I finally went ahead and bought myself some maternity jeans yesterday, and wearing them today felt like such a relief!! I haven’t been able to wear any of my regular pants/shorts for at least 2 weeks now, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed being able to wear jeans comfortably. Being able to wear a normal outfit that felt like ‘me’ was seriously the highlights of my day! I swear the maternity jeans are also helping me hide my blump (mostly bloat/tiny bump) at work better that any of the workarounds I was using to try and make my old clothes fit. ETA: I found both pairs on sale at motherhood maternity. One skinny/one straight for under $30 each!
Got my Old Navy order. The stuff is super cute! One of the tops is actually from Gap, since they're owned by the same company, and I really like it. It's a longer-length fitted v-neck, and the material is really nice quality.
Any tips on finding nice dresses - "Sunday best"/party/a step or two above casual but maybe one step below semi-formal and cocktail type dresses? My brother is getting married when I'll be in 3rd Tri, and I've already started browsing. Didn't like anything from Old Navy, Motherhood Maternity or Target. I've found a couple that look nice on Zulily. I was super sad to go on Modcloth and see that they don't have a maternity section!
My issue with finding dresses (and one of the reasons I like Modcloth) is that I'm usually in the middle of the road modesty/conservative-wise. I don't wear stuff that shows cleavage, but I also hate high-neck stuff, and it's hard to find a perfect middle ground. I like knee-length or 1-2 inches above the knee skirts, but everything these days tends to be below the knee and longer or mid-thigh, which is too short. I hate fashion! Hence why I'm trying to better my sewing skills and sew more of my own clothes!
@lovesclimbing I definitely recommend checking out pink blush maternity. I’ve never seen so many dresses I might actually wear in one place. They have a good variety of casual / fancy, short / long, solid / printed.
Eta: I placed my first maternity order last night at thredUP. Wish me luck! I have a cart full at pink blush as well but am waiting for a 20%+ off code before I check out.
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
@lovesclimbing check out ASOS. I am in a wedding in November and just got the dress today, and was very happy with it and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg!
@lovesclimbing i second @mamakate1616 - pink blush has amazing dreses!!! i'm going to a wedding in november and i've found several pieces i'd wear. i also bought my gender reveal dress from there already and i love the quality, though that one in particular isn't modest. they've got a really wide range and reasonable prices for NICE quality and fast shipping!
@lovesclimbing I second pink blush for dresses. They are kind of pricey for my taste, but they show up on zulily at a discount pretty often.
I got a beautiful maroon lace dress for my baby shower last pregnancy and I will be wearing it to a wedding in October. Well made and it really lasted. I think you will find they have a lot of modest options as well.
@lovesclimbing I’d suggest checking out threadUp or another second hand retailer (we have kid 2 kid around here and they have maternity clothes there too). I found a super cute maternity cocktail dress that would have been $80 retail for $20. Plus you know that dress was likely only worn once or twice!
Thanks guys! I actually did skim Asos, too. I only looked through a couple pages of their dresses and didn't really see anything I liked. Lots of it seemed pretty trendy, and I tend toward more classic/simple styles. I'll have to look a little more.
I've skimmed Pink Blush, but their stuff is a bit pricey for me. I'm not looking to spend more than maybe $65, and ideally less. It seemed like most of their above-casual/non-knit fabric items were higher than that.
I'll have to check ThredUp. I've never used them. I do have a Poshmark account, but don't use it much. Signed up to sell, and not one of the 20 items or so I posted sold. I do a lot of secondhand shopping already at thrift and consignment stores. (Last pregnancy, my entire wardrobe minus a gifted dress and two fitted t's was second hand.) Unfortunately, I haven't found much for maternity dresses, period, much less styles I like. (ETA: my best non-maternity find was a designer dress that retailed for around $130 for $15 at a consignment shop!!)
I'm not in a rush because the wedding is still four months away, but since it's so hard to find stuff I like, I'm trying to get a head start!
@lovesclimbing Loft also has maternity clothes. You should check them out. I bought this dress for a wedding in October a few weeks ago when it was on sale for around $35.
Those two are both cute, and I'm sure you will look lovely in them, but they illustrate the point I was making about styles for me. The black one is high-necked, which I don't feel is flattering on me. I'm somewhat heavy busted, and high necklines tend to make me look even heavier busted. And the green is lower cut than what I'm personally comfortable with. Now why aren't there more styles halfway between the two? There are some, just doesn't seem to be a lot.
@lovesclimbing I feel you about Modcloth! Their dresses are my fave and I was super bummed that they don't have any maternity clothes! If you find a comparable maternity-friendly store, please let me know!
