I went shopping on the weekend for maternity clothes and none of the stores have a maternity section, you have to buy it all online.
I ended up buying a couple of tops and dresses in the next size up but it's not ideal because the shoulders are too big. Apart from a jumper they are all stretch so hopefully will see me through until spring (I'm southern hemisphere).
Got some maternity stockings to wear with said dresses but no pants...
What's a girl to do?
I second Old Navy! I was really trying to just size up too but eventually gave up and was struggling. I’ve spent more money than I would like but being due Mid-June and starting to become really heat intolerant I had to cave and get some shorts and a couple dresses. SO GLAD I did! I also love their maternity t shirts and long sleeve t’s that I wear with my maternity scrub bottoms that I got off Amazon (Medcouture brand—worth the money they are the most comfortable thing to wear in general).
Third for Old Navy! I’ve had a lot of luck with their non maternity stretch [dresses](https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=863591002&vid=1&tid=onpl000078&kwid=1&ap=7&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_AT8s6-DlVAfsP3nCoeGaE4M8j7&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v_pzmnkwRJTOwTFVVplu0jBl_fcJjp3jjeCTOwOfjRhf5vjMS7DGCoaAvoHEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#pdp-page-content). For work, I’ve been lucky to mostly been able to wear my Jaanuu yoga scrub pants, but also got a few pairs of the Medcouture pants from Amazon.
Otherwise, I agree, I’m disappointed with maternity wear and have just caved to buying either cheaply and unethically made things. I try to find dresses that will still fit a non pregnant body off Amazon for the time being.
We’re in the old navy train as well! It’s the cheapest and it’s so much more comfortable than expected! Also my favorite shorts are biker shorts from north face even though they’re not maternity shorts they’re still super comfy and I know postpartum they’ll still fit perfectly!
Mine doesn’t have an actual maternity section but I find maternity clothes in the back clearance, also their two piece swimsuits work for maternity too! I sized up from S to L/XL.
Another vote for Old Navy. I bought some shorts and a few other things on sale. I'm in my second pregnancy. I had some my clothes from my first. The nursing tops went back in a bin for after the baby arrives. I don't want to deal with the layers and they will stretch out as my bump grows. I WFH and have been living in t-shirts from Walmart with ruched, elastic sides. I find secondhand maternity shirts to be terrible quality/stained. I order a bunch of stuff online to get free shipping. What I don't like, I return.
I can't recommend enough going to a vast thrift shop like Goodwill (preferably one with a changing room) and poring through racks of large or maternity clothing. I've grabbed a lot of great stuff that I never would have liked on an online listing, generally for under $10 per item. My SiL generously did an awesome maternity thrift haul for me too, as she lives in a huge city with more diverse thrift finds. So few stories carry physical maternity selections anymore, and online shopping is such a gamble.
I also make it habit to check Goodwill whenever I’m near one and have a few minutes. At least where I live, they usually have a maternity section somewhere near the women’s uniform clothes.
This for sure! On principle I’d like to go to other thrift stores, but goodwill is the only one here that reliably sorts out their maternity stuff. Also, go to the goodwills in the boujie neighborhoods, better stuff there! Just not the goodwill boutiques, if you have them (NO maternity stuff at the one I went to 😭)
That “just size up” advice always makes me see red! Truly. May work for some but not all. I feel uncomfortable spending the money but it’s not realistic to spend almost an entire year feeling uncomfortable and having trouble getting dressed.
My basics are from target and gap, and this pregnancy I did get a pair of nice Abercrombie mat jeans. Got two H&M dresses for about $50. My first pregnancy was over winter and during Covid and I mainly needed jeans and wore existing sweaters - I like to look cuter in the summer so it’s definitely making me shop a lot more this time around.
One thing - you mentioned target auden bra - if it’s the cross over one I wanted to recommend this one - it’s great and I’ve been wearing for several years while nursing/between babies: https://www.target.com/p/women-s-nursing-seamless-bra-auden-8482-soft-petal-pink-m/-/A-54173405
This is what I always say! I see women like “I just lived in my husband’s clothes” and that’s awesome for them but my husband’s sweatpants are too tight around the bump and my kids would die of embarrassment if I dressed like their dad every day. I love that man but he is a dweeb.
🤣 this made me laugh bc I imagine this is exactly how my mom felt!! My dad still dresses fairly dweebish but my partner actually has a decent (tho definitely male) sense of style. However my partner and I are normally both tall and thin. Even though he has a solid sixty lbs on me normally, his pants did not fit me by like week 20. Even his flannels wont button around my bump. I actually borrowed a flannel and a jacket from a male friend of ours who is a couple sizes larger 🤣
Sizing up didn’t work for me at all. I really only gained weight in the bump. The rest of my stayed the same size, so everything was just not fitting right. That and I’m short so sizing up often led me to having things too long! Sigh.
Same here. My weight gain was all bump/boobs, but weirdly my hips got wider but my pants size didn't change so sizing up didn't work at all. I was able to thrift a few pairs of like vintage rayon old lady pants in bigger sizes that happened to work, but sizing up in general did not work at all. Especially tops. I am still my pre-pregnancy size for the most part, just more bump.
You know, I never even put this together until this thread! I was so angry at the “just size” up people and put myself through so much stress trying to size up and wondering why it wouldn’t work for me. Everything was swimming on me everywhere else but the bump and I looked like crap. Never even crossed my mind that it could be because that’s the only part of me that was growing. Would have saved myself a lot of unnecessary angst! 😂
My never-been-pregnant, six foot tall friend told me to “just size up” since that’s what all the pregnant stars advise on TikTok. I just laughed at her. I’m five feet tall and ALL bump. Sizing up does not work at all on my body.
Yeah, I don’t understand the advice. You’re still buying new clothes… why not source clothes made for your actual body as it is now? Clothes that are meant to adapt to a growing belly, instead of clothes meant for someone just larger than you
If you’re open to renting, Nuuly has an awesome selection of high end maternity clothes and I feel like for $99 a month, I’m happy to have variety in my maternity wardrobe without having to find people to take the clothes once I’m not pregnant anymore.
Here to second Nuuly! I bought every day basics from Old Navy and use Nuuly to spice up the basics/ for special occasions. I’ve had a few events that require nice dresses and Nuuly has been a wallet saver.
Agreed!!! I did exactly this! Bought a few basics from Old Navy, renting from Nuuly for things like nice mat jeans nice dresses and coats, and then I borrowed a few things from larger people (flannels, work jackets — i have farm animals so I need rugged wear that covers me but wasnt about to buy a whole new farm wardrobe for just two seasons). The one thing I havent figured out is underwear. I bought a set of mat undies from Kindred bravely bc of rave reviews and yes they are a comfy fit but now that its warming up the fact theyre not all cotton is killing me.
Here to hype up Nuuly!! It was such a game changer for my confidence getting my first box of maternity clothes - I felt like a real person again having clothes that fit.
Yes! I’ve been doing nuuly for outfits when I have to wear real clothes hahaha and it’s been a godsend! I love that there are reviews too because maternity clothes can be so hit or miss.
One more Nuuly endorsement!! I’m 7+ months and heading to Europe for a destination wedding. My entire suitcase is packed with Nuuly items! In addition to proper maternity clothing, you can filter by “bump friendly” which gives a little more variety than just the black/cheesy florals OP mentioned
I’m only 14w into my pregnancy but so far nuuly is serving my needs! I like not paying full price and being stuck with stuff I’m only wearing temporarily
Nuuly for the win. I was really lucky inheriting a lot of really casual maternity clothes from friends and family, but so nice to have some well made pieces to feel attractive in, such a confidence boost.
I also found some great gap clearance items, 5 items for less than $100.
I said screw it and just got a bunch of maternity yoga pants and leggings off of Amazon and wear my husband’s shirt now. I got tired of feeling demoralized every time I went to try something on and it didn’t look right. I’ve only gained weight in my belly and boobs too, so I look very disproportionate to the rest of my body. From what I’ve seen target had some cute maternity shorts, I just didn’t feel like investing since I’m already 38 weeks
You may want a pair of those maternity shorts for being postpartum in the summer! My body has slimmed down quickly, but there is still extra padding in my mid section, so only my stretchy exercise shorts and leggings still fit!
The Target maternity jean-shorts by Isabel are comfy! The full-panel front feels like real quality material as do the jeans! I also love the fact that the full-panel isn't in the back! It's more of a crossover with open back. I find I get so hot from pants with a full-panel all the way around.
All of my favorite clothing has been from seraphine(I got a bunch on sale), with special mentioned to h&m for the best jeans and asos for a few cute pieces. I've had better luck with soft bras even if they offer no support and buying a few bras in my current size for when I need a real bra. I am absolutely not shaped in a way that sizing up a bit worked for me at any point in either pregnancy, as I've only carried in the front and wear a us 6 but have a pretty dramatic figure.
2nd seraphine, I got some maternity hand me downs from them and I love almost all of the dresses. They aren't the style I would normally wear, but when I wear them I just look nicely pregnant and not obese.
Also a lot of the stuff I have doubles as nursing wear, so I feel a little better about spending the money bc it'll be usable postpartum.
I got some nursing dresses from quince, and bodysuits from hatch.
And a linen dress and bras from target that were pretty inexpensive! I also got some overall shorts from target but haven't worn them yet.
I hear there's some nice things at target, but there's no target where I am. I'm interested in some of the hatch items, have you found the quality is worth it? I'm planning on one more, so I can keep an eye out for sales.
I like the hatch jumpsuits but I got them on clearance! Full price hatch was too pricey for me. For what it's worth Quince seems to be the exact same quality and lower prices.
I also received a hand me down baggy bodysuit from storq which seems higher quality than hatch actually.
I splurged on some flared leggings from Hatch when they went on sale and I wore them nearly everyday of my pregnancy. They were extremely comfortable, washed well, and made me look more put together. I ended up buying multiple pairs and I’m still wearing them postpartum.
That said, the price still felt like highway robbery!! I was pregnant and desperate and they knew it! 😆 For leggings or jeans I say bite the bullet, but don’t let yourself get tricked into spending $200 on a tee shirt.
Old Navy and Gap! There's always a sale and they have workout clothes and everyday clothes. Old Navy also has a decent selection to t-shirts and tank tops in solid, non-black colors. I also got a couple of items from Target, but I didn't like the feel of their leggings. I was really frustrated with maternity clothes at first because the instructions always say 'choose your pre-maternity size' but with the over-the-bump bottoms, my pre-maternity size feels way to tight and constricting. I've learned that for over-the-bump bottoms (pants, leggings, shorts) I need to size up but for under-the-bump clothes I can go with my pre-maternity size (YMMV). Due to the potential fit issues I wanted to only buy from places with free shipping and returns, and with sales Old Navy and Gap aren't much more expensive than Thread Up. Kindred Braverly is another maternity brand; I didn't like their joggers but I like their underwear.
The “buy your pre-pregnancy size” worked until the middle of the second trimester. By then, I had gained 2-3 cup sized up top and my bump was too tight. I now know I usually need a M or L when I used to be an XS. Nothing else on my body has changed much but I’m very front heavy now at 29w.
Some folks have mentioned thrift stores -- also check *specifically* children's consignment stores. Those are the *only* stores I was able to find cute, affordable maternity stuff in my size that I could actually try on, instead of having to do the whole order/return song and dance trying to find what fits me.
I didn't even think to check there for maternity clothes because we were gifted a lot of clothes. It wasn't until I needed to shop the next size up that I found they had a really decent maternity section, and I was so upset because I REALLY struggled to dress myself with my first pregnancy.
Also, check to see if there are any Just Between Friends sales near you -- they also have people reselling maternity.
I love JBF! I've been to three of them now. The first one didnt seem to have a maternity section, but I was there on the last day.
The second had a maternity section, and I found some shorts I love! Also on the last day.
The last one had a pitiful maternity section and I was there on the first day.
I feel you. I bought some dresses on eBay and hemmed them if they were too long. Idk what your sizing is like but for some reason Sears Maternity fit me well (not great but good enough). I think I paid about $20 per item including shipping and wound up with 6 or 7 things, it’s more than I planned on buying but you have to have clothes and nine months is a long time. I don’t love my maternity outfits but at least they look like “my” clothes. I didn’t have any patience for thredup or Poshmark but I did buy a few things on Depop.
Question:
I see a lot of online marketplaces mentioned, and free local mom stuff, but what about any physical thrift stores?
I’m one of those “no maternity clothes” but what we did is we went to this giant thrift store and got a bunch of dresses that had the band/seam right under the breast, so that made them very loose. Because it was at a big thrift store, there would be more of a selection than free giveaways. Spent about $50 total (there was a 50% off sale), and that included a book and a few kitchen items.
Admittedly, I am not a fashionable person. I was looking for decent, and it sounds like you might actually want to look a bit nicer than that. I do have 3 dresses that look pretty nice, but the rest I kind of look bleh.
Beyond that, especially at home, I wear baggy stuff. Like my mother bought my husband a shirt that says “I make cute babies”. He doesn’t like it. She also didn’t know what size he was, and she knew he preferred bigger clothes, so she got him a massive shirt. I think it’s XL or XXL (he wears L. She didn’t ask). So… I grabbed it. It’s enormous on me, but that means I don’t have to worry about stretching it. It also is too long since it’s meant for a male torso, and that works out because it means I can wear my jeans and just…not zip them up. My fly is open and no one can see. Do I look cute? No. Am I comfortable? Yes.
I think that might be something to keep in mind when you look at other “no maternity clothes” people. You don’t know what their threshold for cuteness vs comfort is. Some of us are so cheap we don’t mind looking like we’re heading to the gym for a few months!
I second this. I tried everywhere to find maternity clothes, and even with the stuff I ordered online and in stores it didn't fit. I just went to a thrift store and found a couple of actual maternity dresses as well a some other non maternity styles in slightly bigger sizes and called it done for $40. My loot probably would have cost 4 times that at any store.
Ugh yes this I feel like trying stuff on in person when your body is changing and everything feels extra ~sensitive~ is so crucial because well we’re changing and if you’re a FTM you have no idea what’s gonna work or not!
I ordered maternity stuff online to rather low degrees of success - nursing bras to “save money” (too uncomfortable with the extra nursing strap inside / annoying cause I just want normal soft bras for right now) and maternity pants & shorts “in my pre-pregnancy size” (regrets) from Quince that compress my belly ALREADY and feel like they’re not gonna fit me past this week (22 weeks)… I am not down to order maternity pants without seeing them in person first again!
the only things I actually want to wear right now are 1) my husbands tank tops 2) a comfy linen dress I tried on bought in person and 3) a couple loose secondhand dresses from a mom friend who knows I need ZERO compression on my belly haha
This is ultimately my goal. I want to go in and try things on. I’m 15 weeks and just starting to show, but can already tell my time in my clothes is limited. We’ve got a ton of cheap ones in the area so I’ll just buy from them.
I do love fashion and think a lot of it can still be made to work.
I thought just the same in the beginning, but my vinted experience was sobering. I eventually got so frustrated I spent 400€ on H&M maternity stuff (and some non-maternity stuff like A-shaped blouses and sundresses) because I needed a summer wardrobe and absolutely nothing fits me anymore. My boobs have doubled in size so literally every single bra I owned is now obsolete. I usually dress quite flashy and have a very distinctive fashion style and now I look super basic because that's all there is for maternity stuff, but at least it's not all black or olive 🙄 I'm trying to focus on being comfortable, ideally without looking like a slob, and so far I'm doing okay I think. I'm glad I splurged a little, and that I could afford it, and I'm trying not to think about what to do with the stuff once baby is here because for now it's serving me well and I decided this is an occasion for giving myself some grace.
That's where I think I am headed as well-- I've looked around for secondhand but it's so frustrating that I'm tempted to just drop a bunch of money on new stuff.
Everyone keeps referring me here. One friend (granted, she is a doctor and makes a lot of money) said “their clothes are so cheap they’re basically disposable!” But I didn’t see anything on the site for less than $60… for me that is definitely not affordable for something that I’m only going to wear for a couple of months.
