Purchase clothes bigger or purchase maternity clothes. Thoughts?

fitandpreggers2017

I'm currently 12 weeks pregnant as of yesterday, and I'm still not showing. I'm pretty petite and very active, so my Dr. said I probably won't show until around 20 weeks. My girlfriend that just recently had her 1st baby said she just purchased her clothes a little bigger once she started to show. Has anyone else done the same thing? 

jenotontx

knottied6facc5804ff5f35 said:

I'm currently 12 weeks pregnant as of yesterday, and I'm still not showing. I'm pretty petite and very active, so my Dr. said I probably won't show until around 20 weeks. My girlfriend that just recently had her 1st baby said she just purchased her clothes a little bigger once she started to show. Has anyone else done the same thing? 

This would have been a great question for the weekly Questions thread. Please read the thread posted at the top of the page that says "read this first" to get a feal for how things work around here. 

I would personally be a bit nervous spending money on "bigger clothes" not knowing how much extra room I will really need. Everyone's bodies are different and what may have worked for your friend isn't necessarily going to work for you. Considering there is no way of telling I would probably just invest in the maternity clothes. At least you know those will be of use for the majority of your pregnancy. 

kmalls

I'll bite. Don't buy bigger clothes, because everything about them will be bigger: shoulders won't fit correctly, arms will be baggy, pants will sag. I don't always feel my best while pregnant, but having good maternity clothes that fit well and make me feel put together go a long way. 

lindsye

What everyone else has said about fit is definitely true; maternity clothes are designed to accommodate a bump, whereas a normal dress in a bigger size will be shorter in the front than it is in the back once you have a bump.

The one thing to be said for buying some bigger sized clothes is that you will be bigger after you give birth - for months at least - and you may no longer want to show off a "bump." Personally, I bought some bigger clothes to prepare for that situation but not for pregnancy itself.

Sissy42

knottied6facc5804ff5f35 said:

I'm currently 12 weeks pregnant as of yesterday, and I'm still not showing. I'm pretty petite and very active, so my Dr. said I probably won't show until around 20 weeks. My girlfriend that just recently had her 1st baby said she just purchased her clothes a little bigger once she started to show. Has anyone else done the same thing? 


--------------------------------------------------------------------
Aw crap. I'm stuck in the quote box again. So I did buy a few shirts that are one size up for the "right now" time. I feel better with a little room, and my boobs are currently angry globs of sensation, so having something looser around them rather than tighter against them is a major win. For when I'm truly showing and there's a giant belly, maternity clothes are probably the way to go, but you really don't need too much! I have a few friends who have gotten those belly band things and just worn regular pants, or made due with one or two pairs, and cycled through a couple of maternity shirts and just worn their regular sweater/shrug things on top or different necklaces, etc. to make the outfits look a little more different day to day.

irenejean

What people above said. The bigger clothes probably won't be long enough once you have a noticeable bump (and the fit could be off), but bigger clothes that fit you now will probably come in handy after delivery. Considering our babies will be born an April, I would probably hold off on buying a lot of bigger size clothes since it'll be close to Summer when you'll want bigger clothes. I think if you buy maternity clothes now, they'll probably work well for you throughout your pregnancy, the only caveat being sometimes you need to size up in maternity clothes at the very end (I had to get bigger tops for the last month and half of my first pregnancy). I have bought a few normal tops in a bigger size, but the styles are pretty baggy/loose anyway, and the one top that I bought bigger that isn't baggy is going to be too short for me soon. 

ladythrice

Maternity clothes all the way. I don't really understand why one would consider larger clothes in place of maternity. Larger will be an unnatural baggy fit... For the most part. Maternity, specifically designed for a growing belly are super cute and flattering. If you're spending money... Spend it on cute flattering clothes.

ladythrice

And PS., it's completely normal for MOST FTMs to not truly need new clothes until 20+ weeks.

whatabout2ndbreakfast

My sister just gave me a dozen or so sweaters that are a size bigger than I'd normally buy. I'm tall though and a late show-er. 

danjoly

Yeah being thin and active won't change a thing, you'll get a big belly like everyone! Maternity clothes are pricey so why not get your money out of it! Plus also, maternity pants are gonna be way more comfortable than larger pants who won't stretch. 

rklinge0

I bought maternity pants with my first and had a handful of maternity shirts. However, I am in the minority and I hated my maternity tees so I just bought a size up to wear the last month of work. I also wore some tunic shirts, too. There is no way to tell how your body will change so you can wait and decide later what will work best for you. 

angiek1

All of what was mentioned above. Maternity clothing tends to follow shape better than just going a size up in reg clothing. 

lesliegolem

Personally I'd say maternity clothes especially when it comes to pants or dresses. I will say though shirt wise I had better luck just getting a size up vs maternity tops. Some maternity tops especially from old navy for me personally seemed to be too much material and very long. I am overweight and shorter though so maybe thats part of it? My breasts went from a C cup to an F cup with my 1st pregnancy so maybe thats part of it too. Maternity tops plan more for the belly not the breasts. But definitely maternity jeans are the best!!

lesliegolem

Oh to add to this too some of the maternity styles are not my cup of tea. So I'd say if you see something you like and it's not maternity wear I'd try it anyway in a bigger size in case it works. 

