First baby on the way so I have no idea what my maternity clothing preferences are but this thread will be super helpful! My blog focuses on attainable/affordable fashion and once the word is out I'll be transitioning those styles to cater to pregnant women and new moms so this is great research for me! I'm headed to Italy in what will be my 13th week. I feel super bloated... I doubt it's a "bump" yet but goodness there is plenty of action going on in the tummy region and I'm only 8.5 weeks! What are your suggestions for first trimester (early 2nd) fashion "before the bump" but after the pants not fitting? It will be about 90-100 degrees and we will be in a beach town. I'm thinking flowy maxi dresses with straps wide enough to allow me to wear a "real" bra since my strapless is already not fitting me..... I'd love everyone's thoughts!
@indigoheightsblog Last time around, I used a rubber band on my jeans. You can google this to see what I'm talking about, because I'd be terrible at explaining it. You can also get bellybands (I think that's what they're called). It's basically a stretchy piece of fabric that you put over the top of your pants instead of buttoning them. For tops, I stuck with flowy stuff.
@indigoheightsblog the rubber band trick is good, as are Bella bands for hiding undone pants and adding support later on. Flowy tops are a good option and unbuttoned button downs with a tank top underneath. I have a couple pairs of drawstring linen pants I bought last time that are now the only comfortable pants I have right now. Drawstrings are definitely the way to go.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@indigoheightsblog The rubber band trick never really worked for me, but I loved the Bella band. I didn't switch to maternity pants until almost 20 weeks last time.
Also, ugh. I just realized I will need a maternity coat this time. My winter coat is pretty form fitting. I'm hesitant to spend too much because sometimes we have super mild winters here in Ohio, but it could also be freezing. Where can I find budget friendly maternity coats?
@brookepdavis didn't even think of that!!! yikes. i'll do some research and let you know. also i should add - because of the nature of my work, most of my clothing is sponsored - but from smaller brands. so if anyone has worn smaller-batch maternity brands, let me know so that i can reach out and pitch my services to them! for example: i'm not getting freebies from target.... but i can pitch to brands like this: www.pinkblushmaternity.com - so if anyone has recommendations let me know!
@brookepdavis depending on the type of closure on your coat they make some inserts to turn them into maternity coats. It doesn’t get Ohio cold here is coastal Virginia, but I plan to try to get away with scarves and an unbuttoned coat as long as I can.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@indigoheightsblog Also, if you're planning on nursing, milknursingwear.com is a great place for nursing clothes. I know we're not there yet, but add them to your list for the future!
@brookepdavis Thanks for listing the web page! Super cute clothes!
How early is everyone buying maternity clothing? It's way too early, but I love to shop and tempted to buy things anyways.
TTC #1 since April 2015 June 2016 - CP 2017 - Medicated Cycles & IUI's IVF w/ PGS - January 2018 FET #1 - April 2018 - BFN ERA Cycle May / June 2018 ERA Biopsy June 2018 ~ Results: receptive (no change) FET #2 - July 2018 - BFP Beta #1 - 137 Beta #2 - 410 U/S #1 7wk1d - HB 144 U/S #2 9w1d HB 166 Anatomy Scan 1st 11/2/18 2nd AS 11/19 EDD March 28, 2019 Baby Girl born 3/26/19
@kristimh80 last pregnancy, I started transitioning to maternity clothes really early, like 11 weeks. I actually wished I had done it sooner, because I was SO much more comfortable. I would start shopping as soon as you want to!
@kristimh80 As a FTM I am super reluctant to buy anything maternity this early. Maybe after the ultrasound if everything looks okay, but part of me feels like I am jinxing things by buying too early. Just my weird feelings on the subject.
@purpleteacher82 No, I totally get that and I'll def wait a little bit as well.