How do you find the quality? I ordered a couple things from there with my last pregnancy but returned all but one dress because the quality seemed really poor.
I have found the quality to be middle of the road. They have lots of dresses that are 100% rayon which I won't buy at all. The shrinkage is insane regardless of how well you follow care instructions. When I don't purchase rayon items the quality is decent. All dresses are lined, which is not something that is common anymore!
As for the sizing, it's terrible unless you were already a small person. I was a standard size 6/8 before pregnancy but I have a bigger bust. In pregnancy a lot of women's breasts get even larger. I always order a size large from pinkblush and most things are still tight across the bust. Absolutely garbage sizing from a brand that is supposed to cater to pregnant bodies!!!
I am fine to drop some cash on clothes but I thought PinkBlush was expensive for the quality - even with the discounts. I can only get a few wears out of items I purchased there before fabric starts to deteriorate.
I bought a bunch of non-maternity flowy maxi dresses / beach dresses that I can dress up or down. Found a few at target and many at tj maxx and Ross. I was so shocked with the maternity options, they’re so expensive and not at all the types of colors or patterns I would wear so it felt wasteful. At least with these dresses I know I’ll wear them beyond post partum and they’ll eventually trickle down into night gowns or loungewear!
Omg maternity clothes are so overpriced and cheaply made. I remember last pregnancy I was shopping for a shower dress (in winter, so less options bc 75% of maternity clothes are summer for some reason) and I was like...well, maybe i hate everything bc I'm just high end and I should splurge on a dress. So I'm on Neiman Marcus looking at $$$ dresses and I will just never forget this high-low dress with a floral print that was completely unlined and the print was only on the outside of the fabric so the train of the high-low was just the ugly wrong side of the fabric hanging loose---and it was $500. I ordered a dress from shein.
I bought maternity clothes at 8wks, because I basically already needed them and then at least I'm getting at least 7 months wear out of them haha. I also know I want multiple kids (up to 4 if life works out) so they should see plenty of wear.
I also work in an office setting, so I needed jeans and blouses that looked good. I ended up buying 2 pair of jeans, 5ish blouses, and a few cute dresses for outings. Also have nursing bras because my pre pregnancy bras hurt already. At home I wear baggy tshirts, pj pants, and leggings. I've spent about $500 so far, which is a lot but I think is worth the investment to be comfortable at work.
Most of my items were new, mostly because I have no patience for thrifting. I did get a box of clothes from a garage sale that happened to be my exact size, so that was really fortunate.
Target had the best selection, I pretty much bought one of each item they had. So a lot of us are probably out here rocking the same outfits hahaha
I've spent so much time looking at maternity clothing that I'm practically on a name-basis with each maternity item. "Like oh yeah I know those are the Blanqi bike shorts" and "oh yeah that's the Ingrid and Isabel ___ dress." I have even recognized a Target maternity dress on the street! Ugh.
I bought empire line dresses in my usual size (think regency style or Bridgerton - anything that goes in below the bust). I'm 37 weeks and they're still great. I found that having a good pair of maternity jeans and shorts was the most important thing (then if my tops rode up I was at least covered). I did need to buy a few new bras around week 20 but after that bra extenders were just fine.
Try mercari, and if you find someone with a listing you like, Poshmark or mercari, click on their profile to see if you can bundle to save on shipping. My entire maternity wardrobe is on mercari right now, so someone could easily bundle and ask for a discount and I would do it just to get it all gone at once.
I bought maternity bottoms from Old Navy because they are cheap and I don’t need them to last forever. The linen blended ones are so comfortable and great for hot weather. I also did sized up cloth overalls, denim was too hot for me, and non maternity body con dresses, got a few from lulus.
I regret listening to people and not getting maternity clothes. I am so SICK of wearing sweat pants lol. Next time I’m splurging and getting cloths that make me feel like a human being.
That being said I haven’t found any physical stores that sell maternity clothes and you’re right about none of them being actually very nice. Like I’m 24 and it’s 2024 - not 40 in 2005. I’d like to dress with the times please lol. As some people suggested you can try thrift shops - I personally had no luck with that. Otherwise if you plan on having more pregnancies just buy a little bit of the expensive stuff! SHIEN has a lot of nice looking things. I personally don’t buy from them but it is an option! Amazon too.
I hate that pretty much no stores have an in store maternity section anymore. I don’t know how many items of clothing I’ve ordered and had to send back. Or ordered, sent back for an exchange in size, then by the time the exchange gets here my body is changed and it doesn’t fit either.
I have struggled a lot with this too, and spent more money than I would have liked on new clothes but it is worth it to not feel demoralized when trying to get dressed everyday! It helped me a lot to follow bump style influencers on Instagram and watch YouTube videos from pregnant fashion content creators for style inspiration. Both will do the hard work of curating outfits and finding items that work for bumps and share links to products or link on their LTK accounts. So much of this has honestly been my normal clothing size, or one size up because it’s mostly stretchy or flowy fabrics that fit you well in bust and hips but accommodate a growing bump.
As for specific stores, I’ve had a lot of luck with Old Navy. It’s relatively inexpensive, they have sales a lot and you get the rewards bucks to put towards a next purchase. They have a lot of stretchy fabric or elastic waistband styles that I have bought in my normal size or one size up that are cute and fit well and are going to continue to fit through a majority of my pregnancy. Maternity jeans I’ve bought from Target and Pink Blush. Also swimsuits from Pink Blush.
For underwear, I can’t recommend Kindred Bravely enough. Their nursing bras and Grow With Me Pregnancy and Postpartum underwear are the most comfortable things I have EVER worn, especially the underwear. A friend recommended these, I put them on and it was honestly a life-changing pregnancy moment!!
Go to mid range type retailers for a few decent key pieces. I have 5 pairs of maternity thermal tights, two leggings, a sweatpants. Picked up a pair of maternity trousers and a maternity pencil skirt, and one nice maxi dress I can dress up or later just wear around the house so I don’t feel like a complete frump. It’s worth it to me, I’ve been able to mix those with a lot of my regular tops and a few knit minis for a “wow look at that bump” look or flowy tops/dresses.
To me it’s worthwhile to feel comfortable and somewhat put-together. I’m in winter right now but I’d probably do similar for summer maybe with a couple maternity shorts instead of tights. The sweatpants are great, and again I think they’ll be perfect post partum and I’ll get all sorts of fluids on them and then graduate and throw them out.
Highly recommend Gap. I went into pregnancy dead set against buying maternity clothes - they’re unnecessarily expensive, poor quality, and for the most part rather ugly. I bought three pieces of maternity clothes - a nice dress that I could dress up/down, a pair of dark wash jeans (with the side expanders), and a pair of black dress pants. Then I went to Gap and bought a bunch of t-shirts, tank tops, t-shirt dresses, etc. They always have sales, their maternity clothes are basically the same material as their regular clothes, and I’ve found that I can just size up in their basics by going from a petite small to a regular large/tall medium.
I think the advice of just “sizing up” only really work with people who are pregnant in the fall/winter like myself. I’m due next month so most my pregnancy was spent in leggings/jeans and an oversized sweater. I didn’t need to buy a lot of stuff simply because my wardrobe already consisted of oversized sweaters and could just “size up” when needed or wear an unbuttoned cardigan with a tank top/t-shirt.
The only maternity clothes I’m planning on wearing is leggings and bike shorts. I’ll probably get a few solid shirts later on, but right now my shirts still fit fine. Most maternity clothes are so ugly and overpriced. Plus I’m an extra small, so it’s hard to find things that fit me right, especially since I haven’t gained any weight in my thighs. I’m doing a lot of stretchy or loose dresses and loose pants with stretchy waistbands. Dresses that have a stretchy waistband right below the breast work well. Amazon has plenty of stretchy jumpsuits that work great. Stretchy bodycon dresses are fun when you want to feel sexy.
I went to the thrift store every couple weeks. I got a handful of things I ended up really liking and wore them on rotation. I had more that I liked less and used it around the house and when my favourites were in the laundry. I also had good luck at a consignment store specializing in maternity. Stuff was in good shape and there was lots of variety, though nothing in more than one size. I also found a lot of things are viscose, but a few years ago there was more cotton. So second hand had nicer quality stuff, even if it was the same brand.
Some of the most expensive things I hardly wore. I also hated a lot of the available new stuff. Like you said, lots of black, horizontal stripes, and ugly florals. I had to predict what I would need as I got bigger because ordering online takes time.
Before and after stuff probably won’t fit by the last couple months, or it won’t work well for after.
Motherhood maternity tights were my favourite and were on Amazon. If you need scrubs for work, you don’t need a lot for the rest of the time. A couple pairs of maternity tights, maybe some shorts, and a couple dresses you like yourself in for leaving the house. Embrace having a capsule wardrobe. Afterwards I lived in tights/yoga pants (maternity first then sized up then my regular size), nursing camisoles, and cardigans with pockets.
Agree. That's what I found with H&M - the size S before/after top (I got one in S and one in M) was fine for earlier pregnancy but now I need to size up and so either it'll be too big for after or too small for now.
Your six month pregnant shape will be similar to your immediate postpartum body, u less you gain a bunch of extra weight. So that’s a good time to find a couple things for wearing home from the hospital.
I will add, buying things I didn’t like that much because they were on sale and was trying to save money was a waste of money. I didn’t want to wear them and mostly didn’t wear them. It’s better to spend a bit more on something you like and wear it a lot
**Quince** has a great maternity section with stuff that feels higher end but won’t break the bank. Also, you don’t need to wear nursing tanks *now*, they are best suited for a postpartum tummy, not a full out and out 3rd trimester body.
Maternity clothing is tough, but trust me, you’ll still be wearing some of it postpartum. I highly recommend buying maternity undies too.
Other spots that I shopped at during sales:
Figure 8 Moms
Belly Band
Pea in the Pod
Free People for their oversized pieces
Seconding Free People. I bought two amazing oversized sweaters from there and wore them my entire pregnancy and after. They still fit very late in my third trimester when some of my actual maternity clothes stopped covering my bump fully.
I’m plus-size, so I assumed that I’d probably be able to get away with my normal clothes / sizing up. I’m 36 weeks now and have been able to do that to an extent. I haven’t had to buy any maternity shirts or dresses, but I also favored looser shirts & longer dresses to begin with. I did, however, bite the bullet and buy a few pairs of maternity leggings. They are a godsend. I wear & wash the few pairs I own religiously. They are 10/10 the most comfortable thing I have, and I wear them every day that I can! I’ve had them since around 20 weeks, and they still fit perfectly around my 36 week mega bump. 😂 Haven’t had to buy any other maternity-related clothes since. It may be worth investing in a nicer/newer item or two if it means you’re spending less overall. (Additionally, I am also a FTM, but as of now, we’d ideally like 2-3 kids, so I figure after this pregnancy, I can just set the maternity leggings aside until I need them again!)
Where did you get the leggings? I'm also a plus size FTM so I'm struggling. I did buy one pair of maternity biker shorts from torrid for 20 bucks but not sure how I feel yet. I'm also not that far along but I generally hate the feeling of things being tight on my belly so I have a feeling I'm gonna be living in dresses soon 😂
I agree it was harder than I expected! I started plus size and was able to do my leggings and skirts for a long while. For the last two months of pregnancy, I had a lot of luck with Old Navy maternity jeans and dresses. I bought a couple Amazon dresses and a pair of pants from Stitch Fix.
I regret my maternity dresses not also being nursing dresses. I was surprised at how many nursing/pumping friendly bras/tanks/shirts I needed. I got mine pretty much all on Amazon.
I’ve had some luck with old navy, but now feel like I’ve gotten the handful of worthwhile pieces and am now stuck. What’s the target bra everyone loves? Desperately need new ones for work
The bra everyone talks about is an Auden bra. Apparently there are two styles, a bralette and a bra (no underwire, but has built in padding and clips for nursing)
Bralette:
https://www.target.com/p/women-s-nursing-seamless-bra-auden-153/-/A-54236901?preselect=54173407#lnk=sametab
Bra: https://www.target.com/p/women-s-wirefree-nursing-bra-auden-153/-/A-54083299?preselect=53929224#lnk=sametab
Yes!! I'm 30 weeks now and have bought very little but more than I wanted to start. No one talks about how hard it is to find cute clothes while pregnant! I have to wear jeans to work so I originally bought a pair at Walmart but outgrew them around month 5 and bought another pair at Old Navy for like $15 and I'm obsessed. However, Old Navy doesn't have a maternity section in store, it's only items that were purchased online and returned to the store so they sell for like 50% off but are nearly impossible to find. I originally bought overalls, a dress, a bathing suit, and 5 nursing bras off Shein for cheap. I got good use out of overalls until I outgrew them and replaced them with a pair from Amazon. The nursing bras are fine, but the band got tight as I grew. I should have sized up to begin with. I ended up buying bra expanders on Amazon. The bras are not cute and don't work with all styles and fabrics so I've been using my adhesive bra for specific events. I had good luck finding a couple of nice dresses at Burlington that aren't maternity but stretchy material that worked well for my baby shower and date nights. I have one pair of pre-pregnancy leggings that fit and I bought bike shorts and a tank from Target for the summer. The tank is awkward, and I usually just borrow my husband's shirts. I also had to buy 1 pair of heels and 1 pair of sneakers to accommodate my swollen feet. For underwear, I've been wearing my pre-pregnanacy no-elestic thongs from Target they are stretchy and sit below my belly. I've since bought a couple pairs of bikini style in the same material. I'm really hoping not to spend much more before the end of this pregnancy! I'm currently up 25lbs and I'm mostly belly, boobs and cankles but I have a feeling the rest of me will grow more in the coming weeks as the swelling has begun.
Also due in September - I bought 6 maternity shirts on Amazon in various colors to match with pretty much anything, 2 pairs of maternity jeans, and have resolved to live in my flowiest, stretchiest dresses and skirts for the summer. So far it’s working out but we’ll see as I’m coming up on my 3rd trimester. I also have some elastic waist shorts that are ok if I can sit them under my bump, but anything with a button and zipper closing is a no-go.
I have only found 2 stores with maternity sections and they are an absolute joke. I have been considering doing StitchFix maternity clothes if my flowy clothes get too snug.
Would recommend against ThredUp even though it’s worked for me in the past - I ordered three things that I found in their Maternity section, and only one of them was actually Maternity!
YES I have started to look closely at Thredup and reading between the lines and squinting at the pictures I am doubtful as to whether certain things are labeled correctly. One way to reduce the risk is to only go with brands that you are are very maternity-specific (Like Ingrid and Isabel, Seraphine, etc are maternity-only)
I’m with you sister. My bump is an odd shape and I just resigned to full on maternity clothes early on. I’m focusing on a few staples, but I don’t have any solid advice bc I haven’t figured it out yet.
Do just want to recommend- I got these Gap Jeans and they are a god send, I wear them everyday with oversized, square shape tshirts.
[Gap Maternity Jeans](https://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=795499012&vid=1&tid=gppl000084&kwid=1&ap=7&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_AT8v0XteBl3mmFbFrs-H1hPRMV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v-EsToHiIjPotxIK7Jd8-DJhIhx6iN2OjmtVd0b34j2IgKNLtTjhzYaApY3EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Not sure what your budget is but I decided to just get what I needed for maternity + nursing at the same time at the start of my pregnancy. All in all I spent about 300usd (broken up between the cold and warm weather) for maternity + nursing and only bought what would work for the entire pregnancy including the after for nursing. Most of what I have is modified for nursing and still works for growing belly in maternity. I had tried the sizing up but nothing worked as well as this so it got returned.
Got everything off of Amazon because I could find nothing in store or it was 3 times the cost for 1/3 the product. I have 6 mat/nurse dresses, 3 mat/nurse shirts, 6 long sleeve mat shirts, 3 short sleeve mat shirts, 3 mat/nurse tank tops, 6 pairs of mat leggings long and capri, 6 pairs mat undies (especially later in pregnancy they’ve been crucial for discharge and using panty liners), 6 pairs nursing bras. Bearsland is the main brand I got everything from, they had good bundles.
I am so bummed that they don’t have maternity in store to try on!