What about something like this? Since it’s a wrap you could control how much is showing
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
Ooh, I do like that, mamakate! I've found a few similar to that on zulily too. And I do like wrap styles. Thanks!
Never heard of them, mamaoftwo, I'll have to check them out. That dress is cute but is the wrong length. The model is apparently 5'6", so it would be even longer on me, and I'm not a fan of midi/calf-length skirts on me.
I know I'm picky, haha! You all can stop responding if you want.
Definitely thanks though. You all have given me a few good leads to check out!
@lovesclimbing i forgot to mention wren & ivory but they are great too! for everyday clothes hemming is unnecessary but since it's a wedding if you find something you love for a reasonable price and there's room in the budget to have it shortened, you could always go that route too!
Anyone have good luck with the random maternity clothes from zulily?
I have one dress from there. I've mentioned it up thread, and I don't like it, but that's just the style. It's JoJoMamanBeBe. Never heard of it before. It seems pretty high quality. It's a sweater dress, and the material is quite thick and soft and not itchy at all.
@lisee923 I had hit or miss luck with zulily last pregnancy. Some of the stuff is ok, others I wore once and then never again. It’s hard to tell proportions by the pictures, especially for any nursing shirt that isn’t just a simple wrap top. I have one that’s impossible to get on because I didn’t realize it was 2 layers. I wouldn’t call any of it great. I much prefer target and old navy for that.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@lovesclimbing ooo I totally read your first post wrong. I thought you said you wanted something higher necked My bad.
Seraphine has really cute dresses but they’re expensive. I bought two on Poshmark, though, for $25 and $30. Just FYI, I find that they run slightly large so I size down.
@lovesclimbing you’re not being picky; you just know what you want I love @indigoheightsblog suggestion of hemming, because depending on the size of your baby bump in the third trimester you may want some extra length on the dress if you want a very specific length. Jojomamanbebe is a uk maternity/baby clothes company. I have a few things for my daughter from there that I love!
The Walmart nearest me is getting rid of the maternity line. I found maternity pants for 3$ they aren’t the highest quality, but for 3$! They had some dresses and stuff marked way down too.
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
A friend of a coworker brought me a whole trash bag full of maternity clothes. Any suggestions on how much I should give her? She didn’t ask for any money but I feel like I should.
*for clarity, the coworker has five year old twins and has been a hige resource in this whole moms of multiples thing*
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
@3rdtime_charmed is she letting you borrow, have or buy them? If she wants money for it I'd just ask her how much she wants and if she says she's giving them to her maybe just buy her lunch one day.
Personally after I'm done having kids I'd probably just donate/give away my maternity clothes anyway. At that point I'd just want them out of my house, but I didn't buy anything with a plans to recoup any of its value. All my stuff is fairly cheap.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@3rdtime_charmed Yes, I agree with @meggyme I would just ask. If she’s done with them and doesn’t want anything then do something nice for her, like a lunch and bring her baked goods. I had a friend that let me borrow a bunch of maternity stuff, and I baked her some cookies as a thank you. Not having to buy a bunch of stuff for 9 months wear is such a nice gift! It’s so nice you have someone in your life with multiples as a resource too!
@meggyme@maggiemadeit I asked but she just shrugged. Yeah I love working with mostly women. It’s been a really supportive bunch. Since I’m late to the babymaking party I’m surrounded by pros!
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
Ok I'm officially living in motherhood maternity yoga pants! They are the most comfortable pants I've ever had!!!
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!!!
So after wearing my Old Navy jeans for a couple days, I have to say I am super disappointed! The fit is terrible. They fit great in the thighs, my prepregnancy size, but the area where the band is sewn plus a couple inches below (the hips/butt area) is very gappy. It's loose all the way around, and it's very puckered at the pockets. Which means they are constantly sliding down until the crotch is five inches below my actual crotch after just taking maybe four or five steps! I've always worn the Sweetheart jeans (their curvy fit line), so I expected that, if anything, these would be a bit tight in the hips/butt.
I'm going to keep them and see if it improves with a larger bump, but I'm not optimistic. For one, I've never had an issue before with maternity jeans fitting me the entire pregnancy. (And I can't go to a smaller size, otherwise they would be too tight in the thighs. And I feel like the hips/butt area needs to be at least two sizes smaller.) And for two, I've never had maternity jeans look this way before at any point in the pregnancy. The jean part doesn't need to be loose like this, and I dare say shouldn't be, just the stretchy band is what should accommodate the bump.
