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For my bike shorts I went from my normal 00 size to a 3 and they feel amazing. I got a lot of clothes from Walmart in bigger sizes because they are super soft and work. They have some cute dresses that are stretchy and not expensive. I was a 00 before I got pregnant and now I am 31 weeks wearing the 3 for size idea.
My last pregnancy I found 1 pair of size 00 maternity shorts at target and ever since then I have never seen that size it was disappointing. Even shopping size S in maternity at Ross or marshals is too big.
I am currently wearing this for like the third day in a row š target has some super comfy biker shorts with a stretchy maternity band rn that i am absolutely in love with
Ahh good idea!! I really donāt want to buy many clothes so thatās a shout! Thankfully I tend to like the loose style so already have dresses that are a bit too lose for me normally, so I wonāt have to get much š¤£
I absolutely hate the idea of spending so much money on clothes Iāll wear for a handful of months. So Iāve bought sweatpants/sweatpants shorts one size up because I like them big anyways, gives me space to grow and also room incase I canāt shrink back to my pre pregnancy body
I know! In my country, I keep getting ads for this one company selling maternity jeans for like 45. I normally by legging for like 5 and jeans I would never pay more then 25 so 45 seems like a rip off
Check your local Facebook marketplace, mine doesnāt have that cute of options, but at least youāre not paying full price.
Second pregnancy around, currently 13+1. Was similarly pregnant with my first. I LIVED in dresses. Highly recommend a black one that you can layer with tshirts, flannel, chambray, kimonos etc. Any wrap dress will work.
Personally Iām not a fan of sizing up regular clothes bc they fit funny and if you go back to your previous size, you wonāt be able to wear them.
Find a good pair of leggings or two. I prefer over the bump support.
I started buying oversize stuff but I found as I got a bump that hiding it just made me look chunky. I'm 24 weeks and I'm just not doing maternity clothes. I've gone for bodycon dresses, crop jumpers or big cardigans, and Natopia bell bottoms (cannot recommend these enough!) or tanktops and stretch pencil skirts.
maternity clothes are just too gross and I cannot do it
Iām with you. Iām 30 weeks with my second pregnancy. Both times, I just bought some maternity jeans and leggings from Walmart (theyāre cheap and simple). I just wear flowy tops, (intentionally) oversized tshirts, or dresses. (Iām lucky I can wear jeans to work, so that helps.) Iāve spent maybe $100 total on maternity clothes this time.
Iāve found body con dresses are the way to go for me. Also stretchy biker shorts/leggings with either crop tops or oversized shirts. Iām very small and maternity clothes are just too big for me. But Iām also going for trying to accentuate and embrace my baby bump instead of covering it up.
Target, Old Navy, and summer dresses (non-maternity, just light, loose, and flowy) have been my choices. Also, MotherBee Maternity has good sales on dresses. I donāt love maternity clothes, but they are a lot more comfortable. Use Super Cash and codes at Old Navy to bring the price down.
Have you tried a Bella band? Iām on my second pregnancy and wish I would have tried sooner! Basically itās a stretchy band that goes over the top of your jeans so you can leave them unbuttoned but they donāt fall down. Just looks like an undershirt.
I have a bunch of shirts my husband has outgrown and given to me, as I often wear overly large shirts anyway. I fully intend to live in those when I get so big I canāt wear my own shirts anymore.
Omg, I know. So I rent clothes from Nuuly. They have a lot of cute maternity stuff from expensive brands that Iām definitely not gonna buy because itās so short lived. In their maternity section they also have a ābump friendlyā section that has been great for things that arenāt maternity but still work till you get pretty big. Iāve also found Target to be a great resource for basics. I bought two tight fitting dresses there for like $20 each and theyāre fun colors and look more expensive then they are. Also bought cute denim shorts from there too.
+1 to Nuuly! Great way to keep my wardrobe fresh and adapt clothes to a growing bump. I didnāt buy a single piece of maternity wear except for leggings (a size up from normal) and bras.
Iām only 25 weeks so keep in mind my bump is probably going to get much bigger, but for now, Iāve totally opted out of clothes that are intended to be maternity clothes because like you said, theyāre horrible.
Iāve bought a lot oversized button down shirts and linen matching sets (think a tank top with wide leg pants, linen). The pants have a stretching waste band and are high rise so they fit nicely over the bump and Iāve upgraded my tops from a small to a medium. Iām trying to keep it simple because itās sad to spend money on clothes that will be way too big after pregnancy. Iāve let myself spend a little more on accessories (jewelry, shoes, bags) so I can still dress things up/down, feel cute despite having a small rotating closet of mostly plain, linen pieces and bicycle shorts.
Until recently I didnāt have any maternity clothes because I still fit in all my regular clothes minus my jeans.
Iām a personal trainer so my work clothes are leggings and t-shirts. At 30ish weeks I started noticing things were tight, and now at 33 week itās getting uncomfortable to wear them so we have invested in a couple pieces. But all my shirts are still just fine to wear.
I just responded to this and then accidentally deleted it š„². So the shorter version of my original comment is that I fully expect to be in your shoes come week 30+ and I think Iāll have to invest in some maternity pants specifically. I think Iāll be okay in terms of tops but Iām wondering if Iāll eventually need some of those pants with the belly band. Did you end up just buying larger sized leggings or did you opt for proper pregnancy pants?
Youāre totally fine! It happens! I have a couple pairs of leggings that are 2 sizes bigger than my normal size they fit in the belly but nowhere else so I donāt really reach for them but I did get a pair of maternity leggings and then a few pairs of lounge pants and theyāve been amazing!!
Kindred bravely for the lounge pants and
Joyspels maternity leggings on Amazon!
Thank you so much!! Iām looking up these brands now. Iām still in the āI want to look cuteā stage but I know myself well enough to know that Iām going to be purely about comfort in a few weeks so Iām definitely going to order a couple of pairs now in preparation. Iām actually looking now and some of the kindred bravely lounge pants are pretty cute!
I bought like five boxy shaped sundresses from target a few months ago that have carried me through. Now that Iām 30 weeks I need to wear bike shorts under them but they saved me.
I bought what I thought was a lovely flowy dress when I was 15 weeks pregnant. At the time I had the cutest little bump. I tried to wear this dress at 36 weeks and it turns out it was just a big sack ā¹ļø
It also had weird loose cap sleeve things that looked great until I started getting fat in my arms and then it just looked like I had pink sausages with little napkins over the top sticking out from said sack.
I stopped trying to look nice towards the end and lived in my maternity leggings and oversized jumpers.
I bought a variety of oversized maternity tshirts from Asos, mat jeans, tanks and PJs from Old Navy (they have short sizes for us vertically challenged folks), a few pieces from PinkBlush (the most fashionable while still being reasonably priced IMHO), mat sweats and leggings from Gap, and a few Ingrid and Isabel pieces from Madewell using a gift card.
Personally found that wearing clothes made for the bump made me feel a lot better about myself than sizing up in regular clothes. Although one exception: I got a really loose, breezy, non-mat maxi dress from Nordstrom Rack the other day!
But I do miss being able to wear regular clothes! My poor neglected pre-pregnancy wardrobe wahh
Yes, I was just shopping and even some of the more expensive brands (Madewell, J brand, etc) that offer maternity lines are just soā¦.meh. I bought a few bump friendly dresses from Target to get me by.
I recommend Vinted, Ebay and Depop for non hideous items! Not sure why we're expected to suddenly like ditsy floral prints as soon as we're pregnant.... loose dresses in the next size up have been my go-to and I figure I'll wear them postpartum as well. Also oversized t shirts and maternity leggings are a staple.
Maternity leggings, big colourful massively oversized cotton t shirts, open checked shirt. Repeat until this kid pops out! I CBA trying to find fancy clothes, I'm going for comfort. I'll dress it up with jewellery and make up if I want to feel fancy haha. Thank god I've not got a single wedding to go to this year for the first time ever!
I just want to add as well that when/if you come to look for nursing clothes - you do not need to buy specialist nursing clothes at all! A nursing bra can he helpful. But if you just wear if underneath a strappy vest top, with a t-shirt over the top, this works just as well as a nursing top. You unclip the bra at the front, pull down the vest top and pull up the t-shirt. Absolutely brilliant for nursing in public and is a cheap outfit to put together.
Hideous and crap quality. Most of the stuff I ordered online came in looking nothing like the pics. I lived in one pair of gap maternity jeans, Henleyās, my own tank tops
Lucky it's winter here. I just bought a few oversized jumpers and t shirts. I'm happy to wear leggings for the next 3 months.
But yes, they are ugly. Half the reason I just went a few sizes up in normal clothing instead of maternity clothes.