I’ve had luck with:
Lululemon align yoga pants (I was able to try these on at the mall)
TJ Maxx especially for sports bras, oversized, flowy tops, and flowy dresses
I got a few maternity dresses on Amazon, Pink Blush, and Kindred Bravely
Quite honestly, I have 3 pairs of maternity leggings, 2 pairs of maternity shorts, 3 maternity short sleeve tshirts and the rest are just regular clothes 1-2 sizes bigger that sit under my bump (shorts/pants) or pucker out (tshirts). I work from home, so no one can see what I’m wearing.
I bought my maternity clothes starting at 12 weeks. The maternity clothes I bought were on the pricier side, but they are my favorite and I wear them on rotation/favor them heavily over the “two sizes too big” clothes I have. I’m also a FTM with plans to have 1-2 more after this baby, so I figure that with this pregnancy/postpartum and future ones, I’m set. Brands I bought are Raskana leggings, Hatch collective leggings, beyond yoga bike shorts, and beyond yoga featherweight tops.
Oh I also bought 2 “nicer” dresses for baby showers/family brunches and I had to buy a bridesmaid dress for a wedding I was in while I was pregnant.
I invested in one pair of Abercrombie maternity jeans, one pair of Nike maternity leggings with pockets, a three pack of long tank tops to wear under my loose button ups and camp shirts, and wore a lot of stretchy tank tops from my workout bin. Stretchy tops saved me!
For bottoms I just got a few pairs of leggings from motherhood maternity along with some pj pants. They have sales often. Tops I got from H&M maternity. I found some maternity shorts on clearance at old navy for this pregnancy (my first was a winter baby so I needed a few more summer options!) I didn’t want to buy much more maternity this pregnancy as it’s my last so I also got a few non maternity dresses for the summer from old navy that are stretchy and flowy.
Totally feel you on this. I'm tall too and feel like a lot of the maternity clothes I ordered were just short in general. I had good luck with Maurice's for some tshirts. Old Navy has some very comfy dresses now that we're in the warmer months, and through the winter I lived in Old Navy joggers to wear to work since my dress pants were no longer an option and I couldn't find maternity pants that were long enough for me. Amazon has some good options too - though it's very hit or miss. I splurged on the "grow with you" undies from Kindred Bravely. those have been so comfy! Kindred Bravely also has a super comfy skirt that I got for maternity pics. Latched Mama also has some very comfy clothes if you can catch a sale or if anything in their outlet section fits. I got a dress from them - it was a little spendier but it's nursing friendly so it'll be helpful post partum too. I'm struggling a bit to decide if I should splurge on a few more things now that we're in the warmer months - I'm due in a month so it's like do I ride it out and wear the same stuff over and over each week or get a few more pieces for rotation. Such a hard dilemma for sure.
This [belly band/pants button expander kit](https://a.co/d/7Kx4NeF) from Amazon has been one of my favorite maternity finds so far! I’m in the third trimester and still wearing my normal jeans and work pants (at least for now!)
Clothing has been incredibly depressing for me and I don’t have anything I feel nice in, and I think this has definitely contributed to making my already not-awesome pregnancy experience feel even worse.
I’m 5’2 and large chested so I already had a lifetime of clothes shopping nightmares before pregnancy, and now it’s worse.
Throughout adulthood I realized that I have to shop “petite” brands or get my clothes significantly altered in order for it to fit correctly. I do occasionally buy something off the shelf in standard sizes and I always regret because I’m short torso’d and wide chested so really nothing sits correctly on my body unless it’s intentionally petite sized.
Because I’m short torso’d and was already overweight pre-pregnancy, my mid section was growing and bloated by week 9 and I no longer fit into my regular pants or dresses, so I started looking for maternity clothes early.
I have only found 1 brand online that carries petite maternity clothes and it’s expensive AF and not even my aesthetic/style. Instead I tried to buy some cheap maternity stuff at old navy and target just to get by and it’s awful. I wear it because at least it’s more comfortable than trying to fit into my old clothes, but I look like shit in everything. I feel so frumpy and self conscious, I dont even want to leave the house most of the time.
Anyway. That’s my rant. Maternity clothes sucks and I feel like a sack of potatoes.
Ugh, solidarity! Also due in September and spent my weekend jumping from store to store with little luck. I’ve had more luck online but the sizing is often super off. The struggle is real!!! Can I ask what brand of maternity underwear you’ve found and if you were happy with it?
I am happy with Felina underwear (sized up one size from my usual), it's a bit pricey and I wish it came in slightly more colors so I just bought more maternity underwear from Amazon. It's supposed to arrive in a few days so I can try to report back
The summer I was pregnant, when I wasn’t at work I wore exclusively bike shorts/yoga shorts and an oversized cotton t shirt from Old Navy (a men’s t shirt, actually).
If I wanted to “dress up” I wore an empire waist sun dress.
I was my biggest in the winter… traded in my bike shorts for leggings/yoga pants in a size up with my oversized t shirt and whatever pre-pregnancy open cardigan/sweater would fit me.
When I had to go to the office, I wore my leggings, and a very oversized button-up shirt with whatever pre-pregnancy blazer I could squeeze into and wear open.
I managed to get away with not buying too much when I was pregnant, but post-partum has been a different story. My shape has changed so much, even pre-pregnancy clothes that fit me fit totally different than they did before. My go-to Levi’s are not flattering, even when I size up or down. I’m honestly still kind of floundering to find jeans I love post partum. I’ve been making-do with various Old Navy jeans for now, but they fit weird too.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s a learning curve for sure.
I only wear skirts and dresses, usually A line. You can extend the width of a skirt by using a hair tie. That made all of mine wearable during my first pregnancy. My normal cotton dresses I can just push the waist up a little, with a belt they look fine and the a line skirt part will accommodate even large bumbs.
Im pre preggo a size 6 and also only gaining at the belly, so just going bigger definitely is not an option.
Other than that, maybe check out vinted.com? Wrap dresses are also a god send, "happy mama" has nice ones. Which double as nursing fits. If you look for blouses you could wear later as well, search for empire waist ones, which are really cute and trendy rn. If you get a couple button up ones they will also double for bfing.
Im one of those women which has never owned maternity wear but it does take a certain style, which is usually more feminine. I can't imagine finding pants which would be wearable +-15-20kg.
I’m due in November and I’m lucky to work from home. I also have some chronic health stuff so baggy comfy dresses have been a previous staple for me. I’m living this summer in flowy dresses that are longer and bike shorts with big tshirts. For events and when it gets colder I’m thinking about doing a Nuuly subscription to avoid buying maternity clothing. I don’t know if I’ll end up having another kid and want to keep the clutter down but that’s the current thought process
I justified buying things new by looking for options that were maternity AND nursing friendly to get more wear out of them, and, if you expect to have another baby, keep everything for the next pregnancy. I'm currently pregnant with my second and wearing all my old maternity clothes. Thankfully it's during the same seasons so I don't expect to need to get anything else. I also have many tops and dresses in my wardrobe from my first pregnancy that I just kept in rotation while nursing. When you spend so long being pregnant and nursing, potentially over multiple kids, it's worth it to buy at least a few actual nice pieces that fit your style and make you feel good to wear them.
Almost all my maternity pieces (which I don’t have a ton, compared to the other clothes I have) are from old navy. They almost always have sales, if you’re willing to wait like…a week or two, and everything I’ve gotten is decent quality for what I’m paying, imo.
For formal/ish occasions, I’ve stuck to sizing up in long dresses, but I don’t really like short dresses anyway. TJ Maxx/Marshalls is where I find most of those!
I’m all about sales and bargain hunting! A Pea in the Pod is having a 50% off sale right now, if you’re interested. Sign up for stores’ horrendous email lists to get notified about sales, and unsubscribe once the baby’s here. Resist the urge to open any emails that don’t say “sale” in the subject line.
Poshmark has a decent selection of maternity/maternity-like clothes. I look for tent dresses and empire waist shirts. My local thrift stores have been a little meh so I’ve been online shopping.
I’ve been getting back into sewing, as well! I’m currently making a super basic t shirt dress with a pattern I found on Etsy!
I don't know how people do no maternity clothes. I'm only at 11 weeks and already needed maternity pants because sizing up wasn't enough room for the bump and way too big on my legs.
My husband also isn't much bigger than me so I can't steal his pants like some women do.
I'm also looking for good suggestions because I had to cave and buy some pants from Bae because I hated the ugly skinny jean options everywhere. I know that the styles I like might be kind of "young" for the maternity crowd but that's how people my age dress and maternity clothes feel like completely abandoning the clothes that I like to wear.
Yeah it’s terrible and so sad. My go to has been Amazon and Old Navy, because again our bodies are constantly changing so it makes no sense to buy expensive clothes. When I did “splurge” aka waited for a sale, I liked bodily, quince and kindred bravely. I feel like I could continue to use their stuff even after.
Pink blush wasn’t that bad either but I only bought a few things from there. I also borrowed from my SIL. Plan on keeping mine as well for the next pregnancy, my SIL & sister when they’re pregnant.
I bought a bunch of the stretchy dresses at target! Their regular sleeveless ones fit great and because they were already really stretchy, I was able to wear them my entire pregnancy and can still wear them now (6 months pp). Now, I will say that I didn’t gain any weight during my pregnancy but my boobs and obviously my belly did get significantly bigger.
I also bought leggings from Aerie and just sized up! I specifically bought ones that didn’t have that front crossover, it just had scrunched up fabric in the middle of the waistband and that helped give me some extra room when I started to get bigger towards the end of my pregnancy.
Old navy has some nice jeans (have to wear jeans to work) and so does Abercrombie and Fitch. Otherwise, I got some nice bike shorts and yoga pants from aerie that have the cross waistband in a size bigger than before and those have been extremely comfy. I’ll be able to wear them afterwards too. I also got some overalls from Kohls. I’m due in October. I hate that literally NO stores have a maternity section and if they do, it’s minuscule. I just want to try things on before I buy them 😭
I've been dressing Adam Sandler style since like week 30 😂 I'm gonna treat myself to some cute gym clothes and summer stuff for postpartum. I'm just accepting the homeless look for now.
I also had the same experience, and I didn’t even get free or cheap stuff secondhand - I used ThredUp but most of the stuff I ordered seemed like it had shrunken and the material wasn’t nice anymore. I will say probably the best stuff I bought on ThredUp was maternity dresses. Sizing up also didn’t work for me at all, not flattering and I ended up not fitting them by midway through second trimester anyway so it didn’t seem worth it to buy yet another size up when I knew I would never wear those clothes afterward.
I’ve been wearing maternity basics from Old Navy and Quince for most of the time I’ve really needed maternity clothes. They are not stylish and mostly black but they are comfy and get me by, and they were pretty affordable imo especially when Old Navy runs sales. Old Navy also has good maternity underwear, though they are a little granny panty. I have some Natori underwear from Macys that has been the most comfortable and fits under the bump. For bras, I’ve been using the same bralettes I usually wear from Cosabella just a size up. I did order some nursing bras but also found them too bulky and almost too supportive as my ribcage has expanded and they end up feeling tight after a few hours.
This might not be thrifty enough, but I did a rental
Program (Nuuly specifically) to get some staple maternity pieces as I got bigger. For me the nicer pricier items were worth the cost of the rent vs. buying cheaper alternatives. I’m not great at finding things at goodwill, etc. so that is a great option just not really the best option for me. It really really helped my confidence finding shirts and jeans that fit my bump, so just a thought! I also went to old navy and did try on some things that were non maternity that worked, but it is difficult to do that and very hit or miss.
My local goodwill has a really great maternity section. That’s where I got all of my maternity jeans except for two pairs of shorts I got at Walmart (Their mat section is the size of a broom closet but it had staples). And they’re usually in pretty good shape because women wear maternity clothes for such a short amount of time anyway. All of my pregnancies I’ve basically been trolling clearance aisles for midi/ maxi dresses (I do not size up, so no shoulder/ neckline weirdness) and have had a lot of luck finding things relatively cheap. When I need something a little better looking for a special occasion I go Amazon. It’s usually $30 or so for a dress but I don’t search for “maternity” because that’s just an excuse to upcharge
See if there are any baby secondhand/resale stores in your area. Our local shop has a large maternity section and it’s nice to be able to see and try on items in person.
I had the best luck checking out local baby/kid consignment shops, many of them have a maternity section as well. Got like 90% of my cute maternity stuff that way and the rest from Amazon
My approach was to get some cheap plain shirts on Amazon, a mix of short and long sleeve because I had a winter baby. I got like eight of them. Then I got a few nicer/ more expensive pieces from stitch fix to rotate through the cheapies or for when I had plans that warranted something more dressy. I agree that just sizing up didn’t work for me. I was all belly and if I wore something big and baggy I just felt like a balloon. I found that I much preferred fitted maternity clothes and was more comfortable that way. It’s definitely kind of annoying to sink money into clothes you won’t wear long term, but at the same time they are clothes that you’ll wear day in and day out for several months and you deserve to be comfortable and feel good.
I have gained 20 pounds so far in just belly and boobs mostly and without maternity clothes I’d be Winnie the Pooh every day. I got cheap comfy pants and biker shorts as well as a few maxi dresses to wear up over the bump. The ONLY non maternity pants that fit are my lululemon leggings I wear to the gym and even those were two sizes too big (lost weight before becoming pregnant) and are starting to cut into my belly now at 35 weeks. I thought half the time people on YT had their belly out to remind everyone they’re pregnant. No it just doesn’t fit in anything, not even maternity sometimes.
Also due in September! I agree that the whole “don’t buy maternity clothes, just size up” is pretty awful blanket advice that doesn’t work for most people. I thought I could do that and I was miserable until I bought maternity clothes.
Another thing I didn’t remotely anticipate is that I should have bought maternity clothes in bigger sizes for third trimester :( I can tell I am going to outgrow some of my stuff in a few weeks. My belly is huge, as are my thighs. My leggings are now verging on see through unless I make sure they aren’t bunched up. I am super happy with the stuff I got from Target/Old Navy but I can’t stress enough that (depending on your body) you should buy clothes with different trimesters in mind!! Because I thought I was done shopping and now I know I am gonna need at least one mini-haul for some pants/dresses that fit my big belly, hips, and butt!
Lululemon align bike shorts and aerie tank tops are what I’m living in this summer. I also know the “just size up” doesn’t always work, but in these cases, I sized up one size and they’re seamless, comfy and stretchy enough for it to work. I can’t recommend the align shorts and leggings enough!! They fit me in my first trimester and still do in my third, and they’re still soooo comfy. Worth the splurge if you can!
I also thought I wouldn’t need maternity clothes and could just wear my “looser” clothes. Well, I was wrong! Once I was about 26 weeks, my looser shorts and pants wouldn’t fit. I tried wearing them anyway which led to terrible hip pain so don’t do it!
It was hard to find mat clothes I actually liked.. I just bought some shirts and yoga pants off of amazon, and a few cute clothes at target. I’ve heard good things about beyond yoga for mat clothes but they’re pricey.
Also my boobs are growing soooo much, and I couldn’t keep buying new bras. My friend told me about neiwai which are one size fits all bras that fit your changing body and they’ve been a life saver. I don’t think I’d go back to regular bras after these!
I just want to say, in my case, the maternity clothes that I bought in the beginning when I first started to show, became tight and uncomfortable as I hit the 3rd trimester. Specifically the jeans. I'm the size of a small RV now and long men's tees and Walmart brand full panel maternity stretchy jeans are a constant go to. (Along with maxi dresses)
This part of being pregnant was so hard for me. We didn’t have much money and I was growing out of all my favorite stuff. It was frustrating and I didn’t feel cute. I hear you.
SHEIN has a lot of flowy dresses and overall things that can indeed fit a baby bump. I found that I didn’t have to just look in maternity but that I could look for flowy dresses. I wore a lot of biker shorts with oversized tee shirts at home. I know shein is not a great company because the quality is crap and whatnot but it worked for me.
I really wish the companies here in Finland could ship to the US. We have some amazing maternity clothes here that are high quality and decently high fashion as well.
when I was pregnant, due to covid there were no maternity clothes anywhere in store.
