How many people still wear maternity clothes?

[Lastcenturymum]

I'm just curious as to how many people buy special maternity clothes or just make do with regular clothes. I know that 'hiding' your bump isn't an issue these days and lots of clothes are more loose fitting (and stretchy) A friend was complaining about matronly maternity wear and I just wondered what the go is for hubbers.

Personally I lived in my overalls I made myself, but sideon I looked like a blimp, but they were so comfy!

[Areca]

I buy maternity bottoms cause they're more comfy but otherwise a long stretchy top is all that is worn on top. I actually have never fit in to a maternity top or dress...I have small boobs that don't get any bigger and even xs maternity tops cater for larger boobs. Plus the style seems to be aimed at women in their mid to late thrties...at 22 I wasn't impressed, at 26 I'm still not impressed!

[SPC]

I bought a work wardrobe of maternity wear, as I find it made me look pregnant rather than just bloated! I started wearing it at about 12 weeks. I bought stuff that I could breast feed in afterwards, and I'm still wearing some of the tops now, as they have pinged back with me. I just bought two more 'maternity' tops from ripe yesterday to work in as they make expressing easier and I'm hoping to use them in the next pregnancy too.

[mini_me]

I brought over time complete wardroe of maternity gear. then i wear them out and buy normal clothes. I just find maternity is so much more comfy

[BabelFish]

I wear maternity bottoms (yoga pants, leggings and jeans) and usually just buy bigger / stretchier tops. And even though I'm only just pregnant again, I never stopped wearing them because they're awesome and containing the post-birth bulge! :laughing:

[iMischa]

i dont know how i could find anything that isnt maternity to fit over this bump! unless it was plus sized and huge everywhere else as well... i bought normal pants a size up and just a few maternity tops. live in my daggy pj's while at home :D

[Kittylou]

Yep, I wear maternity. It's just way more comfy. I'm already in my maternity jeans because my stomach is so bloated and my normal ones feel tight and uncomfortable. I prefer stretchy maternity tops as loose ones make me look HUGE. Even when not pregnant I can't wear any of those loose, flowy tops. I also find wearing bigger normal tops doesn't work for me as they end up just being too big in some bits and still not quite right on the belly.

[reAllytee]

I buy maternity bottoms cause they're more comfy but otherwise a long stretchy top is all that is worn on top. I actually have never fit in to a maternity top or dress...I have small boobs that don't get any bigger and even xs maternity tops cater for larger boobs. Plus the style seems to be aimed at women in their mid to late thrties...at 22 I wasn't impressed, at 26 I'm still not impressed!

Yep I was the same !

Although I was first pg at 26yrs :p

The bottoms are just pure relief as I am so sick that the last thing I need is something digging in !

I did get some maternity tops so that I had some for special occasions iykwim otherwise I just made do with bigger sized tops, cheaper anyways !

Plus as DA said unless you are willing to pay a small fortune for certain Maternity Wear the styles on offer at most places are either boring or so unappealing that it had me wanting to give up any hope of looking decent while pg ! Especially when you have the small boobs problem !

[Ana Gram]

I took one look at the price of maternity clothes and just wore stretchy stuff. Plus, I found maternity clothes absolutely hideous and dowdy.

[Jensha]

I didn't buy any maternity clothes when I was pregnant. They were too expensive IMO. I did however buy some bigger sizes at Target when they had loads of clearance items. I think I did that twice my whole pregnancy. I have however bought a maternity top after I had DD, she was about 3mths. And I still wear it till this day:o

[iMischa]

i got all my maternity tops for 14 bucks at big W! they are just plain long sleeved tops that gather on the sides which is decent enough i dont need to be fancy.. haha if we are talking about expensive maternity wear from specialised maternity shops pfft forget that!

[Torrie77]

Over my 3 pregnancies ( am 39.5 weeks with 3rd) I have owned 1 maternity skirt that i wore once with my 1st!!

never found the need for maternity clothes just wore stretchy tops in a size bigger,normal hipsterjeans (my larger ones) lots of stretch skirts,leggings,hipster skirts etc.

did buy a pack of belly belts with this one..wore 1 once for half a day..all it did was make jeans too big and left builder's crack!!lol

Even now in my last week of pregnancy im sitting here in a lycra long sleeve shirt and pair of jeans ive had for years!