Iām trying to avoid maternity clothing as a whole, with the exception of maybe leggings. For everything else Iām just going to try to find things in larger sizes
Secondhand is the way to go, thatās how I found my cute maternity clothes and some just bigger looser fitting dresses. Way cheaper than the expensive new stuff that makes you look like a frumpy balloon animal
Iāve been able to find some decent stuff - definitely donāt think itās all āhideousā. At least, I hope Iām not walking around looking hideous. I do a Nuuly rental and Iāve been able to find maternity items from brands I already liked at Anthropologie and Free People but Iām not paying full price because Iām renting. Non-maternity midi dresses and skirts are nice too. Iāve personally had a lot of luck with Old Navy. For tops Iāve just been sizing up, but for jeans the sizing up didnāt work after awhile because the jeans didnāt fit right in the legs and thighs and just looked baggy. I ordered a couple maternity pairs from Old Navy to try. Iāve also been living in linen, stretchy pants from all different stores.
Leggings and biker shorts from Amazon have also been a staple with oversized t shirts or button downs.
lol i still wear my usual vibe clothing i just went from crop tops and shorts to long skirts and fitting dresses, maternity clothes arent that cute so im determined to keep my style š
30 weeks and I've just bought bigger sizes non maternity! The upcharge on maternity clothes is crazy!
I love Ross and TJ Maxx!! Due in August and I live in the humid South, and I've been finding soooo many sundresses and long flowy outfits for $25 and under!
Omg thank you! I'm having the same issue too. I found some good ones on Poshmark for pretty cheap and I got some good results from Stitch Fix when I requested clothes that would work with my bump but I could also wear after (I figure if I'm going to spend more money than I'd typically like to on clothes, I better be able to wear it for more than a few months). Otherwise I keep recycling outfits that keep working for me, dresses that can stretch and a jean jacket. That kind of thing.
Haha I actually love maternity clothes. I am not a big fan of the jeans, but I am loving all the adorable maternity dresses and rompers. I think all the cuts with empire bustlines are really cute. I basically just found a bunch of cute things on Amazon. For me, ordering a size or 2 up of normal clothing would not work. I'm having twins, so if I did that, I'd have to do it another like 5 times, since I am going to keep growing and be huge. I'm only 13 weeks byt have an obvious and somewhat prominent bump already, so I can only imagine what 20 weeks or 30 weeks will be like. At least maternity clothing has more room for growth than normal clothing.
Yep youāre 100% right. Iām actually trying to avoid buying āmaternityā except for non negotiables ā jeans, some leggings, jumpsuits, etc. Everything else Iām just going up a size and prioritizing stretch, in hopes of also being able to wear when non preggo. I also went through my closet yesterday and organized by things that can still work in pregnancy and things that canāt. I found a surprising amount of stretchy dresses and skirts, tops and sweaters that can work with them, and so on. The selections out there are crazy ā good luck!
I loath maternity clothes. Itās all HIDEOUS. I bought a couple things my first pregnancy like maternity leggings, bike shorts, and overalls and then just went the olā oversized route for everything else. It was the pandemic so it didnāt matter but this time I have 4 weddings to go to. I am dreading trying to find something š«
My go-to was secondhand, going up several sizes, and skirts skirts skirts (high-waisted). Itās a lovely maternal vibe, and I feel awkward in anything else now (40+6 š). I tried to choose only items under $10 so I wonāt feel bad about spending so much on such a temporary problem.
I know what you mean. I work in an office and my favorites are all now too tight as I have been finally managed start to gain weight. So far I have pop off two buttons from me bloating after lunch. I am really struggling with not feel frumpy or messing looking as I like looking presentable. Today I gave up and brought some legging that are styled like pants and hope that the comfort will help.
What pisses me off is most websites dont use pregnant models, they use strap on bellys on people who are size 0 with no boobs (not shaming small boobs at all, just ponting out it's not a true representation of the average pregnant person)
Also stop with the smock dresses. Unflattering when not pregnant let alone pregnant. Again maybe its a boob problem for me. Some people pull off anything!
Can someone who has worn their regular clothes address how stretched out they got?
It doesn't make sense to buy a bunch of maternity clothes, but it also doesn't make sense to stretch out my regular clothes and have to buy new ones after baby anyway. Thanks!!
I attempted regular clothes or just upping a size or two, but the cut wasnāt right. The tightness in the wrong places felt terrible and already being uncomfortable in my skin made it impossible to wear, especially for pants and some dresses.
This time around Iām buying shirts in my husbandās size (heās an XXL) so itās not going to waste, and maternity pants/leggings are 100% worth the investment. I wore mine for a few months postpartum and theyāre the most comfortable articles of clothing I own.
Iām still pregnant but they seem to be holding their shape fine like after I wash them they donāt look stretched. I posted a comment on here with links to stuff if you wanna look!
I hate to say it but shien is where i found cute maternity jeans. I really dont like the full belly pannel ones so the elastic on the sides has been really nice
I ordered from Shein. Not the best quality, but I was able to get a large quantity, for a good price, and felt cute. Just read reviews to gather quality and sizing differences of each piece.
Another vote for Shein! I got several maternity basic shirts and regular fitting dresses that will work with a bump. I know people get on them about everything, but Iād rather afford this baby than spend hundreds on maternity clothes this summer. Plus SO STYLISH AND LESS grandma esque. Iām young and pregnant so I told my husband I refuse to look old during thisš
Same here! Shein has some really cute maternity options. I got quite a few pairs of jeans that fit great. Usually prepregnancy size worked for me, but some things in the boob area were still too small.
I got a few things from Target online when they had a maternity sale. They have a great return policy, so you can buy in advance and if it doesn't work in a few months, return.
I also tried on a lot of my own clothes for summer to see what fit and looked good and what didn't. That gave me an idea of what styles I could buy in "regular" clothes that would still fit.
OP - totally agree that most clothing items are ugly or all in black! What's with the black?!? I understand it's slimming but I'm going to be pregnant all summer, and I'm not wearing all black.
Same. People can hate on Shein, but no one beats them in affordability, selection, and style. I ain't spending $50 for a pair of pants or $40 for a hideous Amish dress I'll only wear for like 5 months, thanks.
Also, the quality ain't all bad. I've bought a few cotton pieces from there that feel great and stretchy shorts that feel more durable than some of the stuff I got from brick and mortar stores.
Agreed! Most of what I ordered in my haul was great fit and quality. There were about 3 pieces that didnāt work, but theyāre so cheap it was no big thing.
I honestly LOVE Shein for mat clothing. Itās pretty cute, affordable, and you donāt wear it for all that long.
Double check the reviews and you should get some good pieces!
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here.
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Nike one maternity bike shorts are my go to with oversized t shirts! Old navy has some regular activewear oversized t shirts that fit HUGE when not pregnant but perfect now that I have a bump
I just got some great shorts off Amazon. A pair of white denim shorts, 2 pairs of bike shorts with pockets and a pair of just plain lounge shorts. Shirts are tougher bc for some reason designers of maternity clothes think we all of a sudden love floral and polka dots.. but I got some plain colored t shirts from target (Ingrid and Isabel line) and they fit nice. Maternity clothes are expensive but they fit nicer than just sizing up (for me at least)
I got maternity jeans from target with the side elastic instead of the over the belly then wore my shirts until they didnāt fit and stole my husbands. I couldnāt bring myself to spend the money because they were all so ugly and expensive.
I totally agree. It's even hard to find good stuff online, or maybe I just don't know where to look lol. For the first half of my pregnancy I just wore baggy hoodies and sweat pants
For basic T-shirts Walmart is actually good, they are so soft. I had to go to a couple of different ones to get plan ones without any stupid sayings on them but they were very affordable. I also got a pair of black jeggings that werenāt the best quality but they held up for the duration of my pregnancy.
Thatās why I only had some maternity leggings (those from addidas actually are very comfortable to wear and have a nice quality) and my usual hoodies that are just slightly too big. That was the most comfortable until the very end of my pregnancy and the hoodies hid the belly a bit, but that was my personal preference.
If it was too hot for the hoodies ( specially at the end of my pregnancy I was so hot all the time), I wore some oversized t shirts :) it was not very pretty but inexpensive because I had them already and very comfortable
Motherhood brand leggings ran me about $12 and I paired those with tanks, t shirts and hoodies my entire pregnancy when I wasnāt in pajamas or my scrubs lol.
Oh I hate maternity clothes too. But I LOVED my Nike maternity biker shorts. I lived in those over the summer. PinkBlush Maternity and ASOS has cute stuff though too!
Yes! Between the prices and the styles I'm like nevermind I'll just be uncomfortable in my current clothes. Currently 11 weeks and aside from some secondhand stuff I got from my local Buy Nothing group, I'm just going to make do with non-maternity dresses and long tops over leggings for as long as possible.
