Product Spotlight: Maternity Clothes

ashnicell

This is a place for to ask questions and/or to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back.

This week let's talk maternity clothes. Some may not need them for a while yet, while others may be needing them very soon. 

Feel free to use these prompts as a guide: 

For STMs+:

• Favorite maternity clothes/websites/stores:
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
• What you like about the clothing/stores:
• What you don't like about them, if anything:
• Additional thoughts:

For FTMs:

• Maternity clothes you're interested in:
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
• Any questions for STMs+?:

sunshine2417

• Favorite maternity clothes/websites/stores:

($) For these fall babies, I would invest in all the Old navy “jersey swing” dresses for summer! Usually you can buy your regular non-pregnant size and it will fit great throughout pregnancy and be so comfy for summer! 

($$/$$$) Blanqi leggings were awesome when I had a baby born in February, but they’re very warm and thick so likely not good for summer. They’re tank tops were really nice too! 

($/$$) I also loved Kohl’s maternity clothes actually, but their not all the best quality, so consider whether you’re buying for one pregnancy or potentially multiple pregnancies (though seasons change…) I just checked their website and apparent Tek Gear now has maternity clothes too. I usually love their non-maternity athleisure so that will hopefully be good too! 

($$$) Motherhood maternity etc often is honestly overpriced, but sometimes you can find good staples off season. If you get cold falls, I’d keep an eye out for winter clearance coming up soon! 

($$/$$$) Jessica Simpson brand maternity line dresses are actually really comfy usually, especially if you have to go into the office or special events 

• Additional thoughts:

Go for comfort! In my first pregnancy I tried to buy way too many fashionable outfits that just sucked lol try to go for adjustable waist bands too or “tie” waistbands that can be adjusted as the bump grows. I wasn’t prepared for how much my rib cage actually expanded! 

mflowers929

@sunshine2417 yes to the rib cage! I don't think it expanded much with my son but I was absolutely shocked at how wide I got with my daughter!

krknmama

Beware of Target maternity tops, they run short. Not so great for this longish-torso mama! 

When I was pregnant with my oldest, I got quite a bit from Motherhood Maternity/Destination Maternity but yes they are a bit pricey at full price. Watch for sales. The mall shop closed right at the same time I found out I was pregnant with my second. 😫

Honestly with my second son I got most of my clothing from Amazon. I got the brand “smallshow” and most of their tops are designed for maternity and nursing. 

Kindred Bravely has my favorite nursing bras. Not a huge selection in styles, but they’re good quality. Mine are still in good shape after 3 years, and I still wear them daily even though I’m no longer nursing. 

(A note on nursing bras for FTMs. Don’t buy too many in advance. They will not fit. I feel like boob size changes during pregnancy are one of those things women joke about but it was actually shocking for me once my milk came in. 😂)

bananapancakes

I’m very interested to see recommendations for good maternity office clothing! While I anticipate I will want to spend the majority of my free time in lounge-type clothing, I will need to look professional and put together during the workday as I see clients. I just bought a few new dresses from Loft that I think will be great for the first few months and through the summer as they will allow me to grow without it being terribly noticeably and the fit is naturally more roomy so they should be comfortable, yet professional. 

PurplePumpernickel

I've gone on a tear hearting things on ThredUp that I want to buy later. Definitely recommend checking out secondhand clothing sites for maternity stuff. I do feel that so much out there is so... blah and plain. It is either a plain colored tee shirt or striped tank, or a ruffly flower blouse that just seems clownish to me. My style is very J Crew and I really wish they had a maternity line.

Last time around I really liked Old Navy, especially their side panel pixie pants and that swing dress someone mentioned upthread. I'm searching for maternity skirts, because I'm a big skirt-sleeveless blouse-cardigan gal in the office. I've actually been trying to wear my fun stuff that I know has no give/won't fit soon, since I know even though I love my stretchy black dresses I'll be sick of them way before November.

ashnicell

I picked up some of the Old Navy swing dresses before they start to get picked over. I have a feeling I'll be in dresses a lot this summer. They're just so much easier. 