@lovesclimbing I have a pair of their stretchy, under the bump maternity jeans (not the over the bump panel ones) that would always fall down, but at least I could wear a belt with them.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Hey ladies, I know there has been conversation about bras already, but can you help this confused FTM figure out the bra situation? I keep reading that there is such a thing as a "maternity bra," which sounds like possibly what I want (more comfy and adjustable, with more hook closures so it can expand more over time) rather than just having to keep buying bigger sizes of regular bras. But when I search online all I find is nursing bras. I've checked Target, Old Navy, Gap, Motherhood, and others and they all have sections that say "Maternity and Nursing" and it's 100% nursing bras. So am I looking in the wrong place, or do I need to find another plan? I don't really want to get nursing bras until much later because who knows what size I'll need by then.
I just want my poor boobs to feel comfortable again! What do y'all recommend? Just go ahead with the nursing bras, or try to find a comfier regular bra for the time being?
@diaphena I wish I had more of an answer for you as far as actual maternity bras and someone probably will! But last pregnancy when mine got too small I just went to a place like Dillard’s or Victoria Secrets and got sized. By the time I got sized I was a 34DD previously a 34C I was about 6 months pregnant. Luckily the VS annual sale was happening so I got a couple there. Then the rest I found at TJMax it did help to actually get sized right though.
@diaphena I think most maternity bras are also nursing bras because they assume if you’re pregnant now, you’ll need the nursing bra later. For the first few months nursing you would need a larger size nursing bra than you would from maybe month 4 on. And they’ll even grow/shrink a couple sizes from feeding.
All that to say, if you’re planning to nurse I would go ahead and just get the nursing bras. As long as it’s just a simple clip above the cup, the nursing aspect of them is pretty unobtrusive. Some are even a v neck that you’d pull out of the way to nurse, but otherwise is just a v neck bra.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
@diaphena@meggyme brings up a good point! If you are planning to nurse it won’t hurt to have extras (especially in different sizes) and you’ll learn over time what kind you “really” like, etc. just like other bras. Also if you are planning to do any pumping (some people exclusively pump) or pumping at work, etc you’ll need nursing bras for that as well.
@ashley14598 and @meggyme thank you both! That helps a lot. I'm still pretty early (10 weeks) so I may get a couple cheap regular bras to last me the next however long, then once those get uncomfortable I'll make the switch to nursing bras. I am planning to nurse so yeah, it won't hurt to start figuring out what kind I like!
Motherhood Maternity is having a great labor day sale - - I discovered this on a whim today but their sale section is an extra 40% off the markdown price! At least at the one near me! I found 3 shirts and 2 pants for $60.
@abbykwail I just hit the motherhood maternity sale too! I am leaving for an 9 day business trip next week and had about 2 days worth of appropriate maternity wear. I added 2 pairs of dress pants, 2 blouses for layering with non-maternity items, and a bra that actually fits. The pants are the best though - so comfy! They are full panel, but the panel is really soft and not too tight.
I am also so thankful for my husband who basically dragged me out of the house to do this shopping and ran around occupying our two year old in the 95 degree heat while I tried stuff on. He knows how much I hate to shop lol.
I got my stitch fix maternity box on Friday and I hated basically everything. I don’t think they know what maternity means. One of the shirts was already super tight everywhere and the jeans were just regular jeans with an elastic waist. I could maybe wear them one more month. One of the tops was nice and flowy but completely out of season and expensive, I might keep it because it would be a nice back to work top next spring.
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
@mamakate1616 that’s not good! If you send everything back they may be willing to send you another box for free. They have done that for me before, and make sure you request a change of stylist. I didn’t like my first box either, but it was a lot closer than yours it sounds!!
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
Re: Maternity wardrobe
ETA: I found both pairs on sale at motherhood maternity. One skinny/one straight for under $30 each!
Got my Old Navy order. The stuff is super cute! One of the tops is actually from Gap, since they're owned by the same company, and I really like it. It's a longer-length fitted v-neck, and the material is really nice quality.
Any tips on finding nice dresses - "Sunday best"/party/a step or two above casual but maybe one step below semi-formal and cocktail type dresses? My brother is getting married when I'll be in 3rd Tri, and I've already started browsing. Didn't like anything from Old Navy, Motherhood Maternity or Target. I've found a couple that look nice on Zulily. I was super sad to go on Modcloth and see that they don't have a maternity section!
My issue with finding dresses (and one of the reasons I like Modcloth) is that I'm usually in the middle of the road modesty/conservative-wise. I don't wear stuff that shows cleavage, but I also hate high-neck stuff, and it's hard to find a perfect middle ground. I like knee-length or 1-2 inches above the knee skirts, but everything these days tends to be below the knee and longer or mid-thigh, which is too short. I hate fashion! Hence why I'm trying to better my sewing skills and sew more of my own clothes!
