Maternity Clothes: Third & Fourth Trimester

heyybritt

I think I'd be so much more comfortable in dresses at this point but we're still getting low 30s here right now 😔 it is good advice to go ahead and bite the bullet on a few more clothes though, especially when I think about the fact that I'll still be wearing it through the first bit of summer.

jrouge12

I was just at Walmart and they had maternity jean shorts on a clearance rack. They didn't have the exact size I wanted but I ended up buying a size up and down because they were $3 and who knows what will fit me in May and post-partum. 

catem07

@jrouge12 walmart clearance is the greatest. I bought 3 sports bras for my annoying pregnancy boobs (one cup and two band sizes larger than normal...) for $3 each!

randic22

@thepretzelchick this may sound stupid but I honestly NEVER thought about getting one altered lol

lisush

I'll have to try the target leggings because I ordered the old Navy ones a few weeks ago and didn't like them at all. My jeans are from there and they're great, but the panels on their maternity leggings were so snug and not comfortable .

I want to live in leggings!

bananapanda

I feel the same not wanting to buy too much but also kind of needing new things especially shirts.  I did end up buying a few of these maternity/nursing shirts because I had one last pregnancy and it was great after DD was born to help cover up my belly and easy access for nursing/pumping so maybe consider items that work well now and right after birth.

https://www.pinkblushmaternity.com/p-19532-mint-draped-front-maternitynursing-top.aspx?DepartmentID=1

pirateduck

STMs, I know not everyone loses weight at the same rate after pregnancy, but how long did you feel you actually needed different clothes after you gave birth due to c-section discomfort, vaginal tearing, etc.?  At this point I'm just assuming that I'm wearing maternity clothes/comfy clothes after birth for quite awhile but really have no clue how long is typical.  

shamrocandroll

@pirateduck I wore elastic waistbands (not necessarily maternity) for at least a couple of months postpartum.  It's also important to note you might not be the same pants size as you were before getting pregnant, so chances of having to go shopping for some new "regular" clothes are pretty high.  I waited until closer to when I was returning to work around 12w PP to do that so I could be more sure about what size to get.  

catem07

@pirateduck I gave birth at the beginning of April. I think I was back in my regular size clothes by the time I went back to work at 10 weeks in early June. Maybe some things I had to size up a size. I also nursed so wore mostly nursing tops/tops that made nursing easy (full button down, etc.), most of which I bought for that purpose.

I had a vaginal birth, 3rd degree tear. On maternity leave I mostly dressed in leggings/sweat pants but I was comfortable to put on a dress for a wedding when my daughter was a month old. I gained about 30 pounds that pregnancy. 

thepretzelchick

@pirateduck My pp experience was abnormal after DS (gained 9lbs, lost 27, was back in normal clothes by my 2 week OB followup) but after DD I needed about 10 weeks before I was back in my old clothes and even then my jeans needed more space for my hips, plus my c/s incision hurt more after her even though overall recovery was quicker. I have a lot of flowy tanks from Old Navy that will work pp this time and my swimsuit will work pp, but any pants without an elastic waistband won't be attempted until end of summer/early autumn.

rachelg777

I was back in my regular size clothes within a few weeks but mostly wore comfy stuff anyway.

bananapanda

@pirateduck I gained about 30lb with DD and lost 20 pretty quickly after birth, but with breastfeeding/pumping I was constantly starving and gained that 20 back pretty quickly so I had a lot of fluctuation and ended up buying a lot of new clothes before I went back to work at 10 weeks PP.  I'm hoping to keep it more in check this time, but my milk production was correlated with calories eaten and I was starving.  I would rather have a few extra pounds (ok, more than a few, but whatever) and give my baby as much of my milk as I could so it was a fair trade for me.  Hoping this time is a little better, but if not, I never had a great body to start with haha

queenklau

@pirateduck, I gained 25 lbs with DD1 and lost 18 lbs within a few weeks after I gave birth. I gave birth in December via c-section and breastfed. The breastfeeding helps you burn calories like crazy, but also makes you ravenous. The last 5-7 lbs took me about 3-4 months, so around the time Mat leave was over. 