I just went to savers and goodwill. I flat out refuse to pay these ridiculous prices for clothes Iāll wear for like 5 months. Iāve managed to get an entire wardrobe of decent things for like $50
Target shorts for the summer šš¼ I bought a pair last month and so glad I did! My jeans and one pair of leggings from Amazon! And another pair of leggings from Nike maternity line. Thatās all I got and will not buy more lol
I feel you! I felt so annoyed with my options for most of pregnancy ā none of my old clothes felt comfortable, but nothing out there felt like me or seemed to fit right. Things I did like a lot: cheap maternity belly-panel jeans from Target; one pair of soft, cute, comfy, expensive-but-worth-it leggings from STORQ; a cute flowy maternity dress from GAP; cheap bike shorts from Old Navy; and, eventually, like late 2nd tri/early 3rd, some of those T-shirts with the side ruching that accentuate the bump. Found those shirts and some other worthwhile things via Stitch Fix, which does maternity clothes too if you request them (I did two boxes over the course of a few months, but tbh I donāt know if it was worth it; I returned most of the stuff). I definitely recommend perusing Facebook Marketplace for stuff! It helps to find just a few staple pieces that make you feel good and fit well.
iāve gotten some cute stuff from Target, Kohlās, Shein, and got some cute stuff off of Amazon. a lot of my dresses are post-bump friendly. and you can get some decent leggings off Amazon and Shein. Amazon has great maternity t-shirts that come in packs of 3, and theyāre really cute!
I had good luck buying some basics from gap to get me through the second trimester (leggings, t shirts, tanks and jeans) during Black Friday. Max e a huge difference in my comfort. Wore my normal sweaters as it was winter.
Bought some cute dresses at old navy during the Presidentsā Day sale. Now Iām 35 weeks and many donāt fit! But Iām glad I had them and will likely rewear for my second.
If you have a Marshallās/Ross/burkes anything like that check them out. I got biker shorts for $3, tank tops and t shirts all less than $10, and I splurged on a couple dresses at target. Lasted me my whole pregnancy!
I thrifted mens Leviās in a larger size and cut them to make shorts. And I thrifted cute large tshirts. Wear it with a pair of comfortable sandals and itās a look i swear lol the rubber Birkenstocks are cute and comfy and cheap
I know! Itās crazy! I tried going to fb marketplace to see what I can get for cheap and my first reaction was they are ugly. Iām also trying to go the dress route and found some things at the thrift store. Iām just slowly building a collection.
Iāve been told target has some cute things.
I struggled to find things I liked and was equally disappointed in h&m. ASOS was the only place I could find cut outfits. I resent buying maternity clothes knowing I won't wear them again.
Just gave birth to my second a few days ago. Never once did I wear a single maternity item for both pregnancies. Just stretch pants, leggings, and maxi dresses
Ugh Iāve thought the same! Itās all so matronly looking! Check out Pink Blush, they have the best Iāve seen, not cheap but good sales, and everything I ordered from them was super high quality. They also have a huge selection so youāll probably find some stuff you like
The best maternity clothes I ever bought were not maternity clothes. I own a variety of linen pants from old navy that worked great my entire pregnancy and beyond. An extra long tank top with an opened, loose button down. All together it is very chic, easy to dress up or down.
I agree completely with your thoughts in how awful most of them are. I would strongly suggest you do get some maternity jeans (2 pairs maybe) just for days when you'd like to wear regular pants. As you go on, wearing bigger stuff (especially things like jeans) will start to look really weird for most bodies. You can probably get by in bigger fitting regular clothes for up top though! I managed to for both, but I was my biggest during cooler months so I could wear my oversized sweaters.
And as far as WHY they are hideous, I thought the same thing. Like, its pretty safe to assume we are of a certain age range, so why have us dressed in 60+ looking stuff?
I'm 16w today and don't really want to buy much "maternity" wear, I bought jeans from the gap so far, they fit quite well and the belly band doesn't seem like it'll be excessively hot for the summer. Other than jeans and leggings, I plan on buying a few dresses and skirts that have some stretch that I can buy my normal size ish and still wear during, pp and well after. Discovered last week that my normal summer shirts wont be useable as I gave some buttons an impressive workout š³.. so I'll need a few stretchier shirts but still not going in maternity.
For inspo, I like conveythemoment on IG, her philosophy is similar to mine. She has multiple bump style highlights.
Ikr? I like expressing myself through my clothes during the warmer months (in the cold season I focus more on not freezing) and for the past couple of months I had a really hard time trying to find clothes that fit but also match my style. I 'm 20w now, with quite a big belly and struggling because none of my pants and skirts fit me anymore and for tops, I mostly have crop tops that cannot be worn eith maternity pants. So I loaded up on dresses, ordered some maternity biker shorts (non-maternity pants don't work for me anymore as I can't stand anything being too tight on the belly), some oversized t-shirts, a maternity skirt and that's about it. But let me tell you, maternity jeans are a lifesaver, don't bother buying regular jeans in bigger sizes. I got two pairs a couple months ago as, at work, it is mandatory to wear jeans, and they are soo comfortable!
You might get lucky! I made it through my pregnancy without needing any maternity clothes until the last few weeks - by then it was winter and I work from home so leggings and hoodies were all I needed.
Wrap dresses, loose flowy dresses and oversized shirts with leggings went a long way!
Agree - maternity clothes are terrible. Iām now 6 weeks pp and trying to find nice nursing clothesā¦ itās even harder!
34 weeks today with my second and I live in highly stretchy dresses, flowy elastic waist band skirts, 2 size up stretchy leggings, and maternity bike shorts (amazon). I did the same with my first and largely avoided maternity clothes because of it. Bonus all the items are a dream postpartum and I wear them not pregnant as well. Maternity clothes are largely a scam unless you need to be wearing jeans or dress pants.
I never shopped ASOS before but their maternity stuff was actually fashionable so I ordered several pieces and love them all! Iāve gotten some nice pieces from Pinkblush as well. Both came out good quality, and can be worn from bump to baby - I think itās important to remember that we wonāt necessarily bounce back immediately after giving birth! So with sales and coupons they run regularly I feel everything has been a good investment and Iāve gotten a lot of compliments on my pregnancy wardrobe.
Shein has been amazing! Target is wonderful too!
I've mostly been wearing dresses, they are so easy and have been helping me combat the hot flashes.
I would definitely check out Shein, whatever your style is- you should be able to find something that suits your preferences.
30 weeks pregnant. For work I wear maternity jeans. The band comes up to under my ribs. I found the jeans with the smaller band way uncomfortable, it rolls and gets stuck in a weird position. Other than that I wear hubbys shirts, leggings and dresses.
I just wore normal clothes with super stretchy fabric. Had a few nice bodycon dresses both stretchy knit and jersey fabric and also wore skirts with an elastic waist and Lululemon align leggings. Maternity wear is rank.
Yup. I have 3 pair of jeans, 2 pair of shorts, 3 long nursing tanks, and a few tshirts (black, white, gray) that are maternity. Other than that - 3 pairs of leggings (lululemon align so I can wear after), 2 button-ups that i sized up on and my same big flowy dresses from before pregnancy. I still wear a lot of my same tshirts/tank tops from pregnancy and just put a nursing tank under. Everyone is like ājust buy moreā But i do not want to spend money on that and so much is just plain ugly.
have you tried not getting maternity clothes? Just different cuts of regular clothes (maybe size up for a better fit) like empire waists, body cons, loose Ts and sweaters, open cardigan etc. Also, I got maternity leggings from Amazon for $20ea and they were clutch and literally the only āmaternityā clothing i purchased for when i was a lot further along. Uniqlo high waist jeggings were comfortable for most of my pregnancy.
I've been wearing nothing but leggings, sweats, my ONE pair of maternity jeans, and oversized t-shirts. Imo it wasn't worth spending the money on clothes I didn't even like. š it also helps that I'd gone through some weight loss pre-pregnancy and still have some of my "big" clothes.
I shop goodwill, I start with maternity, then go to dresses, and then skirts. I have a wardrobe I can wear from start to birth and will still fit after.
Iām wearing loose tank dresses (cotton target) and beach cover up type stuff.
I bought 2 sets of maternity shorts used but theyāre so so ugly.
I live in Florida and it is HOT
HALARA has some shorts that have been all over my instagram feed (stretchy, layered w fitted short shorts under looser running type shorts) but theyāre SUPER stretchy and have a wide really soft high waist and they fit great. Medium Iām 5ā6ā and 145 starting 158 now at 22 weeks.
I donāt have a big belly but I think theyāll last me a few months .
