Product Spotlight: Maternity Clothes

kiwi2628

I figured I could get the ball rolling on our first product spotlight, especially since STM+ tend to start showing earlier. So:

Favorite maternity brands? Best high quality? Best budget brands? Best for maternity pics? Etc…

Avrilmai

So last time around I was pregnant in the hotter months (August baby) and basically lived in t-shirt dresses when not at work. (regular t-shirt dresses not maternity)

I didn't really buy anything "high quality." I wear scrubs to work and didn't have a need for "nice" clothing during pregnancy. Though I did get a dress from Pink Blush maternity for my shower. They also had an easy return policy. 

For budget brands. I had a couple of the Old Navy Maternity shorts. I like the motherhood maternity clipdown camis. (I wear a cami under my scrub top everyday because I'm always cold) They're longer lines and can be used in postpartum for breastfeeding/pumping. I love the Gap Love leggings for casual days/around the house.

I had workout leggings from Old Navy that I hated. The material was weird and they made this strange noise... idk I switched to the blackout workout leggings from the Gap and liked those. This time around I plan to try the fabletics maternity leggings. 

If anyone has recommendations for maternity jeans...I'd love to know about them. that is my usual casual wear in the winter. 

doxiemoxie212

OMG there are so many more brands this time than there were last time. It's like everyone stayed home during the pandemic and created new maternity and nursing brands.

I just bought bras from Bodily because I struggled with finding bras last time so much (I have a really narrow rib cage - 30 band - but my boobs get gigantic - DDD+ - so it's difficult), and they're really soft, and I think I will actually like them for pregnancy AND nursing.

Nom is good for nursing. I had one of their shirts last time for pp and it was one of my favs.

J Brand for maternity jeans - I splurged on them last time, and they were really comfy and very cute, and showed no signs of wearing out anytime soon. (and I've seen some pairs on ThredUp and considered buying a second pair lol) I also got some from Paige last time, but they weren't as soft. 

Beyond Yoga has a maternity line. Their fabrics are so soft.

Rachel Pally (this one I would absolutely only buy from consignment)

^ I've been buying all these brands and a few more on ThredUp the last couple days because they had a sale on top of their low prices. 

I liked Pink Blush a lot last time, but I didn't find the materials held up that well. 

I liked kindred bravely bras and underwear last time. I liked Bravado bras last time. 

I've seen a lot of pelvic floor physical therapists recommending Baobei, so I'm interested in some of their support garments.

I've been getting ads for Hatch and Storq, and they both look really cute, but it's super expensive, and I can't find either of them on ThredUp much at all. 

SmashJam

@Avrilmai I still wear my maternity leggings from gap. The best! Glad to have an excuse to buy new ones now...

As far as maternity jeans go my best were over the bump panels from Gap. Also for under bump, Gap had some nice green "khaki" style pants with a great under bump waistband. They had shorts in that same material and same under bump band as well. 

I wore a lot of non maternity dresses and flowy tops to go with those jeans. I bought Gap tanks and tees, as well as tanks and tees from target. Both were great! 

doxiemoxie212

Oh, also, I've said this before, but as much as you can, if you're interested in breastfeeding, try to pick maternity clothes that would potentially work for BFing. Most people don't instantly shrink down to pre-pregnancy size, and it sucks to have your pre-pregnancy wardrobe, then buy a bunch of stuff for pregnancy, and then need to buy a THIRD wardrobe for postpartum breastfeeding. Button downs work really well, full zip hoodies, those flowy shirts you can lift up, etc. 

queenklau

@doxiemoxie212, completely agree, this includes nursing/pumping/maternity bras. Do yourself a favor and get 1 type for all 3. I used kindred bravery.

Also agree with gap maternity leggings and target maternity leggings. Gap maternity has maternity slacks, if needed, get the side/low band, I highly recommend against the full panel. It works well for a short while and it’s uncomfortable and itchy.

The other brands I liked are kindred bravery, Latched mama. But there are sooooo many more now. Don’t go overboard, get a couple of good pairs of pants/leggings and 3-4 maternity/nursing shirts, underwear and maybe a dress. 

I plan on reusing all of my maternity clothes form my last two pregnancies. For now, I am wearing my regular clothes until I can’t any longer.

doula-mama

If you work in an office, maternity nylons are freaking amazing! Well worth the investment, and something I didn't find out about until my second time around.

Bravado bras are really good, and have a full coverage cup for people who need it (I went from a 34DD to a 36G by the time I was nursing my second, and couldn't find anything else that didn't have a lot of spillage, even if they were advertised to fit a G cup).

For pants, I highly recommend that you don't buy too much to start with... unless you've been pregnant before, it's hard to know if you'll like the under the bump or the full panel better. I learned this the hard way and bought a few under the bump pants on sale, only to find out that I constantly felt like they were falling off. I much prefer the full panel, even early on (I thought they'd feel restrictive, but they are so stretchy and comfy haha)

SmashJam

@doula-mama I feel the same about full panels even early on...I don't like the silhouette that some of the underbelly panels give. The Gap ones weren't too bad, tho.

miss_lynn9

I agree that it's great to find maternity clothes that will also work for postpartum and BF. 