I also started getting some workout leggings. My normal leggings are rather uncomfortable with the bloating I've been experiencing so I've switched to mostly joggers for now. Once I start to get a belly, I want to be prepared. I ordered some from Old Navy and Fabletics (my usual places for workout leggings). Fabletics seem way more supportive and the seams are more reliable. The Old Navy leggings are less expensive and are fairly good quality. However, some of the seams don't seem as well constructed. They seem like they'd hold up for one pregnancy, but if you plan on future pregnancies and want them to get your through more, probably best to buy something else.

coldlife2

I bought 95% of my clothing at the thrift store. I really liked the Liz Lange for Target brand. Sadly, they don’t have that anymore, and I don’t like their new Isabel line. Be wary of non-stretch maternity clothing, especially tops. A shocking amount of it is not big enough and/or long enough for a full-term bump. (I once read an interview with someone at a very well-known maternity brand, where she said they fit test on a fit model with a six-month bump. So it’s no surprise that stuff doesn’t fit very well beyond that!) 

The one brand I hate is Old Navy jeans. I love their regular jeans, so I bought their maternity jeans. The fit was horrid. They fit well in the thighs, but gaped in the hips, right where the band attached. Being so loose, they constantly slid down. I couldn’t take more than a couple steps without the crotch sliding down several inches. 

ponyoisfun

@ashnicell. Thank you so much for starting this!  This is my third time around, but I still know nothing about what to wear. I have a terrible time with fashion and get Stich Fix for my regular wardrobe. I am going to see what they send for maternity wear. 

sejica

I like Latched Mama for nursing, and all of it works great for maternity too. The founders are tall, so good for long torsos. I am short and have to hem any maxi length stuff no matter where I get it from lol. While not cheap, it's nice that I can wear it through pregnancy and nursing, which I have been doing one or the other (often both) continuously since Sept 2016.

chuckle_sandwich

@coldlife2 Same on the old navy jeans. I had one pair that was over the belly and one that was under. The over the belly ones always fell down and I hated them. The under belly ones were nice until my belly was too big.

Since many regular tops are the flowy and loose style I’ll probably look for some in the “tall” option. Years ago I got maternity t-shirts from H&M. They were great and didn’t break the bank. I might look there.

becca1234567

Hi! First time mom here. I’m 8w 6d along and bloated to the point that my jeans are super uncomfortable to wear. I’m don’t want to waste money going up a size just to outgrow those in a hot minute, and I live in Boston where it’s still much too cold for dresses. What are your thoughts on buying drawstring jeans my normal size or maybe 1 size too big? A total waste of money or something I could wear for a few months until it warms up and post-partum?

These aren’t my normal vibe at all but I need something to wear besides workout clothes!

sunshine2417

@rebeccahoo12345 could you try the hair tie trick first? You loop it through your pants button hole and around the button for an extra little bit of room. There’s also something called the Bellaband you can get for a pant-extender too! 

PurplePumpernickel

Yes, I second the belly band tip. I got one secondhand on Poshmark. I actually brought mine to work today because my jeans still technically fit, but it will be a long day today and I may need some relief.

mamad422

@bananapancakes I was in sales with my first pregnancy and I really liked just plain maternity tshirts from target (they do run a bit short, but I'm short so that was fine for me) and cardigan sweaters. I loved that I had the option to take off the sweater if I got hot, but also could wear the sweaters after pregnancy as well. So I didn't feel like I was "wasting" a ton of money on things I could only wear while pregnant, especially since professional clothing is already on the more expensive side!

PurplePumpernickel

Oh yes, seconding a drapey cardigan in general. They're also good for folks who plan on breastfeeding/bodyfeeding since you can kind of cover up with them (if that is your thing!)

mamad422

@ponyoisfun let us know what you think of what they send! Maybe start a maternity stitch fix thread or something? My wardrobe is also 99% from them!

