I'm 11 weeks, but I jumped over here 'cause I figured you gals would know more about transitioning clothes. :-D I am not showing yet, but my tummy has packed on a nice little pocket of fat right in front, so pants are too snug, and all of my shirts that once laid nicely against my flat tummy now show my fat hanging over my pants. :-( Is it too early to get maternity clothes (will they not fit by the time I do actually start showing?)? Would a bella band type thing solve both those problems for a minimal investment? I don't have money to burn, so I'm looking for the best solution.
Thanks, ladies! Here's to looking pregnant instead of just fat. :-/
Re: When clothes don't fit
First time around I did the hair tie trick and the beband from Target. I didn't want to get maternity clothes until I really had too, but I never did! I was pretty far along when the beband stopped working so I just used leggings I already had. Most of my shirts fit me so I never had to buy those either. Right now I'm just wearing jeans unbuttoned but fastened with a belt and some of my tees are getting short so I'm using the flowy shirts I have.
ETA: I also think buying a size bigger in regular clothes may be cheaper than buying "maternity clothes" they can get so expensive! That all depends on where you're shopping though.
I was so excited to buy maternity clothes the first time around. I used the bella band when I was pregnant with DD, but hated it. I also bought shirts one size up, which worked post pregnancy too until most of the weight was off. I've used the hairband with this pregnancy and it is so much better. Now, that doesn't really work so I am just suffering through wearing my maternity pants that are still a little too big.
I have to be somewhat dressed up at work, but survived through pregnancy with a pair of brown, black, khaki and gray work pants plus one pair of jeans. I spent more on tops (they tend to be cheaper than pants) because that seems more noticeable if you are repeating the same shirt. I would check Kohl's and many resale stores for maternity clothes. I got 2 maternity shirts at a resale shop for $5 each.
Absolutely agree! I only got two fairly inexpensive pairs of pants (a work pair and a jeans pair) at Walmart for the time being, and plan to shop for better quality ones later on if need be.
As for tops, I'm lucky to have old clothes (in good condition) laying around that I've been wearing, and so far not so many tops don't fit. I did get a bella band to cover my little fat bulge with the regular shirts. One size up might be just fine for you!
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
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