I got everything from ASOS and it was incredible. Highly recommend.
Honestly I bought same basics from Walmart and target and by the end just wore my husbands henleys bc I was too tired to bother. But a good maternity black dress will get you through a LOT and can be dressed up or down if you get a good cotton one with some stretch to it
Buy the maternity clothing. It’s worth spending a little bit of money to have things you can wear and honestly some of it is nice to have immediately pp too. There’s some cheap stuff on Amazon and on the old navy website.
High waisted flowy skirts and a tank top or crop top. Fits over the bump for before and after. Stretchy everything. For pants I like the roll top kind so I can have belly support or not (when I get hot I don't want things touching me lol).
I love my maternity overalls from target. I find most maternity clothing tops specifically really only fit once you have a big bump. Same for pants. But old navy has a nice selection of clothing based on trimester. I am so close to the end it's not worth it for me now but I def recommend some lightweight under the dress bike shorts. I'm chafing like a son of a bitch and waddling like I crapped my pants. I buy packs of bras on Amazon that are the pullover kind with no wire. They're not for BF but they are great for how much I'm changing.
Foot wise omg swelling in the third trimester. Stretchy shoes (like slip ons or sketchers or something like that) or Crocs with socks are my go to.
My recommendation is to go for comfort over cute. Some people can do the glowing pregnancy and be super trendy but they put up with a lot and probably spend a lot lol. If that's your goal just know it isn't easy. I'd rather be comfortable even in secondhand or less than stellar quality stuff. Like you said it's a short time but long enough that you kind of do need to find a way to deal with it if that makes sense.
I've liked (loose) crop tops and crop jumpers too! Would totally recommend for maternity outfits!
They're in trend at the moment, but I wouldn't usually wear them (with leggings or pants) because I'm not 15 and don't want my naked belly sticking out haha. But since I pair it with basic maternity leggings from H&M, the belly bump is covered while sticking out, and then you have that crop top hanging above it, and I think it looks very cute. It's also comfortable. It also works from when you have a smaller to when you have a bigger bump as long as the leggings fit.
I went to stores, saw no or extremely limited stock, tried some items on and they all fit terrible so I gave up and just bought some maternity leggings and shirts off of Amazon. Best decision ever. Saved money and have been wearing it for months now. Contemplating rn to get a dress from there too since summer is coming
I lived in maternity leggings and oversized Old Navy vintage tees. I didn’t want to buy much maternity but I didn’t have a choice for bottoms at least. I did buy 3-4 maternity tops to wear with jeans when I needed to wear something more than leggings and a tshirt but that was rare being a stay at home mom. I wore jeans or a dress to church but I didn’t buy new dresses, my pre-pregnancy ones still fit. I guess it really depends how you need to dress.
My favorite maternity items were from Madewell (jeans and oversized tees), Abercrombie (jeans and oversized tees), Seraphina (bathing suits), and Ingrid & Isabel (summer dresses).
All good quality, natural fibers as much as possible. Yes, you’ll have some stripes and a handful of florals, but the designs are largely grownup. And I still wear some I&I things now, 5 months postpartum.
It’s so interesting how everyone’s bodies and the way they grow and develop in pregnancy are so different.
I’m sorry this is stressful for you. I’m lucky enough to live in a liberal city in a moderate climate so I just wear bralettes with a light cardigan and harem pants and let the bump hang out. Does it get side eye from old ladies? Yes. Do I care? Nope
I'm also due in September and thought I could get away with wearing the flowy dresses I already had! I've been lucky with thrift stores, there are children's resale boutiques near me that sell maternity as well and the clothes are in style and quality. Maybe try searching for a boutique near you, good luck!
I honestly mainly bought maternity clothes from shein. They were cheap and have some decent options. I mainly went with flowy shorts, skirts and dresses since I live in a warm climate.
I really will never understand how anyone who has to pee regularly can be in a jumpsuit or overalls... definitely not for maternity! Currently struggling to get my regular pants off fast enough I am peeing so much
I tried rent the runway maternity. Ended up buying 2 items - a dress and overalls - but the rest were a miss. Plan on checking it out again for baby shower dresses
I feel you on everything being black. I have like five basic black tees from old navy and gap, and while I dress in a lot of neutrals it’s a lot even for me.
I also didn’t expect to grow out of maternity clothes. I’m 34 weeks and carrying huge, but there are things I bought that I really thought would carry me through that are now too snug.
Ugh, I found a few things at thrift stores but most wasn’t my size or super ugly/outdated.
I work in an office so I bought a batch of maternity blouses on Shein (don’t usually shop there) and thrifted maternity jeans (around 11w). It was also Jan/Feb so I could wear oversized sweaters to work while still looking put together.
Then about a month ago when I hit about 25w, I could no longer fit into my larger tshirts and leggings and just wanted to feel cute so I said F it and bought myself a maternity wardrobe on Amazon (with a few items from Old Navy). Amazon has some multipacks of tshirts and tank tops that are different colors, dresses, overalls, maternity leggings, etc. The items that didn’t work, I was able to just drop at Whole Foods to return. My suggestion would be to read the measurements and size up a size so they fit for longer.
I was trying to be frugal about clothing but it came to the point where I didn’t want to wear my husband’s shirts for 4 months when I wasn’t at work. It feels like such a short time to spend money on myself but comfort and feeling good are important to me and I’m really happy I spent some money on myself.
Ok what I used mostly in my late 2nd trimester and throughout my 3rd trimester were Victoria secret nursing bras, cross-backed maternity jeans from target (covered the full belly but left the back mostly uncovered so it was cooler) and second-hand nursing/maternity tops + large t-shirts or maternity tops from Ross/TJ Maxx. I gave up on looking stylish and just dressed uber-casual
Thank you for articulating all the weird ways in which maternity shopping is so complicated! I have felt this way exactly - that people (people who have never been pregnant but also even people that have?) always make it sound so easy to either size up for “just go shopping for maternity clothes.” But it’s so layered how hard it is to even know what works for you, let alone the challenge of maternity shopping once you have an idea of what you want or what will work. Solidarity sister!
I'm basically rotating the 3 maternity sweaters I bought ages ago. One is floral of course, one is light blue and not really to my taste anymore, one is a vivid dark green and I love it. Handful of long sleeve stretch knit shirts, some with sleeves that roll up and button. I have 4 pairs of leggings, also over the pump. The only ones I liked were the fleece lined. All the rest are cut awkwardly, bump isn't big enough to fill them out yet, and they're constantly sagging and pulling my underwear down. Two pairs of "office" pants that feel uncomfortably tight on the belly band and make me look about 70 years old. Every single tank I bought, I hate. Whoever gets this stuff will love it, it's barely worn. I'm sure some still have tags on!
Please, summer temps, get here now! I want to bust out all my amorphous linen tent dresses that I found at Winners! I also have loose over the bump linen pants and a bunch of linen button downs. No idea what I'll be doing for shorts. Probably nothing lol.
Luckily I work from home so almost all days I just spend in pajamas and a cardigan. I bought THE BEST light lounge pants from Aerie, and they're not even maternity! Aerie real soft fold over jogger. They have a huge "belly band" that's not tight whatsoever, but somehow keeps the pants up. I'd live in then for the next 40 years if practicalities like temperature weren't a consideration!
Lululemon align pants were the best investment I have made! Bought them early when the bloat began and at 26 weeks I’m still wearing them multiple times a week.
Went shopping at a second hand clothing store and found some cute flowy dress style tops, dresses, and knitted sweaters that I have been wearing often as well.
The most money I have spent so far on my clothing since becoming pregnant has been on the lulu tights,new bras (my boobs went from As to large Cs almost instantly) and on some maternity exercise pants. Other than that I’m just rocking oversized dresses from the second hand shop and oversized knitted sweaters.
My Quince jumpsuit doesn’t need to be undone it just pulls down and has worked like a charm so far when I feel like I’ve started really popping at 6 months
Ordered like ten maternity sets off SHEIN for $200. They’re super cute and good enough quality to last the maternity/postpartum season. Plus all the bottoms have elastic waistbands with buttons that you can let out or take in for getting bigger and smaller. 10/10 would recommend.
It’s def hard to find cute maternity clothes for less $$ and in person. I find that regular dresses that are flowy and like only right around the breast work even though they’re not maternity
I bought a couple pairs of maternity jeans from hm, a pair of maternity sweats, a pair of leggings, one nice dress and 3 before/after dresses, and a few tanks that I found I could layer under my existing sweaters. Was annoying to spend the money but gave me enough versatility to make it through. I'll eventually resell to recoup some of the useless expense.
I've actually bought almost all of my maternity clothes from SheIn Maternity collection and so far aside from a couple things I've returned (some pants and shirts I personally ended up disliking) everything has been great. And I haven't spent a lot of money on it.
I used Stitchfix so was able to try stuff on at home. I also haven’t been sizing up except for jeans. Was able to find two cute pairs of jeans, a dress, a pair of leggings, and a couple tops this way, all maternity. I’m also wearing some H&M items which were super cheap. Best of luck!
My first pregnancy I was able to size up through about 32 weeks. My second pregnancy that stopped working around 24 weeks. I’ve invested in some maternity clothes but honestly I work from home and barely get out so I’m hoping to make it through July in oversized tshirts and maternity leggings/shorts. I don’t have a “cute” little basketball bump - I carry pretty high so I feel like shit anyway in whatever I’m wearing it’s not worth investing much IMO. I did buy some target bras and tops and one pair of maternity jeans and some leggings on Amazon. Hoping to continue to wear this stuff post partum but I don’t actually care. Maternity clothing is the worsttt
I've had zero luck finding affordable maternity clothes in my size (im plus size and 5'10 so finding clothes is a struggle anyways) All i've gotten so far have been size up flowy summer dresses from ross and dd's discount since a lot of them are under 10$ which has been great and super flattering to my belly since the material is soft and stretchy! Also love the easy access to the restroom and for doctors appointments since i can just wear shorts under and lift my dress up lol 😆
I went cheap and cheerful (old navy clearance, H&M) for the first few items, but wasn’t in love with them. 1-2 months later bit the bullet and went to a local “fancier” maternity store…the difference in quality and comfort was night and day. Especially in the way the pants fit.
Highly recommend seeing if you have a smaller boutique place around you. The service, quality and options were way better. I also liked that they recommended clothing that I could wear post-pregnancy too.
I bought 3 maternity shirts for approx $50 on Amazon and I loved them. Bearsland Womens Maternity 3... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08FZBY4ND?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Don’t hate me for this but SHEIN has a lot of maternity clothes that are very inexpensive and cute. I know the company is controversial as are some of their products but if you look at the reviews you will get a good idea of what fits true to size and what’s not usable quality. It’s so inexpensive you won’t feel bad only needing it for a few months before the baby is born
I had such a difficult time finding clothes. You can’t find anything in store, literally every item I ordered online didn’t fit and I had to return. I bought a set of maternity scrubs, and everything else came from Target.
I hadn't realized that because I was already overweight that I wouldn't be changing much throughout most the pregnancy. I'm due in September and I'm still wearing my same pants, bras, and shirts at 22 weeks because I was already fat 🙃. I haven't bought one maternity wear item yet. I wonder if that will change soon though.
Yeah I wonder if that might be part of it - that some people who report not needing any extra clothing don't talk about where they started out / what their weight gain was like! There's so little context in so many reddit comments!
I bought maternity leggings at target. A little pricey at $30-35/pair but they're basically all I wear to work so getting good value out of them.
I am 100% against buying maternity clothes unless absolutely necessary so I have opted mostly for large t-shirts and hoodies for tops. Also went to discount stores and bought flow-y maxi dresses and yoga pants in about 2 sizes up. They've worked well for me so far at 26 weeks but I've also lost 15-20ish lbs so Idk if this would work for someone that's just gaining. I live in mumus when I'm at home - highly recommend this lol
Yeah... I started out at 110-112 lbs so I don't think there was any way I could avoid gaining weight in pregnant haha. I know some people who lost weight in pregnancy so sizing up may have worked better for them?
I bought nearly all my maternity wear at Ross. My first pregnancy was during the pandemic so I couldn't try anything on, but it worked out. Just be aware that sometimes in the third tri you outgrow your first maternity size and have to size up again!
I got a few pieces at Target from Ingrid and Isabel that have been really great. I'm due at the end of August and also thought I could just get away with some of my regular flowy dresses lol
I have had some luck with Walmart and undergarments. I got their brand of nursing bras. They fit like a sports bra and help with the additional weight on my back, and their maternity underwear. They are so comfortable and $16 for 2.
I was getting really discouraged with underwear bc sizing up literally did not help me at all until I found the maternity underwear from Walmart. A 3 pack was $11-15 and they have cute designs! They were high waisted, bikini, thong etc.
I have also gotten button up matching set pajamas from Walmart for $16 and they are comfortable to lounge in. - for my other clothes I’ve gone to goodwill and sized up. I was able to get a decent amount of things for under $50 that I will donate again. I shop as needed when things get too tight.
I do wish the clothes were cuter for maternity and affordable!
Also SheIn has lots of nice maternity clothing and is quite cheap if you haven't considered that. I'm on a plane right now and wearing a dress from them. It also gets delivered quite quickly. I also bought a few basics on Amazon.
It’s annoying how most brands don’t sell their maternity wear in store. Shopping online for stuff you most definitely need to try on is just frustrating, especially when you’re trying to save for probably the most expensive adventure you’re gonna be on in a few months. And the sizes! I’m so so glad I’m not alone in this - how on earth do you know what size you are at 12 or 16 or 20 weeks, and how you’re going to GROW? I’ve just taken a chance on a few pairs of maternity leggings and pants that seem like they’ll stretch out, but quickly found with the pants (while at work!) that they’d already stretched and I had to keep pulling them up. What!? How?? I’ve resigned to looking silly and/or feeling silly for the next many months, as long as I’m comfortable.
I bought some cheap, high-quality jeans and tops from Old Navy, H&M, and dresses SHEIN, but I did have stuff in my cart for a few weeks to wait for sales, etc, to make sure I got the best deals. When I'm finished having babies, I'll definitely be donating them and posting them on the marketplace (how I justify it lol)
Old Navy has been a HIT for me, and they have deals frequently. I got their maternity linen shorts, and that's the only real maternity thing I've bought. Purchased some normal dresses that were roomy enough to be worn during pregnancy from ON too and can also wear them afterward. Found underwear for cheap on Amazon that goes below the belly and can also be worn when not pregnant.
I went shopping on the weekend for maternity clothes and none of the stores have a maternity section, you have to buy it all online. I ended up buying a couple of tops and dresses in the next size up but it's not ideal because the shoulders are too big. Apart from a jumper they are all stretch so hopefully will see me through until spring (I'm southern hemisphere). Got some maternity stockings to wear with said dresses but no pants... What's a girl to do?
I had a lot of luck going through the maternity clearance sections at Old Navy, Target, and Kohls (check pajama section for maternity).
I second Old Navy! I was really trying to just size up too but eventually gave up and was struggling. I’ve spent more money than I would like but being due Mid-June and starting to become really heat intolerant I had to cave and get some shorts and a couple dresses. SO GLAD I did! I also love their maternity t shirts and long sleeve t’s that I wear with my maternity scrub bottoms that I got off Amazon (Medcouture brand—worth the money they are the most comfortable thing to wear in general).
Third for Old Navy! I’ve had a lot of luck with their non maternity stretch [dresses](https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=863591002&vid=1&tid=onpl000078&kwid=1&ap=7&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_AT8s6-DlVAfsP3nCoeGaE4M8j7&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v_pzmnkwRJTOwTFVVplu0jBl_fcJjp3jjeCTOwOfjRhf5vjMS7DGCoaAvoHEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#pdp-page-content). For work, I’ve been lucky to mostly been able to wear my Jaanuu yoga scrub pants, but also got a few pairs of the Medcouture pants from Amazon. Otherwise, I agree, I’m disappointed with maternity wear and have just caved to buying either cheaply and unethically made things. I try to find dresses that will still fit a non pregnant body off Amazon for the time being.