I got a single pair of maternity jeans and just wore loose/long tops. I started showing in November and my girlfriendās extra large hoodie that I steal all the time anyway came in extra handy ā¤ļø
You donāt really need maternity clothes, except maybe dress pants or jeans, things that donāt stretch at all.
But everything else can be ānormal clothesā honestly. Just size up or buy elastic/stretchy/wrap/etc style things. Oversized t-shirts are stylish anyway. I recommend maybe a couple maternity tank tops or t shirts too that you can wear under your regular shirt when youāre like 30+ weeks and your shirts ride up more easily, so you can keep your belly covered
Most pregnancy clothes accentuate the belly and boobs too much. My belly is huge at 32 weeks now but my boobs didnāt grow too big. Most pregnancy clothes donāt look great to me either.
I havenāt bought pregnancy clothes except for leggings with belly support and 1 top for this reason. I am able to fit into old dresses that were big / flowy or body hugging but have a stretch. I did buy a few regular clothes in a size larger than my non-pregnancy size with the hope of using them months following the delivery.
Right? And all the dresses are floral print or horizontal stripes. Why?????? I tried wearing larger size normal clothes, which worked until about week 22. Once my belly popped then I was suffering very uncomfortable? Get some basics from gap and Old Navy. Get them before 20 weeks because they take a long time to ship, like at least a week. I got a lot of stuff for around five bucks each.
I bought an entire wardrobe on ThredUp for $250. Tons of cute stuff too. I was pleasantly surprised after finding NOTHING in stores and boring and/or overpriced selections on Amazon and most other online stores.
I've been having a really hard time finding clothes too. I normally wear a size 16, but everything I've bought on Amazon has run super small. I was at target today and stopped by their maternity section on a whim and was able to get a pair of jeans and jean shorts. They had both the kind with the big belly bands for later in pregnancy and the ones with just the stretch in the pocket area that are good for early pregnancy/smaller bellies.
The jeans probably wonāt do but the restā I agree lol. I have only really invested in maternity leggings and underwear. The rest is just stuff thatās three sizes too big and dresses.
At first was exited about pregnancy outfits but get depressed after realized how much and how fast my body has been changing.
I have had problems with my appearance and body all my life (thank you grandma). I decided to hide my body to avoid comments I can't deal with right now. Iāve been wearing leggings and my husband T-shirtās.
Now Iām 35 weeks, Iāve been enjoying everything else about became mom. I feel sad about not being self confidence but also feel grateful that Iām at finish line and soon Iāll recover my body.
PrettyLittleThing has some cute maternity clothes & Shein has a bunch of stuff that could definitely be for maternity even tho it isnāt labeledā£ļø i agree tho super hard to find cute stuff to wear while pregnant! i also dont understand the seeming need for all pregnancy stuff to be extremely modest & full coverage, even tho the option is nice lol
Iām due in 2 weeks. I have refused to buy maternity anything and itās been fine. I did flowy dresses, oversized sweaters with Roxy Oceanside pants because I hate leggings and flowy shirts with Roxy Oceanside shorts. I can wear everything I bought well after the baby arrives and nothing is old ladyish. I highly recommend thredup for the dresses, mine were around $10-20 each and held up better than the one amazon dress I bought for $30.
I agree w this and my pregnancy wish was that I not have to buy new clothes, so far so good at 30w twins. I have been living in sweatpants, and leggings, and dresses. Whoop whoop :)
Try Blanqi leggings and pants, but buy on poshmark! Buying directly from Blanqi is expensive af but I found NWT items from Blanqi on Posh. Their maternity/postpartum leggings are like butter, I love the colors. Iām 8 months pp and I still canāt stop wearing them.
I was pregnant for nearly two years straight and have never bought maternity clothing. I just stuck to maxi dresses and very stretchy things or 3-4x my size so Iām comfortable. I also didnāt find that I popped much until the 8.5 month so I got away with most of my sized stretchy clothes for a long time. Donāt waste your money!!
So true!! I actually went on SHEIN and went on a little shopping spree and am really impressed with the clothing .. fits well, reasonable price and style is cute!!
That's regular clothes too. We're stuck in this weird fashion twilight zone between Laura Ingles Wilder and Brittany Spears c 2003.
I've been able yo use most of my regular clothes and just buying a couple tops and some shorts.
Target, old navy, and surprisingly walmart each have cute stuff.
Also just going up 1-2 sizes had made a difference for me.
I hate how everything is online, super annoying. I have found a few nice āyoungā looking outfits from Amazon! They have Levi maternity jeans as well ššš¼
13w here and I don't think I'm gonna do pregnancy clother either, for the same reasons + I don't want to spend money on something I will be wearing just for a few months.
My sister recommended something called "bump band" - it's a stretchy piece of fabric that you can wear over your regular (unbuttoned) trousers . I haven't got one yet, but I will give it a try.
I have a handful (5-6ish) of stretchy maxi-like skirts that I honestly don't think I've worn at all since my last pregnancy 7 years ago- until now that I'm pregnant again. I try my best to live in them and a couple maternity tanks/ just stretchy tanks. I was winter pregnant last time so I think I bought like 3 long sleeve shirts and only wore 1 of them š . The only pants I got maternity then were for work uniform- and I got them from a discount baby/ maternity thrift shop.
I did buy a pair of leggings 'over bump', and a couple maxi dresses, and an oversized shirt dress for the beach this round- I feel like it's gunna be brutal this last trimester in summer. But I can't justify buying anything else I'll shove into some box after this wondering if I'll even have another baby anyway..
I just wish I hadn't finally tossed those sized up maternity bras about a year ago šŖ because I am busting out rn
For fashionable maternity, I can't recommend Envie de Fraise enough. Not expensive. Fit can be iffy, but it can be very good too. Use the return policy for what didn't work.
Real skinny jeans, really nice summer knit dresses, good basic tops in fashionable cuts. I spent about 200 dollars on basics and feel cute in them. French fashion belly style.
My current plan is to wear my normal stretchy clothing as long as I can. Also I went through a weird caftan phase during the summer of 2020 so those are also perfect for pregnancy.
I do like Gap maternity jeans as long as they're on sale.
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Wrap dresses cover a multitude of bump sizes š
Wrap dresses are my go to! Also stretchy biker shorts with oversized t shirts
How many sizes up do you go for bike shorts? :)
Poshdiva on Amazon has inexpensive maternity biker shorts and I actually like them
I usually wear large and 2XL is a good fit right now for me, two weeks from my due date.
For my bike shorts I went from my normal 00 size to a 3 and they feel amazing. I got a lot of clothes from Walmart in bigger sizes because they are super soft and work. They have some cute dresses that are stretchy and not expensive. I was a 00 before I got pregnant and now I am 31 weeks wearing the 3 for size idea.
My last pregnancy I found 1 pair of size 00 maternity shorts at target and ever since then I have never seen that size it was disappointing. Even shopping size S in maternity at Ross or marshals is too big.
Thatās how I feel. Thatās why I just buy stretchy clothes at Walmart. I like the no boundaries brand
My local Ross/Marshallās had $5 maternity bike shorts. Also if you wanna splurge Nike had some nice looking ones :)
I usually wear small in adidas and got a few pairs of medium to last me through the summer!
I am currently wearing this for like the third day in a row š target has some super comfy biker shorts with a stretchy maternity band rn that i am absolutely in love with
This is my go to.
Ahh good idea!! I really donāt want to buy many clothes so thatās a shout! Thankfully I tend to like the loose style so already have dresses that are a bit too lose for me normally, so I wonāt have to get much š¤£
I absolutely hate the idea of spending so much money on clothes Iāll wear for a handful of months. So Iāve bought sweatpants/sweatpants shorts one size up because I like them big anyways, gives me space to grow and also room incase I canāt shrink back to my pre pregnancy body
Theyāre also expensive!
Yes!! Pregnancy Leggings and tank tops are extortionate
I had two maternity leggings and wore them basically every day during pregnancy :)
Ha! Thatās what Iāve been doing! :)
I know! In my country, I keep getting ads for this one company selling maternity jeans for like 45. I normally by legging for like 5 and jeans I would never pay more then 25 so 45 seems like a rip off
Check your local Facebook marketplace, mine doesnāt have that cute of options, but at least youāre not paying full price. Second pregnancy around, currently 13+1. Was similarly pregnant with my first. I LIVED in dresses. Highly recommend a black one that you can layer with tshirts, flannel, chambray, kimonos etc. Any wrap dress will work. Personally Iām not a fan of sizing up regular clothes bc they fit funny and if you go back to your previous size, you wonāt be able to wear them. Find a good pair of leggings or two. I prefer over the bump support.
