How do I know what size to get in Maternity wear?

ambrvan

Ok, so in this small town, it's hard to find decent-looking maternity clothes. I'm not content to look overly huge in big tee shirts and sweat pants all the time, nor am I willing to settle for plus size clothing. I want something that fits and fits right for pregnancy. But I don't want to spend an outrageous amount of money either. My budget is smaller than most. I'm a twenty year old college student, and DH and I both work for minimum wage. You can see the dilemma there. None of my friends who have children have any old maternity clothes that fit me (or if they did, they can't find them now). The rest of my friends don't have kids. So borrowing is out of the question. I've already looked into it.

Pre-pregnancy, I was a size 7/8 in jeans and a large in fitted tops because of my chest. Currently, I am getting away with size 9 pants that are bellow the belly and large shirts. I only have three shirts period that I wear out of the house anymore except my work shirt. I have one pair of jeans that  can barely manage to squeeze into, and depending on how bloated I am that day, I may or may not have to leave them unbottoned. I typically wear a hoodie or a jacket to hide the fact that nothing fits like it's supposed to.

I ws thinking of sticking with WalMart and Target online. Walmart is the only clothing store in town besides the little shops that are outrageouly expensive and sell nothing maternity wise, but it has no maternity section within the store. And the nearest Target (and any other clothing stores like JCPenny or Macy's) is only an hour away.

So how do I go about deciding what size I am so I can order something online if I can't try it on first?

redprincess

I can't answer about size, but was thinking that you may look in to bulk clothes on ebay.  A lot of it can be new, just sold in bulk at good prices.

MrsPreK

You order the same size you were pre-pg. You may even want to go up a size just because you get near the end and your tummy may be huge or you may have put on more weight than anticipated.

FWIW - Old Navy runs true to size if you do order online. 

GL!

clojel

I highly recommend Target - their Liz Lange collection is pretty good, and fairly affordable.  They say you should buy your pre-pregnancy size whenever you buy maternity clothes.  So if you were a size small top before PG, you buy a size small in the maternity top.

**I will say though, I have noticed that since my bbs have gotten significantly bigger than pre-pg...I'm more comfortable going 1 size up from my pre-pg size in tops.  (I was an XS or a S depending on style, now I go S or M).  But, w/ the pants, I've been good buying my pre-pg size. 

Do you have a bella band??  You can buy them at Target for about $15.  They are these bands that you can wear over your existing pants, unbuttoned....that might help you stretch your warddrobe for a few more weeks...depending on how quickly you 'show"

Michele57O

Check the size chart on the web site you order from to make sure you get the right size but normally it is the same size as you were prepregnancy.

ambrvan

Thanks so much, ladies! We're in for a trip to Knoxville (tagging along on someone's business trip to get our own free minivacation) the beginning of next week. I'd like to have something to wear by then. I think we may have to take a trip down to Jackson (the closest shopping venue to here) and see if I can't find something at Target or JCPennys. Their WalMart is bigger than ours, too. We'll just have to see.

gotchagomo

With my last pregnancy I was out of my "pre-pregnancy" size by the 6th month, but I hadn't gained that much weight, it was just WHERE I gained it that mattered. Everyone's body is different and it's hard to predict what other areas of your body besides the tummy WILL grow. My butt and thighs grew by 2 sizes, but my top stayed the the same throughout pregnancy (yeah, I was a real pretty sight at the end!). I found the"pre-pregnancy size" guide to be a total fallacy and lots of money was wasted buying clothes online without actually trying them on first.

barefootbride2008

Honestly, it completely depends on what you are buying, what brand it is, and what your body is like.  In general, I have always worn small shirts and in some brands I've had to buy extra small (Gap), though my small ON tanks are now a bit too small and I'm better in medium.  I bought a pair of Joes Jeans and a website recommended going up 2 sizes (so say from a 28 to a 30), which was good advice, though of course I don't know if they will fit for my entire pregnancy or not.  I've heard from some women that in the last month or so you will outgrow everything.  (Wah!).  And some brands pants fit in my pre-pg size where in others I've had to go up.

My best advice - don't buy too much at once b/c you may outgrow it and for online purchases, buy 2 sizes and send back the one that doesn't fit (fwiw, destination maternity has a much better online return policy than their in-store one).  Also, cotton dresses, even non-mat ones, are a godsend and are generally cheap and available everywhere.  MUCH more comfy than mat pants. 

abrazz

I still wear the non pregnancy shirts from wal-mart.  they are long enough tshirts on me that they fit but I am short so if you are taller then that may not work.  Plus I bought a bunch of empire waist sundresses and they fit really well too and they were cheap from wal-mart.  I haven't ordered online and the only other place I bought from is motherhood maternity and their jeans run a little big I was a 7/8 pre-preg and were a small in their jeans.

lolo317

I was anywhere from an 8-11 pre pregnancy depending on the store. I still am that size but in maternity stuff or if it's S, M or L a M works. Also most maternity pants are stretchy. I just picked up some below the belly jeans for $22 from Motherhood. They fit good and still have room for me to grow. 

Good luck.