So no! no maternity clothes here..and Im not planning on starting in week 40.

i must admit though I have older ladies(not that IM young) - MIL/and women who are generally granparents..winge to me this prenancy that women should hide their pregnancy more via dresses/loose clothes and how beautiful older style maternity dresses were.......I beg to differ though..gosh if I put on a dress i suddenly look huge and twice the size!! Not hiding it..actually when I have worn a dress when less pregnant than now people assumed i was more pregnant than i am!!

It is really up to the individual though and what shape bump you get too...I "luckily" always have a high small bump(though this bump is huge compared to the rest)....yep from front on look the same from side definately heavily pregnant.

Sorry for rabitting...just at and of pregnancy..last one..and know I won't sleep much before tomorrow's hospital appointment.............

[TripleTime]

I had no option but to buy it, i started wearing maternity clothes at 6 weeks (looked like i was 12 weeks). If i found something that fitted i bought 2 or 3 of that on item. Did buy a few really good things from pumpkin patch that i hardly wore & will sell on ebay.

[Lastcenturymum]

I Plus the style seems to be aimed at women in their mid to late thrties...at 22 I wasn't impressed, at 26 I'm still not impressed!

me too, being in my 20's I felt frumpy, but I was so excited and felt like I couldn't wait to get into maternity wear..it didn't last :p

[quote=Torrie77;3813365]Even now in my last week of pregnancy im sitting here in a lycra long sleeve shirt and pair of jeans ive had for years!

i must admit though I have older ladies(not that IM young) - MIL/and women who are generally granparents..winge to me this prenancy that women should hide their pregnancy more via dresses/loose clothes and how beautiful older style maternity dresses were.......I beg to differ though..gosh if I put on a dress i suddenly look huge and twice the size!! Not hiding it..actually when I have worn a dress when less pregnant than now people assumed i was more pregnant than i am!!

quote]


I know what you mean. I think it is a generational thing. Pregnant women were meant to be demure and 'hide' their condition (yeah right, in a tent :rolleyes:) But I (being older) still find some stuff so 'in your face' that my 'indoctrination' - for want of a better word - makes me think, Do I really need to see your belly button sticking out through a tight t-shirt? I don't mind bumps on show at all, just not with a crop top and bare tummy and pants below it, please!!:eek:

You know, my mum had two maternity dresses, and alternated them. Poor thing was SO sick of them.

[HeidiLee]

I bought maternity clothes - both casual (most from Pumpkin Patch) and work wear.

Work wear was essential as you cant just wear bigger stuff to work as it looks ridiculous. I found Pumpkin Patch maternity wear really nice (especially the denim skirts and jeans) and they were quite often on special.

[mum_I'm_hungry]

:confused: Couldn't answer the poll as I don't understand the Angelina Jolie bit (what does she wear when she's pregnant?). I have no idea where you'd even find matronly maternity wear these days. I bought heaps of lovely maternity wear from Egg, Fragile, Gayle Petrie, Ripe etc.. It was gorgeous stuff and made to show off your bump, not hide it. My favourite was a long fitted t-shirt from Egg that had a shadow-outline of a pregnant lady with her own bump down one side.

I'm surprised lots of people aren't buying maternity wear. How do you get pants to stay up and t-shirts that are long enough? I tried just buying larger sizes of t-shirts (say a 14, or a 16 when I'm usually a 10 or a 12) and while they fitted my bump, they just looked saggy and ill-fitted at the top. They looked way more matronly than nice maternity wear.

Maybe it's just me. Any excuse to shop ;)

[Pixie]

Yes first time I was limited as in Sydney the range was poo.

Here in London well....I spent rather a lot once I got to big for normal clothes I was buying 1-2 items a week lol

good news is some still look nice and I still wear them despite having him a year ago I better lose some weight heehhhhee

[Pixilocks]

I bought 4 long sleeved maternity tops, 4 maternity singlets, all from Kmart.

