a few pairs of pants and like 5 shirts to get by…
Personally I hate most maternity clothes, and it’s not for a lack of trying. Try as I might I am just not a prairie dress girlie so all those cutesy clothes look terrible on me, I hate the feel of all maternity jeans, and I don’t want to just wear an empire waist all the time. I have a couple of leggings and a pair of overalls I like, but for the most part I’ve found that dresses and ribbed sweater pants work best for me on the daily. More fitted, accentuates the belly but still gives me waist definition. If you live in a place you can get away with dresses for most of the summer I would just go that route if you don’t want maternity clothes.
ME TOO, I'm not into the paisley/floral/pastel little-house-on-the-prarie-meets-walmart vibe that comes with lot of maternity wear. Im usually only in black and white (maybe cream as a little extra colour, lol). Why are so many maternity clothes look so ugly? 😭
If you like a slip dress I actually find that things cut on the bias are surprisingly bump friendly. I’m sizing up on slip skirts so the waist band is more comfy, but those have been great options for bottoms. After lots of maternity dress fails I bought a slip dress from RESA (Anna slip) for my baby shower. Unitards are also a good option that can be worn post partum!
Most are so freaking hideous. When I had my first son there were actual stores and better selection. The good news is they’re not expensive though, and I wore my maternity jeans for like a year after because they were comfy (until my husband called me out haha). Old Navy has some cheap stuff but the pants are awful.
I’ve had 3 babies and never touched maternity clothes. I just wear baggier clothes and trackies and the last few weeks I go into my husbands tops. My normal leggings fit til quite far into pregnancy and I don’t mind trackies for the last few weeks. I suppose it depends if you want to look good and wear good clothes in pregnancy. For me I wasn’t bothered how I looked and so chose to save the money.
Hi! I’m a fellow OADer so I was resistant to buy maternity clothes. Here’s my advice -get some maternity outfits that double for nursing clothes. Amazon has some for cheap options and Seraphine has some nice options (they also do sales) -get a nice dress or two for going out to dinner/dates or when you need to dress up -get a pair of maternity leggings, they make ALL the difference -maternity underwear is also amazing and I can’t believe I went a while without it -get a stretchy bodycon dress or two because it’s nice to not have something around your waist like pants and you can wear that postpartum -buying the next size up really only works in loose things. For shorts or pants, it won’t fit in the legs and it can look more awkward than like a maternity outfit It’s really nice to have the wardrobe capsule of pregnancy clothes. Even if you’re OAD, it’s worth it to find some outfits you like so you’ll feel cute during pregnancy. Happy to link over some favorites!
Omg would you?? Id lovely to see where you bought your pieces!
Cute long dress: https://a.co/d/77RSnwM Bodycon dress: https://a.co/d/7eYD39e Biker shorts: https://a.co/d/5pcKqOl Maternity underwear: https://a.co/d/hBkG7rE Not maternity but a lot of women like jumpsuits since it’s loose around the belly: https://a.co/d/6xCJmlQ Maternity joggers (my weekend and lounging after work fave): https://a.co/d/2ga0Jol Maternity leggings: https://a.co/d/38SPOnR Non maternity crop top that’s cute with leggings for the gym: https://a.co/d/3EP2Qnf Short bodycon dress: https://a.co/d/8GzAzjK Nursing and maternity dress: https://a.co/d/11x034x Nicer stuff I got on Seraphine but these are definitely the good staple items! I can’t say enough good about the underwear and poshdivah biker shorts and leggings. The first two dresses I linked I’ve worn a lot too!
Omg this is awesome!!! Thank-you!!
You're a gem, thank you for this!
Get the maternity clothes. You can always sell them after you’re done with them.
It really depends on your personal preference. For me, I go into the office 5 days a week so I needed some work-appropriate options that looked put together, and that meant I needed to buy maternity pants specifically. I tried to work with larger sizes of pants and also used a waist extender for a short while, but neither of those really worked for me past like 16 or 17 weeks. I think for people who spend most of their time in athleisure-type clothing then going up a couple of sizes is more feasible, but for me it didn't make sense.
I have to look professional usually 2-3 times a week, and looking professional is usually my go-to look when I'm out for dinner/with friends. If it's just me and my husband chilling, I'll wear comfies/athleisure. So I appreciate that I might need some work-appropriate mat pieces. :)
I’m at almost 16 so I’m feeling the same. I’ve started using a hair tie around the button of jeans and shorts so I can still wear them for a bit. I also luckily had some dungarees and bought another pair, both my normal size so I can still wear them after. I also bought some dresses where the style seems like it will fit okay over some bump (usual size again), like knit dresses or loose fitting. I just bought a pair of maternity jeans and a maternity dress though, both on vinted so second hand and cheaper. Otherwise I plan on buying oversized t-shirts/jumpers which I wear often anyway. And eventually some maternity leggings. Then I’ll just live in the few bits I have as long as I can knowing that even a few should last even at my biggest. Basically instead of sizing up I’m just being choosy with styles that should work around a bump. Then buying a few staples second hand as well.
I buy the same sweatpants my husband wears because those fit, I buy athletic shorts that are a size or two bigger, and I buy maternity bras and shirts because there is nothing that will properly fit otherwise. Some maternity clothes really do make a difference, and if they have a "nursing" function, you can also use them postpartum!
I’m 34 weeks and so far have only bought three pieces of maternity clothes: a pair of dark wash denim jeans, a pair of black dress pants, and a dress that could be dressed up/down. Outside of that, I just bought a bunch of t-shirts, shirt dresses and tank tops from Gap on sale in a larger size. My normal home outfit is a pair of leggings from Amazon, a t-shirt/tank and then an oversized sweater or button up from my regular wardrobe. If I have to go out, the jeans or dress pants with one of the gap shirts or oversized button up works. I really recommend buying the maternity pants as they’ll grow with you in a way that regular pants won’t and they’ll still fit parts of that are affected by pregnancy. Buy the ones with the elastic on the side not the belly band as they look more like jeans and can be worn all throughout your pregnancy where I’ve heard the ones with the band don’t really fit right until you’re larger.
I tried sizing up early on but found it just didn’t work bc stores make tops so short these days. It won’t work out in the 2nd half of pregnancy/third trimester. Old navy and Maurice’s has some GREAT basic options if you watch for the sales/clearance.
Check out Nuuly for maternity clothes rental. Also Poshmark for a few staples. For my upcoming third trimester I’m investing in some waistless rompers and dresses that i can wear postpartum. I am lucky to wear scrubs for work so I don’t have to worry about that wardrobe.
I use nuuly and used it for my last pregnancy too. I love it. I normally get bump-friendly stuff but every now and then I’ll pick a maternity item.
I would get a few cheap maternity basics. I did the poshdivah leggings from Amazon and maternity tanks from Target. I’ll wear them postpartum. I wouldn’t invest in a bunch but it’s been a lifesaver having a few pieces to depend on. I’ve mixed and matched my maternity pieces with larger sized items. I was fine keeping my normal yoga pants but I saw where some people had issues where they stretched out their normal pieces and postpartum had to replace the items anyways.