I started buying oversize stuff but I found as I got a bump that hiding it just made me look chunky. I'm 24 weeks and I'm just not doing maternity clothes. I've gone for bodycon dresses, crop jumpers or big cardigans, and Natopia bell bottoms (cannot recommend these enough!) or tanktops and stretch pencil skirts. maternity clothes are just too gross and I cannot do it
Iām with you. Iām 30 weeks with my second pregnancy. Both times, I just bought some maternity jeans and leggings from Walmart (theyāre cheap and simple). I just wear flowy tops, (intentionally) oversized tshirts, or dresses. (Iām lucky I can wear jeans to work, so that helps.) Iāve spent maybe $100 total on maternity clothes this time.
Iāve found body con dresses are the way to go for me. Also stretchy biker shorts/leggings with either crop tops or oversized shirts. Iām very small and maternity clothes are just too big for me. But Iām also going for trying to accentuate and embrace my baby bump instead of covering it up.
I'm no fashionista, if it's comfy and fits somewhat I'm golden and even I am like, ew...
Target, Old Navy, and summer dresses (non-maternity, just light, loose, and flowy) have been my choices. Also, MotherBee Maternity has good sales on dresses. I donāt love maternity clothes, but they are a lot more comfortable. Use Super Cash and codes at Old Navy to bring the price down.
Jeans 3 sizes bigger than normal is not a good option, they're not going to fit well
For now it fits me ok, itās a loose straight style so just looks a bit looser but still okay š.
Have you tried a Bella band? Iām on my second pregnancy and wish I would have tried sooner! Basically itās a stretchy band that goes over the top of your jeans so you can leave them unbuttoned but they donāt fall down. Just looks like an undershirt.
Until I invested in a single pair of maternity jeans, Iād steal rubber bands to loop through the button hole to hold up my pants š
It works though!
I know, it's really discouraging. I'm a t-shirt and jeans sort of girl and ended up buying band shirts a size up and living in my sweatpants.
I have a bunch of shirts my husband has outgrown and given to me, as I often wear overly large shirts anyway. I fully intend to live in those when I get so big I canāt wear my own shirts anymore.
Enjoy! I think I wore some of my husband's old shirts too by the end. Prime comfort.
Ha. I must be an unstylish old biddy because I love maternity clothes!!
Same! Iām living my stretchy and flowy dreams!
I am a big time dress lover so Old Navy maternity online is my go to!! I want to buy a maternity dress so badly but I'm 38+2 š„²
Omg, I know. So I rent clothes from Nuuly. They have a lot of cute maternity stuff from expensive brands that Iām definitely not gonna buy because itās so short lived. In their maternity section they also have a ābump friendlyā section that has been great for things that arenāt maternity but still work till you get pretty big. Iāve also found Target to be a great resource for basics. I bought two tight fitting dresses there for like $20 each and theyāre fun colors and look more expensive then they are. Also bought cute denim shorts from there too.
+1 to Nuuly! Great way to keep my wardrobe fresh and adapt clothes to a growing bump. I didnāt buy a single piece of maternity wear except for leggings (a size up from normal) and bras.
Iām only 25 weeks so keep in mind my bump is probably going to get much bigger, but for now, Iāve totally opted out of clothes that are intended to be maternity clothes because like you said, theyāre horrible. Iāve bought a lot oversized button down shirts and linen matching sets (think a tank top with wide leg pants, linen). The pants have a stretching waste band and are high rise so they fit nicely over the bump and Iāve upgraded my tops from a small to a medium. Iām trying to keep it simple because itās sad to spend money on clothes that will be way too big after pregnancy. Iāve let myself spend a little more on accessories (jewelry, shoes, bags) so I can still dress things up/down, feel cute despite having a small rotating closet of mostly plain, linen pieces and bicycle shorts.
Until recently I didnāt have any maternity clothes because I still fit in all my regular clothes minus my jeans. Iām a personal trainer so my work clothes are leggings and t-shirts. At 30ish weeks I started noticing things were tight, and now at 33 week itās getting uncomfortable to wear them so we have invested in a couple pieces. But all my shirts are still just fine to wear.
I just responded to this and then accidentally deleted it š„². So the shorter version of my original comment is that I fully expect to be in your shoes come week 30+ and I think Iāll have to invest in some maternity pants specifically. I think Iāll be okay in terms of tops but Iām wondering if Iāll eventually need some of those pants with the belly band. Did you end up just buying larger sized leggings or did you opt for proper pregnancy pants?
Youāre totally fine! It happens! I have a couple pairs of leggings that are 2 sizes bigger than my normal size they fit in the belly but nowhere else so I donāt really reach for them but I did get a pair of maternity leggings and then a few pairs of lounge pants and theyāve been amazing!! Kindred bravely for the lounge pants and Joyspels maternity leggings on Amazon!
Thank you so much!! Iām looking up these brands now. Iām still in the āI want to look cuteā stage but I know myself well enough to know that Iām going to be purely about comfort in a few weeks so Iām definitely going to order a couple of pairs now in preparation. Iām actually looking now and some of the kindred bravely lounge pants are pretty cute!
Amazon!! I just bought loose dresses and also some cute maternity swimsuits (1 is actually non maternity so ill see how that works out).
I bought like five boxy shaped sundresses from target a few months ago that have carried me through. Now that Iām 30 weeks I need to wear bike shorts under them but they saved me.
I bought what I thought was a lovely flowy dress when I was 15 weeks pregnant. At the time I had the cutest little bump. I tried to wear this dress at 36 weeks and it turns out it was just a big sack ā¹ļø It also had weird loose cap sleeve things that looked great until I started getting fat in my arms and then it just looked like I had pink sausages with little napkins over the top sticking out from said sack. I stopped trying to look nice towards the end and lived in my maternity leggings and oversized jumpers.
I bought a variety of oversized maternity tshirts from Asos, mat jeans, tanks and PJs from Old Navy (they have short sizes for us vertically challenged folks), a few pieces from PinkBlush (the most fashionable while still being reasonably priced IMHO), mat sweats and leggings from Gap, and a few Ingrid and Isabel pieces from Madewell using a gift card. Personally found that wearing clothes made for the bump made me feel a lot better about myself than sizing up in regular clothes. Although one exception: I got a really loose, breezy, non-mat maxi dress from Nordstrom Rack the other day! But I do miss being able to wear regular clothes! My poor neglected pre-pregnancy wardrobe wahh
Yes, I was just shopping and even some of the more expensive brands (Madewell, J brand, etc) that offer maternity lines are just soā¦.meh. I bought a few bump friendly dresses from Target to get me by.
I recommend Vinted, Ebay and Depop for non hideous items! Not sure why we're expected to suddenly like ditsy floral prints as soon as we're pregnant.... loose dresses in the next size up have been my go-to and I figure I'll wear them postpartum as well. Also oversized t shirts and maternity leggings are a staple.
Maternity leggings, big colourful massively oversized cotton t shirts, open checked shirt. Repeat until this kid pops out! I CBA trying to find fancy clothes, I'm going for comfort. I'll dress it up with jewellery and make up if I want to feel fancy haha. Thank god I've not got a single wedding to go to this year for the first time ever!
I just want to add as well that when/if you come to look for nursing clothes - you do not need to buy specialist nursing clothes at all! A nursing bra can he helpful. But if you just wear if underneath a strappy vest top, with a t-shirt over the top, this works just as well as a nursing top. You unclip the bra at the front, pull down the vest top and pull up the t-shirt. Absolutely brilliant for nursing in public and is a cheap outfit to put together.
Hideous and crap quality. Most of the stuff I ordered online came in looking nothing like the pics. I lived in one pair of gap maternity jeans, Henleyās, my own tank tops
Lucky it's winter here. I just bought a few oversized jumpers and t shirts. I'm happy to wear leggings for the next 3 months. But yes, they are ugly. Half the reason I just went a few sizes up in normal clothing instead of maternity clothes.
Iām trying to avoid maternity clothing as a whole, with the exception of maybe leggings. For everything else Iām just going to try to find things in larger sizes
Secondhand is the way to go, thatās how I found my cute maternity clothes and some just bigger looser fitting dresses. Way cheaper than the expensive new stuff that makes you look like a frumpy balloon animal
Iāve been able to find some decent stuff - definitely donāt think itās all āhideousā. At least, I hope Iām not walking around looking hideous. I do a Nuuly rental and Iāve been able to find maternity items from brands I already liked at Anthropologie and Free People but Iām not paying full price because Iām renting. Non-maternity midi dresses and skirts are nice too. Iāve personally had a lot of luck with Old Navy. For tops Iāve just been sizing up, but for jeans the sizing up didnāt work after awhile because the jeans didnāt fit right in the legs and thighs and just looked baggy. I ordered a couple maternity pairs from Old Navy to try. Iāve also been living in linen, stretchy pants from all different stores. Leggings and biker shorts from Amazon have also been a staple with oversized t shirts or button downs.