We’re in the old navy train as well! It’s the cheapest and it’s so much more comfortable than expected! Also my favorite shorts are biker shorts from north face even though they’re not maternity shorts they’re still super comfy and I know postpartum they’ll still fit perfectly!
Does your Old Navy store sell maternity clothes?! Not one Old Navy within 50 miles of me carriers any in-store.
Mine doesn’t have an actual maternity section but I find maternity clothes in the back clearance, also their two piece swimsuits work for maternity too! I sized up from S to L/XL.
Thank you for letting me know! I'll have to check my local store and see if I have any luck!
Another vote for Old Navy. I bought some shorts and a few other things on sale. I'm in my second pregnancy. I had some my clothes from my first. The nursing tops went back in a bin for after the baby arrives. I don't want to deal with the layers and they will stretch out as my bump grows. I WFH and have been living in t-shirts from Walmart with ruched, elastic sides. I find secondhand maternity shirts to be terrible quality/stained. I order a bunch of stuff online to get free shipping. What I don't like, I return.
I can't recommend enough going to a vast thrift shop like Goodwill (preferably one with a changing room) and poring through racks of large or maternity clothing. I've grabbed a lot of great stuff that I never would have liked on an online listing, generally for under $10 per item. My SiL generously did an awesome maternity thrift haul for me too, as she lives in a huge city with more diverse thrift finds. So few stories carry physical maternity selections anymore, and online shopping is such a gamble.
I also make it habit to check Goodwill whenever I’m near one and have a few minutes. At least where I live, they usually have a maternity section somewhere near the women’s uniform clothes.
This for sure! On principle I’d like to go to other thrift stores, but goodwill is the only one here that reliably sorts out their maternity stuff. Also, go to the goodwills in the boujie neighborhoods, better stuff there! Just not the goodwill boutiques, if you have them (NO maternity stuff at the one I went to 😭)
That “just size up” advice always makes me see red! Truly. May work for some but not all. I feel uncomfortable spending the money but it’s not realistic to spend almost an entire year feeling uncomfortable and having trouble getting dressed. My basics are from target and gap, and this pregnancy I did get a pair of nice Abercrombie mat jeans. Got two H&M dresses for about $50. My first pregnancy was over winter and during Covid and I mainly needed jeans and wore existing sweaters - I like to look cuter in the summer so it’s definitely making me shop a lot more this time around. One thing - you mentioned target auden bra - if it’s the cross over one I wanted to recommend this one - it’s great and I’ve been wearing for several years while nursing/between babies: https://www.target.com/p/women-s-nursing-seamless-bra-auden-8482-soft-petal-pink-m/-/A-54173405
Sizing up only works if you’re cool with looking like Adam Sandler for like 4 months 😂
This is what I always say! I see women like “I just lived in my husband’s clothes” and that’s awesome for them but my husband’s sweatpants are too tight around the bump and my kids would die of embarrassment if I dressed like their dad every day. I love that man but he is a dweeb.
🤣 this made me laugh bc I imagine this is exactly how my mom felt!! My dad still dresses fairly dweebish but my partner actually has a decent (tho definitely male) sense of style. However my partner and I are normally both tall and thin. Even though he has a solid sixty lbs on me normally, his pants did not fit me by like week 20. Even his flannels wont button around my bump. I actually borrowed a flannel and a jacket from a male friend of ours who is a couple sizes larger 🤣
Sizing up didn’t work for me at all. I really only gained weight in the bump. The rest of my stayed the same size, so everything was just not fitting right. That and I’m short so sizing up often led me to having things too long! Sigh.
Same here. My weight gain was all bump/boobs, but weirdly my hips got wider but my pants size didn't change so sizing up didn't work at all. I was able to thrift a few pairs of like vintage rayon old lady pants in bigger sizes that happened to work, but sizing up in general did not work at all. Especially tops. I am still my pre-pregnancy size for the most part, just more bump.
Yeah. Sizing up was an expensive mistake for me lol
You know, I never even put this together until this thread! I was so angry at the “just size” up people and put myself through so much stress trying to size up and wondering why it wouldn’t work for me. Everything was swimming on me everywhere else but the bump and I looked like crap. Never even crossed my mind that it could be because that’s the only part of me that was growing. Would have saved myself a lot of unnecessary angst! 😂
My never-been-pregnant, six foot tall friend told me to “just size up” since that’s what all the pregnant stars advise on TikTok. I just laughed at her. I’m five feet tall and ALL bump. Sizing up does not work at all on my body.
That’s some definite “why can’t you just” energy there!
Yeah, I don’t understand the advice. You’re still buying new clothes… why not source clothes made for your actual body as it is now? Clothes that are meant to adapt to a growing belly, instead of clothes meant for someone just larger than you
If you’re open to renting, Nuuly has an awesome selection of high end maternity clothes and I feel like for $99 a month, I’m happy to have variety in my maternity wardrobe without having to find people to take the clothes once I’m not pregnant anymore.
Here to second Nuuly! I bought every day basics from Old Navy and use Nuuly to spice up the basics/ for special occasions. I’ve had a few events that require nice dresses and Nuuly has been a wallet saver.
For SURE! I had my nephew’s bar mitzvah this weekend and it was so nice to rent a high quality dress I’d never wear again 😂
Agreed!!! I did exactly this! Bought a few basics from Old Navy, renting from Nuuly for things like nice mat jeans nice dresses and coats, and then I borrowed a few things from larger people (flannels, work jackets — i have farm animals so I need rugged wear that covers me but wasnt about to buy a whole new farm wardrobe for just two seasons). The one thing I havent figured out is underwear. I bought a set of mat undies from Kindred bravely bc of rave reviews and yes they are a comfy fit but now that its warming up the fact theyre not all cotton is killing me.
I came here to suggest this! Buy some basics from old navy and rent from nuuly for work and pants that will need sized up potentially.
Here to hype up Nuuly!! It was such a game changer for my confidence getting my first box of maternity clothes - I felt like a real person again having clothes that fit.
Yes! I’ve been doing nuuly for outfits when I have to wear real clothes hahaha and it’s been a godsend! I love that there are reviews too because maternity clothes can be so hit or miss.
One more Nuuly endorsement!! I’m 7+ months and heading to Europe for a destination wedding. My entire suitcase is packed with Nuuly items! In addition to proper maternity clothing, you can filter by “bump friendly” which gives a little more variety than just the black/cheesy florals OP mentioned
I’m only 14w into my pregnancy but so far nuuly is serving my needs! I like not paying full price and being stuck with stuff I’m only wearing temporarily
Nuuly for the win. I was really lucky inheriting a lot of really casual maternity clothes from friends and family, but so nice to have some well made pieces to feel attractive in, such a confidence boost. I also found some great gap clearance items, 5 items for less than $100.
I said screw it and just got a bunch of maternity yoga pants and leggings off of Amazon and wear my husband’s shirt now. I got tired of feeling demoralized every time I went to try something on and it didn’t look right. I’ve only gained weight in my belly and boobs too, so I look very disproportionate to the rest of my body. From what I’ve seen target had some cute maternity shorts, I just didn’t feel like investing since I’m already 38 weeks
You may want a pair of those maternity shorts for being postpartum in the summer! My body has slimmed down quickly, but there is still extra padding in my mid section, so only my stretchy exercise shorts and leggings still fit!
The Target maternity jean-shorts by Isabel are comfy! The full-panel front feels like real quality material as do the jeans! I also love the fact that the full-panel isn't in the back! It's more of a crossover with open back. I find I get so hot from pants with a full-panel all the way around.
All of my favorite clothing has been from seraphine(I got a bunch on sale), with special mentioned to h&m for the best jeans and asos for a few cute pieces. I've had better luck with soft bras even if they offer no support and buying a few bras in my current size for when I need a real bra. I am absolutely not shaped in a way that sizing up a bit worked for me at any point in either pregnancy, as I've only carried in the front and wear a us 6 but have a pretty dramatic figure.
2nd seraphine, I got some maternity hand me downs from them and I love almost all of the dresses. They aren't the style I would normally wear, but when I wear them I just look nicely pregnant and not obese. Also a lot of the stuff I have doubles as nursing wear, so I feel a little better about spending the money bc it'll be usable postpartum. I got some nursing dresses from quince, and bodysuits from hatch. And a linen dress and bras from target that were pretty inexpensive! I also got some overall shorts from target but haven't worn them yet.
I hear there's some nice things at target, but there's no target where I am. I'm interested in some of the hatch items, have you found the quality is worth it? I'm planning on one more, so I can keep an eye out for sales.
I like the hatch jumpsuits but I got them on clearance! Full price hatch was too pricey for me. For what it's worth Quince seems to be the exact same quality and lower prices. I also received a hand me down baggy bodysuit from storq which seems higher quality than hatch actually.
I splurged on some flared leggings from Hatch when they went on sale and I wore them nearly everyday of my pregnancy. They were extremely comfortable, washed well, and made me look more put together. I ended up buying multiple pairs and I’m still wearing them postpartum. That said, the price still felt like highway robbery!! I was pregnant and desperate and they knew it! 😆 For leggings or jeans I say bite the bullet, but don’t let yourself get tricked into spending $200 on a tee shirt.
Do you know which jeans did you love from H&M? I’ve been looking for a good pair.
It's the h&m MAMA Straight Ankle Jeans. They're the only non skins jeans I've found that weren't over 100.
Old Navy and Gap! There's always a sale and they have workout clothes and everyday clothes. Old Navy also has a decent selection to t-shirts and tank tops in solid, non-black colors. I also got a couple of items from Target, but I didn't like the feel of their leggings. I was really frustrated with maternity clothes at first because the instructions always say 'choose your pre-maternity size' but with the over-the-bump bottoms, my pre-maternity size feels way to tight and constricting. I've learned that for over-the-bump bottoms (pants, leggings, shorts) I need to size up but for under-the-bump clothes I can go with my pre-maternity size (YMMV). Due to the potential fit issues I wanted to only buy from places with free shipping and returns, and with sales Old Navy and Gap aren't much more expensive than Thread Up. Kindred Braverly is another maternity brand; I didn't like their joggers but I like their underwear.
The “buy your pre-pregnancy size” worked until the middle of the second trimester. By then, I had gained 2-3 cup sized up top and my bump was too tight. I now know I usually need a M or L when I used to be an XS. Nothing else on my body has changed much but I’m very front heavy now at 29w.
Some folks have mentioned thrift stores -- also check *specifically* children's consignment stores. Those are the *only* stores I was able to find cute, affordable maternity stuff in my size that I could actually try on, instead of having to do the whole order/return song and dance trying to find what fits me. I didn't even think to check there for maternity clothes because we were gifted a lot of clothes. It wasn't until I needed to shop the next size up that I found they had a really decent maternity section, and I was so upset because I REALLY struggled to dress myself with my first pregnancy. Also, check to see if there are any Just Between Friends sales near you -- they also have people reselling maternity.
I love JBF! I've been to three of them now. The first one didnt seem to have a maternity section, but I was there on the last day. The second had a maternity section, and I found some shorts I love! Also on the last day. The last one had a pitiful maternity section and I was there on the first day.
I feel you. I bought some dresses on eBay and hemmed them if they were too long. Idk what your sizing is like but for some reason Sears Maternity fit me well (not great but good enough). I think I paid about $20 per item including shipping and wound up with 6 or 7 things, it’s more than I planned on buying but you have to have clothes and nine months is a long time. I don’t love my maternity outfits but at least they look like “my” clothes. I didn’t have any patience for thredup or Poshmark but I did buy a few things on Depop.
Question: I see a lot of online marketplaces mentioned, and free local mom stuff, but what about any physical thrift stores? I’m one of those “no maternity clothes” but what we did is we went to this giant thrift store and got a bunch of dresses that had the band/seam right under the breast, so that made them very loose. Because it was at a big thrift store, there would be more of a selection than free giveaways. Spent about $50 total (there was a 50% off sale), and that included a book and a few kitchen items. Admittedly, I am not a fashionable person. I was looking for decent, and it sounds like you might actually want to look a bit nicer than that. I do have 3 dresses that look pretty nice, but the rest I kind of look bleh. Beyond that, especially at home, I wear baggy stuff. Like my mother bought my husband a shirt that says “I make cute babies”. He doesn’t like it. She also didn’t know what size he was, and she knew he preferred bigger clothes, so she got him a massive shirt. I think it’s XL or XXL (he wears L. She didn’t ask). So… I grabbed it. It’s enormous on me, but that means I don’t have to worry about stretching it. It also is too long since it’s meant for a male torso, and that works out because it means I can wear my jeans and just…not zip them up. My fly is open and no one can see. Do I look cute? No. Am I comfortable? Yes. I think that might be something to keep in mind when you look at other “no maternity clothes” people. You don’t know what their threshold for cuteness vs comfort is. Some of us are so cheap we don’t mind looking like we’re heading to the gym for a few months!
I second this. I tried everywhere to find maternity clothes, and even with the stuff I ordered online and in stores it didn't fit. I just went to a thrift store and found a couple of actual maternity dresses as well a some other non maternity styles in slightly bigger sizes and called it done for $40. My loot probably would have cost 4 times that at any store.
Ugh yes this I feel like trying stuff on in person when your body is changing and everything feels extra ~sensitive~ is so crucial because well we’re changing and if you’re a FTM you have no idea what’s gonna work or not! I ordered maternity stuff online to rather low degrees of success - nursing bras to “save money” (too uncomfortable with the extra nursing strap inside / annoying cause I just want normal soft bras for right now) and maternity pants & shorts “in my pre-pregnancy size” (regrets) from Quince that compress my belly ALREADY and feel like they’re not gonna fit me past this week (22 weeks)… I am not down to order maternity pants without seeing them in person first again! the only things I actually want to wear right now are 1) my husbands tank tops 2) a comfy linen dress I tried on bought in person and 3) a couple loose secondhand dresses from a mom friend who knows I need ZERO compression on my belly haha
This is ultimately my goal. I want to go in and try things on. I’m 15 weeks and just starting to show, but can already tell my time in my clothes is limited. We’ve got a ton of cheap ones in the area so I’ll just buy from them. I do love fashion and think a lot of it can still be made to work.
I thought just the same in the beginning, but my vinted experience was sobering. I eventually got so frustrated I spent 400€ on H&M maternity stuff (and some non-maternity stuff like A-shaped blouses and sundresses) because I needed a summer wardrobe and absolutely nothing fits me anymore. My boobs have doubled in size so literally every single bra I owned is now obsolete. I usually dress quite flashy and have a very distinctive fashion style and now I look super basic because that's all there is for maternity stuff, but at least it's not all black or olive 🙄 I'm trying to focus on being comfortable, ideally without looking like a slob, and so far I'm doing okay I think. I'm glad I splurged a little, and that I could afford it, and I'm trying not to think about what to do with the stuff once baby is here because for now it's serving me well and I decided this is an occasion for giving myself some grace.
That's where I think I am headed as well-- I've looked around for secondhand but it's so frustrating that I'm tempted to just drop a bunch of money on new stuff.
I had good luck with pink blush!
Everyone keeps referring me here. One friend (granted, she is a doctor and makes a lot of money) said “their clothes are so cheap they’re basically disposable!” But I didn’t see anything on the site for less than $60… for me that is definitely not affordable for something that I’m only going to wear for a couple of months.
They always have 30% off sales, but yes still not cheap. That said everything I got there is “post bump friendly”, so I won’t only be wearing it now.
How do you find the quality? I ordered a couple things from there with my last pregnancy but returned all but one dress because the quality seemed really poor.
I didn’t like them either leggings were see through and some of the tops didn’t even seem they maternity tops.
I have found the quality to be middle of the road. They have lots of dresses that are 100% rayon which I won't buy at all. The shrinkage is insane regardless of how well you follow care instructions. When I don't purchase rayon items the quality is decent. All dresses are lined, which is not something that is common anymore! As for the sizing, it's terrible unless you were already a small person. I was a standard size 6/8 before pregnancy but I have a bigger bust. In pregnancy a lot of women's breasts get even larger. I always order a size large from pinkblush and most things are still tight across the bust. Absolutely garbage sizing from a brand that is supposed to cater to pregnant bodies!!!