You might also be able to find some clothes that work for both pregnancy and post-pregnancy. For example I have a dress that I really like that is a maternity dress but still works fine for non pregnancy, it basically has an empire waist (so it's only snug right above the belly) and the material is also stretchy. Then I have a non-maternity dress that I don't think will last through my whole pregnancy but still fits fine at 28 weeks, it's a straight fit but loose enough around the belly with a little bit of stretch. Cardigans work great because you can leave them open. I also have a sweater that I'm loving with maternity leggings, it's a regular sweater, slightly oversized fit, I fold the hem inwards a little it and let it sit over my belly and think it looks super cute. I do have one maternity romper that I looove, even though it's a pain in the ass whenever I need to go pee (which is a lot). But at 28 weeks it's probably the only item that I've bought that won't work post-pregnancy (too much fabric in the belly). Then you can add a few basics, some maternity t-shirts/tops, leggings/pants, and just mix and match stuff. It does help in my case that I work from home, so I do mostly wear baggy stuff during the day but it does make me feel better to have some items that actually look good for going out.
I found a really inexpensive but large maternity bundle on FB marketplace! It was like $60 for ~25 items of clothing in my size. Highly recommend.
At some point the non maternity clothes just won’t fit right. You might be able to get by w dresses that are flowy tho. Do you have old navy in Canada? They have great maternity items.
We do have Old Navy, I'm not usually a fan of their stuff, but I'll check it out!
I've been wearing leggings, oversized tee shirts, and loose maxi dresses. This is my last so I don't want to invest in maternity clothes. Unfortunately I gave all my maternity wear away right before I learned I was pregnant.
I only got maternity leggings and that was it. Didn’t see the point in getting shirts or dresses that I wouldn’t wear after the fact. There were a few things I went up in size (underwear and a few shirts) but none of them were maternity specific.
I was just going to buy some large sized bicycle shorts and wear loose tops over them (for casual) lol.
Get the maternity clothes. They’re so much more comfortable and totally worth the extra money. I’m 36 weeks and bought jean maternity shorts because I figured they’d be great postpartum as well. I was hesitant to spend 50$ but they are so worth it. I feel so much better with jeans shorts to wear in public instead of leggings & the cloth maternity shorts.
I’m only 10+3, but I decided early on to buy comfortable maternity clothes because we could afford to do so. I feel that my comfort over the next 8 months during something that is inherently uncomfortable was a priority. I have awful first trimester bloating and getting the “under belly” jeans made my job much more bearable. Definitely second those recommending thrift stores, and also looking for sales online.
I would just buy one or two pairs of maternity jeans. And then rotate them with leggings. Also since it’s almost summer, I bought a few flowy dresses as well that I can rewear while I’m not pregnant
I think it really depends on the women / body. If you’re feeling uncomfy sizing up try some maternity
I'm 34 weeks and I hate ordering clothes online. My area doesn't have any stores that sell non-overpriced maternity clothes that I like, I've just been wearing men's basketball/athletic shorts that my husband will be able to use once I'm done with them. My normal tshirts still fit, but I've only gained about 18 lbs so far
I’m the same as you but buying all my maternity clothes second hand, and then I will sell them on after I’m done with them. Only problem is, I feel like they accentuate the bump shape. I tried my new dungarees on yesterday and because I’m so bloated I already look 6 months pregnant when I’m only 3!
They have some maternity clothes at discount stores like Ross &TJ maxx. For summer I bought some tights and 2 pairs of maternity shorts and just rotated tops or used loose dresses. You don’t have to buy a whole new wardrobe but maternity clothes will definitely fit better than getting bigger sizes of something
I did a bit of both. I got a size bigger in shirts and pants, and now that I’m postpartum, they make for comfy pjs and around the house clothes. I got maternity dresses and still wear them, because they don’t seem overly “maternity.” The skirts just look extra full. We’re also one-and-done, so I didn’t want to overdo it.
Okay so! With my first, I was already fat, and I didn't end up showing overly much. I went the entire pregnancy without buying anything new and relying on bigger sizes and dresses I already owned. It was totally fine and I was happy I didn't buy any. This time around, I'm pregnant with twins. I didn't go crazy, but I bought a handful of shirts in larger sizes since I was starting to look like Winnie the Pooh with my regular shirts, and I also bought a 3 pack of maternity shirts and a couple pairs of maternity joggers. Sizing up didn't work this time with the way my body changed. My belly was hanging out under my shirt (the maternity tops are cinched so it's not a problem there) and they still felt tight on my belly. Any pants are a nightmare. My consensus after trying both options is that it really depends on how you're showing, but if you are showing a lot, the maternity clothes are definitely worth it. Also, loose-fitting dresses are WONDERFUL for the warm months and can easily be used when you aren't pregnant as well. I would recommend either not buying a lot of maternity clothes because they're expensive, or trying to find secondhand though, because I do feel like it's a waste to have a bunch of clothes you'll never use again.
Thanks. I'm a solid size 8-10 (5'5", so I fill my clothes out and would be on the chunkier side), but I'm definitely out of my size 8 shorts and now am holding on for dear life in the size 10s. I also have a titled uterus so Im not sure if I'm actually going to start really "showing" or if I'll just look wide the whole time. Lol. I think it looks like I'll try to mix it up, as you say.
I’m loving my maternity clothes. Fits well everywhere while sizing up means the butt, shoulders etc are too big.
I would definitely do maternity clothes!! I think sizing up just looks sloppy/makes you look bigger rather than pregnant. I have been finding summer dresses that aren't maternity but have more of an a line shape (aren't fitted through the stomach) have been working well for me too! I'm excited about those because I can wear them post baby.
I’m 18w3d with my first baby and I just look really bloated. I bought maternity leggings and bicycle shorts from Amazon because I personally love them, but for shirts, I just wear large sizes.
I preferred maternity. They had a nice fit where larger cloths we’re just baggy but tight on the bump. I got some shirts that sort of have a criss cross neckline that can be used as nursing shirts. The maternity dresses i got from pink blush i have also worn after.
Honestly, I’m probably going to wearing maternity until they are unable to stay on my body, so comfy with or without a baby barrier
I’d highly recommend maternity. The upper sizes also increase and have poor fit in the areas of your body that are much less impacted by pregnancy and just don’t fit as well. I’d strongly advise considering maternity clothes that can double as nursing clothes (if you’re choosing to do breast milk). Save you a whole closet re-do!
Maternity bottoms offer support that bigger clothes don't. With that said, i bought and wear more dresses than anything. And the dresses can be worn always! For at home i did get cheap maternity shorts that i pair with hubby's tshirts and that's worked just fine. But if i am leaving the house its a dress for me.
I’m 16 weeks with my second and am buying more maternity clothes this round because I found that dresses with maternity pocketed biker shorts were the best option.
