Product Spotlight: Maternity Clothes

aloha_mama

@miss_lynn9 Never heard of it! I’ll add it to the list.

doxiemoxie212

@aloha_mama pricey, but Hatch maternity has some extremely cute stuff.

Christy Dawn also has some maternity-friendly and very cute stuff: https://christydawn.com/collections/maternity-friendly 

Sexy Mama Maternity sometimes has good dresses

SmashJam

I never used these with my previous pregnancies but with a lot of my maternity clothes being worn out and this being my last I don't want to spend a heck of a lot on maternity pants. So waist extenders...anyone use them? I have the belly bands to hide them but there are several options online and didn't know if anyone had experience and could shed some light. Or tell me it's not worth the money and to just buy $25 Target maternity pants lol.

queenklau

@SmashJam, it’s not worth the money, buy maternity pants. Waist extenders or bands never worked well for me. You can get a couple of comfy maternity leggings from target for that price. Or a good pair of maternity slacks from gap. Not worth wasting $25 on the bands/extenders, IMHO.

doula-mama

@SmashJam I agree with @queenklau, not worth the money. You'll be so much happier and comfier in proper maternity pants

todzillamom

I just did the hair tie trick with my last one with a belly band over it and it worked pretty well, but honestly, since she got here I gave up and only so leggings.  I don't know if I'll ever go back to pants with buttons and I would 100% buy cheap or used maternity pants over anything uncomfortable.  I see tons of stuff on my local fb or free cycle type pages.  The nursing stuff if often pretty used, but the maternity only ones usually look close to new

doxiemoxie212

@SmashJam we buy clothes for our babies who will wear them less than 9 months. We can do the same for ourselves  

dinomeetsjedi

I have a stupid question about underwear. I need new underwear anyway because my dogs are a bunch of jerks think they're delicious. The maternity clothing websites have maternity specific underwear on them. Is that really necessary or can you mostly get away with wearing normal underwear? Can I just buy a size or so bigger of normal underwear with the same effect? I guess I can't really understand yet how my body is going to change.

doxiemoxie212

@dinomeetsjedi I think it depends on the type of underwear you normally wear, but mostly no, it doesn't REALLY matter. I did get some of the low rise underwear from Amazon that's pregnancy-specific, and I did wear it a lot - both pregnant and postpartum. I got some high-rise ones for postpartum and I wore those a lot, too. The biggest issue is that your hips tend to widen a lot (I went from a 36-inch hip to a 47-inch hip just in pure bone structure) while your butt might not, etc. 

SmashJam

@doxiemoxie212 SUCH a good point! Ordered the maternity pants on target with side inserts. I was in between sizes before but the bloats making my pants uncomfortable. @dinomeetsjedi I agree you don't NEED maternity specific undies, but I will say the motherhood maternity undies were amazing and I wore them postpartum too. They were just looser and lower than other undies and I like not being constricted. I just bought Kindred Bravely undies on sale and I think they run kind of small- my normal size is uncomfortably small and I'm maybe 5# bigger than last time I got pregnant.

doula-mama

@dinomeetsjedi First pregnancy, I thought the maternity underwear were just a money grab. Second one, I got some on sale and they are so much more comfortable! Definitely going to get some again. I especially like that they go under the bump, and you don’t get the elastic cutting into you

Avrilmai

@dinomeetsjedi like other have said, I think they’re worth it. last time I got some of the kindred bravely under the bump underwear and they made such a difference. I also wore them for a while postpartum. 

monstera13

@dinomeetsjedi IMO, maternity undies aren’t worth it. I never noticed mine feeling tight or restrictive last time. Although maybe that depends on the type of underwear? I’m a thong wearer typically. 

dinomeetsjedi

Thank you all for the advice. I will probably just get some because they look pretty comfortable anyway.
@doxiemoxie212 that's a lot of change in your hips! It sounds like your body structure is pretty similar to mine so I might have to expect something similar. Body changes are scary!

