Hello February mamas! Most of the boards do some kind of Product Spotlight series, that an be as formal or informal as we like. We can borrow ideas or a whole list from another board, or just discuss things as they come up.
I don't know about you, but the bloat is real. One of my biggest takeaways with regard to this from my previous pregnancies, is there is no real reason to wait to start wearing maternity clothes, imho. Why not be as comfortable as you can be throughout your pregnancy, right? Plus, the sooner you start wearing them, the more wear you will get out of your purchases!
Let's talk about our favorite maternity clothes to stay comfy and feeling cute as our bumps grow. :)<div>
</div><div>FTMs - Any questions? STM+ moms -Specific tips or tricks? Brands you love (or not)? Shopping hacks? Tips for strategizing different outfits? Questions about timing your maternity clothes purchases? How about questions or advice to accommodate different body types? Work-wear vs. formal-wear vs. loungewear or workout clothes?
Please share!
(Adapted from June 2021)</div>
Re: Product Spotlight: Maternity Clothes
If anyone has recommendations for a summer-appropriate black dress I can wear to a funeral, I'd love to hear them. Ideally this will be one of those maternity/nursing dresses. I'm going to try some on this weekend and can report back as well!
- Old Navy
-Pink Blush
-Seraphine
-Motherhood Maternity (hit or miss - the leggings I got from them are comfy but see-through)
-Kindred Bravely for nursing bras & tanks
I recommend packing a maternity-sized outfit in your hospital bag, because you will still look pregnant after delivery. I also packed a cotton belly band to wear under my clothes when I went home, and that really helped.
Due with baby #2: Feb 2022
I need any tips and tricks to cover up the bump as long as possible. I do not want to tell anyone at my work for as long as possible. If I could make it to the day before and not tell them I would lol but I know the bump will give me away especially since Im a petite person to start with.
Also, any recommendations on maternity jeans with long inseams? Im 5'2" but all leg, I usually have to buy long jeans. I have no torso
SInce this will be my last pregnancy I am hoping I can make do with what I had from my last pregnancy, which is a lot of plain maternity shirts, maternity sweaters and a few dresses.
I love Thredup but didnt know about them for my first pregnancy so Im planning on snagging some things off of there
But maybe just a bigger normal bathing suit? Tankini?
First purchase I definitely recommend is a pack of bra extenders. They help so much!
<div class=" Spoiler">https://smile.amazon.com/Senkary-Pieces-Extenders-Elastic-Extension/dp/B072JQ3L62?pd_rd_w=qIR9b&pf_rd_p=e0d46bc2-436f-4db3-a26e-323523040b19&pf_rd_r=3PSENDZBYB0D0ZFTF3N5&pd_rd_r=03a76582-8236-438e-b434-6e965976eb77&pd_rd_wg=aWz1B&pd_rd_i=B072JQ3L62&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_rp_1_sc</div>
I never really bought maternity bras, just used the extenders until I didn't need them anymore at some point PP with DD. I tried a couple nursing bras, like the kindred bravely ones were cute, but I must have ordered a little too small, I think. Or I just gained more than I realized. Lol They are basically just a soft cotton crossover sports bra, but I got mine on clearance, which I would recommend. I know a lot of people like the hofish nursing bras, but they just didn't work for me.
@makingbacon I believe you when you say it's already scandalous! Lol Normally I was always the captain of the IBTC, but motherhood has changed all that. 😬
I still need to find a nice either super stretchy waist or actual maternity linen pant. Mostly everything I see does not have good reviews. :/
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But you raise a good point, that I would try when looking at maternity clothes, to get as much as possible that are also nursing friendly tops / dresses because otherwise after the baby is here, it's tough. If it's loose / stretchy enough, you can always layer a tank with your favorite top over, lift up the top, pull down the tank. And it will be winter when our babies get here, too. Dresses can be trickier though, because not like you can hike up your whole dress! And if it's a V it might work, but you might not feel comfortable. Just good to keep in mind before getting anything terribly spendy. Pregnancy is short, compared to how long you could end up nursing.
Here's the dress I'm hoping to try on next Saturday (after first u/s):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MFYCCM3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_0ZEBXQ3NFP1MD24PVJNP?psc=1
https://wrenandivory.com/
I also have black maternity work slacks and blouses since I was working in the office with DD, but honestly I will probably just go through and see which tops I would still wear, and probably not wear the slacks at all, (at least till winter, since they are just basic black pants.). I find the more basic I've kept my pregnancy wardrobe, the easier it is to get dressed on any given day, especially when you may not be feeling great. I like not having to think about it too much.
https://latchedmama.com/
I loved one of their dresses so much I got it in two colors, a blue stripe and a rust stripe. Similar to this:
https://latchedmama.com/collections/nursing-dresses/products/latched-mama-classic-cotton-nursing-dress
<a rel="nofollow" href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IDYMUR0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" title="Link: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IDYMUR0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1">https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IDYMUR0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1</a>
<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Secret-Treasures-Women-s-and-Women-s-Plus-Traditional-Flutter-Sleeve-Knit-Sleepwear-Gown/525223700?selected=true" title="Link: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Secret-Treasures-Women-s-and-Women-s-Plus-Traditional-Flutter-Sleeve-Knit-Sleepwear-Gown/525223700?selected=true">https://www.walmart.com/ip/Secret-Treasures-Women-s-and-Women-s-Plus-Traditional-Flutter-Sleeve-Knit-Sleepwear-Gown/525223700?selected=true</a>
You just have to be careful shopping online, check reviews etc. that they are real buttons, because I have had that happen with that amazon listing, that with two different style prints from the same listing - one had functional buttons, the other did not. So whatever, maybe not the most stylish haha, but I personally don't care. I'm sure you could find some other cute styles with the button front if you wanted to keep searching...
