How much and what kinds of maternity clothes do you really need/like having?

[ibusymomto5]

I went through all my maternity stuff today since my regular stuff is starting to get uncomfortable, and hardly any of it fits. I'm a few sizes smaller this time than in the past, so I have to start over with a maternity wardrobe.

I'm going shopping this weekend to pick up at least a few things, but I was just curious how much and what kinds of things you find to be the most useful? I'm a stay at home mom so probably don't need a ton of stuff, though I will need a few nicer things for church, date nights, etc.

Thanks!

[finnegansmom]

I would look to ebay.
I bought some more wintery stuff this time, because I've never had a winter baby before (2 summer pregnancies so mostly summer clothes).
I got some great deals on "lots" of stuff. Most of the stuff I like some was just OK but the deals were so good I couldn't pass them up.
I'm sure I have too much, because I love shopping, but I was careful to buy things in my size and the next size up for the end. I also tried to by maternity tops that have cross fronts so I can wear as nursing tops for the first few months too.
You can spend $200 on ebay and get A TON of clothes, or just a few things at the gap new (I really like their long and lean maternity jeans but they are $68, gross)

[Lauren82]

I am living in the maternity leggings. They look really cute with a tunic top and boots. The secret fit belly pants by Motherhood are nice. They have a thin belly panel that can be worn all the way up or folded over without any bulk.
Old Navy and Motherhood both had some cute dresses that would be great for church or a night out. Since I will be heavily pregnant through winter, I splurged on a maternity coat and I am so glad I did. Like you, I'm also smaller this time around so nothing from previous pregnancies fits. Oh, you might need a sweater to layer if you get chilly.

[penstamon]

Jeans! That is definitely what I needed specifically mat last time. Otherwise I just wore longer tops that hugged my belly. Unfortunately I will need winter stuff this year so I am considering getting some warmer shirts and maybe a jacket. I second ebay because I refuse to pay a lot for something I will wear a few times tops. Plus mat clothes are made so cheaply and dont last.

[Aliy]

picked up some leggings... look for deals craigslist and stuff like that...

I live in yoga pant skitrts and t-shirts......

[livinzoo]

I went to good will and got 3 pairs of pants. I bought some shirts at Target on sale for less than $5 each. Thats about all I have, besides the shorts I bought for this summer. I bought a nursing bra, as the girls have gotten alot bigger and well I prefer the barely there sports bras that I'm almost hanging out of to the structureness of a nursing bra.

[Artichokie]

I'm living in non-maternity yoga pants and long tee shirts. I'm a sahm though so I don't really have to worry about looking particularly professional.

[dakotablue]

1-2 pairs of jeans!

Other than that I just bought/ buy oversized tops. If you sew you can add an elastic to just below the bust of any old shirt and it looks great.

I agree that most maternity clothes are made poorly.

Oh and Pj's pants. That's generally what I wear when I'm not out.

[WifeofAnt]

I hate jeans now. They never fit right.

Maternity-wise I have a few pairs of shorts and pants and a nice selection of shirts. Most are hand-me-downs I got off of craigslist.
Non-maternity I have some yoga pants and other comfortable pants I bought cheap at Walmart. They fit better than some of my maternity (wearing a pair right now)!

[nixnc]

i have to find a great, comfortable bra that can also be used for nursing.

i hate maternity pants, but am going to have to get some since i am working full time this pregnancy. i am excited to shop old navy and motherhood. i may splurge and go to anne taylor because that is where i get a lot of my regular clothes (on clearance with coupons of course).

[sewingsparklz]

Hello! If you lived near me I'd let you come over and go through my boxes of maternity clothes! I have every size (except for XS, puh-leeze!), every season, and many different styles!

I guess you could think like a build-a-wardrobe-with-mix-n-match-basics thing, couldn't you? Jeans, neutral slacks, plain or striped tops, a cardigan, a skirt, with a few bright accessories - scarf, necklace, whatever. And since it's going to be winter - a sweater/long sleeved shirt or two, some legging's/tights, maybe a coat? Then you'd have all your basics, and if you get to splurge on anything else along the way (yay) you can make it a bright special piece, or make it mix-match with everything else.

Can I get a job doing this?? I love clothes!

Edit: You get a date night!?

[starbyfar7]

boy do i abhor maternity clothes.
i was hoping to be able to get away with not wearing them at all like i did with my first, but at week 10 i was already uber uncomfortable in my prepreggo jeans. thus far i've bought a few pairs of jeans and a pair of dressy pants. hopefully ill be able to keep it to a minimum. i dont work.. im a fulltime student and i'll be pregnant throughout the winter so im hoping ill be able to squeeze my fatbody into my size small sweaters.. but i dunno about that i may just have to borrow some of DP's!

old navy has the best deals.. but im finding that their jeans while insanely comfortable dont fit very well im a size 3 normally, but they only have even number sizes so i got a size 4 and i find myself struggling with the damn waist all day, pulling it up so that my pants aren't hanging off my butt.

someone mentioned maternity coats on another board.. and i didnt even think about that. the ones i've seen are hideous though i think im going to buy a regular coat i like and just have it altered

[MamaChef]

I dunno, I try to buy clothes that are well made even if they are a little pricier. I like them to fit me well too. The thing about ebay lots is that they are usually a few seasons behind, which is fine for basics, but .. yeah..So many maternity things seem like bags on too, if they arent cut well. Gap has always been solid for casual clothes that last my whole pregnancy on a limited wardrobe and dont look totally tattered and pilled by the end. I wouldnt buy anything from motherhood maternity ever again. My mom bought me so many outfits from there and almost all of them fell apart!