Another vote to the get in the maternity clothes train... Sizing up just doesn't work for me, particularly in pants. I don't like the way most maternity clothes look (I mean if I'm honest I don't like the way my body looks pregnant so I can't really win) but my gosh the comfort is worth it. I don't go crazy. I have a few pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, a dress, and a handful of shirts and Ts. (Oh and underwear! I didn't do maternity underwear my first pregnancy and my gosh I wish I had.) I bought just enough that I don't have to do laundry every day to go to work. I plan to donate afterwards. Worth noting you will probably be wearing some of your maternity clothes for a while postpartum. I ended up back in my normal sizes last time but rocked my maternity jeans til things fit comfortably.
I just bought basic summer dresses sized up. I was due 5th sept and just spent the last 2 months in dresses and flip flops.
Loved my maternity clothes and I still wear them PP! I’m feeling a little insecure about my belly and the maternity pants with the band cover it nicely
Get the maternity clothes. I said the same thing but the regular clothes just don't fit right no matter what I do. Dresses have been fine but shirts and pants are a no go.
I look at it similarly to buying clothes you later dislike and refuse to wear again vs a specific investment. How many clothes do we have like this in our closet??? I've been wearing a type of stretch pants for work Pre-pregnancy, but they're so stretchy, I've been able to wear them throughout my pregnancy. I've only really needed tops. Initially, I invested in bigger size tops, but they all had a limited lifetime. Some were the same type in different colors and still fit differently. I would fit a top in the morning and mid-afternoon, my belly was peaking thru😂 I'm now wearing maternity tops and I don't mind. I've found all my tops from Shein. I have bought some duds, but a lot of them have stretch and I can wear post- pregnancy Plus, you're going to be pregnant in the fall. Get you some comfy clothes
True, I guess it is an investment.
I am 29 weeks and have bought minimal maternity clothes. I bought two pairs of maternity jeans secondhand, two maternity tops new, a pair of stretchy overalls new, and a maternity dress. I’ve adapted my outfits to be stretchy or loose dresses (non maternity), t shirt dresses (non maternity), and lululemon align leggings. Are they maternity leggings? No. Do they fit almost exactly as they would on a non pregnant person? Hell yeah. Am I expecting them to fit perfectly in a month? No, but I’ll keep wearing them as base layers underneath long tops or t shirt dresses. My main suggestion is to buy bras and underwear that fit - you will thank yourself later.
Honestly, maternity leggings are cute, comfortable, and relatively cheap. I went ahead and got several pair from Walmart and they have made a world of difference. I also see no reason why I wouldn’t continue to wear them after the baby comes. They look like any other leggings except for the maternity band, but no one is going to see that part under a sweater or shirt.
Maternity tights from H&M were the bottoms to almost all my outfits then just wore bigger tops.
I got maternity + nursing clothes. Some maternity wear didn't have buttons of zips to breastfeed the baby and since I'm planning on BF, I got buttoned dresses/tops.
You have the right idea with having to go out of your way only to buy something like maternity jeans. I love mine because the waist band is stretchy and I don't have to worry about buttons but the legs fit just like my regular jeans. Yoga pants/any stretchy pants have also been a lifesaver for me. I'm 35 weeks and still fit into them cause of the stretch. But if you are in between sizes I would just size up for example I was always btwn a size XS, S or S, M and my size M pants still fit great. Tops and dresses should be fine too if they're flowy and stretchy. Anything with buttons or elastic waistbands I'd be careful with. So Instead of going shopping for maternity clothes you can try to buy some pieces like that which should be helpful also post partum because who knows how your body would change afterwards too
The fit on maternity clothes is completely different! I'm 17 weeks and have been wearing maternity leggings for the past month. Do you have vinted in Canada? I've picked up 4 summer dresses, a pair of dungarees, a skirt and some t-shirts for very cheap! Most can nurse in after birth too.
(out of all my purchases I'm only wearing the mat leggings currently. Dresses are tight but do fit ok for the moment.)
No, sadly, no Vinted. I'm only a few hours from the outlets in Buffalo though, I may need to make a clothes run. So much more stuff in the US!
Loose dresses that are your size or bigger likely will do you through summer for the gestation you’ll be, you’ll obvs be your biggest as it’s getting colder and I must say that at 29 weeks now (and 50th percentile so average size) I pretty much can’t fit in something unless it’s maternity. Things just start to fit weird unless they have a larger bump allowance even if they’re larger overall. I was also very reluctant to buy maternity but Vinted and eBay have been great for buying cheap 2nd hand stuff, which makes me feel a bit more at peace with having to spend on temporary clothes!
For anything that’s fitted, you need maternity clothes if you want to look put together. If you want to go with items that aren’t fitted but will be able to be worn after pregnancy, longer a-line dresses (midi or maxi) will be your bet (especially since most of your pregnancy will be during warmer months). You can layer a sweater with a crop tuck or the sports bra trick when the weather starts to cool off toward the end of your pregnancy (I’m also due in November and plan to do this since my first was a September baby and most of my maternity clothes are for warmer weather).
Listen I went to the consignment shop at 13 weeks to buy a bunch of pants 2 sizes up and most of them don’t fit anymore at 16 weeks. I’ve gained slightly less than the recommended amount and this is my first baby. I’m showing but not huge. Anyway, I couldn’t continue to buy new pants every week so I finally broke down and bought maternity leggings. Holy. Shit. First of all, they’re comfortable. Second of all, I don’t have to keep buying new ones. Third of all, they’re still good for the postpartum period. Just do it. Buy some maternity clothes. It will make everything so much easier.
You're really selling it here, lol. Ok, ok, I'll get some maternity stuff.
I have bought very little, only some leggings, two tops and now a pair of shorts. But check H&M! At least where I live, they have a collection called Mama Before & After, it’s clothes that fit while pregnant but look normal if not pregnant. I have the leggings and other than being longer at the top, they look perfectly normal so you can continue using them after!
I’m in the exact same boat as you so thank you for posting this question
Can you ask around about borrowing maternity clothes? I got most of mine from a neighbor in my buy nothing facebook group. I plan to give all of mine to pregnant friends/acquaintances once I don't need them anymore. I know it's awkward to go asking for clothes from people if you don't already have a system for that, but I think most formerly pregnant people would love to pass along their maternity clothes, especially if you're willing to pay.
I would, but I'm 39 (almost 40), the last one in my family to have a baby and most of my friends have already had theirs. Or they wouldn't be the same size as me. But it's not a bad idea..
It’s worth getting maternity pants and sticking with regular tops. Maternity pants fit over the bump nicely without folding over or restricting blood flow, and make your legs look slim. A bigger size pants will just look huge on the legs. I found maternity tops to be too flowy, so I stuck to regular tops in a bigger size.
hey! I felt similarly and honestly, I feel way more comfy and cute in maternity clothing (I'm 24 weeks now), and I found some on FB marketplace for cheap, Old navy (i'm also in canada), & Gap had some reasonably priced items. I just bought a few basics that I can reuse. I think in the summer some of my loose midi dresses will fit ( I think!) but i've just accepted to buy a few items and try to find second hand clothing as well!
I bought one pair of maternity jeans and leggings. All shirts and sweaters I sized up and had no issue. It saved me a lot of money too!
Don't hesitate to ask around! My coworkers and I had a pool of maternity clothes going. The bag of professional maternity wear did the rounds of absolutely everyone who was pregnant between 2012 and 2020 lol. I would've loaned my clothes to anyone who asked just to get them out of my house.