@lindseyb918 Thanks for the advice! I thought about waiting til my comfy / stretchy clothes weren't do "comfy", but you have a point. It would be way more comfortable and I like the idea of knowing I can grow into things lol
TTC #1 since April 2015 June 2016 - CP 2017 - Medicated Cycles & IUI's IVF w/ PGS - January 2018 FET #1 - April 2018 - BFN ERA Cycle May / June 2018 ERA Biopsy June 2018 ~ Results: receptive (no change) FET #2 - July 2018 - BFP Beta #1 - 137 Beta #2 - 410 U/S #1 7wk1d - HB 144 U/S #2 9w1d HB 166 Anatomy Scan 1st 11/2/18 2nd AS 11/19 EDD March 28, 2019 Baby Girl born 3/26/19
@kristimh80 last pregnancy I was able to wear my skinny jeans until week 25 or 26! I carried DS very high and could easily button my jeans/dress pants for work. After I couldn’t I just got a belly band and wore that with long tops. Eventually I got some maternity leggings but my bump really wasn’t big enough to keep them up for awhile and for Christmas my MIL got me a lot of tops. I had my son in March so exactly the same time frame.
This time though is a different story! Yikes! We just went out for dinner with the in laws ... I literally ate like 3 spoonfuls of mac N cheese and 1/4 of a chicken wrap. I got home and I’m so bloated! I had to undo my jeans and I swear I look 5-6 months pregnant already! DH assures me it’s just bloat (and also I know my abs aren’t as strong as last time/idk how high or low I’ll carry this time). Either way after tonight I think I’ll be busting out my old maternity clothes sooner rather than later! But everyone is different some women I talked to had to wear them at 13 or 14 weeks.
@ashley14598 Your 1st pregnancy sounded like a dream! But I feel you pain! My boss is 7 1/2 months preggo and today she thought we all needed pizza. I wanted to crawl under my desk...even though I don't crave it, I was starving and ate it anyways. Now I feel like a blimp! I'm all about comfort from here on out! I've considered getting maternity leggings / spanx so everything at least I'd feel like things looked somewhat in place lol
TTC #1 since April 2015 June 2016 - CP 2017 - Medicated Cycles & IUI's IVF w/ PGS - January 2018 FET #1 - April 2018 - BFN ERA Cycle May / June 2018 ERA Biopsy June 2018 ~ Results: receptive (no change) FET #2 - July 2018 - BFP Beta #1 - 137 Beta #2 - 410 U/S #1 7wk1d - HB 144 U/S #2 9w1d HB 166 Anatomy Scan 1st 11/2/18 2nd AS 11/19 EDD March 28, 2019 Baby Girl born 3/26/19
@kristimh80 haha!!! Everyone was so surprised I took so long to start showing!! It was great until the end when I became high risk ugh! But yes totally I’m all about being comfortable and I can already tell this time will be different!
As much as a I hated dropping the $$$, Pea in a Pod has some great quality, COMFORTABLE jeans and shorts that have lasted me more than one pregnancy. I'll buy some staples from there and tops / dresses from Target.
@lisee923 I believe PinkBlush runs pretty true to size. Not all their styles will fit throughout pregnancy though. I vaguely remember their shirts being a little short on me, but I have a long torso.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
FYI, PinkBlush Maternity is having a 50% off sale on their clearance. They have 16 pages worth of pretty good stuff, including maternity photo shoot gowns if you're into that. Once I pull out my maternity clothes from last time I'll probably buy a few things since this is a winter/spring baby and my last was a CA summer baby.
ETA: The coupon code for 50% off clearance is STOCKUP50
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@meggyme thanks for this heads up! just got a white ruched mini dress for my gender reveal in september. been browsing online and couldn't find one anywhere! only paid $16 using the extra 50% off!
--What brands of maternity clothing do you like/don't like or are you interested/not interested in? Why? I always liked Target's, Motherhood Maternity, and some Old Navy. Mostly because they're most accessible, seemed reasonably priced, and there were cute styles that didn't look like "typical maternity clothes".
--What particular styles of clothing do you like/don't like or have questions about? Under vs. over the belly? Stretch knits with side ruching vs. flowy and loose wovens? Maternity bras vs. jumping straight to nursing bras? Maternity underwear or regular underwear? Dress heavy wardrobe or plenty of pants? I like over the belly pants. Under the belly always seemed to fall down plus I feel like you need hips to hold them up and I wasn't blessed with them. I liked all sorts of tops just depended on the day, some days I wanted stretch to show off the bump, other days I wanted to look more flowy. I bought nursing bras because I couldn't justify that middle of the road expense to buy maternity bras. I wore regular underwear the entire time. Plenty of pants in my wardrobe. I'm not sure how women can live in maxi dresses for the entire pregnancy. Towards the end of my first pregnancy my stomach felt so heavy I needed that stretchy band over my belly to feel some support.