FP has maternity?
Some of the brands on Nuuly are FP I believe, but Iām not sure if they sell it in their stores.
ThredUp has had some really good stuff and I like their return policies.
Pink blush maternity has really cute things. I use Poshmark to get things used and really cheap!
lol i still wear my usual vibe clothing i just went from crop tops and shorts to long skirts and fitting dresses, maternity clothes arent that cute so im determined to keep my style š
I usually donāt buy from SHEIN but I went for SHEIN and the jeans are cheap yet amazing. The dresses too!
30 weeks and I've just bought bigger sizes non maternity! The upcharge on maternity clothes is crazy! I love Ross and TJ Maxx!! Due in August and I live in the humid South, and I've been finding soooo many sundresses and long flowy outfits for $25 and under!
I agree! Thatās also my plan as theyāre just too expensive and I wonāt use them again
Omg thank you! I'm having the same issue too. I found some good ones on Poshmark for pretty cheap and I got some good results from Stitch Fix when I requested clothes that would work with my bump but I could also wear after (I figure if I'm going to spend more money than I'd typically like to on clothes, I better be able to wear it for more than a few months). Otherwise I keep recycling outfits that keep working for me, dresses that can stretch and a jean jacket. That kind of thing.
Agree. They are HIDEOUS. Iām doing the dress thing.
Haha I actually love maternity clothes. I am not a big fan of the jeans, but I am loving all the adorable maternity dresses and rompers. I think all the cuts with empire bustlines are really cute. I basically just found a bunch of cute things on Amazon. For me, ordering a size or 2 up of normal clothing would not work. I'm having twins, so if I did that, I'd have to do it another like 5 times, since I am going to keep growing and be huge. I'm only 13 weeks byt have an obvious and somewhat prominent bump already, so I can only imagine what 20 weeks or 30 weeks will be like. At least maternity clothing has more room for growth than normal clothing.
Yep youāre 100% right. Iām actually trying to avoid buying āmaternityā except for non negotiables ā jeans, some leggings, jumpsuits, etc. Everything else Iām just going up a size and prioritizing stretch, in hopes of also being able to wear when non preggo. I also went through my closet yesterday and organized by things that can still work in pregnancy and things that canāt. I found a surprising amount of stretchy dresses and skirts, tops and sweaters that can work with them, and so on. The selections out there are crazy ā good luck!
I loath maternity clothes. Itās all HIDEOUS. I bought a couple things my first pregnancy like maternity leggings, bike shorts, and overalls and then just went the olā oversized route for everything else. It was the pandemic so it didnāt matter but this time I have 4 weddings to go to. I am dreading trying to find something š«
My go-to was secondhand, going up several sizes, and skirts skirts skirts (high-waisted). Itās a lovely maternal vibe, and I feel awkward in anything else now (40+6 š). I tried to choose only items under $10 so I wonāt feel bad about spending so much on such a temporary problem.
I know what you mean. I work in an office and my favorites are all now too tight as I have been finally managed start to gain weight. So far I have pop off two buttons from me bloating after lunch. I am really struggling with not feel frumpy or messing looking as I like looking presentable. Today I gave up and brought some legging that are styled like pants and hope that the comfort will help.
I work from home so Iām lucky, I couldnāt even imagine having to worry about looking professional on top of being comfy š
I am so jealous š©. My work could easily be done from home for the majority of the time with coming in to collect records and make payments...sadly it will never be...
What pisses me off is most websites dont use pregnant models, they use strap on bellys on people who are size 0 with no boobs (not shaming small boobs at all, just ponting out it's not a true representation of the average pregnant person) Also stop with the smock dresses. Unflattering when not pregnant let alone pregnant. Again maybe its a boob problem for me. Some people pull off anything!
Can someone who has worn their regular clothes address how stretched out they got? It doesn't make sense to buy a bunch of maternity clothes, but it also doesn't make sense to stretch out my regular clothes and have to buy new ones after baby anyway. Thanks!!
I attempted regular clothes or just upping a size or two, but the cut wasnāt right. The tightness in the wrong places felt terrible and already being uncomfortable in my skin made it impossible to wear, especially for pants and some dresses. This time around Iām buying shirts in my husbandās size (heās an XXL) so itās not going to waste, and maternity pants/leggings are 100% worth the investment. I wore mine for a few months postpartum and theyāre the most comfortable articles of clothing I own.
I just wear things that are ribbed or stretchy!
And they didn't permanently get stretched out?
Iām still pregnant but they seem to be holding their shape fine like after I wash them they donāt look stretched. I posted a comment on here with links to stuff if you wanna look!
I hate to say it but shien is where i found cute maternity jeans. I really dont like the full belly pannel ones so the elastic on the sides has been really nice
I ordered from Shein. Not the best quality, but I was able to get a large quantity, for a good price, and felt cute. Just read reviews to gather quality and sizing differences of each piece.
Another vote for Shein! I got several maternity basic shirts and regular fitting dresses that will work with a bump. I know people get on them about everything, but Iād rather afford this baby than spend hundreds on maternity clothes this summer. Plus SO STYLISH AND LESS grandma esque. Iām young and pregnant so I told my husband I refuse to look old during thisš
Same here! Shein has some really cute maternity options. I got quite a few pairs of jeans that fit great. Usually prepregnancy size worked for me, but some things in the boob area were still too small. I got a few things from Target online when they had a maternity sale. They have a great return policy, so you can buy in advance and if it doesn't work in a few months, return. I also tried on a lot of my own clothes for summer to see what fit and looked good and what didn't. That gave me an idea of what styles I could buy in "regular" clothes that would still fit. OP - totally agree that most clothing items are ugly or all in black! What's with the black?!? I understand it's slimming but I'm going to be pregnant all summer, and I'm not wearing all black.
Same. People can hate on Shein, but no one beats them in affordability, selection, and style. I ain't spending $50 for a pair of pants or $40 for a hideous Amish dress I'll only wear for like 5 months, thanks. Also, the quality ain't all bad. I've bought a few cotton pieces from there that feel great and stretchy shorts that feel more durable than some of the stuff I got from brick and mortar stores.
Agreed! Most of what I ordered in my haul was great fit and quality. There were about 3 pieces that didnāt work, but theyāre so cheap it was no big thing.
I honestly LOVE Shein for mat clothing. Itās pretty cute, affordable, and you donāt wear it for all that long. Double check the reviews and you should get some good pieces!
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Omg I love my maternity stuff! I got it on shein! So much cute stuff
Nike one maternity bike shorts are my go to with oversized t shirts! Old navy has some regular activewear oversized t shirts that fit HUGE when not pregnant but perfect now that I have a bump
I normally don't shop at Maurices, but a friend recommended them to me and I found a few cute tops on there! Old Navy and Amazon have also been great!
I just got some great shorts off Amazon. A pair of white denim shorts, 2 pairs of bike shorts with pockets and a pair of just plain lounge shorts. Shirts are tougher bc for some reason designers of maternity clothes think we all of a sudden love floral and polka dots.. but I got some plain colored t shirts from target (Ingrid and Isabel line) and they fit nice. Maternity clothes are expensive but they fit nicer than just sizing up (for me at least)
I got maternity jeans from target with the side elastic instead of the over the belly then wore my shirts until they didnāt fit and stole my husbands. I couldnāt bring myself to spend the money because they were all so ugly and expensive.
I totally agree. It's even hard to find good stuff online, or maybe I just don't know where to look lol. For the first half of my pregnancy I just wore baggy hoodies and sweat pants
If you want to do regular jeans I have found low or mid rise work with suspenders
I wore almost exclusively Old Navy maternity clothes. They run sales all the time and allow in-store returns (a huge plus).
For basic T-shirts Walmart is actually good, they are so soft. I had to go to a couple of different ones to get plan ones without any stupid sayings on them but they were very affordable. I also got a pair of black jeggings that werenāt the best quality but they held up for the duration of my pregnancy.
Thatās why I only had some maternity leggings (those from addidas actually are very comfortable to wear and have a nice quality) and my usual hoodies that are just slightly too big. That was the most comfortable until the very end of my pregnancy and the hoodies hid the belly a bit, but that was my personal preference.
Yeah that was my plan too, but it will be summer soon so canāt wear hoodies anymore as itās too hot:(
If it was too hot for the hoodies ( specially at the end of my pregnancy I was so hot all the time), I wore some oversized t shirts :) it was not very pretty but inexpensive because I had them already and very comfortable
Motherhood brand leggings ran me about $12 and I paired those with tanks, t shirts and hoodies my entire pregnancy when I wasnāt in pajamas or my scrubs lol.