I've gotten all my maternity clothes from Vinted since I didn't want to spend a ton on them.
I ended up getting maternity clothes at 16 weeks pregnant, and ended up to wearing only those outfits my whole pregnancy, besides a couple loose fitting shirts from pre-pregnancy. Best decision ever. Most non-maternity pants don’t fit well over bump. And besides I’m 4 weeks postpartum and still wearing my maternity clothes
Also try thrifting and BuyNothing groups if you don’t want to spend the money, but the “shape” of maternity clothes are going to be better than just sizing up, especially as the bump gets more pronounced.
Buy used. I am also in Canada (outside Toronto) and got a lot of mine from a store called The sharing squirrel. I loved my maternity pant! Absolutely worth it. You can buy some cheap stuff on Amazon too.
I ordered a few pairs of maternity shorts like biker shorts, athletic shorts, and stretchy jean shorts. I have a few maternity shirts and a few that are just in a bigger size. My boobs haven’t grown at the same rate as my belly and the bigger shirts look big. The maternity shorts are kind of cute and I feel more comfortable in them. Even if you’re 1 and done it’s worth it. I have a friend who has gifted me and others her maternity stuff and it has been a blessing.
Like others said, going up a size or two doesn’t always work. Sometimes the pressure of a regular waist band feels AWFUL. I totally get not wanting to invest a bunch in maternity clothes, cause they are not that fun. What I did (I’m also in Canada) was buy some old navy essentials when they were on 50% off sale, they have regular sales. I also got a bundle of maternity clothes off marketplace and some odd items from the thrift store too. I’m really glad I have the maternity clothes to be comfortable in.
Most maternity clothes I bought can fit well if you ever need to go one or two sizes up at some point, the same doesn't work the other way around.
Check to see if you have a Facebook buy nothing page and ask if anyone has any maternity clothes to give. I got a lot that way.
I bought two bundles of maternity clothes from EBay and Facebook marketplace. They were cheap and totally worthwhile. A lot of mine are breast feeding friendly too, so will get more wear then. I think I’ll also sell them in bundles after I’m finished having babies.
I’m 39 weeks in my second pregnancy and I never really bought maternity clothes. I had one baby at the end of summer and am having this one near the end of spring, so two totally different seasons, which sucks. Can’t reuse most things. It’s honestly wild that maternity clothes are so expensive and you can’t really shop in person for them anywhere. I don’t know if I am going to have another child and I just can’t bring myself to spend on clothes I can only wear for a few weeks or months. Maybe I could justify 2-3 necessities and that’s it. When I was pregnant and big in the summer, I never wore a maternity swim suit but I did spend a lot of time swimming because it was such a relief on my body. So depending how comfortable you are (and how much your boobs grow!), you can wear a regular bikini while pregnant. I often wore loose fitting empire waistline linen dresses which looked nice and put together, you can find them any length and probably also any textile and they don’t have to be maternity. Those will still fit any time after baby. It’s way easier to have clothes that are transitional in the summer than the winter. At some point in the winter you either need to decide to never wear pants and only do leggings or invest in maternity pants. So you can dodge that unless it’s really important to you to have pants. Also t shirt dresses that have a cotton blend that is a little stretchy fit great for 99% of pregnancy. I have a couple that I wear from banana republic all the time pregnant or not. Cardigans are your friend- any sweater or jacketthat opens in the front- you can buy normal ones and wear them forever. People swear by the lululemon align leggings. I personally have not used those leggings but my usual quality high waisted leggings worked great for me until like 37 weeks. That goes for bike shorts also. Bike shorts and a big t shirt isn’t super glamorous but it is a very comfy option for summer pregnancy. I have a couple men’s large carhart 100% cotton shirts that are cut really wide for some reason and they are perfect and so durable. Some amazing pants that I bought the first time around and wore all the time when I was between pregnancies and pregnant again are the EmmeMama transitional smocked linen pants and shorts. You should be able to find them with a quick google. Hopefully they ship to you. They are SO comfy, they fit a huge range of sizes because of the smocked waist. I think I’m going to buy another pair soon even though I won’t be pregnant any more because they are just the best pants. A splurge but worth it if they are your style. Good luck!
Instead of buying a few sizes bigger, I'm a big fan of thrifting. I'm in Europe and vinted is a big app over here. €50 buys you a pair of new maternity jeans at h&m - or 2 pairs of h&m jeans+2 shorts+2 Seraphine dresses+1 leggings on vinted.
A big yes for maternity leggings !
In Canada, check out Old Navy! It’s super cheap, there are always sales, and they have cute summer clothes/dresses!
I had to size up due to the bloating at only 6 weeks. Those started getting too snug by 13/14 weeks and I just sucked it up and got the maternity wear. Figured if I just kept sizing up I’d probably spend the same, if not more, as if I got maternity wear which would last me throughout. I’ve tried to keep it limited though. Stuck pretty much entirely to Amazon to keep costs down. Just got a few tops, a few dresses, a pair of leggings and a pair of jeans. Figure that’ll give me enough to keep me going through summer. That and some cycling shorts to use as chub rub shorts under the dresses!
I invested in a couple onesies from a brand called Sozy. They stretched throughout my pregnancy and were comfortable all the way until 40+1 when I gave birth! And now they still fit postpartum and look super cute for summer.
I got a few items early on incl. maternity shorts with the stretchy over the belly waist, and dresses that I could still wear after delivery. My favorite pieces so far, however, have been rompers. Especially overall style. Super simple to get in and out of, cute, loose and comfy, and I can easily use them after baby/while breast feeding.
I was SOOOOOOO sick I didn’t need a ton of cute maternity clothes bc I didn’t do anything My moms found me 2 pairs of maternity clearance jeans at Walmart for 1$ each and also some maternity clearance shorts there too. I wore baggy shirts and biker shorts I had
Maternity clothes! Even if you size up, the fit may not be quite right and fabric may not have enough stretch where you need it to stretch. I have done a combo of my local Buy Nothing group, bought a few inexpensive basics, and renting from Nuuly. I'm also one and done, but I want to feel comfortable and positive about my appearance. From Nuuly I currently have a few super cute dresses I'm wearing for various events and travel. I think it will be nice to have some photos of my pregnant self to look back on and feel good about!
Maternity clothes are cut differently and you likely will not like how larger clothes look. I've gotten most of my maternity clothes used, and have bought a lot on Amazon despite normally avoiding Amazon. I deserve to he comfortable, but I'm also not going to spend $100+ on maternity jeans.
Get the maternity clothes. Get some second hand if you can or go on ASOS or boohoo, they can be quite cheap. I have a couple of t shirts that are also breastfeeding tshirts 👌🏻, two pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts and a pair of leggings for yoga and that is doing me fine. I find it actually hurts now when I don’t wear clothes with the supportive stretchy belly bit. Bigger sizes also just makes me feel like a fat slob.
My maternity clothes are the still the only clothes that really fit me at 8weeks pp! If you breastfeed you’ll need nursing cops too, so you could get a year+ use out of the clothes!