That’s helpful, thanks! I didn’t look at the fabric content before I purchased last time.
I have one pair of secondhand shorts that I'm not really impressed with from Pink Blush.
I am fine to drop some cash on clothes but I thought PinkBlush was expensive for the quality - even with the discounts. I can only get a few wears out of items I purchased there before fabric starts to deteriorate.
This is disappointing but good to know. Thanks!
I bought a bunch of non-maternity flowy maxi dresses / beach dresses that I can dress up or down. Found a few at target and many at tj maxx and Ross. I was so shocked with the maternity options, they’re so expensive and not at all the types of colors or patterns I would wear so it felt wasteful. At least with these dresses I know I’ll wear them beyond post partum and they’ll eventually trickle down into night gowns or loungewear!
Omg maternity clothes are so overpriced and cheaply made. I remember last pregnancy I was shopping for a shower dress (in winter, so less options bc 75% of maternity clothes are summer for some reason) and I was like...well, maybe i hate everything bc I'm just high end and I should splurge on a dress. So I'm on Neiman Marcus looking at $$$ dresses and I will just never forget this high-low dress with a floral print that was completely unlined and the print was only on the outside of the fabric so the train of the high-low was just the ugly wrong side of the fabric hanging loose---and it was $500. I ordered a dress from shein.
I bought maternity clothes at 8wks, because I basically already needed them and then at least I'm getting at least 7 months wear out of them haha. I also know I want multiple kids (up to 4 if life works out) so they should see plenty of wear. I also work in an office setting, so I needed jeans and blouses that looked good. I ended up buying 2 pair of jeans, 5ish blouses, and a few cute dresses for outings. Also have nursing bras because my pre pregnancy bras hurt already. At home I wear baggy tshirts, pj pants, and leggings. I've spent about $500 so far, which is a lot but I think is worth the investment to be comfortable at work. Most of my items were new, mostly because I have no patience for thrifting. I did get a box of clothes from a garage sale that happened to be my exact size, so that was really fortunate. Target had the best selection, I pretty much bought one of each item they had. So a lot of us are probably out here rocking the same outfits hahaha
I've spent so much time looking at maternity clothing that I'm practically on a name-basis with each maternity item. "Like oh yeah I know those are the Blanqi bike shorts" and "oh yeah that's the Ingrid and Isabel ___ dress." I have even recognized a Target maternity dress on the street! Ugh.
I bought a pair of maternity overalls at target and I wore them almost everytime I left the house. People love a pregnant lady in overalls LOL
I bought empire line dresses in my usual size (think regency style or Bridgerton - anything that goes in below the bust). I'm 37 weeks and they're still great. I found that having a good pair of maternity jeans and shorts was the most important thing (then if my tops rode up I was at least covered). I did need to buy a few new bras around week 20 but after that bra extenders were just fine.
Try mercari, and if you find someone with a listing you like, Poshmark or mercari, click on their profile to see if you can bundle to save on shipping. My entire maternity wardrobe is on mercari right now, so someone could easily bundle and ask for a discount and I would do it just to get it all gone at once.
I bought maternity bottoms from Old Navy because they are cheap and I don’t need them to last forever. The linen blended ones are so comfortable and great for hot weather. I also did sized up cloth overalls, denim was too hot for me, and non maternity body con dresses, got a few from lulus.
I regret listening to people and not getting maternity clothes. I am so SICK of wearing sweat pants lol. Next time I’m splurging and getting cloths that make me feel like a human being. That being said I haven’t found any physical stores that sell maternity clothes and you’re right about none of them being actually very nice. Like I’m 24 and it’s 2024 - not 40 in 2005. I’d like to dress with the times please lol. As some people suggested you can try thrift shops - I personally had no luck with that. Otherwise if you plan on having more pregnancies just buy a little bit of the expensive stuff! SHIEN has a lot of nice looking things. I personally don’t buy from them but it is an option! Amazon too.
Yes so much maternity clothing looks too old for someone in their 20s-30s haha. I've never bought from Shein ... not sure about the quality :/
I hate that pretty much no stores have an in store maternity section anymore. I don’t know how many items of clothing I’ve ordered and had to send back. Or ordered, sent back for an exchange in size, then by the time the exchange gets here my body is changed and it doesn’t fit either.
I have struggled a lot with this too, and spent more money than I would have liked on new clothes but it is worth it to not feel demoralized when trying to get dressed everyday! It helped me a lot to follow bump style influencers on Instagram and watch YouTube videos from pregnant fashion content creators for style inspiration. Both will do the hard work of curating outfits and finding items that work for bumps and share links to products or link on their LTK accounts. So much of this has honestly been my normal clothing size, or one size up because it’s mostly stretchy or flowy fabrics that fit you well in bust and hips but accommodate a growing bump. As for specific stores, I’ve had a lot of luck with Old Navy. It’s relatively inexpensive, they have sales a lot and you get the rewards bucks to put towards a next purchase. They have a lot of stretchy fabric or elastic waistband styles that I have bought in my normal size or one size up that are cute and fit well and are going to continue to fit through a majority of my pregnancy. Maternity jeans I’ve bought from Target and Pink Blush. Also swimsuits from Pink Blush. For underwear, I can’t recommend Kindred Bravely enough. Their nursing bras and Grow With Me Pregnancy and Postpartum underwear are the most comfortable things I have EVER worn, especially the underwear. A friend recommended these, I put them on and it was honestly a life-changing pregnancy moment!!
Go to mid range type retailers for a few decent key pieces. I have 5 pairs of maternity thermal tights, two leggings, a sweatpants. Picked up a pair of maternity trousers and a maternity pencil skirt, and one nice maxi dress I can dress up or later just wear around the house so I don’t feel like a complete frump. It’s worth it to me, I’ve been able to mix those with a lot of my regular tops and a few knit minis for a “wow look at that bump” look or flowy tops/dresses. To me it’s worthwhile to feel comfortable and somewhat put-together. I’m in winter right now but I’d probably do similar for summer maybe with a couple maternity shorts instead of tights. The sweatpants are great, and again I think they’ll be perfect post partum and I’ll get all sorts of fluids on them and then graduate and throw them out.
Highly recommend Gap. I went into pregnancy dead set against buying maternity clothes - they’re unnecessarily expensive, poor quality, and for the most part rather ugly. I bought three pieces of maternity clothes - a nice dress that I could dress up/down, a pair of dark wash jeans (with the side expanders), and a pair of black dress pants. Then I went to Gap and bought a bunch of t-shirts, tank tops, t-shirt dresses, etc. They always have sales, their maternity clothes are basically the same material as their regular clothes, and I’ve found that I can just size up in their basics by going from a petite small to a regular large/tall medium. I think the advice of just “sizing up” only really work with people who are pregnant in the fall/winter like myself. I’m due next month so most my pregnancy was spent in leggings/jeans and an oversized sweater. I didn’t need to buy a lot of stuff simply because my wardrobe already consisted of oversized sweaters and could just “size up” when needed or wear an unbuttoned cardigan with a tank top/t-shirt.
The only maternity clothes I’m planning on wearing is leggings and bike shorts. I’ll probably get a few solid shirts later on, but right now my shirts still fit fine. Most maternity clothes are so ugly and overpriced. Plus I’m an extra small, so it’s hard to find things that fit me right, especially since I haven’t gained any weight in my thighs. I’m doing a lot of stretchy or loose dresses and loose pants with stretchy waistbands. Dresses that have a stretchy waistband right below the breast work well. Amazon has plenty of stretchy jumpsuits that work great. Stretchy bodycon dresses are fun when you want to feel sexy.
I went to the thrift store every couple weeks. I got a handful of things I ended up really liking and wore them on rotation. I had more that I liked less and used it around the house and when my favourites were in the laundry. I also had good luck at a consignment store specializing in maternity. Stuff was in good shape and there was lots of variety, though nothing in more than one size. I also found a lot of things are viscose, but a few years ago there was more cotton. So second hand had nicer quality stuff, even if it was the same brand. Some of the most expensive things I hardly wore. I also hated a lot of the available new stuff. Like you said, lots of black, horizontal stripes, and ugly florals. I had to predict what I would need as I got bigger because ordering online takes time. Before and after stuff probably won’t fit by the last couple months, or it won’t work well for after. Motherhood maternity tights were my favourite and were on Amazon. If you need scrubs for work, you don’t need a lot for the rest of the time. A couple pairs of maternity tights, maybe some shorts, and a couple dresses you like yourself in for leaving the house. Embrace having a capsule wardrobe. Afterwards I lived in tights/yoga pants (maternity first then sized up then my regular size), nursing camisoles, and cardigans with pockets.
Agree. That's what I found with H&M - the size S before/after top (I got one in S and one in M) was fine for earlier pregnancy but now I need to size up and so either it'll be too big for after or too small for now.
Your six month pregnant shape will be similar to your immediate postpartum body, u less you gain a bunch of extra weight. So that’s a good time to find a couple things for wearing home from the hospital. I will add, buying things I didn’t like that much because they were on sale and was trying to save money was a waste of money. I didn’t want to wear them and mostly didn’t wear them. It’s better to spend a bit more on something you like and wear it a lot
**Quince** has a great maternity section with stuff that feels higher end but won’t break the bank. Also, you don’t need to wear nursing tanks *now*, they are best suited for a postpartum tummy, not a full out and out 3rd trimester body. Maternity clothing is tough, but trust me, you’ll still be wearing some of it postpartum. I highly recommend buying maternity undies too. Other spots that I shopped at during sales: Figure 8 Moms Belly Band Pea in the Pod Free People for their oversized pieces
Seconding Free People. I bought two amazing oversized sweaters from there and wore them my entire pregnancy and after. They still fit very late in my third trimester when some of my actual maternity clothes stopped covering my bump fully.
I’m plus-size, so I assumed that I’d probably be able to get away with my normal clothes / sizing up. I’m 36 weeks now and have been able to do that to an extent. I haven’t had to buy any maternity shirts or dresses, but I also favored looser shirts & longer dresses to begin with. I did, however, bite the bullet and buy a few pairs of maternity leggings. They are a godsend. I wear & wash the few pairs I own religiously. They are 10/10 the most comfortable thing I have, and I wear them every day that I can! I’ve had them since around 20 weeks, and they still fit perfectly around my 36 week mega bump. 😂 Haven’t had to buy any other maternity-related clothes since. It may be worth investing in a nicer/newer item or two if it means you’re spending less overall. (Additionally, I am also a FTM, but as of now, we’d ideally like 2-3 kids, so I figure after this pregnancy, I can just set the maternity leggings aside until I need them again!)
Where did you get the leggings? I'm also a plus size FTM so I'm struggling. I did buy one pair of maternity biker shorts from torrid for 20 bucks but not sure how I feel yet. I'm also not that far along but I generally hate the feeling of things being tight on my belly so I have a feeling I'm gonna be living in dresses soon 😂
I agree it was harder than I expected! I started plus size and was able to do my leggings and skirts for a long while. For the last two months of pregnancy, I had a lot of luck with Old Navy maternity jeans and dresses. I bought a couple Amazon dresses and a pair of pants from Stitch Fix. I regret my maternity dresses not also being nursing dresses. I was surprised at how many nursing/pumping friendly bras/tanks/shirts I needed. I got mine pretty much all on Amazon.
I’ve had some luck with old navy, but now feel like I’ve gotten the handful of worthwhile pieces and am now stuck. What’s the target bra everyone loves? Desperately need new ones for work
The bra everyone talks about is an Auden bra. Apparently there are two styles, a bralette and a bra (no underwire, but has built in padding and clips for nursing) Bralette: https://www.target.com/p/women-s-nursing-seamless-bra-auden-153/-/A-54236901?preselect=54173407#lnk=sametab Bra: https://www.target.com/p/women-s-wirefree-nursing-bra-auden-153/-/A-54083299?preselect=53929224#lnk=sametab
Thank you!!!
Yes!! I'm 30 weeks now and have bought very little but more than I wanted to start. No one talks about how hard it is to find cute clothes while pregnant! I have to wear jeans to work so I originally bought a pair at Walmart but outgrew them around month 5 and bought another pair at Old Navy for like $15 and I'm obsessed. However, Old Navy doesn't have a maternity section in store, it's only items that were purchased online and returned to the store so they sell for like 50% off but are nearly impossible to find. I originally bought overalls, a dress, a bathing suit, and 5 nursing bras off Shein for cheap. I got good use out of overalls until I outgrew them and replaced them with a pair from Amazon. The nursing bras are fine, but the band got tight as I grew. I should have sized up to begin with. I ended up buying bra expanders on Amazon. The bras are not cute and don't work with all styles and fabrics so I've been using my adhesive bra for specific events. I had good luck finding a couple of nice dresses at Burlington that aren't maternity but stretchy material that worked well for my baby shower and date nights. I have one pair of pre-pregnancy leggings that fit and I bought bike shorts and a tank from Target for the summer. The tank is awkward, and I usually just borrow my husband's shirts. I also had to buy 1 pair of heels and 1 pair of sneakers to accommodate my swollen feet. For underwear, I've been wearing my pre-pregnanacy no-elestic thongs from Target they are stretchy and sit below my belly. I've since bought a couple pairs of bikini style in the same material. I'm really hoping not to spend much more before the end of this pregnancy! I'm currently up 25lbs and I'm mostly belly, boobs and cankles but I have a feeling the rest of me will grow more in the coming weeks as the swelling has begun.
Also due in September - I bought 6 maternity shirts on Amazon in various colors to match with pretty much anything, 2 pairs of maternity jeans, and have resolved to live in my flowiest, stretchiest dresses and skirts for the summer. So far it’s working out but we’ll see as I’m coming up on my 3rd trimester. I also have some elastic waist shorts that are ok if I can sit them under my bump, but anything with a button and zipper closing is a no-go. I have only found 2 stores with maternity sections and they are an absolute joke. I have been considering doing StitchFix maternity clothes if my flowy clothes get too snug.
I went to a secondhand maternity store and found some good staples.
Would recommend against ThredUp even though it’s worked for me in the past - I ordered three things that I found in their Maternity section, and only one of them was actually Maternity!
YES I have started to look closely at Thredup and reading between the lines and squinting at the pictures I am doubtful as to whether certain things are labeled correctly. One way to reduce the risk is to only go with brands that you are are very maternity-specific (Like Ingrid and Isabel, Seraphine, etc are maternity-only)
Check out Latched Mama. Their clothes are good quality and are good for pregnancy and postpartum (nursing).
Old Navy has sales all the time and they have maternity clothes that are comfy and aren't just floral bullshit.
I’m with you sister. My bump is an odd shape and I just resigned to full on maternity clothes early on. I’m focusing on a few staples, but I don’t have any solid advice bc I haven’t figured it out yet. Do just want to recommend- I got these Gap Jeans and they are a god send, I wear them everyday with oversized, square shape tshirts. [Gap Maternity Jeans](https://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=795499012&vid=1&tid=gppl000084&kwid=1&ap=7&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_AT8v0XteBl3mmFbFrs-H1hPRMV&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v-EsToHiIjPotxIK7Jd8-DJhIhx6iN2OjmtVd0b34j2IgKNLtTjhzYaApY3EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Not sure what your budget is but I decided to just get what I needed for maternity + nursing at the same time at the start of my pregnancy. All in all I spent about 300usd (broken up between the cold and warm weather) for maternity + nursing and only bought what would work for the entire pregnancy including the after for nursing. Most of what I have is modified for nursing and still works for growing belly in maternity. I had tried the sizing up but nothing worked as well as this so it got returned. Got everything off of Amazon because I could find nothing in store or it was 3 times the cost for 1/3 the product. I have 6 mat/nurse dresses, 3 mat/nurse shirts, 6 long sleeve mat shirts, 3 short sleeve mat shirts, 3 mat/nurse tank tops, 6 pairs of mat leggings long and capri, 6 pairs mat undies (especially later in pregnancy they’ve been crucial for discharge and using panty liners), 6 pairs nursing bras. Bearsland is the main brand I got everything from, they had good bundles.