During my Mat leave wore maternity leggings, regular leggings, sweat pants and I bought a couple of pairs of stretchy jeans about a size bigger. This time I will take out my maternity shorts and probably end up buying a couple jean or soft shorts that are a size bigger (will wait until after birth to order them).
Also note that you make shed the pounds but your body shape may be different #mombod so you may end up changing your wardrobe if certain fits are flattering anymore.

jhysmath

@pirateduck
I gained 15 with DD and was back in my prepregnancy jeans by 8 weeks, not comfortably, and it was summer and I was on maternity leave still so I wore my maternity leggings and shorts for most of the summer. Actually I think I wore MHs boxer shorts if I wasn't leaving the house even if we had visitors because no one will judge a new mom with leaky boobs at her own house and live to tell about it. 

jhysmath

Also even though my pants are getting tight, I'm just waiting for spring because I have dresses and shorts I can wear from when I was pregnant with DD. It works out well that their due dates are one day apart so the same clothes can be used

pirateduck

I feel like I will need to buy a few more pieces as we transition seasons, I just like to think I can buy things that I can wear towards the end of pregnancy and for much of the summer and then revisit my body size/shape in fall.

lajoliedreamer

With DD, I gave birth in late Oct and it took me 5-6 months to be somewhat comfortable in my pre-pregnancy clothes. I gained 27 lbs and lost 20ish by the end of May.  I never lost the last 5 in the three years since. 

shamrocandroll

To clarify, I didn't mean to say you might not be the same size to mean you will definitely be bigger.  I only gained 11 lbs with DS and ended up being 20-25 lbs lighter than my pre-preg weight just a few weeks after he was born.  So my pre-preg clothes were too big on me.  My body shape was definitely different, though.  Also I gained all my weight back after I stopped breastfeeding, so I have quite the range of clothing sizes in my possession from the last 3-4 years.  

jrouge12

@pirateduck I only gained about 20 pounds with DD. I lost 10 of those in the initial weeks but it wasn't until I was done breastfeeding/pumping that I successfully lost the rest. I wasn't really trying though. I'm hoping that it being summer and being able to go for nice walks (instead of winter) will help me this time. I actually find full panel maternity pants comfortable post-p. I wore my jeans for a long time.

afranzen85

I agree with @shamrocandroll that your body will just be different. Even if you are back to your pre-pregnancy weight, your clothes will just fit differently. 

I was back into pre-pregnancy clothes within 2-4 weeks with all 3 vaginal births. Although, I found stretchy waisted pants/shorts to be most comfortable and more convenient.

soprano19

With DD1 I gained 27 lbs and I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans at about 12 weeks postpartum, although I went back to a lot of my regular clothes (dresses, shirts) a lot sooner than that, like within a month or so.

pirateduck

Sounds like maybe some extra comfy summer clothes will be needed and by fall/winter much of my regular wardrobe should be fine.  

soprano19

@pirateduck I’m basically planning on living in dresses, stretchy tank tops, and elastic waist shorts for the summer. By the time it’s cool enough to need jeans again, I should be back to my pre-pregnancy ones.

pourmeanothermocktail

+1 to get new clothes now if they're already too tight. My maternity wardrobe really does span 4 sizes. 

I can't do maxi dresses at all. Midi sometimes, but they need to stop just a couple images below knee. Mid-calf of longer and even if they're not dragging, I get tangled in them when I go outside-the wind catches them. Plus whenever I get into a car, or sit on floor or even just with feet up, too many extra fabric. And in summer I need knee length or shorter and wear slip shorts or similar under-because my gorgeous thighs love each other too much.

For baby 1 I gained 30 lbs, had a c section and never basically never went into my more fitted pre-baby clothes again. I was stuck in maternity for at least 4 months, maybe more, due to DR. By 6 months out I was a more normal shape, and had lost all the weight (even nursing it's hard for me to lose weight as my blood sugar dips low if I don't eat a lot (eating salads just leaves me unable to function)), I wasn't able to exercise much because of SPD still. I was 2 sizes up due to spread out hips/pelvis.  And my scar was tender (so many people get numb scars, but in my family we get ultra sensitive burning feeling on scars for 2-5 years post surgery, every time), so jeans were a nope, even in a new size. I donated 90% of my wardrobe.