Basics for me.
Tanks - Non ribbed. I wear them under things or use my existing cardigans, just not buttoned. Liz lange ones are great because they have spandex in them and you can always find them on the clearance racks for 3 bucks. I also like the gap ones with the ruched sides and no ribbing. I buy them in store though and usually find them on clearance for no more then 7.99

I love love love the gap pleated hoodie and the gap yoga pants. I had two pairs of the yoga pants my last pregnancy and wore each atleast a couple days a week.. lol.. they didnt fade and they had minimal pilling or wear. The only reason I bought more this time is because I dropped sizes.

5 Regular shirts that had necklines that made it easy to nurse in. Usually trapeze style, or empire waist with a v neck I could wear a tank under... Those shirts worked till the end of my 7th month and in the post partum.

1 pair of jeans (Given, I dont wear alot of jeans)

Couple pairs of maternity leggings

(This one is my own personal style must have, but this style of pants is so versatile and if you get the right kind of fabric you can wear them post partum too.) 1 pair black and 1 pair brown pallazo style pants in some type of stretchy fabric. These look good for dressier occasions with a tank, a cardigan and a necklace


A couple of the long style Glamor Moms - great for sleeping, nursing, hanging out in.

3-4 "maternity" tops that look great from 6-9 months.

[starbyfar7]

i second the leggings!! i live in leggings!

what are you ladies doing about bras?? my breast have grown exponentially and my pre preggo bras aren't cutting it. i bought a few more in a bigger size earlier on, but now i'm already spilling out of those too! bra's aren't cheap! im close to saying forget it and letting them go free lol!

[MamaChef]

Originally Posted by starbyfar7

i second the leggings!! i live in leggings!

what are you ladies doing about bras?? my breast have grown exponentially and my pre preggo bras aren't cutting it. i bought a few more in a bigger size earlier on, but now i'm already spilling out of those too! bra's aren't cheap! im close to saying forget it and letting them go free lol!

Glamormoms. I love those things. If you dont have to wear a super confining bra but you want support, something you wont grow out of and something you can use postpartum you cant beat them.

[pregnant@40]

I have purchased nothing maternity except a couple of tank tops from Target. Otherwise, I wear longer t-shirts w/ skirts and cardigans. I have some longer sweaters, too. And the only shoes I wear are a new pair of Dansko clogs, since they are incredibly comfortable & allow room for my feet to swell a bit. I think most maternity wear is just so awfully ugly (except for the really high dollar stuff, which I can't afford).

[pregnant@40]

Originally Posted by Artichokie

I'm living in non-maternity yoga pants and long tee shirts. I'm a sahm though so I don't really have to worry about looking particularly professional.

I'm also doing the yoga pants and tees.

[maryeliz]

I was really lucky to have a woman who is my size give me her huge maternity wardrobe. Out of the stuff I got, the stuff I wear on a regular basis is listed below (business casual is pretty much the standard at my job and I don't have many occasions that require dress up)

2 pairs of business style pants
1 pair casual pants
2 dresses
2 Bee bands from target
2 stretchy skirts
7 work tops
5 weekend tops (from nicer going out stuff to tank tops)
2 pairs of yoga pants
2 sweaters

I also bought 2 cheap bras from target that I'm surprisingly happy with, a big non-maternity nightgown, and my lovely aunt bought me a high end maternity jacket-something I never would have gotten for myself. For me this is a great amount of stuff, but if I had to pay for it all I could get along with less-one dress, one skirt, fewer tops.

Most of my stuff is from Pea in a pod, target, and old navy. The quality is okay, but not great. I would have been annoyed if I had bought a maternity dress at full price and had it start looking worn after a few washings.

[CinCanada]

Around here my options are pretty limited to either Gap/Old Navy, Motherhood or Thyme maternity (unless I want to go to the boutique $$$ places!!). I agree with the consensus about Motherhood, their stores are messy & the fit/quality of the clothes sucks. Old Navy is up & down (what's with the puffy sleeves??) though Thyme fit me really really well last time. Unfortunately I'm down 2 sizes from last time too & all of my friends are a size smaller than me. I think we'll be able to share tops but I'll have to buy my own pants.
I think my big slurge this time around will be a maternity/baby wearing coat.
http://www.suseskinder.com/ this one is pretty sporty but I think I'll get a TONNE of use out of it next winter.

[Twinklefae]

Try Craig'sList/Kijiji. All of my maternity clothes came from there. People are so eager to get rid of beautiful stuff - $40 for a garbage bag full.

All I'll be buying myself new this pregnancy is a new pair of jeans. And some boots.

I like Motherhood for tops and Thyme for pants.

Old Navy is good, but I find the quality poor.