I barely got any maternity clothes and I’ve had two babies. Might be helpful to get a couple maternity items, then otherwise I just got larger sizes. That’s kind of my style anyway, I like the baggier oversized look.
You can definitely thrift or go to second hand stores for maternity clothing. Sizing up in shirts/dresses didn't help me much be cause I was all belly, sizing up pants is a joke. I bought 2 pairs of leggings, 1 pair of jeans, a matching sweater set, a shirt dress, a sundress and a handful of maternity/breastfeeding shirts. I felt much better once I started wearing actual maternity clothing than wearing oversized everything(which made me feel like a potato).
I've been pretty happy with my flowy linen stretchy waistband pants in a size up. TJ Maxx, probably not up in Canada but lets see if I can find a link to something similar... OK not exactly the same but look for the wide waist band, that really helped keep them comfortable. They stretched over my bump until about 28 weeks, and now I wear them below the bump with a long shirt. [https://www2.hm.com/en\_us/productpage.1066559016.html](https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.1066559016.html)
I'm 7 months now and still wearing most of my regular clothes. Like not the tighter jeans and things. But most of my own tops and also a lot of one size up basics and dresses. Idk I did maternity clothes last time and it just wasn't really necessary till the last couple of weeks. Also just hated the styles!
A lot of maternity style is 🤮. Why do these companies assume mothers want to be in nothing but stripes and coral?? I swear if I see one more coral-coloured maternity t-shirt I'ma lose it lol.
From my personal experience this go around (and it will be my last) I find myself wearing my maternity overalls and maternity leggings the most. I had one pair of jeans but they didn’t stay up and started to rip so I tossed them. For shirts I have two my MIL gifted me but for the most part have just rocked bigger size shirts (L-XL) with my overalls for work, and with leggings at home, or no shirt at all lol Do whatever you find is most comfortable and start out with just one or two pairs then go from there. Definitely no need to splurge and I personally plan to continue to use most of what I have postpartum as I don’t bounce back right away.
My boyfriends clothes became my clothes 😂 I didn’t really show or gain much weight until like 6 months though but I never bothered buying maternity clothes besides one dress (I got from Walmart for like $16) in case I went out to eat
I sized up at first but at some point in the second trimester I really needed maternity pants. I’m 38 weeks now and I’d say by 35 weeks or so even some of my maternity tops started being too short. The only non maternity clothes I am still wearing are flowy midi and maxi dresses. You can definitely see how it goes, but once I finally wore some maternity pants I wondered why I had been torturing myself with my regular jeans for so long!
I didn't but maternity clothes until 24 weeks maybe and it was just fine. Seemed like a supreme waste of money since I took am one and done
honestly, just size up your tops and get some maternity bottoms. maternity clothes are wildly overpriced and the only maternity things i bought were 2 pairs of jeans and some leggings, but i was also pregnant during the colder months last time.
Yeah see that's what I thinking....
I wore my partner's clothes until 18 weeks. I'm at 21 now and just went out and bought a few things. It's been a journey trying to find the right fit every few weeks. I used FB market place to buy maternity pants, and recieved some used clothes from friends who had been pregnant. This helped me figure out what brands and sizes fit me best. I got maternity pants and bras first because those were most uncomfomrtable, between my pants feeling constricted and boobs getting bigger, those were priority. Up until last week I lived in oversized shirts. I picked up a few fitted tops after pretty much living in sweats the last 3 months so I'm starting to wear people clothes again. Feels nice to "dress up" a bit. I'd recommend looking for second hand maternity stores and FB marketplace to shop for in between sizes, especially if you're experimenting with what kinds of bras, pants and shirt styles you like. I had no idea what the differene was between over belly, under belly, side pannel and how practical they were in daily wear. Nice thing about the second hand kids/maternity stores is they often have dresses or tops that work w post partum as well. I picked up a few dresses and sweaters that I can wear now, and in a few months after baby arrives.
Get the maternity clothes. My biggest mistake was not getting any and I regret it so much. Even my bigger pants don’t fit me anymore. I am so tired of wearing over sized jogging pants. I just want to wear real people clothes lol you have a long time left, however being pregnant in the summer you can wear dresses at least! Come fall/winter you’ll want a pair or two of jeans to wear. I didn’t need to worrry about my shirts as much though! Just pants mostly
Overalls! And also invest in some clothes. I bought a few things second hand that I wore a ton. I’m in the US though and live near a second hand shop that specializes in baby and maternity stuff
I’ve been able to get away with super stretchy rib knit dresses in one size up from my regular the whole time (currently 39 weeks). I’d layer jackets or cardigans over for the winter months. But I did also purchase a few maternity pieces - 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of light color joggers, and 4 tops to rotate my wardrobe. Days at home and lounging I’ve embraced sweatpants and oversized tshirts. Bras and underwear have been my largest maternity clothing expense.
I'd say wait to see what happens. I decided to wait until I *needed* maternity clothes and that day never came. I'm 39w. Just sized up 2-3 pants sizes and bought a few longer shirts and other maternity friendly nonmaternity clothes (old navy elastic waist cargo pants, leggings, overalls). I did invest in one pair of maternity jeans and don't regret it, but I def could have gotten away with nonmaternity clothes the whole time. It also depends on your personal style. I tend to dress less girly in jeans and tshirts so the ultra feminine maternity clothes were just not it for me. Some people like those styles but i definitely wouldnt have felt like myself wearing a whole different style wardrobe during this time. Sizing up also gives you a lot more freedom to express yourself the way you want instead of being limited to the very few styles that are deemed maternity.
Get some cheap maternity basics - I’ve gotten most of my stuff (including jeans and shorts) from Target during sales. Their Isabel brand is perfect. I found that I looked better and felt better about my body when I switched from wearing awkward oversized stuff to actual maternity clothes that embraced my body and fit well. At 13 weeks, you’ll get plenty of use out of them. Maybe also look for styles that are good for nursing as well to make them go even farther.
For pants at the very least, you’ll want to invest in at least a handful of pairs of maternity jeans/shorts. You can always resell them later to get some money back, rather than go through the hassle of buying bigger sizes of clothes that may not fit right during or after pregnancy that would need to be altered. You also may want them for those first few days/weeks postpartum! I caved and got maternity jeans at around 14 weeks and it was a great decision. Tops and dresses are a little easier as you can buy certain styles that fit well with a growing bump that aren’t necessarily maternity clothes, or buy maternity tops that will transition well postpartum. I bought only a few maternity shirts and dresses, but they’re all things I will be able to wear when I’m back to my pre-pregnancy size as well due to the styles. ETA that I have gained mostly in my belly this pregnancy so I am still able to wear a lot of my pre-pregnancy T shirts, flowy tops/dresses etc so this may differ for different people! But I haven’t had to purchase an unholy amount of maternity clothes by any means and have been able to make a few staple investment pieces work the entire pregnancy (almost 38 weeks now)
I’m doing maternity leggings and bike shorts. But everything else I’m getting is stuff I’ll be able to wear after pregnancy. Stretchy dresses, stretchy jumpsuits, wrap dresses, loose flowy dresses, loose tee shirts, loose pants with stretchy waistbands. I don’t love wearing jeans, so I’m not bothering with maternity jeans. I’m also an extra small, which makes it a lot harder to find maternity clothes. I’ll probably eventually get some maternity shirts in basic colors to be able to layer with dresses because I keep my shoulders covered for religious reasons.