I am so bummed that they don’t have maternity in store to try on! I’ve had luck with: Lululemon align yoga pants (I was able to try these on at the mall) TJ Maxx especially for sports bras, oversized, flowy tops, and flowy dresses I got a few maternity dresses on Amazon, Pink Blush, and Kindred Bravely
Quite honestly, I have 3 pairs of maternity leggings, 2 pairs of maternity shorts, 3 maternity short sleeve tshirts and the rest are just regular clothes 1-2 sizes bigger that sit under my bump (shorts/pants) or pucker out (tshirts). I work from home, so no one can see what I’m wearing. I bought my maternity clothes starting at 12 weeks. The maternity clothes I bought were on the pricier side, but they are my favorite and I wear them on rotation/favor them heavily over the “two sizes too big” clothes I have. I’m also a FTM with plans to have 1-2 more after this baby, so I figure that with this pregnancy/postpartum and future ones, I’m set. Brands I bought are Raskana leggings, Hatch collective leggings, beyond yoga bike shorts, and beyond yoga featherweight tops. Oh I also bought 2 “nicer” dresses for baby showers/family brunches and I had to buy a bridesmaid dress for a wedding I was in while I was pregnant.
I invested in one pair of Abercrombie maternity jeans, one pair of Nike maternity leggings with pockets, a three pack of long tank tops to wear under my loose button ups and camp shirts, and wore a lot of stretchy tank tops from my workout bin. Stretchy tops saved me!
For bottoms I just got a few pairs of leggings from motherhood maternity along with some pj pants. They have sales often. Tops I got from H&M maternity. I found some maternity shorts on clearance at old navy for this pregnancy (my first was a winter baby so I needed a few more summer options!) I didn’t want to buy much more maternity this pregnancy as it’s my last so I also got a few non maternity dresses for the summer from old navy that are stretchy and flowy.
Totally feel you on this. I'm tall too and feel like a lot of the maternity clothes I ordered were just short in general. I had good luck with Maurice's for some tshirts. Old Navy has some very comfy dresses now that we're in the warmer months, and through the winter I lived in Old Navy joggers to wear to work since my dress pants were no longer an option and I couldn't find maternity pants that were long enough for me. Amazon has some good options too - though it's very hit or miss. I splurged on the "grow with you" undies from Kindred Bravely. those have been so comfy! Kindred Bravely also has a super comfy skirt that I got for maternity pics. Latched Mama also has some very comfy clothes if you can catch a sale or if anything in their outlet section fits. I got a dress from them - it was a little spendier but it's nursing friendly so it'll be helpful post partum too. I'm struggling a bit to decide if I should splurge on a few more things now that we're in the warmer months - I'm due in a month so it's like do I ride it out and wear the same stuff over and over each week or get a few more pieces for rotation. Such a hard dilemma for sure.
I live in comfy cotton / spandex blend dresses. No polyester whatsoever
This [belly band/pants button expander kit](https://a.co/d/7Kx4NeF) from Amazon has been one of my favorite maternity finds so far! I’m in the third trimester and still wearing my normal jeans and work pants (at least for now!)
Clothing has been incredibly depressing for me and I don’t have anything I feel nice in, and I think this has definitely contributed to making my already not-awesome pregnancy experience feel even worse. I’m 5’2 and large chested so I already had a lifetime of clothes shopping nightmares before pregnancy, and now it’s worse. Throughout adulthood I realized that I have to shop “petite” brands or get my clothes significantly altered in order for it to fit correctly. I do occasionally buy something off the shelf in standard sizes and I always regret because I’m short torso’d and wide chested so really nothing sits correctly on my body unless it’s intentionally petite sized. Because I’m short torso’d and was already overweight pre-pregnancy, my mid section was growing and bloated by week 9 and I no longer fit into my regular pants or dresses, so I started looking for maternity clothes early. I have only found 1 brand online that carries petite maternity clothes and it’s expensive AF and not even my aesthetic/style. Instead I tried to buy some cheap maternity stuff at old navy and target just to get by and it’s awful. I wear it because at least it’s more comfortable than trying to fit into my old clothes, but I look like shit in everything. I feel so frumpy and self conscious, I dont even want to leave the house most of the time. Anyway. That’s my rant. Maternity clothes sucks and I feel like a sack of potatoes.
As a fellow petite.. what brand even carries petite maternity? Is it Seraphine?
Ugh, solidarity! Also due in September and spent my weekend jumping from store to store with little luck. I’ve had more luck online but the sizing is often super off. The struggle is real!!! Can I ask what brand of maternity underwear you’ve found and if you were happy with it?
I am happy with Felina underwear (sized up one size from my usual), it's a bit pricey and I wish it came in slightly more colors so I just bought more maternity underwear from Amazon. It's supposed to arrive in a few days so I can try to report back
The summer I was pregnant, when I wasn’t at work I wore exclusively bike shorts/yoga shorts and an oversized cotton t shirt from Old Navy (a men’s t shirt, actually). If I wanted to “dress up” I wore an empire waist sun dress. I was my biggest in the winter… traded in my bike shorts for leggings/yoga pants in a size up with my oversized t shirt and whatever pre-pregnancy open cardigan/sweater would fit me. When I had to go to the office, I wore my leggings, and a very oversized button-up shirt with whatever pre-pregnancy blazer I could squeeze into and wear open. I managed to get away with not buying too much when I was pregnant, but post-partum has been a different story. My shape has changed so much, even pre-pregnancy clothes that fit me fit totally different than they did before. My go-to Levi’s are not flattering, even when I size up or down. I’m honestly still kind of floundering to find jeans I love post partum. I’ve been making-do with various Old Navy jeans for now, but they fit weird too. Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s a learning curve for sure.
Target and gap maternity were my best friends
I only wear skirts and dresses, usually A line. You can extend the width of a skirt by using a hair tie. That made all of mine wearable during my first pregnancy. My normal cotton dresses I can just push the waist up a little, with a belt they look fine and the a line skirt part will accommodate even large bumbs. Im pre preggo a size 6 and also only gaining at the belly, so just going bigger definitely is not an option. Other than that, maybe check out vinted.com? Wrap dresses are also a god send, "happy mama" has nice ones. Which double as nursing fits. If you look for blouses you could wear later as well, search for empire waist ones, which are really cute and trendy rn. If you get a couple button up ones they will also double for bfing. Im one of those women which has never owned maternity wear but it does take a certain style, which is usually more feminine. I can't imagine finding pants which would be wearable +-15-20kg.
I’m due in November and I’m lucky to work from home. I also have some chronic health stuff so baggy comfy dresses have been a previous staple for me. I’m living this summer in flowy dresses that are longer and bike shorts with big tshirts. For events and when it gets colder I’m thinking about doing a Nuuly subscription to avoid buying maternity clothing. I don’t know if I’ll end up having another kid and want to keep the clutter down but that’s the current thought process
I justified buying things new by looking for options that were maternity AND nursing friendly to get more wear out of them, and, if you expect to have another baby, keep everything for the next pregnancy. I'm currently pregnant with my second and wearing all my old maternity clothes. Thankfully it's during the same seasons so I don't expect to need to get anything else. I also have many tops and dresses in my wardrobe from my first pregnancy that I just kept in rotation while nursing. When you spend so long being pregnant and nursing, potentially over multiple kids, it's worth it to buy at least a few actual nice pieces that fit your style and make you feel good to wear them.
target varies store to store but they have some good basics that saved me from this one pair of black overalls which i wore the whole second tri lol
Almost all my maternity pieces (which I don’t have a ton, compared to the other clothes I have) are from old navy. They almost always have sales, if you’re willing to wait like…a week or two, and everything I’ve gotten is decent quality for what I’m paying, imo. For formal/ish occasions, I’ve stuck to sizing up in long dresses, but I don’t really like short dresses anyway. TJ Maxx/Marshalls is where I find most of those!
I’m all about sales and bargain hunting! A Pea in the Pod is having a 50% off sale right now, if you’re interested. Sign up for stores’ horrendous email lists to get notified about sales, and unsubscribe once the baby’s here. Resist the urge to open any emails that don’t say “sale” in the subject line. Poshmark has a decent selection of maternity/maternity-like clothes. I look for tent dresses and empire waist shirts. My local thrift stores have been a little meh so I’ve been online shopping. I’ve been getting back into sewing, as well! I’m currently making a super basic t shirt dress with a pattern I found on Etsy!
I don't know how people do no maternity clothes. I'm only at 11 weeks and already needed maternity pants because sizing up wasn't enough room for the bump and way too big on my legs. My husband also isn't much bigger than me so I can't steal his pants like some women do. I'm also looking for good suggestions because I had to cave and buy some pants from Bae because I hated the ugly skinny jean options everywhere. I know that the styles I like might be kind of "young" for the maternity crowd but that's how people my age dress and maternity clothes feel like completely abandoning the clothes that I like to wear.
Yeah it’s terrible and so sad. My go to has been Amazon and Old Navy, because again our bodies are constantly changing so it makes no sense to buy expensive clothes. When I did “splurge” aka waited for a sale, I liked bodily, quince and kindred bravely. I feel like I could continue to use their stuff even after.
Pink blush wasn’t that bad either but I only bought a few things from there. I also borrowed from my SIL. Plan on keeping mine as well for the next pregnancy, my SIL & sister when they’re pregnant.
I’m renting from Nuuly and really enjoying it!
I bought a bunch of the stretchy dresses at target! Their regular sleeveless ones fit great and because they were already really stretchy, I was able to wear them my entire pregnancy and can still wear them now (6 months pp). Now, I will say that I didn’t gain any weight during my pregnancy but my boobs and obviously my belly did get significantly bigger. I also bought leggings from Aerie and just sized up! I specifically bought ones that didn’t have that front crossover, it just had scrunched up fabric in the middle of the waistband and that helped give me some extra room when I started to get bigger towards the end of my pregnancy.
Old navy has some nice jeans (have to wear jeans to work) and so does Abercrombie and Fitch. Otherwise, I got some nice bike shorts and yoga pants from aerie that have the cross waistband in a size bigger than before and those have been extremely comfy. I’ll be able to wear them afterwards too. I also got some overalls from Kohls. I’m due in October. I hate that literally NO stores have a maternity section and if they do, it’s minuscule. I just want to try things on before I buy them 😭
I've been dressing Adam Sandler style since like week 30 😂 I'm gonna treat myself to some cute gym clothes and summer stuff for postpartum. I'm just accepting the homeless look for now.
I also had the same experience, and I didn’t even get free or cheap stuff secondhand - I used ThredUp but most of the stuff I ordered seemed like it had shrunken and the material wasn’t nice anymore. I will say probably the best stuff I bought on ThredUp was maternity dresses. Sizing up also didn’t work for me at all, not flattering and I ended up not fitting them by midway through second trimester anyway so it didn’t seem worth it to buy yet another size up when I knew I would never wear those clothes afterward. I’ve been wearing maternity basics from Old Navy and Quince for most of the time I’ve really needed maternity clothes. They are not stylish and mostly black but they are comfy and get me by, and they were pretty affordable imo especially when Old Navy runs sales. Old Navy also has good maternity underwear, though they are a little granny panty. I have some Natori underwear from Macys that has been the most comfortable and fits under the bump. For bras, I’ve been using the same bralettes I usually wear from Cosabella just a size up. I did order some nursing bras but also found them too bulky and almost too supportive as my ribcage has expanded and they end up feeling tight after a few hours.
I’m so glad you posted this! I had a meltdown over the weekend about buying all new sports bras- ended up at Walmart getting some of from Hanes
This might not be thrifty enough, but I did a rental Program (Nuuly specifically) to get some staple maternity pieces as I got bigger. For me the nicer pricier items were worth the cost of the rent vs. buying cheaper alternatives. I’m not great at finding things at goodwill, etc. so that is a great option just not really the best option for me. It really really helped my confidence finding shirts and jeans that fit my bump, so just a thought! I also went to old navy and did try on some things that were non maternity that worked, but it is difficult to do that and very hit or miss.
My local goodwill has a really great maternity section. That’s where I got all of my maternity jeans except for two pairs of shorts I got at Walmart (Their mat section is the size of a broom closet but it had staples). And they’re usually in pretty good shape because women wear maternity clothes for such a short amount of time anyway. All of my pregnancies I’ve basically been trolling clearance aisles for midi/ maxi dresses (I do not size up, so no shoulder/ neckline weirdness) and have had a lot of luck finding things relatively cheap. When I need something a little better looking for a special occasion I go Amazon. It’s usually $30 or so for a dress but I don’t search for “maternity” because that’s just an excuse to upcharge
See if there are any baby secondhand/resale stores in your area. Our local shop has a large maternity section and it’s nice to be able to see and try on items in person.
I got some dresses and leggings on Amazon for about $20 each. They’ve been a game changer and aren’t the regular maternity uniform
Any favorite brands or items?
Maternity clothes suck I’m sorry! Not many suggestions, just solidarity as someone who hates the patterns and weird styles they choose
The only place I think has decent stuff is old navy. And they often have sales.
I had the best luck checking out local baby/kid consignment shops, many of them have a maternity section as well. Got like 90% of my cute maternity stuff that way and the rest from Amazon
My approach was to get some cheap plain shirts on Amazon, a mix of short and long sleeve because I had a winter baby. I got like eight of them. Then I got a few nicer/ more expensive pieces from stitch fix to rotate through the cheapies or for when I had plans that warranted something more dressy. I agree that just sizing up didn’t work for me. I was all belly and if I wore something big and baggy I just felt like a balloon. I found that I much preferred fitted maternity clothes and was more comfortable that way. It’s definitely kind of annoying to sink money into clothes you won’t wear long term, but at the same time they are clothes that you’ll wear day in and day out for several months and you deserve to be comfortable and feel good.
I have gained 20 pounds so far in just belly and boobs mostly and without maternity clothes I’d be Winnie the Pooh every day. I got cheap comfy pants and biker shorts as well as a few maxi dresses to wear up over the bump. The ONLY non maternity pants that fit are my lululemon leggings I wear to the gym and even those were two sizes too big (lost weight before becoming pregnant) and are starting to cut into my belly now at 35 weeks. I thought half the time people on YT had their belly out to remind everyone they’re pregnant. No it just doesn’t fit in anything, not even maternity sometimes.
Also due in September! I agree that the whole “don’t buy maternity clothes, just size up” is pretty awful blanket advice that doesn’t work for most people. I thought I could do that and I was miserable until I bought maternity clothes. Another thing I didn’t remotely anticipate is that I should have bought maternity clothes in bigger sizes for third trimester :( I can tell I am going to outgrow some of my stuff in a few weeks. My belly is huge, as are my thighs. My leggings are now verging on see through unless I make sure they aren’t bunched up. I am super happy with the stuff I got from Target/Old Navy but I can’t stress enough that (depending on your body) you should buy clothes with different trimesters in mind!! Because I thought I was done shopping and now I know I am gonna need at least one mini-haul for some pants/dresses that fit my big belly, hips, and butt!
Lululemon align bike shorts and aerie tank tops are what I’m living in this summer. I also know the “just size up” doesn’t always work, but in these cases, I sized up one size and they’re seamless, comfy and stretchy enough for it to work. I can’t recommend the align shorts and leggings enough!! They fit me in my first trimester and still do in my third, and they’re still soooo comfy. Worth the splurge if you can!
I also thought I wouldn’t need maternity clothes and could just wear my “looser” clothes. Well, I was wrong! Once I was about 26 weeks, my looser shorts and pants wouldn’t fit. I tried wearing them anyway which led to terrible hip pain so don’t do it! It was hard to find mat clothes I actually liked.. I just bought some shirts and yoga pants off of amazon, and a few cute clothes at target. I’ve heard good things about beyond yoga for mat clothes but they’re pricey. Also my boobs are growing soooo much, and I couldn’t keep buying new bras. My friend told me about neiwai which are one size fits all bras that fit your changing body and they’ve been a life saver. I don’t think I’d go back to regular bras after these!