I gained 50 lbs with second,had a vaginal birth, and nursed. Dropped 40 lbs in maybe 6-8 weeks, was in maternity stuff mostly for 2-3 months. No scar helped, but I was still soft and squishy so had to get a few more larger looser things that winter (August baby). Started fully exercising around 6 months postpartum, got down to within 5 lbs of pre-all the babies weight, and a lot of was muscle, I was very lean, but even so 2 ADDITIONAL pants sizes up, so a total of 4 sizes up from pre-babies, at same weight, and toned. Some of that is due to excess hanging flap of skin from an over stretched belly-it was entirely covered it stretch marks, fully purple, after baby 2-and that post of stretched out skin doesn't shrink up. I had strong toned muscles hiding under skin flap. It just is. And partially the sizes gained come from the separation of my pubic bones from each other. And potentially just some normal bone growth and hip spreading due to carrying a lot of weight. Idk, but nothing is the same, and even if I ever have the extra skin removed and my pelvis wired back to stability, it's hard to say if I'll ever be the same shape/size again. I'm just hoping I don't end up another 2 pants sizes up this time. I can't replace my pants all again...

I'm already at 30 lbs gained in my only 25 weeks, so I'm probably on track for another 50 lbs pregnancy. Which my poor pelvis doesn't like. But it's hard when my blood sugar and heart burn demand eating every 2-3 hours, and my pelvis demands that I stay off my feet as much as possible. Oh well. 

At least my body isn't the norm. I hope everyone else ends up in clothes closer to their original.

m6agua

I think I gained around 25-30 lbs with DD. I know I've mentioned it before but I got a serious bug 3 days after birth and pretty much dropped all of my weight by a week postpartum. I then went hyperthyroid and stayed smaller until about 1.5-2 months postpartum. I was fitting back into my regular skinny clothes, which I hadn't fit in quite a while. Then I went hypothyroid and slowly started gaining weight back and eventually started wearing my maternity pants again.

To say I am excited to be done with pregnancy after this is an understatement. I am so done with the weight fluctuations. I'm ready to get my hormones balanced and stay more steady all the time.

cmhme

Hi Ladies, so glad you started this convo and sorry for being late to ask but i need to purchase a bridesmaids dress for 6 weeks after due date. We are looking at A line so that should be very helpful with hips and belly but my question is what do your boobs do? I have gone up significantly since i had practically nothing to begin with but do not know if/when breastfeeding, etc? Would you buy to fit boob size now and have altered real quick or assume a lit bit of decrease by 6 weeks? Or could they get bigger? Thanks!

catem07

I would not assume they'll get much smaller by 6 weeks if you're breastfeeding. Buy big and you can have it tailored smaller. 

rox7777

@cmhme If you’re breastfeeding you will swell for the first weeks and then once your supply is established the swelling should go back down. Expect similar to your size now but account for your rib cage probably shrinking back down some.
Im usually a 38DDD/E while pregnant and a 36DDD/E while nursing. Not everyone is the same, some people don’t grow at all in the chest until their milk comes in, so if that’s the case be prepared to go up a cup size or so. 

pirateduck

I agree to plan on alterations, which you should be able to schedule for the week before the wedding. Also agree that it’s easier for them to make a dress smaller vs. bigger, but *some* styles can be made bigger if needed.

pourmeanothermocktail

My breasts were actually slightly larger around 6 weeks postpartum, but as mentioned above, my ribcage was smaller. So it evened out. If you have any control over the style, something with a lower neckline and maybe a tiny bit of stretch is nice if you'll need to be nursing or pumping in it. I've had to pump in quite a few dresses. I love my Freemie cups (and manual pump) for a bridesmaid dress pump session, lol. but any dress that you can pull down or unzip slightly to pull shoulders down for ease in pumping/nursing is so helpful, rather than having to basically disrobe.

tj_2

I have to go to a desi (i.e. southeast Asia) wedding in August. Wondering if I'll be close enough to my old size to fit into the clothes I have or if I'm going to need new ones. Those clothes are mad expensive so I really hope that'll motivate me to get back to my normal size post-partum 😳

allie456

So, much to my surprise, it seems that underwire bras just are not going to work for me (wire is digging into the top of my bump/bottom of my breasts and leaving bruises), and I haven't worn soft cup bras in years. Anyone have recs for comfortable soft cup nursing bras? I'm a 36DDD/E right now, maybe bigger, so I can't exactly go braless. 

catem07

@allie456 underwire isn’t recommended for breastfeeding anyway, especially early on, because it can cause clogs. I get these but they might not be supportive enough for you. 