@monstera13 maybe you're just immune to underwear being uncomfortable and that's why you can wear thongs and they don't bother you in pregnancy. haha, jk

monstera13

@dinomeetsjedi 😂😂😂

queenklau

@monstera13! A thong! I also cannot imagine going back to thongs, I keep one for laundry day and reassures me of my decision every time 😂

monstera13

@queenklau IDK, to me they are more comfortable. Regular underwear ride up into wedgies, but thongs I don’t even feel anymore. I don’t think I could ever change! 

todzillamom

 Already getting to big to be comfy on real clothes and all my old maternity clothes don't accomodate nursing so I just splurged on Amazon.  Got a kindred bravely bamboo nursing/maternity dress.  Seriously the comfiest thing I've ever tried on! Definitely recommend, but probably only if your boobs are on the smaller side, nursing might be tricky if you're bigger. 

loveanddatadriven

@monstera13 thongs all the way! I like the low cut ones with super stretchy lace waistband, and they lasted all through pregnancy for me.

zamoraspin

If you have any special events or want to splurge on clothes a lot of Seraphine’s stuff is really nice. I was able to find some pieces on Poshmark for great deals during my first pregnancy and I actually continued to use some of them for work post-pregnancy too. I found motherhood, Amazon, pink blush all had comfortable stuff. If you have to wear more formal workwear (does anyone these days, idk) pairing a dress with an open blazer is comfortable and polished looking (I was still litigating a lot during my first pregnancy so I had to go to court and mediations).

This time around I think I mostly just need a few new casual wear pieces (I’m eyeing some full panel joggers from H&M) to supplement what I already have.

jennykatedvm

I'm with @monstera13 and @loveanddatadriven thongs are more comfortable for day to day! And no panty lines in scrubs and leggings which drive me crazy for some reason. I do sleep in low cut bikinis though. I stayed in my regular undies, but did buy a size up last time. I'm cheap and get the 5 for $25 cotton mix thongs/bikinis from Target! 
Can't do the lace thing on underwear or bras or camisoles etc. Don't mind the looks, but anything that isn't smooth winds up being super irritating.

miss_lynn9

Does anyone have a recommendation for where I can get maternity dress pants? 

shlecks

@miss_lynn9 I saw some at Target yesterday. They don’t have a ton, but there were a couple. Like some black ones and maybe gray?

miss_lynn9

@shlecks we don't have Target in Canada but thank you! 

jennykatedvm

@miss_lynn9 picked some up at Old Navy last time. I think you still have those up there?

zamoraspin

@miss_lynn9 Do you have H&M or Ann Taylor LOFT? They both carry a few.Motherhood also has some although not super high quality.

legallullabies

Anyone got any recommendations for professional attire? I've been looking at the sales today and literally, hate everything I'm finding.

Also, why is all maternity wear high or scoop neck? I already avoided this style pre-pregnancy to not look top heavy and my boobs are already a cup size up at 9 weeks (32 DD). 🙄

loveanddatadriven

@legallullabies oh so tough because everyone has different tastes. I did what @zamoraspin2 said, and wore dresses with an open blazer. Here’s an example of something I’d pick: https://www.pinkblushmaternity.com/products/black-fitted-wrap-maternity-midi-dress?utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=cpc&msclkid=a3e1fb8bfcba181a18c09abd9af7a3c9&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20US%20-%20Maternity%20Dresses&utm_term=4583382956216617&utm_content=Maternity%20Dresses

Wrap dresses are more likely to have a v-neck. I also tend to like form-fitting vs loose, tent-like clothes during pregnancy.

You could also pair any (large enough) shirt you like with maternity pants or skirt. I never felt like pregnancy did me any favors in making my legs look good in pants, so I avoided that personally.

legallullabies

@loveanddatadriven I had a feeling dresses and blazers might be my go to, but I hadn't found any dresses that actually looked appropriate for work. The one you linked is fantastic, I think I will probably have one in each color, lol!!

