Maternity Uniform Problems

hodso1ra

Has anyone else in reserve status had to fight to get maternity uniforms? I'm going into month 4, and I'm starting to really grow. My pants don't fit at all - Jan drill I had to use a maternity belt to keep them buttoned. I go on orders for a conference in 2 days, and I have to borrow pants from a guy in another unit just so I can look decent. I asked in November for Supply to order them, but I haven't been told a thing. Is there a place to buy them? I don't know how much longer I can keep being this uncomfortable!

jessech89

You buy them at the exchange. Idk if reserves get a maternity clothing allowance, I got mine while I was still on active duty. If you don't live near a uniform shop or exchange you have to buy them online and wait for shipping. The only upside to that is you can have your nametapes sewn on before they send them to you.

lyssa61189

If ur air force I know they took all maternity out of the exchange and u have to buy them online.. haven't seen any army ones in their either so possibly u will have to get them online.. ur local finance office should be able to tell u if u qualify for a maternity allowance

Avion22

What service are you?

I had to buy my  maternity uniforms (Air Force).  There are some larger bases that still sell maternity uniforms in Mil Clothing stores.  I was able to buy everything except ABUs.   I ordered them online but they were MAJORLY backordered in the fall, and took about 3 months to get here.  Fortunately a friend at another overseas base found some at mil clothing and mailed me some to tide me over.

I would recommend you look online at AAFES.com, and see if you qualify for a uniform allowance (usually enlisted do, and officers don't, but I'm not sure about the reserves).  Order what you need for yourself, and hopefully it's in stock and can be rushed to you.  If they're not available online, are backordered, or you can't get them for whatever reason, then you need to talk to your supervisor ASAP and see what else can be done.

I know people who used facebook networks to get maternity uniforms when there was no other way to get them.  You might also be able to try eBay, or if you live close enough to a base you might be able to try the base thrift shop or online sales network like Craigslist or a base-sponsored garage sale site.    

hodso1ra

I'm Army. As far as I know, all maternity uniforms have been removed from Clothing and Sales. AAFES.com states that it's an OCIE item that is supposed to be issued to you.
I just got off the phone with Supply, and it turns out they never even processed my request (which was put in in November.)
Unfortunately, I'm National Guard, and am no where near a base, so the base-sponsored garage sales aren't really an option for me. My husband is currently stationed at Leonard Wood, and he said he'll ask around. I'll tell him to check the thrift shop. Hopefully, he'll come across something.

Thank you for your input! I'll start checking the sites that were listed and see if I can find any for sale.

Carnation77

You can call (on the telephone) AAFES customer service and they can order it for you.  They can also rush them to you if you let them know it's an emergency (I didn't do the rush order with maternity uniforms but I did with other items not available in my local Clothing Sales when I was deploying last minute.)  It is available through them.  Just look AAFES customer service up online.  That sucks your unit didn't do the right thing.  

ufsandra85

I am AD navy and we have to buy and pay for our maternity uniforms. i have gone through 2 sizes because i am so huge now. i cant believe in other branches you cant just buy them! If someone orders them for you how do you know what sizes to get and how you do get them tailored?I hope you get your uniforms soon! I started wearing maternity uniforms at 13 weeks because i was so bloated. I would be so frustrated!!

hodso1ra

I'm currently at a conference with select members of my unit, including our Supply SGT and an officer from my husband's section. Supply told officer that he's tracking 3 expectants in our unit. Officer was surprised, but then said that "Supply would know first, so uniforms could be ordered." I had to hold my tongue to keep from noting that none of us have even been told our uniforms were going to be ordered.
I'll call AAFES when I get home next week.

Anyone know exactly how sizing works? I wear Small-Regular ACUs normally.

Avion22

hodso1ra said:

I'm currently at a conference with select members of my unit, including our Supply SGT and an officer from my husband's section. Supply told officer that he's tracking 3 expectants in our unit. Officer was surprised, but then said that "Supply would know first, so uniforms could be ordered." I had to hold my tongue to keep from noting that none of us have even been told our uniforms were going to be ordered. I'll call AAFES when I get home next week. Anyone know exactly how sizing works? I wear Small-Regular ACUs normally.

I don't know how ACUs work, but with ABUs I ordered trousers a few sizes up from my pre-preg size because I didn't want to outgrow them toward the end,and I figured if anything too big is better than too small.  I normally wear a 12, and ordered a 16 -- so far so good.   For the tops, I ordered one size larger than I normally wear (usually wear an 8, got a 10), and I think I'll be fine unless I get HUGE toward the end.   So in your case, I would go with Medium-Regular just to be on the safe side.  It would suck to outgrow them toward the end and be uncomfortable, or not be able to get new ones in the right size.

ufsandra85

for the Navy NWUs I usually wear a small and got smalls and they still fit and i have gained 55 pounds. my other uniforms i grew out of but the NWUs the small still fits

Carnation77

I wear a small-regular ACU top & bottom (normally a size 8 in regular clothes) and wore a 12 top (so my pregnancy-bloated boobs would fit - the rest of the top was enormous) and a 10 bottom (but moved up to a 12 once my butt got enormous in the 3rd tri).  I had to pin the sides of the top until the last two months of my pregnancy because it was just way too wide once you got below my chest.  