FD: I did have one that unsnaps all the way down the back, but I only used it for my first because when we got there, I was not in an active labor type of situation, so that was fine, and the nurses appreciated being able to get full access to my back. For my second I got a pretty thing that the straps both unsnapped, but I never even got to wear it till I was home. lol When you are really about to give birth tho, you are going to 1. not care what you are wearing and 2. prefer to get the hospital stuff all yucky, rather than your pretty new thing. There will be time to change into that after the delivery, so it can really be whatever you want for pictures or whatever, but honestly, it's all about the baby really, so I think we probably waste a lot of energy / effort worrying about having the perfect cute little hospital set, when really, it completely doesn't matter, IMHO. It's like a night or two you are in the hospital, but once you get home, you will need to be able to get comfy in your chair and just nurse as freely as possible.
Also question: athletic maternity leggings? right now my lululemon and fabletics ones are fitting perfectly but I know come winter they will not. Ideally the athletic leggings would be on the thicker side since I will need to wear them through, you know, winter.
<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thebump.com/a/best-maternity-leggings">https://www.thebump.com/a/best-maternity-leggings</a>
I think this list says to try seraphine?
ETA <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.seraphine.com/en-us/power-mesh-maternity-leggings/" title="Link: https://www.seraphine.com/en-us/power-mesh-maternity-leggings/">https://www.seraphine.com/en-us/power-mesh-maternity-leggings/</a>
ETA I saw these but they are the cropped version, so I wasn't sure...
<a rel="nofollow" href="https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=7948620020004&cid=1171797#pdp-page-content" title="Link: https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=7948620020004&cid=1171797#pdp-page-content">https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=7948620020004&cid=1171797#pdp-page-content</a>
ETA Did you see these? <a rel="nofollow" href="https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=700509002&cid=8454&pcid=8454&vid=1&cpos=189&cexp=2223&kcid=CategoryIDs%3D8454&ctype=Listing&cpid=res21061905708900272245006#pdp-page-content" title="Link: https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=700509002&cid=8454&pcid=8454&vid=1&cpos=189&cexp=2223&kcid=CategoryIDs%3D8454&ctype=Listing&cpid=res21061905708900272245006#pdp-page-content">https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=700509002&cid=8454&pcid=8454&vid=1&cpos=189&cexp=2223&kcid=CategoryIDs%3D8454&ctype=Listing&cpid=res21061905708900272245006#pdp-page-content</a>
<a rel="nofollow" href="https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=737474002&pcid=999&vid=1&&searchText=linen-blend%20pants#pdp-page-content">https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=737474002&pcid=999&vid=1&&searchText=linen-blend%20pants#pdp-page-content</a>
And then these, "Feather", not maternity, but maybe worth a try. They have other high-waisted styles, but I think a midrise may be more bump-friendly?
<a rel="nofollow" href="https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=338335022&pcid=999&vid=1&&searchText=linen-blend%20pants#pdp-page-content" title="Link: https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=338335022&pcid=999&vid=1&&searchText=linen-blend%20pants#pdp-page-content">https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=338335022&pcid=999&vid=1&&searchText=linen-blend%20pants#pdp-page-content</a>
ETA The trick was I had to search, "linen-blend."
DX: Endometriosis - Stage 4, DOR, RPL
03.2016 - Natural BFP - MC 5w4d
04.2016 - Natural BFP - Chemical
10.2016 - IUI w/ Injections #1 = IUI Cancelled (cyst/no mature follicle)
11.2016 - IUI w/ Injections #2 = BFP, EDD 08.2017 - It's a BOY!
TTC #2 06.2019
08.2019 - IUI w/ Injections #1 = Chemical
09.2019 - IUI w/ Injections #2 = BFN
10.2019 - IUI w/ Injections #3 = BFN
01.2020 - IUI w/ Injections #4 = BFN
08.2020 - Natural BFP - MC 9w5d
11.2020 - IVF Retrieval - 3AB & 4BB
05.2021 - FET #1 = BFP, EDD 02.2022 - It's a BOY!
I gave a way 90% of my maternity clothes this past year I did save my favorite pair of maternity jeans (Good American), they were a little pricey but sooo worth it, comfy and I wore them post partum for awhile as well. I think I'll try to buy mainly from thrift since it's the last pregnancy. Most of my old stuff was handed down to me anyway so I didn't spend too much on the other 2.