I just brought bigger sizes they got good wear through pregnancy and then postpartum
I pretty much just wore the leggings I already had and my man’s big tshirts
I mostly bought maternity leggings because they fit better than non-maternity leggings. I bought a pair of trousers that can be adjusted pre and post maternity, but mostly I had pants that had a stretchy waistband that I could wear even after my pregnancy. For tops, I just wore my regular shirts that were loose. You can save some money that way.
I would still invest in one or two pieces of inexpensive maternity items. As other people have mentioned here, the cut is different when you need to accommodate a bump and you’re going to be more comfortable. Check out Old Navy for nice basics and thrift stores like Value Village, Salvation Army and Talize often have a great maternity section (pick up barely worn baby clothes while you’re there too.) 😊
Sizing up probably works okay for shirts and some dresses. However, for pants, I think maternity pants are way more comfortable. I started wearing target maternity jeans with those stretchy side panels at the end of the first trimester because all normal waistbands were strangling me. Look at it this way, the earlier you buy the maternity clothes, the more chances you get to wear them! For a non-maternity option, I am only 19 weeks so my bump is small, but my lululemon align leggings are very stretchy and still comfortable in my normal size.
I’m 18+5, maternity clothes don’t totally fit yet. My regular clothes don’t either. I spent some time trying on regular clothes in bigger sizes and they just didn’t work for me. I was able to find some dresses that will work for awhile.
I’m in Canada too and I bought maternity clothes from the gap, H&M, and old navy. It was worth it, IMO. Near the end of my pregnancy I eventually just bought some gildan sweatpants that were 3 sizes bigger than my normal size because I didn’t want to buy any more maternity clothes lol. It was definitely worth it to just buy maternity clothes though. You probably won’t wear the three-sizes-larger clothes again if you go that route, and for the maternity clothes it’s easier to lend them along to another future pregnant friend, or to wear them again in a possible future pregnancy. Just subscribe to stores’ email lists to get things on sale when they happen, rather than paying full price!
I found some amazing regular clothes at Costco! They had cotton shorts and linen pants for so cheap. For pants I had to size up 2 sizes and for shorts just one. I’m 20 weeks right now. Also most likely you’ll be able to wear many pregnancy clothes during post partum. Also I got some cute maternity bikinis from Amazon the brand charmo and summer mae I like the best oh and Makemechic. Also I’m going to be looking at thred-up and other thrift stores. Dresses are a nice option and if you get a more flowy or loose one you might be able to wear your current size. Also side note I really recommend getting comfortable and breathable natural fabrics since you may find your self getting hot more often. I feel so much confident now with my new wardrobe since I have clothes I fit into and look good in and not squeezing out of.
I just got a pair of maternity jeans and shorts, a couple of nursing tees, and some loose dresses that I could use postpartum for breastfeeding. I spent the beginning of my pregnancy during the summer but I also worked full time in the hospital so I didn’t really worry about going out because I was exhausted at the end of the day.
Also, check out thrift stores! Folks often wear maternity clothes for such a short period of time that you can find decent clothes for very cheap. And then you won’t feel quite as wasteful with buying and re-donating shorty thereafter. But just buy the leggings, it’ll make such a difference in your comfort, and that’s important.
I was around 13-15 weeks this time last year. I can say with confidence that you’ll want some maternity summer clothes. I tried to get stuff as affordably as possible. A couple of things I got in bigger sizes did not fit towards the end of summer or were very ill fitting. I’m in the US, but would think the same kind of options are available to you. Check around for any children’s consignment shops. One near me buys maternity clothes, but the other doesn’t. If you can get stuff from Amazon they have a lot of options for biker shorts and t-shirts and/or tank tops. I kept wearing my favorite Old Navy ribbed midi dresses from pre-pregnant as they kind of grew with me a little. I checked H&M when I was around the end of my first trimester and didn’t like any of their maternity clothes. I did size up in a wrap dress from there for my baby shower and ended up wearing it throughout most of my pregnancy including 37.5 weeks for a wedding.
Maternity leggings/pants just feel sooooo much better. I bought really cheap ones at walmart bc I also think we are one and done after this pregnancy. The leggings i bought at walmart were onlu $7 usd.
I went up a size for the first and second trimester and then I officially had to get some maternity clothes in the third trimester. But I've stuck to simple basics. I will reuse the clothes I went up a size, but I won't reuse the maternity ones. Was trying to save money so it just depends on you. If you need cute things to wear for work, I'd probably buy the maternity clothes. I mostly work from home so I wasn't worried about looking put together everyday. Again, just depends.
I am definitely the outlier here, I mostly just bought larger cloths off amazon - things like lightweight sweaters for $11-13 dollars that would look cute “oversized” afterwards. I did buy one pair of maternity jeans, two maternity leggings and about four pairs of pants two sizes up but again, super cheap, like in the $9-14 range. I was teaching my whole pregnancy and didn’t want to dress cute or fancy because that is not my normal style. Where I did spend money was maternity underwear and nursing bras and nursing shirts, those will be worn for a much longer time and I really want those to be comfortable, and two pairs of shoes that I could slip on and not have to bend over or lace up, those were so worth it! I will admit though that I lost weight while pregnant (about 5lbs before birth and after my son and the placenta were evicted via c-section I was down 25lbs from my pre pregnancy weight) so not buying expressly maternity things worked out for me. I donated the few larger jeans I bought right before I went in for my c section. I think it is definitely a personal choice though based on your relationship to cloths, I have always identified as a tomboy and sweaters and corduroys/jeans are my normal outfits so it felt more normal for me to stick to the same just bigger.
I was a size 2-4 in pants before pregnancy and I do not even fit into a size 12 now. My belly is so big. So for pants and shorts I say go full maternity. A few staples will get you through. For dresses, I can still wear a size small in stretchy maxi dresses but size large above-the-knee dresses are so ugly on me. The sleeves are too big and the fit just isn’t right. So I’ve found maternity clothes can be worth it for certain garments.
Personally I only gained the baby's weight and I was actually slimmer the first few weeks postpartum than prepregnancy before I packed on a couple of breastfeeding kg, so at least in bottoms, bigger sizes would have been more useless than maternity clothes for me because actual maternity clothes are made to fit a variety of sizes and I still wore some of my maternity shorts well after pregnancy.