PurplePumpernickel

I know it is mostly bloat at this point, but we could also start a weekly Hump Day Bump Day, and those of us who are ordering clothes or getting our old stuff out of the closet can take pics in that so folks can see how we're styling stuff!

mflowers929

@PurplePumpernickel I loved layering a tank and an open button down too, for both pregnancy and nursing. I nursed my son right in the middle of an open airport terminal and the only person who noticed was the man who noticed AFTER he sat down right next to me lol

manamo777

What do y’all do for bras during pregnancy? I hear recommendations to hold off on getting nursing bras because you don’t know what you’ll be when you nurse, but what do you do in the in between? Do you buy cheap ones or are there adjustable size ones?

sunshine2417

@manamo777 I just have cheap ones that I use or wear sports bras because underwire is HELL during pregnancy!! 

ashnicell

@manamo777 I picked up some lined bralettes from Maurices that I plan to use as long as I can. They're comfy, stretchy, not tight, and not wired. 

mflowers929

I actually half forgot but I got some stuff last pregnancy from pat pat. It's cheap if you're willing to wait, and one of my favorite pregnancy/nursing dresses came from them

PurplePumpernickel

@mflowers929 I have never heard of pat pat and all of this stuff is very much my jam. 

bananapancakes

Anyone wear Lululemon leggings throughout a pregnancy? Wondering what style was most comfortable and transitioned well.

becca1234567

@bananapancakes I haven’t personally (FTM) but two of my friends swear by luluelemon align leggings while pregnant

chuckle_sandwich

While on the topic of leggings...any other brands people like during pregnancy? Once fall hits I’ll be wearing them all day every day.

Also, I loved the stretchy skorts from Costco for summer time. I got two of them 5 years ago with my son and I still wear them. Pretty sure I saw some last time I was there so going to have to get another couple pairs. 

sunshine2417

@chuckle_sandwich I like blanqi leggings for fall/winter, but they’re definitely thick and too warm (for me) for summer. 

ponyoisfun

@chuckle_sandwich thanks for the tip about the skorts.  I have one stretchy one, but now that I think about it it would be great to have some more. I will keep my eye out when I go to costco tomorrow. 

sunshine2417

The Costco stretchy sport skorts are on sale for $10! Also, beta brand work pant yoga pants were amazingly comfortable for workwear while pregnant (and not pregnant…) 

dzapp

@rebeccahoo12345 where are those pants from? They look perfect. I have a really hard time with over the belly pants in regular life, I am trying to avoid them as long as possible with my new bloat and belly. I bought one pair of madewell maternity below the bump side stretch pants that fit true to my normal size but I’m not showing yet, they were just on sale so I bought them early. Those drawstring pants look so comfy and right now I’m having the same problem, nothing is comfy because if all the bloat😑

melmo1986

It’s going to be summer soon where I live and am in need of shorts. Does anyone have a brand that they love? 

ponyoisfun

@melmo1986 I would like some suggestions as well. I have the motherhood maternity ones and they do not work!  I am fine with short shorts (think Jcrew short, not the butt showing kind lol.), but do not like them tight on the legs. It is so hot here I have to have something loose on my legs. 

mflowers929

I just ordered 2 pairs of shorts, 3 shirts, and a swimsuit from patpat with the money I got back from sneakpeek. They'll be here in about 2 weeks. I'm kind of excited to maybe be cute pregnant this summer, not super whale pregnant XD

melmo1986

@ponyoisfun same. Below this someone suggested pat pat and I looked and there seems to be some good/cute options!

melmo1986

@mflowers929 thanks! I’ll have to get some stuff!

autumn87654321

A friend of mine took  me to a maternity clothes consignment shop during my first pregnancy. I had to get a bunch of clothes for work so it was great to not have to spend a ton of money.    Other than that I think my favorite clothes are the ones that were good for pregnancy and later for nursing 

chuckle_sandwich

I ordered this dress off amazon and will probably get two more in other colors. It will be amazing as my belly grows! Plus it has pockets! I’m not a fan of shorter dresses, we have too much wind, lol

ashnicell

@mflowers929 I just ordered a bunch of stuff from PatPat. They have such cute clothes (maternity and baby)! And super affordable.

PurplePumpernickel

I know this is thinking ahead, but what are folks in colder climates thinking in terms of outerwear in October/November, and early postpartum? My transitional jackets aren't going to fit by then, nor are any of my vests.

autumn87654321

@PurplePumpernickel I got a  maternity/baby wearing down coat from seraphine maternity for my last pregnancy. Worked great for MN winter with the bump, then I could use it for baby wearing after.  I even used it this winter  just as my winter coat because I could just zip up the sides.  I think it was this one -but I think it was on sale closer to $200 https://www.seraphine.com/en-us/extra-long-3-in-1-down-maternity-coat/