I haven't seen a thread on maternity wear yet, so I thought I'd start one.
I started this pregnancy on the heavier side, so while I'm only technically 10wks, I have officially broken out my maternity wardrobe! (full disclosure, the belly is probably 60/40 fat/baby.) problem is, my first pregnancy was mostly during spring & summer. (and also 4yrs ago. my maternity stash needs a major upgrade!)
I picked up a few things from motherhood today, but I yanked the tags off a pair of Jessica simpson skinny jeans I bought on sale during my last pregnancy (which ended in mc- therefore I never got to wear them). I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed! the belly band doesn't slip as badly as other bands I've worn. I'm eager to buy another pair or two!
and I had to buy a new bra today. *ugh* at least in motherhood bras, a 36 band fits perfect, as well as the G cup. but I KNOW these girls are only going to get bigger. HOOOWWWW does motherhood have G cups in 36 bands but not in 38?! (I tried 38DDD- it was a no-go). idk wtf I'm gonna do when I burst out of 36G

anyone got any recommendations on good quality, supportive (aka wired- I've gotta at least TRY to maintain some sex appeal for the sake of my marriage) bras in larger sizes?
Re: maternity wardrobe
I started this pregnancy at a size 12 which is depressing me because this is how big I was at 9 months pregnant with my DD. I definitely need to get some maternity pants because my current ones are giving me a huge muffin top. I’ve fallen in love with the cute maternity brands on Instagram, but it seems like 90% of their selection is dresses
Have you tried pink blush for pants???
@harveyisaboysname, I should have been clearer. when I said maintain some fire in my marriage, I more meant a bra that keeps my boobs where they're supposed to be when I'm clothed
Also I love my Knix bras. They aren’t super sexy but they do have some prints and cool colors. I think they go up to a decent size and I know they are working on expanding their size range as well.
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
I tried a knix bra a while ago & the sizing was off.
@batmama31 thank you
I've been eyeing thirdlove for soo long but the lack of support in their model pictures just makes me nervous to spend the money. I've also looked at a lot of bravado and kindred bravely but I don't like pull ons. Basically I'm just unreasonable with bras.
It probably stems from being a historical costumer and wearing all the corsets when I was younger. It's spoiled me for elastic
DD born: 3/31/19
@sheknows6 just a warning, don’t expect belly bands and extenders to work all the way through pregnancy. As you have to unzip your jeans, the teeth of the zipper dig in to your growing belly - eventually it becomes unbearable. Take it from someone who put off maternity clothes for as long as possible last time.
I did find that a lot of my oversized sweaters could stretch over the bump during winter last time. But maternity pants are a must. And I’m all about pocket panels.
The first Knix bra I bought fit funny, I exchanged it for a size up and i don’t think I’ll ever by anything else. Underwire free is the way to be, lol.
Also Old Navy long layering tanks are awesome. I had some from before i was pregnant with DD and they made it almost all the way through till the end and i have a long torso to begin with. Since i was due in July last time i pretty much lived in them and still wear them now. I actually need to get some more because they are finally starting to wear out.
Also if you have a Burlington near you they usually carry maternity, and usually get stuff from Motherhood Maternity, Jessica Simpson and such.
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
I skimoed on mateeniry clothes last time. I am not fashionable and cute while pregnant. And I probably won’t be this time either. I take hand me downs from friends and just scrape a wardrobe together.
BFP: 8/20/2018 - EDD 5/4/2019
Planning on getting a huge comfy sweatshirt.
I did actually wind up sending back everything I got from Pink Blush, except a pair of shorts 'cause I was desperate . :P Maybe I just have a weird body type, but I thought all their stuff fit weird and felt cheap. I found the shorts stretched out a lot after a little while, in both the band and the legs, and looked saggy.
Thanks for the Blanqi recommendation! They may be a splurge this time around. Since I still like what I bought last time (all 10 things, lol) and winter means I can wear my open sweaters over tank tops, I'm hoping that maybe I can can get away with buying just 1 or 2 new things.
So I guess my advice is: capsule wardrobe, high quality! On sale (like my bras from Pea in a Pod) or secondhand!
my favorite nursing bras were the ones that are kind of like a lightly padded swim suit? The ones I’d just pull to the side to pop my boob out. I never liked the ones with hooks and flaps- took that much longer to get dressed or undressed when nursing in public.