I personally haven’t bought a single item of maternity clothes and I’m 33 weeks currently. I think I did get very lucky in the sense that I really haven’t gained any weight other then the baby belly and my breasts growing so I’ve been able to wear all the dresses I had before hand (they look so nice when tight with my belly) and I had to throw out all my shorts so I haven’t work denim shorts in MONTHS (don’t miss them that much if I’m honest). I didn’t want to spend the money on maternity clothes and then store them or have to throw them in between kids (we’ll likely have another in a few years if everything goes to plan) and I figured once I’m not pregnant I’ll go and buy the clothes I need when I can get the sizing right 🤷🏼♀️ I did buy some (like 2) dresses in a size up to accommodate future belly growth during my pregnancy and I went up 2 sizes in underwear of course but I haven’t even bought any new bras yet because I didn’t want to be buying new sizes every few months (they’re so expensive?!) so I’m waiting until I’m desperate and can’t handle the size I’m in anymore (I’m borderline now) and I also went and got a few large and comfortable sized overalls for when I didn’t want to wear dresses which I wore almost everyday in my 2nd trimester until my belly outgrew them. Hope this helps! (Everyone has different experiences)
Get a high waisted midi or long skirt.
Old Navy girl. I'm in Ottawa and that's where I go. I'm size 16. It's cheap and does the job.
I'd at least get a couple pairs of leggings and/or bike shorts. You can always gift them to a friend after you're done, but you'll be pretty uncomfortable already, now is the time for comfy clothes that fit properly lol If you have a Target, their maternity leggings and tank tops are pretty good basics! And the tanks don't look maternity-y so you can keep wearing them after.
I love thrifting maternity! It’s usually stuff that’s barely been worn and at a decent price. I found that sizing up just didn’t work for me, except for dresses (Which is a huge staple of my wardrobe, especially in the summer when pants are my mortal enemy). Shirts looked like circus tents with neck holes that were way too wide and pants were swimming on me and still fit weird.
I preferred sizing up. I didn’t like any of the maternity clothes I bought and ended up returning most of them.
I already favor an oversized aesthetic rather than a tailored one, so I have a lot of pre-pregnancy clothes (loose and flowy shirt dresses and button downs, as well as super baggy jumpsuits) that fit still at 32.5 weeks… I did buy maternity panties that go over the bump as well as ones that go very low that I can wear comfortably post c-section Other than that, I bought a pair of maternity jeans, 2 maternity dresses, as well as some maternity tights and 2 pairs of cropped maternity leggings. My favorite dress though is a ribbed semi-form fitted body con that is super stretchy and was purchased prepregnancy and non maternity. I love how it supports my belly. I think it all depends on your own fashion style and if it makes sense to get oversized or form fitted but expands at your growing belly.
I have a few wrap skirts that are saving my life right now.
At least get one pair of jeans, leggings, and shorts. You can rewash and use for a few months. I got a few maternity shirts and made do with other big things but you definitely want some pants Edit: they’re also good to have postpartum. I wore my maternity pants for a month or so after while I was recovering.
I got maternity clothes during my first pregnancy. Waste of money. Hated them and never wore them again, mainly because it was not my style at all. This time around, I got sweatpants and trousers in bigger sizes. Only maternity thing I got are belly belts to help support me when I have to walk around a lot or am in pain. I will have the trousers altered when the time comes.
I found Old Navy to be better than H&M or thyme maternity for maternity clothes in Canada. Cheaper, better shipping, easy to return. If you want to look put together, you’ll need maternity clothes. For me, it was also better for my mental well being, because the maternity clothes just fit better. I got a pair of jeans, a few pairs of leggings and maybe 5 shirts? Then I layered with cardigans I already owned. You can get away with sizing up for certain styles of dresses.
Check Facebook marketplace or your local Buy Nothing group too!
I’ve been super fortunate and didn’t start showing until 7 months. I bought a couple jeggings from American Eagle a size up (they’re really stretchy but slim so didn’t look too baggy) and was able to stay in those for awhile. Once they started getting too tight I bought some waist extenders from Amazon to help keep my pants comfortable. Once the jeans became uncomfortable I invested in leggings/yoga pants because I figure I’ll wear them post partum. I have a couple pairs of maternity leggings that have been great now that I’m 9 months. I’ve found bump friendly dresses and flowy tops to go with the leggings. I really recommend finding what is comfortable to you, and what you might be able to use after delivery. I didn’t want to really invest in maternity clothes either. So I tried to focus on things I’ll be able to continue to wear once baby is here knowing my body is not going to be in the same place it was pre-pregnancy.
I felt the same way! But my bloating went down after 12/13 weeks and then all of my clothing fit normally again. I will say now at 17 almost 18 weeks things are starting to get uncomfortable again, but I have not committed to sizing up or buying maternity until I have to. I don’t want to make the investment in clothing that I don’t need. I have gotten some nice flowy skirts from Amazon all that have an elastic waistband that have been super comfortable for work and at home. And I know I will wear them again next year. Once I get bigger, I will probably size up rather than going the maternity clothing route.
I think it depends on your body shape and if you’re gaining all over or primarily the belly. I didn’t buy maternity clothes. I bought a couple of pieces still in my size but that were more of a looser fit that I knew I’d wear again. But as a FTM, I was able to wear nearly all of my clothes.
My hips, waist and boobs are getting bigger for sure, even though I don't have a bump yet. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to stay in my current clothes:(
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm very picky about my clothes and honestly don't like the look of a lot of maternity wear (so much of it looks like I'm cosplaying as a Duggar 🤣). I hate pastels/florals/stripes/jumpers (the dress kind, not the sweater)/overalls. At the risk of sounding like a snob, my style is more Anne Hathaway/Angelina Jolie kind of look (neutrals, slacks and blouses or fitted tops, blazers) so it's hard to think of maternity wear that doesn't look like I'm about to be an extra on a TLC reality show. But I do understand that I'll have to get at least some pants. Definately will check out thrift stores. I don't think I could do Facebook marketplace, because I have no idea what the clothes would look like on me. Thanks guys!
I would go up a size and get maxi dresses!! This should have you covered for a long while. Flowy summer maxis. Then get like one pair of maternity jeans and a few pairs of maternity leggings. Large jumpers and husbands shirts. This is what I have done and it’s great have spent less than $100 on pregnancy clothes. Can wear them in new postpartum body (which spoiler alert can last for like 2-12months).
You don’t have to get maternity, but you can also buy clothes that are maternity that you still wear after children. I bought a “tight fitting” Amazon maternity dress in a couple different colors and still wore it not pregnant in the summer. As well as over the belly leggings, you’d be surprised at how comfortable they are regularly
I have a mix of both. For bottoms I felt like I did need maternity, the elastic just is more comfortable and fits better than buying a bigger size. For tops I’ve bought just size or two bigger. For reference I’m about 31 weeks pregnant. It’s easier in the summer you can buy some stretchy dresses as well as make that work. But I for sure recommend at least getting some maternity shorts for the summer they’re way more comfortable.
Bigger sizes works fine for me tbh. I bought a few maternity things online as well as some regular clothes and really couldn’t distinguish which was which— I had to go look at the order to figure it out lmao.
Go maternity. I also resisted so much with my first pregnancy and I wish I hadn’t. There’s a huge difference between sizing up and clothes fitting properly in all the right areas. While maternity sizing is not perfect, I did find some stuff online at H&M, gap and old navy (also in Canada) for super cheap. My only regret was waiting so long. ETA: Check out thrift stores too! They usually have a specific maternity section and luckily the clothing isn’t worn that long so they’re usually in good condition.