Sissy42

rklinge0 said:

I bought maternity pants with my first and had a handful of maternity shirts. However, I am in the minority and I hated my maternity tees so I just bought a size up to wear the last month of work. I also wore some tunic shirts, too. There is no way to tell how your body will change so you can wait and decide later what will work best for you. 

I did this too. I'm a shorter plus sized lady, and found that tunics with maternity leggings were infinitely more comfortable than pants and tops with DD2, and I probably will go that route again. They are a little more forgiving too, I feel, especially if they are the looser/flowing types, so your boobs don't get smashed.

ngolimento

I am kind of scratching my head at this "either or" mentality.  I mean, for real, clothes vary so wildly why would you limit yourself to either JUST maternity or JUST bigger size?  Longer shirt cuts are in style right now, so why not grab a shirt or two in a size up that has enough length for a belly?  Just about the only thing you can't usually be flexible about is jeans and work pants.

I just bought a slew of maternity shirts I liked, then turned around and bought a regular coat in two sizes up because maternity coats are obscenely priced.  Best of both worlds.  Crisis averted.  Imo this is a weird thread/question.

1fish2fishredfish

ngolimento said:

I am kind of scratching my head at this "either or" mentality.  I mean, for real, clothes vary so wildly why would you limit yourself to either JUST maternity or JUST bigger size?  Longer shirt cuts are in style right now, so why not grab a shirt or two in a size up that has enough length for a belly?  Just about the only thing you can't usually be flexible about is jeans and work pants.

I just bought a slew of maternity shirts I liked, then turned around and bought a regular coat in two sizes up because maternity coats are obscenely priced.  Best of both worlds.  Crisis averted.  Imo this is a weird thread/question.

Yes, a coat.  Been wondering what to do about that.  I choke when I see the maternity coat prices and this is my last LO so I'm not going to need it again.  

ngolimento

@1fish2fishredfish I scored a sweet coat at Burlington for 35 bucks.  I did it last time I was pregnant and it worked beautifully.  I was sad that the zipper got accidentally caught in the car door and broken, because I would have otherwise worn it again this go-around.

laceymarie3

For my first pregnancy I bought a Bella Band. I used it with my regular pants until I was about 17 weeks. Then I started wearing maternity clothes. 

rmmorris

My first pregnancy, I used a hair tie to macgyver my regular pants into fitting unzipped and never bought maternity pants. At some point that stopped working and I just stopped wearing pants altogether and wore maternity dresses or leggings almost exclusively. Although it was summer and I live in the south, so that definitely contributed. 

nmtay

Ok I'm a seamstress so clothes fitting properly is literally a science I have devoted my life to. Just buy the maternity clothes. You look 10x better (and thinner, mind you) in things that fit your shoulders properly on top and your hips/thighs properly on bottom. Buy what fits you there and make sure to buy stretchy fabrics so that the other areas can stretch to fit. Pre pregnancy i was a 32 DDD so i ALWAYS had to fight the battle of choosing whether to fit my shoulders or my boobs, always go for shoulders. Don't buy a bigger size cause of your tummy, buy a different style. So maternity pants and maybe more flowy or stretchy tops until you can fill out the maternity ones more. You're going to buy maternity clothes eventually, might as well buy them now and be comfortable instead of waiting and buying them when you're already stretched thin on baby expenses and you're ready to strangle yourself with the rubber band on your jeans.

ladythrice

nmtay said:

Ok I'm a seamstress so clothes fitting properly is literally a science I have devoted my life to. Just buy the maternity clothes. You look 10x better (and thinner, mind you) in things that fit your shoulders properly on top and your hips/thighs properly on bottom. Buy what fits you there and make sure to buy stretchy fabrics so that the other areas can stretch to fit. Pre pregnancy i was a 32 DDD so i ALWAYS had to fight the battle of choosing whether to fit my shoulders or my boobs, always go for shoulders. Don't buy a bigger size cause of your tummy, buy a different style. So maternity pants and maybe more flowy or stretchy tops until you can fill out the maternity ones more. You're going to buy maternity clothes eventually, might as well buy them now and be comfortable instead of waiting and buying them when you're already stretched thin on baby expenses and you're ready to strangle yourself with the rubber band on your jeans.