So I think I got like 2 pairs maternity pants, a pair of leggings, maybe 5-6 shirts (fewer than 10 anyway), two dresses?, two nursing bras... and that’s about it? No nursing clothes except a couple nursing tanks that I used for sleeping early on and didn’t need later.
I second looking for shirts/dresses that will double for nursing. Most of mine didn’t and I would have needed to buy more clothes if I ended up being able to breastfeed.
prevously helloblueeyes
Me:32 DH:33 Married:04/2012 DD:07/2014
BFP 8/14/2018 #2 due 4/18/2019
I also don’t like most nursing clothing. I find the torsos are too short for me. I just find shirts or tanks that I can just pull my boob out of the top. Lol
@rennie1108 with my first I wore my regular jeans until 8 months lol but started to wear maternity shirts at like 20weeks. My second I was wear maternity pants at like 8weeks. This one my regular clothes are still comfy at 10.5weeks. So just go with how you feel and what makes you the most comfortable.
I was gifted several nursing shirts which are still in regular rotation 16 months later. The best part about them was how I didn't have to be topless to pump. DD bounces from boob to boob while nursing so they don't help with discretion in public, but they're comfy to lift at home.
For every day kick around clothes I love Motherhood Maternity. Their t-shirts/tanks are the best and never stretch out, and their leggings were my favorite too.
If I wanted to look a little more presentable or had a wedding or party, Pink Blush was my go to. So much cute stuff and it all fit me pretty predictably.
For jeans my favorite pair are Joe’s. Their maternity line is great - super comfortable and fits well. May need to get more this time!
As for bras, Third Love is great in terms of appearance but is not as comfortable as some others, so I mostly wear those if I have somewhere to go. Believe it or not my favorite every day maternity/nursing bras are Jessica Simpson’s wireless. They are pretty supportive and don’t look too bad, plus they’re super comfortable.
In a pinch, Amazon actually has some really cute stuff as well.
Next I have to think about whether I need another coat. I have a nice warm wool wrap coat that I stuck with last time right up to when I delivered in December, but since we’re going to be pregnant allllll winter I may want another option just to change it up.
Oh, editing just to add my two cents on nursing clothes... If you plan to breastfeed, I recommend buying nursing bras as you upgrade sizes because you’ll need them anyway and get way more use out of them than just bigger regular bras. Also, Motherhood Maternity has lots of nursing tops and sweaters that are even sort of cute and would probably accommodate a bump as well. I bought sooooo much nursing gear after the fact because I hated being freezing with my boobs out all the time, and I probably could have been getting use out of it my whole pregnancy.
& I second what @Piccola1988 said about getting nursing bras as you need to size up throughout your pregnancy. I had no idea the first time around, and spent too much money on bras from nordstrom that I wasn't able to use again. idk for other women, but I know that during my pregnancy, and afterwards while I was nursing, my bra size changed about 6 times. now that I'm doing it again, I am not going to push any limits in the comfort of my boobs!
@kbirchtree oo there's a Ross right by my house, I'll have to check it out.. so far I'm just stalking mercari for deals... I'll seriously spend $30 on a diaper for my babys bum but I can't bring myself to spend $15 on jeans.. ugh
I also hated nursing shirts! My daughter was a sloppy eater so she’d always dribble and my shirts would get covered in milk. Undercover mama tanks were the best! You wear it under a regular shirt and it clips onto your nursing bra. So you can keep your top shirt clean and keep your tummy covered if you prefer that. https://undercovermama.com/products/uc-mama-tank
@rennie1108 I need new sports bras, too! I don't know about maternity, but I was going to look for ones that I can just clasp/hook instead of pullover. The pullovers don't feel good on my sore boobs!
Picture of Target dress in spoiler
@loveanddatadriven that color is everything! It's so cute! I haven't had much luck finding a maternity sports bra that isn't a pullover at least partly, but VS did make one that was a zip down the front even if it wasn't technically maternity.
@rennie1108 there are maternity sports bras, motherhood has some, I'd just do a quick google search and see what you can find, I've looked at so many this week I can't keep track of what I saw where ugh