--Anything else to add? Maybe it's a U/O but I freaking hate stripes for pregnant women. It's like my BIGGEST pet peeve. I think I have 1 or 2 maternity tops with stripes and I wore them sparingly.
@HoneyBear40 Ditto on stripes! I dont' even like them when I'm not pregnant. I think I remb a gay bff once telling me they look good on no one and make you look big, so I won't buy them ever now.
@meggyme Thanks for letting us know about Pink Blush! My one gf swears by their clothes and was looking to order.
TTC #1 since April 2015 June 2016 - CP 2017 - Medicated Cycles & IUI's IVF w/ PGS - January 2018 FET #1 - April 2018 - BFN ERA Cycle May / June 2018 ERA Biopsy June 2018 ~ Results: receptive (no change) FET #2 - July 2018 - BFP Beta #1 - 137 Beta #2 - 410 U/S #1 7wk1d - HB 144 U/S #2 9w1d HB 166 Anatomy Scan 1st 11/2/18 2nd AS 11/19 EDD March 28, 2019 Baby Girl born 3/26/19
I think I might be done maternity shopping. I was hesitant to pull the trigger since it's still early, but the end of summer deals were too good to pass up. For $200 I was able to get 5 pairs of pants, four dresses, and nine shirts at Old Navy, Gap and Pink Blush (thanks @meggyme!!) all on clearance. That combined with the stuff I have left from DD that will work in fall/winter and I should be good to go. The only thing missing is a maternity coat.
This is my first pregnancy, and my sister just shipped me her entire maternity wardrobe-she’s the best! A few brands I discovered through her are Seraphine and Jojo Maman Bebe. She also sent a few nursing/pj/loungey pieces from Hotmilk which makes cute & sexy nursing friendly lingerie and pjs. I believe both Seraphine and Jojo Maman Bebe are UK brands and classified as ‘higher end’ but I checked out both websites recently and found tons of stuff on sale! I just ordered a pair of shorts for $12 and jeans for $22 with reasonable flat-rate shipping ($8 I think?) which ended up being way cheaper than anything else I was eyeing on gap.com or similar sites. The main reason I love the brands mentioned above is that they all seem very high-quality and their fabrics are SO SOFT and flattering. I’m really looking forward to getting a bit bigger so I can wear everything! Seraphine makes a knotted-front top and dress in particular that are incredible and could be worn pp, for nursing, and even after pregnancy.
Does anyone have any dress suggestions for a mid November wedding? Last time, I didn’t really show until around 7 months, but I still had a small bump earlier. I don’t think any of my current dresses will fit in November, but I don’t know if I’ll be big enough for a maternity dress. I’ll be 6 months.
@flyingmombula the dress I got is a similar style. It said it’s meant to got from maternity, to postpartum to non maternity because it’s a loose sheath style.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@indigoheightsblog thanks! I love that dress, it’s really cute on but I bought it before I found out I was pregnant and it’s tight already at least I got to wear it once! Hoping to squeeze into it one more time for a wedding at the end of August too!
Yay! Got my first order from H&M! I would def check them out! I got 3 pairs of leggings and a sweater for $37 & no shipping. Def a bargain! Can’t wait to break these bad boys out
I've been meaning to check out H&M. I'm happy to hear some good things about them.
Re: pink blush sizing, I found their shirts to all be really long. One or two were also annoyingly tight in the shoulders/arms. That said I love their selection and will buy more.
Latched Mama is another great option for down the road. They’re a small shop in Virginia and they do breastfeeding friendly clothing. Love everything I have gotten from them!
Me: 30 DH: 31 Married: 2012 BFP #1 Sept 2014, MMC Dec 2014 | BFP #2 May 2015, DD Jan 2016 | BFP #3 May 2017, MC July 2017 | BFP #4 Jan 2018, MC Feb 2018 | BFP #5 July 2018, fingers crossed
I just got my first pair of maternity shorts today (9 weeks +3 days) and they are waayy more comfortable with this bloat belly. Got them at target but now I will check out h&m. I looovvveee the brand handful for sports bras and they sell a cup lining that's good for nursing
I tried on about 10 bras today at Target and was very disappointed. None of them were comfortable at all. Any suggestions for those?