If I can find work appropriate pants or even skirts, I do have enough loose fitting shirts to get me through a few months. Kinda hoping maybe some sweater/knit material skirts will get me through winter.

miss_lynn9

@legallullabies I'm on the hunt to professional clothing as well. I can't wear dresses often in my role though.

 I have some pants from Stork & Babe from my last pregnancy that I love but I can't seem to find them anywhere so I think they may have closed down. I just ordered a pair from Old Navy so we will see how they fit.

My problem with blouses was they would fit in the boobs but way too big in the belly; once they fit in the belly, my boobs were too big. So I was doing t-shirts with a blazer. 

legallullabies

@missy_lynn9 let me know how the old navy pants works out. I love their pixie pants (normal) and have several pairs. I only saw like 2 colors for the maternity version. 

I'm really hoping I don't have that same problem, but my boobs were already big for my frame. I think I could get away with a nice tshirt and blazer over work pants or a skirt too. I just want to avoid looking frumpy or not put together for court. 🙈

bien-aimee

This is a couple weeks old but I'm new here so I'm gonna revive it 😅

@miss_lynn9 if you are still looking for professional clothing, I saw some cute things on ASOS when I was browsing the other day. They deliver to Canada!

Has anyone found maternity joggers that you love? The only ones I have seen are like pajama material or sweatpants, but I'm looking for more athleisure style I can wear daily. I tried Lululemon and their advice was to just size up, but I'd prefer a maternity specific style if that exists!

doxiemoxie212

@bien-aimee depends what your definition of athleisure fabric is. Beyond Yoga has some, but their material is extremely soft like pajamas lol which is why I love their stuff. 

Blondesweety444

I love Fabletics (normal) so I’m going to give their maternity line a try. Their stuff is pretty thick and tight which I really like. 

Avrilmai

@bien-aimee I haven't tried them, but i keep getting FB ads for the Kindred bravely joggers. They're marketed as and 'everyday' jogger so that may be an option. 

emky0704

I just ordered 2 Kindred Bravely sleep/nursing bras (can't stand underwire anymore). I got the M-busty size in two different styles and need to return both. One is too small and the cups just fit very oddly, and the other bra is WAY too big. I'm super surprised at the size variation so will probably steer clear of this brand moving on. 

hoosiermamajayden

@emky0704 bummer! Just ordered two from them, both large. Hoping they fit! 

miss_lynn9

@emkayh that's shitty about the bras. I like my KB ones. They sizes are different but I was able to get the correct sizes by using their sizing charts. I just order a bravado designs bra. It's tool big right now but it will probably fit me later in the pregnancy. It seems comfortable. 

legallullabies

So the bump (aka baby bloat) is starting to pop and while I still fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes, they are getting a little tight by the end of the day. I am looking more and more at work and casual maternity clothes so when I can't zip my pants - I'll be ready. I work 5 days a week in professional to business causal office depending on whether I have court or not. I also will have family functions/small social gatherings for the next several months. I am just wondering how much to buy? I am thinking of buying some staples and then just switching out cardigans and blazers for work. For casual, I was thinking at least two pairs of jeans. I'm just very torn on tops, since I hate wearing the same things over and over again. Any advice? (I'm very good at shopping, so I don't want to over do it, haha!)

queenklau

@legallullabies, If this is your First pregnancy (I think so?), you should be able to use your pre-pregnancy shirts/sweaters for several months. I would buy 3-4 short sleeve or sleeveless maternity tanks (black,grey,whites) to wear under the sweaters, in case they start getting too short due to the growing bump. That way nobody will notice that you wore the same tank twice because you would have different sweaters/cardigans. Yes, definitely invest in 2 good maternity slacks, 1 maternity jean and maybe one solid black/grey maternity dress. That should be enough to get you started.