HisChamaoleGirl

For the Army you are not required to spend any of YOUR money on maternity uniforms. Check AR 670-1. If your husband works on Leonard Wood I would see if you could go to the CIF with a memo requesting an issue of maternity uniforms since your reserve unit doesn't have an actual base attached to it. In actuality you shouldn't need an issue memo, just your profile identifying you as a pregnant soldier.

 

As for sizing goes it is not in small, medium, etc. Maternity ACUs are sized in woman's sizes (4,6,8,etc.). The way they were issued to me is two in size 8 and one in size 10 for third trimester. I was able to try them on before leaving CIF and if I needed to exchange for a different size I was able to do so.

shesamommy

AD Navy and I just put in an order with supply on a tuesday and got them that next monday. The blouses suck because they are not the same size as your regular blouse like they say. I'm currently out of regs with maternity pants and  a regular  blouse but it works. Try it on before you leave supply even if you dont feel up to it like it did.

hodso1ra

The most frustrating part? I went into Supply and refused to leave him alone until he ordered them. Took 30 seconds, and there was a 3-day turnaround. I don't have them yet because I haven't been able to take time off to go down to my unit to pick them up, but I'm making sure I try them on, and I'll stand there and wait for them to order a different size if I need to. This is incredibly annoying...

iluvmytxrgr

When I was in the Reserves and pregnant, I couldn't get maternity uniforms.  They didn't sell them at Clothing and Sales.  They said it was up to my unit to issue them to me.  My unit said they didn't have them to issue.  When I was too big for my uniforms, I wore my husband's.  Once those were too small, my unit let me drill in PTs.  When my PTs didn't fit, my unit let me wear civies.  

iluvmytxrgr

mtgrizgirl said:

Barging in on this post with two things: 1) I am Air National Guard and had to wait for "budget/funds" to order mine. In the mean time I used my bella band thing to hold my pants up. 2) @iluvmytxrgr - just got super excited to see your post!! Former Military Nestie (faith*hope*love if you remember)! Its been ages and I guess since frequenting my Birth Month Board it didnt really occur to me to see what was happening on the Nestie side!

I do remember you!  Hi!  How have you been?

hodso1ra

iluvmytxrgr said:

When I was in the Reserves and pregnant, I couldn't get maternity uniforms.  They didn't sell them at Clothing and Sales.  They said it was up to my unit to issue them to me.  My unit said they didn't have them to issue.  When I was too big for my uniforms, I wore my husband's.  Once those were too small, my unit let me drill in PTs.  When my PTs didn't fit, my unit let me wear civies.  

My husband and I wear the same size, so I ended up borrowing another friend's pants. It was a little embarrassing having to call around late at night/early in the morning because I just could not find something comfortable.
I actually asked about wearing PTs and civies, but because of our current mission, we usually get a lot of visitors to our unit, and my section is one of the first you see. They were afraid I'd "stand out" too much. I tried to explain that I'd stand out even more if my pants suddenly fell down because I had no way to button them.

iluvmytxrgr

Hell, I say let 'em fall.  Let the belly hang out.  They'll get really uncomfortable and figure something out.  

nightowl1989

^^ This. It's annoying but you have to get by with it because they screwed up majorly.

Word on the street is May for the new ABUs. I ordered mine a month ago (old ones) and they're not here. I'm having to do the most awkward thing ever and ask to borrow someone's. I hope that I at least get the new ones if it's going to take 4-6 months to get them like it has been recently.

Laura5533

Just want to throw in my recent experience in case any active duty Army ladies are wondering about this, since I'm Army and was absolutely petrified of the process after reading this thread. 

My experience was great.  All I needed was a memo from supply, signed by my company commander and my pregnancy profile.  Took these to CIF and they issued me two sets of maternity ACUs.  They were out of most sizes except for 10-12 and 18+ (you didn't think it would be THAT easy, did you?), but at least IMO, they run really small compared to real world sizes, so I found some that worked.  A couple of weeks later, the elastic in the waist band broke, and I was able to DX it with no problems. 

HisChamaoleGirl

Laura5533 said:

Just want to throw in my recent experience in case any active duty Army ladies are wondering about this, since I'm Army and was absolutely petrified of the process after reading this thread. 

My experience was great.  All I needed was a memo from supply, signed by my company commander and my pregnancy profile.  Took these to CIF and they issued me two sets of maternity ACUs.  They were out of most sizes except for 10-12 and 18+ (you didn't think it would be THAT easy, did you?), but at least IMO, they run really small compared to real world sizes, so I found some that worked.  A couple of weeks later, the elastic in the waist band broke, and I was able to DX it with no problems. 

Yes this is the case for Active Duty Army females, but the reserves work a bit differently. That is why she is having such a hard time.