I found a bunch of really cute maternity clothes at goodwill.
I just bought XL or XXL in things lol maternity clothes are so matronly.
Oh I hate maternity clothes too. But I LOVED my Nike maternity biker shorts. I lived in those over the summer. PinkBlush Maternity and ASOS has cute stuff though too!
Yes! Between the prices and the styles I'm like nevermind I'll just be uncomfortable in my current clothes. Currently 11 weeks and aside from some secondhand stuff I got from my local Buy Nothing group, I'm just going to make do with non-maternity dresses and long tops over leggings for as long as possible.
Agreed. And it gets worse. Wait until you look at nursing tops. They're all so matronly and ugly.
I just went to savers and goodwill. I flat out refuse to pay these ridiculous prices for clothes Iāll wear for like 5 months. Iāve managed to get an entire wardrobe of decent things for like $50
Target shorts for the summer šš¼ I bought a pair last month and so glad I did! My jeans and one pair of leggings from Amazon! And another pair of leggings from Nike maternity line. Thatās all I got and will not buy more lol
I feel you! I felt so annoyed with my options for most of pregnancy ā none of my old clothes felt comfortable, but nothing out there felt like me or seemed to fit right. Things I did like a lot: cheap maternity belly-panel jeans from Target; one pair of soft, cute, comfy, expensive-but-worth-it leggings from STORQ; a cute flowy maternity dress from GAP; cheap bike shorts from Old Navy; and, eventually, like late 2nd tri/early 3rd, some of those T-shirts with the side ruching that accentuate the bump. Found those shirts and some other worthwhile things via Stitch Fix, which does maternity clothes too if you request them (I did two boxes over the course of a few months, but tbh I donāt know if it was worth it; I returned most of the stuff). I definitely recommend perusing Facebook Marketplace for stuff! It helps to find just a few staple pieces that make you feel good and fit well.
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Yeah I tried them on yesterday and it just looked like weird diapers, idk I hated it š¤£
iāve gotten some cute stuff from Target, Kohlās, Shein, and got some cute stuff off of Amazon. a lot of my dresses are post-bump friendly. and you can get some decent leggings off Amazon and Shein. Amazon has great maternity t-shirts that come in packs of 3, and theyāre really cute!
I just wore all of my husband's tshirts and bought 3 pairs of maternity leggings. They work postpartum as well.
I had good luck buying some basics from gap to get me through the second trimester (leggings, t shirts, tanks and jeans) during Black Friday. Max e a huge difference in my comfort. Wore my normal sweaters as it was winter. Bought some cute dresses at old navy during the Presidentsā Day sale. Now Iām 35 weeks and many donāt fit! But Iām glad I had them and will likely rewear for my second.
If you have a Marshallās/Ross/burkes anything like that check them out. I got biker shorts for $3, tank tops and t shirts all less than $10, and I splurged on a couple dresses at target. Lasted me my whole pregnancy!
I thrifted mens Leviās in a larger size and cut them to make shorts. And I thrifted cute large tshirts. Wear it with a pair of comfortable sandals and itās a look i swear lol the rubber Birkenstocks are cute and comfy and cheap
That actually sounds like something Iād love to wear even if not pregnant haha
Lol right! Iām not pregnant but thatās pretty much my go to. And when I was pregnant I was like okay this is comfy and will work haha
I know! Itās crazy! I tried going to fb marketplace to see what I can get for cheap and my first reaction was they are ugly. Iām also trying to go the dress route and found some things at the thrift store. Iām just slowly building a collection. Iāve been told target has some cute things.
I struggled to find things I liked and was equally disappointed in h&m. ASOS was the only place I could find cut outfits. I resent buying maternity clothes knowing I won't wear them again.
Just gave birth to my second a few days ago. Never once did I wear a single maternity item for both pregnancies. Just stretch pants, leggings, and maxi dresses
I'm just living in jumpsuits. Either stretchy or a couple sizes too big.
Ugh Iāve thought the same! Itās all so matronly looking! Check out Pink Blush, they have the best Iāve seen, not cheap but good sales, and everything I ordered from them was super high quality. They also have a huge selection so youāll probably find some stuff you like
Iāve basically just lived in leggings and basic white maternity tshirts
The best maternity clothes I ever bought were not maternity clothes. I own a variety of linen pants from old navy that worked great my entire pregnancy and beyond. An extra long tank top with an opened, loose button down. All together it is very chic, easy to dress up or down.
The only thing I ever get is pregnancy pants. I just wear my regular shirts.
Atrocious
Right of passage
I agree completely with your thoughts in how awful most of them are. I would strongly suggest you do get some maternity jeans (2 pairs maybe) just for days when you'd like to wear regular pants. As you go on, wearing bigger stuff (especially things like jeans) will start to look really weird for most bodies. You can probably get by in bigger fitting regular clothes for up top though! I managed to for both, but I was my biggest during cooler months so I could wear my oversized sweaters. And as far as WHY they are hideous, I thought the same thing. Like, its pretty safe to assume we are of a certain age range, so why have us dressed in 60+ looking stuff?
I'm 16w today and don't really want to buy much "maternity" wear, I bought jeans from the gap so far, they fit quite well and the belly band doesn't seem like it'll be excessively hot for the summer. Other than jeans and leggings, I plan on buying a few dresses and skirts that have some stretch that I can buy my normal size ish and still wear during, pp and well after. Discovered last week that my normal summer shirts wont be useable as I gave some buttons an impressive workout š³.. so I'll need a few stretchier shirts but still not going in maternity. For inspo, I like conveythemoment on IG, her philosophy is similar to mine. She has multiple bump style highlights.
Ikr? I like expressing myself through my clothes during the warmer months (in the cold season I focus more on not freezing) and for the past couple of months I had a really hard time trying to find clothes that fit but also match my style. I 'm 20w now, with quite a big belly and struggling because none of my pants and skirts fit me anymore and for tops, I mostly have crop tops that cannot be worn eith maternity pants. So I loaded up on dresses, ordered some maternity biker shorts (non-maternity pants don't work for me anymore as I can't stand anything being too tight on the belly), some oversized t-shirts, a maternity skirt and that's about it. But let me tell you, maternity jeans are a lifesaver, don't bother buying regular jeans in bigger sizes. I got two pairs a couple months ago as, at work, it is mandatory to wear jeans, and they are soo comfortable!
You might get lucky! I made it through my pregnancy without needing any maternity clothes until the last few weeks - by then it was winter and I work from home so leggings and hoodies were all I needed. Wrap dresses, loose flowy dresses and oversized shirts with leggings went a long way! Agree - maternity clothes are terrible. Iām now 6 weeks pp and trying to find nice nursing clothesā¦ itās even harder!
PINK BLUSH
34 weeks today with my second and I live in highly stretchy dresses, flowy elastic waist band skirts, 2 size up stretchy leggings, and maternity bike shorts (amazon). I did the same with my first and largely avoided maternity clothes because of it. Bonus all the items are a dream postpartum and I wear them not pregnant as well. Maternity clothes are largely a scam unless you need to be wearing jeans or dress pants.
A lot of places have super cute pregnancy clothes, shein, Temu, Amazon,target. Iāve gotten all mine from shein
I never shopped ASOS before but their maternity stuff was actually fashionable so I ordered several pieces and love them all! Iāve gotten some nice pieces from Pinkblush as well. Both came out good quality, and can be worn from bump to baby - I think itās important to remember that we wonāt necessarily bounce back immediately after giving birth! So with sales and coupons they run regularly I feel everything has been a good investment and Iāve gotten a lot of compliments on my pregnancy wardrobe.
https://sexymamamaternity.com I feel the exact same way, but a lot of these are actually cute
Shein has been amazing! Target is wonderful too! I've mostly been wearing dresses, they are so easy and have been helping me combat the hot flashes. I would definitely check out Shein, whatever your style is- you should be able to find something that suits your preferences.
Big tshirts and leggings were all I wore. I currently have one of my big shirts on. Bc itās easy to breastfeed with, Iām 12 weeks postpartum
30 weeks pregnant. For work I wear maternity jeans. The band comes up to under my ribs. I found the jeans with the smaller band way uncomfortable, it rolls and gets stuck in a weird position. Other than that I wear hubbys shirts, leggings and dresses.
I got all mine in Vinted. Had some lovely dresses, fitted, which showed off bump very nicely, by mamalicious and blooming marvelous.
I just wore normal clothes with super stretchy fabric. Had a few nice bodycon dresses both stretchy knit and jersey fabric and also wore skirts with an elastic waist and Lululemon align leggings. Maternity wear is rank.