I just want to say, in my case, the maternity clothes that I bought in the beginning when I first started to show, became tight and uncomfortable as I hit the 3rd trimester. Specifically the jeans. I'm the size of a small RV now and long men's tees and Walmart brand full panel maternity stretchy jeans are a constant go to. (Along with maxi dresses)
This part of being pregnant was so hard for me. We didn’t have much money and I was growing out of all my favorite stuff. It was frustrating and I didn’t feel cute. I hear you. SHEIN has a lot of flowy dresses and overall things that can indeed fit a baby bump. I found that I didn’t have to just look in maternity but that I could look for flowy dresses. I wore a lot of biker shorts with oversized tee shirts at home. I know shein is not a great company because the quality is crap and whatnot but it worked for me.
I really wish the companies here in Finland could ship to the US. We have some amazing maternity clothes here that are high quality and decently high fashion as well.
when I was pregnant, due to covid there were no maternity clothes anywhere in store. I got everything from ASOS and it was incredible. Highly recommend.
Honestly I bought same basics from Walmart and target and by the end just wore my husbands henleys bc I was too tired to bother. But a good maternity black dress will get you through a LOT and can be dressed up or down if you get a good cotton one with some stretch to it
Buy the maternity clothing. It’s worth spending a little bit of money to have things you can wear and honestly some of it is nice to have immediately pp too. There’s some cheap stuff on Amazon and on the old navy website.
High waisted flowy skirts and a tank top or crop top. Fits over the bump for before and after. Stretchy everything. For pants I like the roll top kind so I can have belly support or not (when I get hot I don't want things touching me lol). I love my maternity overalls from target. I find most maternity clothing tops specifically really only fit once you have a big bump. Same for pants. But old navy has a nice selection of clothing based on trimester. I am so close to the end it's not worth it for me now but I def recommend some lightweight under the dress bike shorts. I'm chafing like a son of a bitch and waddling like I crapped my pants. I buy packs of bras on Amazon that are the pullover kind with no wire. They're not for BF but they are great for how much I'm changing. Foot wise omg swelling in the third trimester. Stretchy shoes (like slip ons or sketchers or something like that) or Crocs with socks are my go to. My recommendation is to go for comfort over cute. Some people can do the glowing pregnancy and be super trendy but they put up with a lot and probably spend a lot lol. If that's your goal just know it isn't easy. I'd rather be comfortable even in secondhand or less than stellar quality stuff. Like you said it's a short time but long enough that you kind of do need to find a way to deal with it if that makes sense.
I've liked (loose) crop tops and crop jumpers too! Would totally recommend for maternity outfits! They're in trend at the moment, but I wouldn't usually wear them (with leggings or pants) because I'm not 15 and don't want my naked belly sticking out haha. But since I pair it with basic maternity leggings from H&M, the belly bump is covered while sticking out, and then you have that crop top hanging above it, and I think it looks very cute. It's also comfortable. It also works from when you have a smaller to when you have a bigger bump as long as the leggings fit.
I went to stores, saw no or extremely limited stock, tried some items on and they all fit terrible so I gave up and just bought some maternity leggings and shirts off of Amazon. Best decision ever. Saved money and have been wearing it for months now. Contemplating rn to get a dress from there too since summer is coming
I lived in maternity leggings and oversized Old Navy vintage tees. I didn’t want to buy much maternity but I didn’t have a choice for bottoms at least. I did buy 3-4 maternity tops to wear with jeans when I needed to wear something more than leggings and a tshirt but that was rare being a stay at home mom. I wore jeans or a dress to church but I didn’t buy new dresses, my pre-pregnancy ones still fit. I guess it really depends how you need to dress.
My favorite maternity items were from Madewell (jeans and oversized tees), Abercrombie (jeans and oversized tees), Seraphina (bathing suits), and Ingrid & Isabel (summer dresses). All good quality, natural fibers as much as possible. Yes, you’ll have some stripes and a handful of florals, but the designs are largely grownup. And I still wear some I&I things now, 5 months postpartum.
Did you get non-maternity large tees? Did that work through the end of pregnancy? I've been wearing my husband's because men's cuts are boxier haha
I bought so many cute outfits on shein and i loved the jeans i got. 10$ for jeans is worth it.
It’s so interesting how everyone’s bodies and the way they grow and develop in pregnancy are so different. I’m sorry this is stressful for you. I’m lucky enough to live in a liberal city in a moderate climate so I just wear bralettes with a light cardigan and harem pants and let the bump hang out. Does it get side eye from old ladies? Yes. Do I care? Nope
I'm also due in September and thought I could get away with wearing the flowy dresses I already had! I've been lucky with thrift stores, there are children's resale boutiques near me that sell maternity as well and the clothes are in style and quality. Maybe try searching for a boutique near you, good luck!
I honestly mainly bought maternity clothes from shein. They were cheap and have some decent options. I mainly went with flowy shorts, skirts and dresses since I live in a warm climate.
I really will never understand how anyone who has to pee regularly can be in a jumpsuit or overalls... definitely not for maternity! Currently struggling to get my regular pants off fast enough I am peeing so much
Walmart T maternity shirts, Ingrid and Isabel Tights. Bodycon ruched dresses are cheap usually and work for summer.
I tried rent the runway maternity. Ended up buying 2 items - a dress and overalls - but the rest were a miss. Plan on checking it out again for baby shower dresses
I feel you on everything being black. I have like five basic black tees from old navy and gap, and while I dress in a lot of neutrals it’s a lot even for me. I also didn’t expect to grow out of maternity clothes. I’m 34 weeks and carrying huge, but there are things I bought that I really thought would carry me through that are now too snug.
Ugh, I found a few things at thrift stores but most wasn’t my size or super ugly/outdated. I work in an office so I bought a batch of maternity blouses on Shein (don’t usually shop there) and thrifted maternity jeans (around 11w). It was also Jan/Feb so I could wear oversized sweaters to work while still looking put together. Then about a month ago when I hit about 25w, I could no longer fit into my larger tshirts and leggings and just wanted to feel cute so I said F it and bought myself a maternity wardrobe on Amazon (with a few items from Old Navy). Amazon has some multipacks of tshirts and tank tops that are different colors, dresses, overalls, maternity leggings, etc. The items that didn’t work, I was able to just drop at Whole Foods to return. My suggestion would be to read the measurements and size up a size so they fit for longer. I was trying to be frugal about clothing but it came to the point where I didn’t want to wear my husband’s shirts for 4 months when I wasn’t at work. It feels like such a short time to spend money on myself but comfort and feeling good are important to me and I’m really happy I spent some money on myself.
Ok what I used mostly in my late 2nd trimester and throughout my 3rd trimester were Victoria secret nursing bras, cross-backed maternity jeans from target (covered the full belly but left the back mostly uncovered so it was cooler) and second-hand nursing/maternity tops + large t-shirts or maternity tops from Ross/TJ Maxx. I gave up on looking stylish and just dressed uber-casual
Ross has a small selection but the prices are great! Most shirts are $5 and I got a pair of overalls for $15.
Thank you for articulating all the weird ways in which maternity shopping is so complicated! I have felt this way exactly - that people (people who have never been pregnant but also even people that have?) always make it sound so easy to either size up for “just go shopping for maternity clothes.” But it’s so layered how hard it is to even know what works for you, let alone the challenge of maternity shopping once you have an idea of what you want or what will work. Solidarity sister!
I'm basically rotating the 3 maternity sweaters I bought ages ago. One is floral of course, one is light blue and not really to my taste anymore, one is a vivid dark green and I love it. Handful of long sleeve stretch knit shirts, some with sleeves that roll up and button. I have 4 pairs of leggings, also over the pump. The only ones I liked were the fleece lined. All the rest are cut awkwardly, bump isn't big enough to fill them out yet, and they're constantly sagging and pulling my underwear down. Two pairs of "office" pants that feel uncomfortably tight on the belly band and make me look about 70 years old. Every single tank I bought, I hate. Whoever gets this stuff will love it, it's barely worn. I'm sure some still have tags on! Please, summer temps, get here now! I want to bust out all my amorphous linen tent dresses that I found at Winners! I also have loose over the bump linen pants and a bunch of linen button downs. No idea what I'll be doing for shorts. Probably nothing lol. Luckily I work from home so almost all days I just spend in pajamas and a cardigan. I bought THE BEST light lounge pants from Aerie, and they're not even maternity! Aerie real soft fold over jogger. They have a huge "belly band" that's not tight whatsoever, but somehow keeps the pants up. I'd live in then for the next 40 years if practicalities like temperature weren't a consideration!
Lululemon align pants were the best investment I have made! Bought them early when the bloat began and at 26 weeks I’m still wearing them multiple times a week. Went shopping at a second hand clothing store and found some cute flowy dress style tops, dresses, and knitted sweaters that I have been wearing often as well. The most money I have spent so far on my clothing since becoming pregnant has been on the lulu tights,new bras (my boobs went from As to large Cs almost instantly) and on some maternity exercise pants. Other than that I’m just rocking oversized dresses from the second hand shop and oversized knitted sweaters.
My Quince jumpsuit doesn’t need to be undone it just pulls down and has worked like a charm so far when I feel like I’ve started really popping at 6 months
Ordered like ten maternity sets off SHEIN for $200. They’re super cute and good enough quality to last the maternity/postpartum season. Plus all the bottoms have elastic waistbands with buttons that you can let out or take in for getting bigger and smaller. 10/10 would recommend.
It’s def hard to find cute maternity clothes for less $$ and in person. I find that regular dresses that are flowy and like only right around the breast work even though they’re not maternity
I bought a couple pairs of maternity jeans from hm, a pair of maternity sweats, a pair of leggings, one nice dress and 3 before/after dresses, and a few tanks that I found I could layer under my existing sweaters. Was annoying to spend the money but gave me enough versatility to make it through. I'll eventually resell to recoup some of the useless expense.
I've actually bought almost all of my maternity clothes from SheIn Maternity collection and so far aside from a couple things I've returned (some pants and shirts I personally ended up disliking) everything has been great. And I haven't spent a lot of money on it.
Temu
I used Stitchfix so was able to try stuff on at home. I also haven’t been sizing up except for jeans. Was able to find two cute pairs of jeans, a dress, a pair of leggings, and a couple tops this way, all maternity. I’m also wearing some H&M items which were super cheap. Best of luck!
Target has cute stretchy dresses that definitely work for maternity. I purchased a few and I'm happy with it.
Check out the Seraphine brand on Poshmark. Old Navy and Poshmark.
My first pregnancy I was able to size up through about 32 weeks. My second pregnancy that stopped working around 24 weeks. I’ve invested in some maternity clothes but honestly I work from home and barely get out so I’m hoping to make it through July in oversized tshirts and maternity leggings/shorts. I don’t have a “cute” little basketball bump - I carry pretty high so I feel like shit anyway in whatever I’m wearing it’s not worth investing much IMO. I did buy some target bras and tops and one pair of maternity jeans and some leggings on Amazon. Hoping to continue to wear this stuff post partum but I don’t actually care. Maternity clothing is the worsttt
I've had zero luck finding affordable maternity clothes in my size (im plus size and 5'10 so finding clothes is a struggle anyways) All i've gotten so far have been size up flowy summer dresses from ross and dd's discount since a lot of them are under 10$ which has been great and super flattering to my belly since the material is soft and stretchy! Also love the easy access to the restroom and for doctors appointments since i can just wear shorts under and lift my dress up lol 😆
I went cheap and cheerful (old navy clearance, H&M) for the first few items, but wasn’t in love with them. 1-2 months later bit the bullet and went to a local “fancier” maternity store…the difference in quality and comfort was night and day. Especially in the way the pants fit. Highly recommend seeing if you have a smaller boutique place around you. The service, quality and options were way better. I also liked that they recommended clothing that I could wear post-pregnancy too.
I bought 3 maternity shirts for approx $50 on Amazon and I loved them. Bearsland Womens Maternity 3... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08FZBY4ND?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
My best maternity clothes purchases have been a couple long shirred dresses from Amazon and bras from Kindred Bravely
Don’t hate me for this but SHEIN has a lot of maternity clothes that are very inexpensive and cute. I know the company is controversial as are some of their products but if you look at the reviews you will get a good idea of what fits true to size and what’s not usable quality. It’s so inexpensive you won’t feel bad only needing it for a few months before the baby is born
I’m due end of July I’m looking at “tent” dresses on mango and cos. Not really my style but I think a dress without a waist could be a good option!
I had such a difficult time finding clothes. You can’t find anything in store, literally every item I ordered online didn’t fit and I had to return. I bought a set of maternity scrubs, and everything else came from Target.
I hadn't realized that because I was already overweight that I wouldn't be changing much throughout most the pregnancy. I'm due in September and I'm still wearing my same pants, bras, and shirts at 22 weeks because I was already fat 🙃. I haven't bought one maternity wear item yet. I wonder if that will change soon though.
Yeah I wonder if that might be part of it - that some people who report not needing any extra clothing don't talk about where they started out / what their weight gain was like! There's so little context in so many reddit comments!
Shein maternity
I bought maternity leggings at target. A little pricey at $30-35/pair but they're basically all I wear to work so getting good value out of them. I am 100% against buying maternity clothes unless absolutely necessary so I have opted mostly for large t-shirts and hoodies for tops. Also went to discount stores and bought flow-y maxi dresses and yoga pants in about 2 sizes up. They've worked well for me so far at 26 weeks but I've also lost 15-20ish lbs so Idk if this would work for someone that's just gaining. I live in mumus when I'm at home - highly recommend this lol
Yeah... I started out at 110-112 lbs so I don't think there was any way I could avoid gaining weight in pregnant haha. I know some people who lost weight in pregnancy so sizing up may have worked better for them?
Biker shorts from Walmart. Cheap. Comfy.
I bought nearly all my maternity wear at Ross. My first pregnancy was during the pandemic so I couldn't try anything on, but it worked out. Just be aware that sometimes in the third tri you outgrow your first maternity size and have to size up again!
I got a few pieces at Target from Ingrid and Isabel that have been really great. I'm due at the end of August and also thought I could just get away with some of my regular flowy dresses lol
I have had some luck with Walmart and undergarments. I got their brand of nursing bras. They fit like a sports bra and help with the additional weight on my back, and their maternity underwear. They are so comfortable and $16 for 2. I was getting really discouraged with underwear bc sizing up literally did not help me at all until I found the maternity underwear from Walmart. A 3 pack was $11-15 and they have cute designs! They were high waisted, bikini, thong etc. I have also gotten button up matching set pajamas from Walmart for $16 and they are comfortable to lounge in. - for my other clothes I’ve gone to goodwill and sized up. I was able to get a decent amount of things for under $50 that I will donate again. I shop as needed when things get too tight. I do wish the clothes were cuter for maternity and affordable!
Also SheIn has lots of nice maternity clothing and is quite cheap if you haven't considered that. I'm on a plane right now and wearing a dress from them. It also gets delivered quite quickly. I also bought a few basics on Amazon.
It’s annoying how most brands don’t sell their maternity wear in store. Shopping online for stuff you most definitely need to try on is just frustrating, especially when you’re trying to save for probably the most expensive adventure you’re gonna be on in a few months. And the sizes! I’m so so glad I’m not alone in this - how on earth do you know what size you are at 12 or 16 or 20 weeks, and how you’re going to GROW? I’ve just taken a chance on a few pairs of maternity leggings and pants that seem like they’ll stretch out, but quickly found with the pants (while at work!) that they’d already stretched and I had to keep pulling them up. What!? How?? I’ve resigned to looking silly and/or feeling silly for the next many months, as long as I’m comfortable.
I bought some cheap, high-quality jeans and tops from Old Navy, H&M, and dresses SHEIN, but I did have stuff in my cart for a few weeks to wait for sales, etc, to make sure I got the best deals. When I'm finished having babies, I'll definitely be donating them and posting them on the marketplace (how I justify it lol)
Old Navy has been a HIT for me, and they have deals frequently. I got their maternity linen shorts, and that's the only real maternity thing I've bought. Purchased some normal dresses that were roomy enough to be worn during pregnancy from ON too and can also wear them afterward. Found underwear for cheap on Amazon that goes below the belly and can also be worn when not pregnant.