Eta: I placed my first maternity order last night at thredUP. Wish me luck! I have a cart full at pink blush as well but am waiting for a 20%+ off code before I check out.
Married: 2012
BFP #1 Sept 2014, MMC Dec 2014 | BFP #2 May 2015, DD Jan 2016
https://m.asos.com/us/search/?q=maternity+dresses&channelref=paid+search&affid=12499&ppcadref=898162952%7C50483214372%7Ckwd-302292876673&_cclid=v3_dad5ff2a-e7ad-52be-8744-54f5c88cfd1b&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiurwyNyG3QIVy7fACh1gmALNEAAYASACEgI2GvD_BwE
I got a beautiful maroon lace dress for my baby shower last pregnancy and I will be wearing it to a wedding in October. Well made and it really lasted. I think you will find they have a lot of modest options as well.
I've skimmed Pink Blush, but their stuff is a bit pricey for me. I'm not looking to spend more than maybe $65, and ideally less. It seemed like most of their above-casual/non-knit fabric items were higher than that.
I'll have to check ThredUp. I've never used them. I do have a Poshmark account, but don't use it much. Signed up to sell, and not one of the 20 items or so I posted sold.
I'm not in a rush because the wedding is still four months away, but since it's so hard to find stuff I like, I'm trying to get a head start!
https://m.asos.com/us/asos-maternity/asos-maternity-tulle-midi-dress-with-sheer-sleeve/prd/8960070?CTAref=Recently+Viewed&clr=green
Married: 2012
BFP #1 Sept 2014, MMC Dec 2014 | BFP #2 May 2015, DD Jan 2016
Clothes are are such a pain- I hate all my pants right now
https://wrenandivory.com/collections/baby-bump-friendly/products/the-liza-floral-faux-wrap-in-navy
Never heard of them, mamaoftwo, I'll have to check them out. That dress is cute but is the wrong length. The model is apparently 5'6", so it would be even longer on me, and I'm not a fan of midi/calf-length skirts on me.
I know I'm picky, haha! You all can stop responding if you want.
Definitely thanks though. You all have given me a few good leads to check out!
Seraphine has really cute dresses but they’re expensive. I bought two on Poshmark, though, for $25 and $30. Just FYI, I find that they run slightly large so I size down.
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
Our rainbow babies are due 3/21!!!!!
[/spoiler]
*for clarity, the coworker has five year old twins and has been a hige
resource in this whole moms of multiples thing*
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
Our rainbow babies are due 3/21!!!!!
[/spoiler]
Personally after I'm done having kids I'd probably just donate/give away my maternity clothes anyway. At that point I'd just want them out of my house, but I didn't buy anything with a plans to recoup any of its value. All my stuff is fairly cheap.
Yeah I love working with mostly women. It’s been a really supportive bunch. Since I’m late to the babymaking party I’m surrounded by pros!
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
Our rainbow babies are due 3/21!!!!!
[/spoiler]
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!!!
I'm going to keep them and see if it improves with a larger bump, but I'm not optimistic. For one, I've never had an issue before with maternity jeans fitting me the entire pregnancy. (And I can't go to a smaller size, otherwise they would be too tight in the thighs. And I feel like the hips/butt area needs to be at least two sizes smaller.) And for two, I've never had maternity jeans look this way before at any point in the pregnancy. The jean part doesn't need to be loose like this, and I dare say shouldn't be, just the stretchy band is what should accommodate the bump.
So at this point, would not recommend, sadly.
I just want my poor boobs to feel comfortable again! What do y'all recommend? Just go ahead with the nursing bras, or try to find a comfier regular bra for the time being?
All that to say, if you’re planning to nurse I would go ahead and just get the nursing bras. As long as it’s just a simple clip above the cup, the nursing aspect of them is pretty unobtrusive. Some are even a v neck that you’d pull out of the way to nurse, but otherwise is just a v neck bra.
I am also so thankful for my husband who basically dragged me out of the house to do this shopping and ran around occupying our two year old in the 95 degree heat while I tried stuff on. He knows how much I hate to shop lol.
Married: 2012
BFP #1 Sept 2014, MMC Dec 2014 | BFP #2 May 2015, DD Jan 2016
[spoiler=TW in signature]
Me: 36, DH 37.
August 2014- 6w MMC
July 2015- CP
PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.
Our rainbow babies are due 3/21!!!!!
[/spoiler]