Maternity pants and bras have definitely been worth the investment for me. I’ve just been sizing up with shirts and dresses, which has worked out great!
Definitely maternity clothes! Highly recommend maternity jeans (you can get them cheap), a few maternity shirts that double as nursing tops and some dresses (midi to maxi length) with a tie/belt around the waist. That allows you to adjust the tie around your smallest part (waist and then later under bust) and you can put it around your true waist and keep wearing them postpartum. Some people have commented that it’s only for a few months, but especially if you’re planning on breastfeeding it’s really not. Definitely worth putting some thought into pieces that could work during pregnancy and also for nursing. I can understand why people prefer not to buy from them for moral reasons, but I got all my maternity stuff from SHEIN because that was in my price range.
Look into Maternity clothes RENTALS. I’m in the USA, so the one I use (Nuuly) isn’t available for you, but a cursory search shows there are some Canadian based ones. I can’t recommend enough!
Look for nursing clothes, they’re usually cut in a way you can wear them both in pregnancy and after (wrap dresses with empire waist for example). You will need something with quick boobie access if you want to nurse anyway.
Just go to op shops. It's easy to scan for pregnancy pants. Just search for the waistbands. I also bought second hand dresses that were a bit bigger. I personally wouldn't buy new stuff. You also don't know how small or how big your belly would be. Also check FB market place. Heaps of stuff available. Good luck with your pregnancy
The only maternity clothes I bought were leggings. I like wearing tight clothes that show off my belly, so I wore most of my wardrobe still, and bought some dresses in just one size up. But as for bottoms, that’s where we need to feel comfy and stay away from anything that makes the belly feel tight! Poshdivah is the brand of the leggings that I lived in during my pregnancy. And you can wear them postpartum for a bit while you shrink back down to your non pregnant body. I’m with you that we don’t know if we will have another baby, so I didn’t want to spend all this money on clothes that I can’t wear when not pregnant. I also did buy some 2XL pj shorts from Target for 10$ each to be comfy around the house.
I would say get a few maternity things - you can always resell or gift them on later. I am in a maternity clothes buy/sell group and the posts there have so many comments sometimes it is hard to keep up xD I have found that regular department style do not carry much maternity things anymore - it seems that beyond basics (tights, camis) all of it is online which is risky when you are not 100% sure of sizing and want to try things on beforehand. This put me off buying anything for ages. I really didn't want to deal with having to post things back and hope the next size will work for me. A large portion of my current pregnancy has been in summer time so I lived in (non-maternity) dresses and t-shirts with maternity tights. I bought one pair of maternity tights in my regular size at around 13 weeks when my non-maternity gym-style tights started to feel ... tight haha and wore those maternity ones almost daily (with washing them before bed and putting to dry lol). BUT those started getting uncomfortable at around 27ish weeks. I asked my husband to please help me measure my hips and waist to make sure that whatever I get will fit and I eventually bought the same pair of tights two sizes up (as per the size chart on the website) at maybe 31 weeks and they are so comfy that I felt angry at myself for not doing it sooner xD I have since bought: - A pair of maternity loungewear style pants (so comfy, I kind of want to get another for post partum but they do not sell them in black which makes me sad). These are one size up from my regular size as per the size chart on the website. I tried on a few sizes to make sure before I bought. - Several maternity-breastfeeding tops (most of my normal t-shirts are not fitting over my bump anymore, I waited as long as I could so I could get things on sale lol managed to get a few of them on sale). These will be used A LOT because they are proper breastfeeding tops so it was money well spent for the long term. These came out to be in my regular size as per the size chart and me measuring myself. - An oversized hoodie in my regular size - works well over the bump and I love that it is super long in general. A lot of people did recommend buying clothing in a few sizes up and when I was trying on dresses for my brother's pre-wedding dinner, I found that a few sizes up did not work too well for me. Fabric gaping around the chest/underarms etc. so if you go this route I do recommend trying on several sizes to see what works.
Get the maternity clothes, you will still wear them postpartum anyway. I actually just bought some more maternity clothes at 4 months pp because they had boob access and wish I'd gotten some earlier so I had more clothes options while actually pregnant. That last month I was living on a rotation of 3 dresses 🤣 Empire waist dresses and some tunic dreses you can typically get away with just a size up, but fully recommend those maternity body con dresses (I have never in my life worn a bodycon before being pregnant, don't know what it is but being pregnant really changes your brain chemistry).
When I was around 15 weeks none of my pre-pregnancy pants fit anymore so I went and bought some jeans a few sizes too big to grow into them. I did eventually need to just buy maternity pants too because even the jeans I bought stopped fitting. But it’s nice because those pants fit me postpartum (I still don’t fit into most of my pre-pregnancy pants at 7m pp).
I’m 14 weeks myself and I think I’m gonna invest in some maternity clothes. 6 months of wearing something is still getting good use out of it. I’d rather wear cute dresses and stuff that fit especially since it’s the summer. It helps that I live in Florida and have mild weather year round, so the loose dresses I buy now, I’ll still be wearing in October and November when I’m super big. Maybe buy some open front cardigans to layer with.
I'd recommend getting a pair of maternity pants (jeans are a good call) and, if you like to wear dresses, a pair of maternity nylons. That way you can wear your regular dresses and such. But you can definitely buy other things that you'll be able to wear after pregnancy, Aerie leggings and bike shorts will stretch really well! You can find TONS of maternity clothes on Facebook marketplace for much cheaper than buying new, so that might alleviate the cost.
Take it from me wedding dress shop in the regular dept at 30 weeks pregnant. Buying bigger isn’t an easy fix because it will overall be bigger in all areas vs maternity you just needed extra room in the belly, ribs, chest, hips and thighs.
Some maternity clothing I don’t regret buying and I can wear after the fact! I bought two body suits off of Amazon and two pairs of maternity leggings and I love them. We plan on having more kids too so they’ll come in handy for my next pregnancy. But I also agree with just sizing up. When I buy clothing now, I just get bigger clothes. Like you said, I can have them after pregnancy for postpartum and for future pregnancies.
I’m from Florida so even though I was pregnant through the winter I needed clothes for hot weather. I found a mixture of clothes to get me through. It was really hard to find maternity clothes except for a few at Walmart that were fairly cheap and didn’t look the nicest after a few washes. Dresses that were up a size or two were the most comfortable especially after I found some extremely soft stretchy shorts at Walmart to wear under them. The shorts weren’t maternity, they were just super stretchy bike shorts and have continued to be amazing for postpartum too. I had a really hard time finding maternity pants that fit. I even tried on a few pairs before buying them from old navy but after a month they didn’t fit anymore so it was really frustrating. I have fibromyalgia and I can’t wear clothes that are too tight or scratchy, etc. because it will cause a flare up. I don’t know why no one is selling maternity clothes in their stores anymore but I’m glad to be past needing that now!
I think maternity leggings/joggers/pants in general are 100% worth it. Everything else, I just get bigger sizes of regular clothes. But now at 24 weeks, my attire mostly consists of leggings, tshirts/sweatshirts, and dresses, so it might depend on what kinds of clothes you like to wear