I bought 2 different full panel jeans. 1 pair only worked for a while, they became tight and uncomfortable. The second pair was amazing until the end. The panel fabric was thin and stretchy and they helped hold my belly up. 

Bras were very difficult to find. I was a 32DD pre-pregnancy and got to a 34F. I ended up with a Kindred Bravely one that I liked. 

I just ordered some tops and leggings off Shein (my first time ever ordering from them) and I don't like the material. I typically only buy natural fabrics so the poly isn't very comfortable. We will see how they hold up through this pregnancy though.

aloha_mama

@Avrilmai I completely know what you mean about the weirdness with the Old Navy workout pants! I have a pair and they drive me nuts. What is with that swishing sound? Like, I now my thighs rub together, I don’t need anymore reminders lol

doxiemoxie212

Oh god, I hated full panel pants. I hated anything touching my stomach if it didn't have to lol. Side panel all daaaaay.

Though, honestly, after this pandemic, I'm not even sure I can wear real pants anymore. Now leggings are my "dressy" pants lololol I wear sweatpants every day..... does not bode well for me wearing real clothes with a huge belly. 

doula-mama

@doxiemoxie212 You need to go for maternity dresses then... they look so pulled together and are so much more forgiving!

doxiemoxie212

@doula-mama haha "sounds good," I say from the sweatpants I've worn for the past 7 days straight 

It's better you guys know this sooner than later. I don't even like showers  

doula-mama

@doxiemoxie212 TBH, I only know how awesome the dresses are because a coworker gave me a TON of maternity clothes last time. Like, I have more maternity clothes from her than I have regular clothes... it's fun and stressful haha

loveanddatadriven

@doula-mama +1 maternity dresses! I lived in form-fitting maternity dresses, including post-partum. Soft ones are comfortable enough to sleep in. A lot less pressure on my bump which was good for my nausea and reflux. I thought they did a better job of adapting to my changing size. Many of them are good for BF, too.

doula-mama

Another one - get your maternity clothes earlier, rather than waiting until you are completely uncomfortable making your normal clothes work. It makes it easier to justify spending more money if you are getting more use out of it, plus, from a mental health perspective, it's so much healthier to have clothes that fit/are comfortable/are designed for your changing body rather than trying to fit into clothes that don't fit (especially since a lot of people go through some body image issues during the time when you start to get bigger but don't have the really cute/obvious bump)

jennykatedvm

Anyone have a compression sock brand they love? Last time I used SockWells and they were the most comfortable I could find, but they still made me so darn warm and gave me sweaty feet! Thinking about trying Bombas.

laurazainab

H & M , old navy, gap 

monstera13

I also found quite a bit of cheaper maternity clothes on Zulily last pregnancy. Not sure if they still have them, but worth checking!

doxiemoxie212

jennykatedvm said:

Anyone have a compression sock brand they love? Last time I used SockWells and they were the most comfortable I could find, but they still made me so darn warm and gave me sweaty feet! Thinking about trying Bombas.

I get ads nonstop on social media for Conrad. No idea if they're good, but I am curious if they're good so if you try them let me know lolol

jennykatedvm

@doxiemoxie212 I will look into them

aloha_mama

@jennykatedvm I wear Bombas to work and I love them! Had to have DH put them on me towards the end of my last pregnancy though… I’m sure he did not appreciate me waking him at 5 am to put my socks on but he was such a good sport 😂

sarah0985

These are on sale right now and a great price for 5. If you are planning to breastfeed and find yourself needing new bras soon, I’d highly suggest investing in nursing bras from the get go. With my first, at about 8 weeks I needed new bras. I went from a b to a c. By second trimester I needed new bras AGAIN. I needed a d. I stupidly kept buying regular bras till I outgrew those D’S and finally went the nursing route. The same size (medium for me) lasts the whole maternity through engorged huge early breast feeding sizes. 

miss_lynn9

@loveanddatadriven what brands do you like for dresses? I love dresses but I also live in Canada and it's already getting cold here. 

jennykatedvm

@aloha_mama Awesome! How do you feel they do on the warmth scale?

loveanddatadriven

@miss_lynn9 I got all of my maternity dresses from Target and ASOS. I’m not sure if those are the best options—I’m not super stylish… I was pregnant during the winter, so can appreciate not wanting to be cold. I wore an open cardigan or a blazer to keep my arms warm as needed. Then leggings and/or tall boots for my legs.

miss_lynn9

@loveanddatadriven I'm not very stylish either lol. We don't have Target in Canada and I've never heard of ASOS I'll have to check them out thanks! 

aloha_mama

@jennykatedvm I feel like they’re pretty neutral.. I always get cold at work but they keep my feet/legs warm without feeling overheated. I’ve used them hiking and snowboarding too and they do really well!