As it is, I live in wrap skirts and fishermans pants anyway, so I lived in them. I LOVE the maternity tops, they look much nicer than normal tops as I can never seem to find anything plain.

I think the singlets cost 9 dollars and the l/s 18.

definitely a bargain, at 22 all of the other stuff was just ridiculous all round, style, price, sizes, etc.

[Areca]

You know, my mum had two maternity dresses, and alternated them. Poor thing was SO sick of them.

That's me. I could never justify spending lots of money on maternity clothes...I don't ever plan on wearing them when I'm not pregnant and don't spend that amount of money on one item of clothing when I'm not pregnant so I have two or three outfits and rotate them...then throw them out cause they've had it and I never want to look at them again. As soon as I give birth I don't fit maternity clothes anymore.

[InSaneOne]

I wear maternity bottoms (yoga pants, leggings and jeans) and usually just buy bigger / stretchier tops. And even though I'm only just pregnant again, I never stopped wearing them because they're awesome and containing the post-birth bulge! :laughing:

i still love my maternity pants and ds is over 12 months old now:laughing:. i still wear my bonds breastfeeding tops too even tho we haven't breastfed for almost 12 months now. i find that maternity tops are slightly longer so they cover that horrible muffin top that hangs over my jeans.

[MsMummy]

I don't wear pants (they don't suit my muffin-ly frame), so some of my dresses were okay during pregnancy.

But I bought 4 or 5 maternity dresses for work.

I bought a lovely Ripe one, that I've had a lot of compliments on.

I should really stop wearing them though...as I've lost my baby weight (but still have my ordinary huge tummy...people keep asking me when the baby's due...:o...um, 8 months ago...

[Mrs Nietzsche]

I thought I could get away with my normal jeans and a belly band this pregnancy.. but yesterday I bent over at play gym and split my jeans!

Had to rush to Kmart to buy a revolting but comfortable replacement immediately.

[SassyMummy]

I purchased new outfits to wear, some maternity, some which just catered nicely to my growing bump... and also had a few clothes that I destroyed while wearing them during pregnancy.

I ended up with a pair of maternity pants, 3 maternity shirts and one of those "belly belt" things (which are a waste of money if you ask me, and only useful if you wear high waisted jeans).

I also got myself a baby doll top that I wore with a little bolero jacket, and a peasant skirt... I just sat the peasant skirt under my bump. I couldn't do this ALL pregnancy though, because after a while, my belly started to show.

I went out for a dinner out on the town one night too, and wore an old baby doll dress.

I also wore my old jeans, but just pushed the front down a little.

I mostly lived in 2 3/4 sleeved scoop-neck shirts from Room 4 2 and a Target button-up maternity top.

I didn't put on weight anywhere BUT my bump, so I couldn't really just buy bigger sizes... I didn't want to look like a whale if I didn't have to. I made sure all of my maternity clothes showed the curve of my lower back... so I didn't look huge.

I needed maternity tops unless I wanted my belly showing. Even really long shirts didn't cut it near the end (I stretched a few out by wearing them to bed... but would never wear them during the day as my stomach was on display).

[I love JJJ]

The main maternity items I bought were jeans, skirts etc. I didn't put weight on anywhere except for my bump so I didn't have many maternity items.
I found I could get by with normal shirts etc but I bought one size larger to cater for my bump.
I loved my maternity jeans.

[~Temet Nosce~]

I just wear my usual stuff.. track pants and baggy shirts :laughing:
I do miss wearing the couple of pairs of jeans I have though.

[hunnybunny]

I was lucky enough to find a pair of expensive maternity jeans in a opshop for $6 :yelclap: and I wear them heaps, pretty much every time I go out, aside from them all I got was a few maternity tops from kmart, they are big and stretchy and comfy.
Whenever I'm at home I just wear trackies or pyjamas.

[Gabi]

I have a pair of jeans and some a few tops, but I just buy bigger sizes in nice stretchy material.