TTC #1 Since May 2011 ~ Everyone Welcome
Me (34): DOR d/t chemo/radiation, Immature Endometrial Lining, Hypothyroidism
DH (35): MFI d/t testicular torsion and removal, Low T, Oligospermia, Anti-Sperm Antibodies, Currently on T supplements Sept '11-April '13 ~ Testing, failed multiple MFI treatments, saving & TONS of praying January 2014 ~ IVF/ICSI & PGS ~ no response to stims ~ converted to IUI ~ BFN February 2014 ~ On to donor embyros ~ 5 blasts!!! March 2014 ~ FET #1 ~ Transferred 2 blasts ~ BFN July 2014 ~ Kliman's mock cycle with endometrial function test Sample too small for EFT, HE slide showed immature cells New protocol planned, saving for another biopsy for EFT January 2015 ~ Considering adoption options April 2015 ~ Privately arranged adoption of planned pregnancy DD#1 ~ Lillyana Violet Marie born 6/15/16, Finalized adoption 12/20/16 July 13, 2018 ~ BFP....WTF?!?! 7/16 Beta #1 ~ 466...7/18 Beta #2 ~ 1,077...7/23 Beta #3 ~ 5,291 7/23 US #1 ~ 1 gestational sac seen and yolk sac 7/30 US #2 and 1st OB appt ~ 1 perfectly round gestational sac, 1 perfect yolk sac and 1 teeny tiny heart beat seen!!!
Re: Maternity wardrobe
How early is everyone buying maternity clothing? It's way too early, but I love to shop and tempted to buy things anyways.
June 2016 - CP
2017 - Medicated Cycles & IUI's
IVF w/ PGS - January 2018
FET #1 - April 2018 - BFN
ERA Cycle May / June 2018
ERA Biopsy June 2018 ~ Results: receptive (no change)
FET #2 - July 2018 - BFP
U/S #1 7wk1d - HB 144 U/S #2 9w1d HB 166
Anatomy Scan 1st 11/2/18 2nd AS 11/19
EDD March 28, 2019
Baby Girl born 3/26/19
@lindseyb918 Thanks for the advice! I thought about waiting til my comfy / stretchy clothes weren't do "comfy", but you have a point. It would be way more comfortable and I like the idea of knowing I can grow into things lol
June 2016 - CP
2017 - Medicated Cycles & IUI's
IVF w/ PGS - January 2018
FET #1 - April 2018 - BFN
ERA Cycle May / June 2018
ERA Biopsy June 2018 ~ Results: receptive (no change)
FET #2 - July 2018 - BFP
U/S #1 7wk1d - HB 144 U/S #2 9w1d HB 166
Anatomy Scan 1st 11/2/18 2nd AS 11/19
EDD March 28, 2019
Baby Girl born 3/26/19
to wear my skinny jeans until week 25 or 26! I carried DS very high and could easily button my jeans/dress pants for work. After I couldn’t I just got a belly band and wore that with long tops. Eventually I got some maternity leggings but my bump really wasn’t big enough to keep them up for awhile and for Christmas my MIL got me a lot of tops. I had my son in March so exactly the same time frame.
This time though is a different story! Yikes! We just went out for dinner with the in laws ... I literally ate like 3 spoonfuls of mac N cheese and 1/4 of a chicken wrap. I got home and I’m so bloated! I had to undo my jeans and I swear I look 5-6 months pregnant already! DH assures me it’s just bloat (and also I know my abs aren’t as strong as last time/idk how high or low I’ll carry this time). Either way after tonight I think I’ll be busting out my old maternity clothes sooner rather than later! But everyone is different some women I talked to had to wear them at 13 or 14 weeks.