Women's Full Cup Lightly Padded Wirefree Maternity Breastfeeding Nursing Bra Size L, 3PCS/Pack(Pink-Black-Beige) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EFNPD7W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tlXvEbC7BNC9G

miss_lynn9

@allie456 I have this one and I find it comfortable. I'm a 34DDD

https://www.thymematernity.com/en/429523.html?cgid=TM-Lingerie-Bras-Full-Coverage&dwvar_429523_color=Lilac#start=1

shamrocandroll

@allie456 I got this one and love it.  I wanted a bra with more structure than most of the soft and thin nursing bras.  It took a couple of days to break it in comfortably, but now I love it for my every day bra.  It doesn't give me uniboob like a lot of other nursing bras do, and it's thicker so my nipples don't show through as much.  After ordering one and loving it, I went back on and ordered 2 more in other colors.  I recommend sizing up if you're in between sizes.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A9YGBPO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

pourmeanothermocktail

shamrocandroll said:

@allie456 I got this one and love it.  I wanted a bra with more structure than most of the soft and thin nursing bras.  It took a couple of days to break it in comfortably, but now I love it for my every day bra.  It doesn't give me uniboob like a lot of other nursing bras do, and it's thicker so my nipples don't show through as much.  After ordering one and loving it, I went back on and ordered 2 more in other colors.  I recommend sizing up if you're in between sizes.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A9YGBPO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

I am sad, that looks perfect for what I want overnight, and the first week or two with baby, but it doesn't come in any size that will remotely work. I hate my bra size, I can't order anything that comes in s/m/l type sizes. I need an xs band and an xl cup. And that sort of size doesn't ever come cheap if it's even kinda functional or comfy.

pirateduck

I am not as large as you, but I got this bra from Target.  It is kinda thick and structured compared to other bras I saw/tried.  It is not stretchy.  It has plastic stays in the sides but no underwire.  It feels more like wearing a regular bra to me vs. some of the other models that remind me more of sports bras.

https://www.target.com/p/women-s-nursing-wirefree-bra-auden-153/-/A-54083299?preselect=53929203#lnk=sametab

shamrocandroll

@pourmeanothermocktail Yeah, I am a little bit worried about after birth when my rips shrink but my boobs are still big.  But I'm on the loosest band setting now, so hopefully I have enough room to just move to a smaller setting.  I will say it started out on the tighter side before it stretched to fit comfortably on the loosest setting.  But maybe something like the one @pirateduck posted with actual band and cup sizes would be better for you?  

heyybritt

I have the same one as @pirateduck and love it! 

pourmeanothermocktail

pirateduck said:

I am not as large as you, but I got this bra from Target.  It is kinda thick and structured compared to other bras I saw/tried.  It is not stretchy.  It has plastic stays in the sides but no underwire.  It feels more like wearing a regular bra to me vs. some of the other models that remind me more of sports bras.

https://www.target.com/p/women-s-nursing-wirefree-bra-auden-153/-/A-54083299?preselect=53929203#lnk=sametab

Intriguing. If it's not stretchy though probably won't quite work. Preferred size 32 H. During pregnancy I can go up to 34 G or H due to ribs expanding, but it shrinks down almost immediately after birth. The first two weeks postpartum though I need extra room in cups in general. More like a 32 I. It's frustrating. I don't hate my boobs, but I do hate that clothing them is so difficult. 32DDD was my pre-pregnancy/nursing/babies size, before my first. I've been nursing/pregnant/both since then, so I'm interested to see what size I am after finally being done nursing, sometime in the future.