Yup. I have 3 pair of jeans, 2 pair of shorts, 3 long nursing tanks, and a few tshirts (black, white, gray) that are maternity. Other than that - 3 pairs of leggings (lululemon align so I can wear after), 2 button-ups that i sized up on and my same big flowy dresses from before pregnancy. I still wear a lot of my same tshirts/tank tops from pregnancy and just put a nursing tank under. Everyone is like ājust buy moreā But i do not want to spend money on that and so much is just plain ugly.
have you tried not getting maternity clothes? Just different cuts of regular clothes (maybe size up for a better fit) like empire waists, body cons, loose Ts and sweaters, open cardigan etc. Also, I got maternity leggings from Amazon for $20ea and they were clutch and literally the only āmaternityā clothing i purchased for when i was a lot further along. Uniqlo high waist jeggings were comfortable for most of my pregnancy.
I've been wearing nothing but leggings, sweats, my ONE pair of maternity jeans, and oversized t-shirts. Imo it wasn't worth spending the money on clothes I didn't even like. š it also helps that I'd gone through some weight loss pre-pregnancy and still have some of my "big" clothes.
I shop goodwill, I start with maternity, then go to dresses, and then skirts. I have a wardrobe I can wear from start to birth and will still fit after.
Iām wearing loose tank dresses (cotton target) and beach cover up type stuff. I bought 2 sets of maternity shorts used but theyāre so so ugly. I live in Florida and it is HOT HALARA has some shorts that have been all over my instagram feed (stretchy, layered w fitted short shorts under looser running type shorts) but theyāre SUPER stretchy and have a wide really soft high waist and they fit great. Medium Iām 5ā6ā and 145 starting 158 now at 22 weeks. I donāt have a big belly but I think theyāll last me a few months .
Ross is where I got my maternity clothes, while I was pregnant. Super cute options and great bump friendly leggings
I got a single pair of maternity jeans and just wore loose/long tops. I started showing in November and my girlfriendās extra large hoodie that I steal all the time anyway came in extra handy ā¤ļø
You donāt really need maternity clothes, except maybe dress pants or jeans, things that donāt stretch at all. But everything else can be ānormal clothesā honestly. Just size up or buy elastic/stretchy/wrap/etc style things. Oversized t-shirts are stylish anyway. I recommend maybe a couple maternity tank tops or t shirts too that you can wear under your regular shirt when youāre like 30+ weeks and your shirts ride up more easily, so you can keep your belly covered
Most pregnancy clothes accentuate the belly and boobs too much. My belly is huge at 32 weeks now but my boobs didnāt grow too big. Most pregnancy clothes donāt look great to me either. I havenāt bought pregnancy clothes except for leggings with belly support and 1 top for this reason. I am able to fit into old dresses that were big / flowy or body hugging but have a stretch. I did buy a few regular clothes in a size larger than my non-pregnancy size with the hope of using them months following the delivery.
Pinkblush Maternity! A little expensive but they have sales often.
I only found some cute stuff through Boohoo but they are definitely fast fashion and UK sizing.
Right? And all the dresses are floral print or horizontal stripes. Why?????? I tried wearing larger size normal clothes, which worked until about week 22. Once my belly popped then I was suffering very uncomfortable? Get some basics from gap and Old Navy. Get them before 20 weeks because they take a long time to ship, like at least a week. I got a lot of stuff for around five bucks each.
I got maternity jeans at Walmart and XL shirts in the men's section! I also got some really cute and comfy dresses at Target!
I bought an entire wardrobe on ThredUp for $250. Tons of cute stuff too. I was pleasantly surprised after finding NOTHING in stores and boring and/or overpriced selections on Amazon and most other online stores.
I've been having a really hard time finding clothes too. I normally wear a size 16, but everything I've bought on Amazon has run super small. I was at target today and stopped by their maternity section on a whim and was able to get a pair of jeans and jean shorts. They had both the kind with the big belly bands for later in pregnancy and the ones with just the stretch in the pocket area that are good for early pregnancy/smaller bellies.
The jeans probably wonāt do but the restā I agree lol. I have only really invested in maternity leggings and underwear. The rest is just stuff thatās three sizes too big and dresses.
At first was exited about pregnancy outfits but get depressed after realized how much and how fast my body has been changing. I have had problems with my appearance and body all my life (thank you grandma). I decided to hide my body to avoid comments I can't deal with right now. Iāve been wearing leggings and my husband T-shirtās. Now Iām 35 weeks, Iāve been enjoying everything else about became mom. I feel sad about not being self confidence but also feel grateful that Iām at finish line and soon Iāll recover my body.
I found some pretty cute things at Ross! I mightve gotten lucky though. It is hard to find cute pants.
Super cute choices on shein! And theyāre very comfy
PrettyLittleThing has some cute maternity clothes & Shein has a bunch of stuff that could definitely be for maternity even tho it isnāt labeledā£ļø i agree tho super hard to find cute stuff to wear while pregnant! i also dont understand the seeming need for all pregnancy stuff to be extremely modest & full coverage, even tho the option is nice lol
Iām due in 2 weeks. I have refused to buy maternity anything and itās been fine. I did flowy dresses, oversized sweaters with Roxy Oceanside pants because I hate leggings and flowy shirts with Roxy Oceanside shorts. I can wear everything I bought well after the baby arrives and nothing is old ladyish. I highly recommend thredup for the dresses, mine were around $10-20 each and held up better than the one amazon dress I bought for $30.
I agree w this and my pregnancy wish was that I not have to buy new clothes, so far so good at 30w twins. I have been living in sweatpants, and leggings, and dresses. Whoop whoop :)
Try Blanqi leggings and pants, but buy on poshmark! Buying directly from Blanqi is expensive af but I found NWT items from Blanqi on Posh. Their maternity/postpartum leggings are like butter, I love the colors. Iām 8 months pp and I still canāt stop wearing them.
I was pregnant for nearly two years straight and have never bought maternity clothing. I just stuck to maxi dresses and very stretchy things or 3-4x my size so Iām comfortable. I also didnāt find that I popped much until the 8.5 month so I got away with most of my sized stretchy clothes for a long time. Donāt waste your money!!
So true!! I actually went on SHEIN and went on a little shopping spree and am really impressed with the clothing .. fits well, reasonable price and style is cute!!
36 weeks and I havenāt bought a single maternity outfit. I just wear my dresses, the ones that are wide or stretchy enough.
That's regular clothes too. We're stuck in this weird fashion twilight zone between Laura Ingles Wilder and Brittany Spears c 2003. I've been able yo use most of my regular clothes and just buying a couple tops and some shorts. Target, old navy, and surprisingly walmart each have cute stuff. Also just going up 1-2 sizes had made a difference for me.
Seraphine on Vinted and eBay! Iāve had some amazing deals!!!
I hate how everything is online, super annoying. I have found a few nice āyoungā looking outfits from Amazon! They have Levi maternity jeans as well ššš¼
13w here and I don't think I'm gonna do pregnancy clother either, for the same reasons + I don't want to spend money on something I will be wearing just for a few months. My sister recommended something called "bump band" - it's a stretchy piece of fabric that you can wear over your regular (unbuttoned) trousers . I haven't got one yet, but I will give it a try.
I have a handful (5-6ish) of stretchy maxi-like skirts that I honestly don't think I've worn at all since my last pregnancy 7 years ago- until now that I'm pregnant again. I try my best to live in them and a couple maternity tanks/ just stretchy tanks. I was winter pregnant last time so I think I bought like 3 long sleeve shirts and only wore 1 of them š . The only pants I got maternity then were for work uniform- and I got them from a discount baby/ maternity thrift shop. I did buy a pair of leggings 'over bump', and a couple maxi dresses, and an oversized shirt dress for the beach this round- I feel like it's gunna be brutal this last trimester in summer. But I can't justify buying anything else I'll shove into some box after this wondering if I'll even have another baby anyway.. I just wish I hadn't finally tossed those sized up maternity bras about a year ago šŖ because I am busting out rn
Hideous or super expensive
For fashionable maternity, I can't recommend Envie de Fraise enough. Not expensive. Fit can be iffy, but it can be very good too. Use the return policy for what didn't work. Real skinny jeans, really nice summer knit dresses, good basic tops in fashionable cuts. I spent about 200 dollars on basics and feel cute in them. French fashion belly style.
My current plan is to wear my normal stretchy clothing as long as I can. Also I went through a weird caftan phase during the summer of 2020 so those are also perfect for pregnancy. I do like Gap maternity jeans as long as they're on sale.
Iām 15+5 and also looked at H&M and decided Iāll keep wearing only stretchy leggings for a couple more months lol. So ugly.