June 2016 - CP
2017 - Medicated Cycles & IUI's
IVF w/ PGS - January 2018
FET #1 - April 2018 - BFN
ERA Cycle May / June 2018
ERA Biopsy June 2018 ~ Results: receptive (no change)
FET #2 - July 2018 - BFP
U/S #1 7wk1d - HB 144 U/S #2 9w1d HB 166
Anatomy Scan 1st 11/2/18 2nd AS 11/19
EDD March 28, 2019
Baby Girl born 3/26/19
ETA: The coupon code for 50% off clearance is STOCKUP50
--What particular styles of clothing do you like/don't like or have questions about? Under vs. over the belly? Stretch knits with side ruching vs. flowy and loose wovens? Maternity bras vs. jumping straight to nursing bras? Maternity underwear or regular underwear? Dress heavy wardrobe or plenty of pants? I like over the belly pants. Under the belly always seemed to fall down plus I feel like you need hips to hold them up and I wasn't blessed with them. I liked all sorts of tops just depended on the day, some days I wanted stretch to show off the bump, other days I wanted to look more flowy. I bought nursing bras because I couldn't justify that middle of the road expense to buy maternity bras. I wore regular underwear the entire time. Plenty of pants in my wardrobe. I'm not sure how women can live in maxi dresses for the entire pregnancy. Towards the end of my first pregnancy my stomach felt so heavy I needed that stretchy band over my belly to feel some support.
--Anything else to add? Maybe it's a U/O but I freaking hate stripes for pregnant women. It's like my BIGGEST pet peeve. I think I have 1 or 2 maternity tops with stripes and I wore them sparingly.
@meggyme Thanks for letting us know about Pink Blush! My one gf swears by their clothes and was looking to order.
June 2016 - CP
2017 - Medicated Cycles & IUI's
IVF w/ PGS - January 2018
FET #1 - April 2018 - BFN
ERA Cycle May / June 2018
ERA Biopsy June 2018 ~ Results: receptive (no change)
FET #2 - July 2018 - BFP
U/S #1 7wk1d - HB 144 U/S #2 9w1d HB 166
Anatomy Scan 1st 11/2/18 2nd AS 11/19
EDD March 28, 2019
Baby Girl born 3/26/19
I believe both Seraphine and Jojo Maman Bebe are UK brands and classified as ‘higher end’ but I checked out both websites recently and found tons of stuff on sale! I just ordered a pair of shorts for $12 and jeans for $22 with reasonable flat-rate shipping ($8 I think?) which ended up being way cheaper than anything else I was eyeing on gap.com or similar sites.
The main reason I love the brands mentioned above is that they all seem very high-quality and their fabrics are SO SOFT and flattering. I’m really looking forward to getting a bit bigger so I can wear everything! Seraphine makes a knotted-front top and dress in particular that are incredible and could be worn pp, for nursing, and even after pregnancy.
https://www.pinkblushmaternity.com/p-22963-burgundy-geometric-crochet-top-fitted-maternity-dress.aspx?DepartmentID=1
I just bought this dress from pea in the pod for some weddings in the fall. Hoping it fits right.
Latched Mama is another great option for down the road. They’re a small shop in Virginia and they do breastfeeding friendly clothing. Love everything I have gotten from them!
Married: 2012
BFP #1 Sept 2014, MMC Dec 2014 | BFP #2 May 2015, DD Jan 2016
Sept '11-April '13 ~ Testing, failed multiple MFI treatments, saving & TONS of praying
January 2014 ~ IVF/ICSI & PGS ~ no response to stims ~ converted to IUI ~ BFN
February 2014 ~ On to donor embyros ~ 5 blasts!!!
March 2014 ~ FET #1 ~ Transferred 2 blasts ~ BFN
July 2014 ~ Kliman's mock cycle with endometrial function test
Sample too small for EFT, HE slide showed immature cells
New protocol planned, saving for another biopsy for EFT
January 2015 ~ Considering adoption options
April 2015 ~ Privately arranged adoption of planned pregnancy
DD#1 ~ Lillyana Violet Marie born 6/15/16, Finalized adoption 12/20/16
July 13, 2018 ~ BFP....WTF?!?!
7/16 Beta #1 ~ 466...7/18 Beta #2 ~ 1,077...7/23 Beta #3 ~ 5,291
7/23 US #1 ~ 1 gestational sac seen and yolk sac
7/30 US #2 and 1st OB appt ~ 1 perfectly round gestational sac, 1 perfect yolk sac and 1 teeny tiny heart beat seen!!!