boymom312

I love tanks from Target! I get mostly the ones without the rouching on the side so I can wear them pregnant or not. A couple with the rouching will serve you well late in pregnancy though. I still wear some tanks in every day life from 8 yrs ago. Lol! Target also has nice workout pants. I especially like the full panel ones with the V cut in the back. It cuts down on a sweaty back. I run super hot while pregnant so even in winter, I appreciate anything that helps keep me cooler. Outside of that, I’ve worn the same motherhood jeans, slacks, and a few dressier tops for each kid. Probably very outdated for baby #4 at this point so I’m loving hearing where all the cool chicks get their clothes from. Now that I work from home, it will be mostly workout pants, tanks, and maybe a light “sweater” to cover my shoulders when on vid calls. Yay for comfort!

jennykatedvm

@aloha_mama Ordered a pack of Bombas. Hopefully they're comfortable enough that I'll be willing to wear them at work outside of pregnancy too like I'm supposed to ☺️.

Another vote for target maternity basics - tanks, workout pants. Think that's where I got my maternity jeans last time too. Their yoga nursing bras were great too, but think the style slightly changed now so 🤷

Blondesweety444

I just pulled the trigger on some nursing bras from Target. My poor boobs can barely be shoved in these uncomfortable wire bras anymore. Fingers crossed they fit and are comfy!

miss_lynn9

I decided to try on all of my Shein maternity sweaters and they are 100% not going to fit when I'm huge. I can wear them now as a nice oversized sweater. Which I'm actually ok with because I'm feeling like crap about my body so I'm quite comfortable in them. And it will help hide the bump long enough once I go back to work.

aloha_mama

Anyone have any belly support band recommendations? I’m pretty short… Okay, I’m really short (5 feet even), and I had really bad back pain last pregnancy. I’m hoping a support band would help, at least a little bit? Especially at work, standing for 12 hours gets old real fast.

jennykatedvm

@aloha_mama These are the two I used last time. 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TDGNAYU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_YHVWAKS76JCA7DN32V0R?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
That one was much more significant lumbar support, but I really only needed that much for running. Says currently unavailable on Amazon but the brand has a couple other similar ones too.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0113WE0QS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_Y2KBSXC765GCVTDMDKNA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
This one was the one I used for work/regular activity if I was sore. 
Though like baby carriers it seems to be pretty variable what works best for different mamas!

doxiemoxie212

aloha_mama said:

Anyone have any belly support band recommendations? I’m pretty short… Okay, I’m really short (5 feet even), and I had really bad back pain last pregnancy. I’m hoping a support band would help, at least a little bit? Especially at work, standing for 12 hours gets old real fast.

baobei is what I see all the pelvic floor physical therapists recommend on ig

todzillamom

Biggest recommendation I have is to get maternity/nursing bras ASAP.  Only a few to start cuz you have no idea how much you'll change at the end/ after baby gets here.  But don't suffer stuffing preggo boobs into normal underwire bras. No one told this the 1st time around and I learned the hard way.  With baby #2 I got some nursing bras right away and then another pile after she got here, and really, I don't know if I'll ever go back to real bras! Oh, and sleeping nursing bras.  Those are THE BEST! I'm pretty small so I don't need anything fancy and have been really happy with target and amazon ones.  

shlecks

I already can't wait for maternity clothes, I thought they were so comfortable.  I was team full panel pants all the way.  

I really liked my PinkBlush dress I got for my shower and maternity pictures, so I'll probably look on there again this time.  And Old Navy leggings and camisoles were a staple as well.  I'm already finding my bras super uncomfortable so I need to figure something out there. 

todzillamom

Anyone have a favorite nursing/maternity cami that maybe does some minor belly smoothing as well? I don't want anything like full shapewear, I'm pretty sure that would feel horrible right now.  But my goodness, all my maternity tops show off the my postpartum rolls like crazy! 

loveanddatadriven

@todzillamom I loved my belly bands. I don’t know the exact brand, but something like this: 3 Pack Women Maternity Belly Band for Pregnancy Non-Slip Silicone Stretch Pregnancy Support Belly Belt Bands https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085ZWDDNW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1CKSZWFG1WRDHZD6WA4P?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I used them to cover up my pants waistband in case I needed to extend the closure. Also worked really well during BF, so my belly didn’t show when I lifted my shirt. I think they would do a good job of light smoothing.

aloha_mama

We are having family photos taken in a few months on the beach and I’m looking for a cute dress to wear. I shouldn’t be too round by then (FX) but I’m hoping there’ll be a bit of belly to show off since I didn’t have a chance to get maternity pictures with my first (she arrived a week before our shoot was scheduled!). I’ve checked out ASOS, Pink Blush, and Joy Folie so far but maybe I’m too picky? Does anyone have any recommendations? I want something long and flowy— in the past I’ve ordered from Rent the Runway but I’m planning to get in the water this time.

miss_lynn9

@aloha_mama have you checked Shein?