I also think maternity wear is not aimed at my age group (I'm now 26, had my first at 23). Why can't they make nice stylish clothes which make my bump look nice (not that I have one yet this pregnancy, I'm still def in my pre-pregnancy clothes.)

I like Old Navy clothes, but as far as I know they're not stocked here is Aus.:no:

[Deserama]

Yes I've had to get maternity clothes because I have carred low and out the front and a lot of the normal clothes aren't long enough so I always have my belly hanging out the bottom of everything. Although a lot of the 'smock' type clothes that people have been wearing with leggings have been good....and I'm able to wear them afterwards as well because they're not maternity wear.

[mum_I'm_hungry]

I like Old Navy clothes, but as far as I know they're not stocked here is Aus.:no:

You can ship in Gap Maternity if you buy from their online store :thumbsup:

[SomewhereOverTheRainbow]

Couldn't answer the poll as I don't understand the Angelina Jolie bit (what does she wear when she's pregnant?). I have no idea where you'd even find matronly maternity wear these days. I bought heaps of lovely maternity wear from Egg, Fragile, Gayle Petrie, Ripe etc.. It was gorgeous stuff and made to show off your bump, not hide it. My favourite was a long fitted t-shirt from Egg that had a shadow-outline of a pregnant lady with her own bump down one side.

I'm surprised lots of people aren't buying maternity wear. How do you get pants to stay up and t-shirts that are long enough? I tried just buying larger sizes of t-shirts (say a 14, or a 16 when I'm usually a 10 or a 12) and while they fitted my bump, they just looked saggy and ill-fitted at the top. They looked way more matronly than nice maternity wear.

Maybe it's just me. Any excuse to shop


:iagree:..I also didn't quite get the poll...is it referring to 'special occasion' maternity wear or regular maternity wear?

I have bought most of my stuff from Kmart or Target, I've found its not too daggy and reasonably priced. I only have 4 pairs of pants that fit now...maternity jeans (which fit but aren't that comfy now i'm much bigger!), my work pants, a pair of maternity cargo pants and some old tracksuit pants (which now have pink paint on them from painting the bubs room!).....have lots more maternity tops mostly from Kmart. Found a lot of bargains there at the end of season sales. Only have 1 maternity jumper from Target, but have a black jacket that still kinda does up. :p

BUT I'm finding that even my maternity stuff is starting to get too small and ride up over the bump. :o I have no idea how people cope without maternity clothes and i've no idea how I'll cope soon when mine don't fit me!!

As for special occasion stuff, I always found it too pricey and bought a few normal 'strechy' dresses from Katies or Susan or something.

[Californication]

i got all my maternity tops for 14 bucks at big W! they are just plain long sleeved tops that gather on the sides which is decent enough i dont need to be fancy.. haha if we are talking about expensive maternity wear from specialised maternity shops pfft forget that!

I think we have the same tops! I bought 3-4 different styles from Big W that were cheap and have lasted the whole pregnancy so far. I think they will also be worn long after bubs is out as they are very comfy and flattering.

I've also bought a few things from Pumpkin Patch Online when they have had sales that have been great and comfy and not over-priced.

Work shirts I got online - were $35 and have buttons on the side so they grow with you.

Still wearing the same pants and jeans with a belly belt (I don't wear hipsters so BB is fine with me covered by a band).

[Witchypoo]

There is no way that I would fit into my normal clothing. No way at all. I have bought maternity jeans, maternity tracksuit pants, maternity work pants plus 7 maternity tops and a maternity hoodie. Given that I had to buy new clothes I went with maternity because after all they are specifically designed for pregnant women and are probably more flattering and a better fit. The only thing I've bought amongst 'normal' women's clothing in a much bigger size than usual is pj's as I haven't found specific maternity pj's. I got those 2 sizes bigger than usual but could probably have gone even 3 sizes up.

[Bambibambino]

I have bought 2 x black maternity suit bottoms and that's it so far. I have added some looseish witchery tops to my wardrobe too, figured they would come in handy post birth anyway.

I only have 5 weeks of work to go so am hoping everything will keep fitting until then, happy to break out the Mu Mu's from that point on :laughing: