Bump Fashion! « Back to Group Discussions

[Sweet Huck]

Got a great bump outfit? Post a pic!!!   How about some tips and suggestions for maternity-wear or cheats to make your normal threads last? Please share! I am by no means a fashionista and I can use all the help I can get.... and some thumbs up for when I get it right. ; )

Today I'm wearing a pair of  black Joe Benbassett maternity pants, a shell colored t-shirt, and a long Kenar sweater. It's perfect office-wear for a cool December day. I really like this long/open sweater look, especially because I can wear them pieces before, during, and after my bump!

Here's the only pic I can manage to take of myself right now.... but it'll be enough to start us off! Now it's your turn!

[JNajla]

Cute sweater!  I can't fit into my jeans anymore, so I've been wearing yoga pants everyday!  I have a few skirts that still fit (that were big on me pre-preg) so I've worn those with a rubber band.  I see other preg mama's sporting leggings with long sweaters so that is probably what I'm going to stock up on.  I've been having a hard time locating maternity clothing in Madison, everything seems to be online? 
 

[BabySmurf]

Love the sweater! I generally like the 3 piece maternity look as well...the pants, fitted shirt, with the big cozy sweater.  I have the blessing....curse? lol.. of being on the tall side with a long torso, so I tend to have a lot of trouble finding both maternity and nursing wear.  The shirts and the pants are always slightly too short...so I tend to scope out tunic length shirts, sometimes they are maternity shirts, sometimes they are just regular shirts sized up accordingly.  I do wish that last time around I got some nursing stuff as I grew so that after the baby, I would have some in between clothes as I shrunk.  Although, as with maternity, I had a hard time finding nursing things that were long enough for me...that's why it's super duper annoying that most maternity is online! There are the upper scale stores, and I always cringe at the prices, but if this is your first time and you are planning more kids, you will more than likely be able to use the clothes again...unless you get pregnant in the opposite season, like I have .  If you don't want to spend a fortune, I highly recommend looking at consignment stores or asking around in your community for lightly used clothes.  I just found a winter maternity coat for $15!!! I'm stoked about that. 

For the growing boobs...last time I took the "cheap" route out and just bought regular bras, but again, if you are planning on nursing, it would have really come in handy to have a few nursing bras in the assorted sizes to have around...I was thinking that i would save money by waiting, but I ended up having to buy an array of sizes anyway...and that is NOT cheap in my size.  (Although for day to day wear I could get away with a sports bra type nursing bra, there were occasions where that just didn't cut it...and it doesn't really offer the support that I would like, since it's a one size fits most type of deal, and my size keeps evolving).  Aaandd since I am nursing during this pregnancy, I can't even re-wear the bras that I saved from before.  So it may seem like a bigger investment than you want at first, it's not a bad idea to at least get a few nursing things for your ever changing body .

[spotty4]

I definitely dig this thread!

I see myself wearing a lot of wrap sweaters through the coming winter.  They will definitely adapt as the belly grows.  Huck, I'm checking out Ross!  I also have a few consignment stores in mind.  I had planned to check Target and Kohl's and Old Navy but I may be disappointed like you were.

Smurf, great advice on the bras and growing boobs.  I am petite as are my boobs, well at least they were pre-pregs.  For the first time in my life I am having to sleep in my bras b/c my boobs hurt too much!  Everyone keeps telling me to hold out on buying any new bras but I know I am going to have to give in very soon.  I was 34B pre-pregs.  I wonder what I am now ... and what I'll get to!

[FarmerMomma]

I found these cool pants at goodwill today. They aren't labeled maternity but they are adjustable with those 3 ties! Today I sported some rusty orange corduroy overalls with a forest green sweater. Some days I want nada around my belly.

[Tenk]

Those are GREAT pants!!

I find myself really comfortable in leggings and long shirts/sweaters.  I am 100% uncomfortable in anything that puts pressure on my stomach and lower abdomen :( and each pregnant has been like that.  I see all these great pregnancy outfits and all these adorable women wearing super cute outfits that I just *could not do* because of how they fit.  BUMMER!!!

On a different note, I have 4 tubs (large tubs) full of designer and non maternity clothes since I've done this SO many times.  OH and we tried to start an on line maternity consignment store that flopped.  Also, ladies ... if you have a Belk near by ... go to their maternity section ... they have a good selection of maternity clothes and once they get new ones in they clearance out the old ones.  I have items with tags still on them that I paid $3 for at BELK!!! and $5 and $10 brand new stuff.  So check that out for some great inexpensive finds!!  I hate Old Navy period so I wouldn't buy maternity there.  Target is good!!  kohl's seems to be over priced (IMO!) and I don't get much there.  I like to shop, but LOVE a bargain so if I go into a designer clothing store to look at maternity stuff, if it's on clearance I would probably by it (providing it fits).  I've got a GREAT Ann Taylor Loft skirt that had been $80 that I paid probably $15 for.

Just saying :)
 

[BabySmurf]

Originally Posted by spotty4 

I definitely dig this thread!

I see myself wearing a lot of wrap sweaters through the coming winter.  They will definitely adapt as the belly grows.  Huck, I'm checking out Ross!  I also have a few consignment stores in mind.  I had planned to check Target and Kohl's and Old Navy but I may be disappointed like you were.

Smurf, great advice on the bras and growing boobs.  I am petite as are my boobs, well at least they were pre-pregs.  For the first time in my life I am having to sleep in my bras b/c my boobs hurt too much!  Everyone keeps telling me to hold out on buying any new bras but I know I am going to have to give in very soon.  I was 34B pre-pregs.  I wonder what I am now ... and what I'll get to!

That's how I was last time too - there are some sleep bras out there that are great.  This time, I'm still nursing, so I haven't noticed too much change, but I ended up moving up 1 band size and 4 cup sizes last time DH was psyched at first, then realized, not only did it hurt me to touch them, but they squirted a ridiculous amount of milk when he did.  I was engorged for much longer than usual though.  I wouldn't buy more than one or two at a time though, because you really don't know how long you will be in a particular size. it's amazing the changes our bodies go through!

[Sweet Huck]

Any recommendations for where to find nursing/maternity bras?

Spotty--- I've found some comfortable wire-free bras (inexpensive, too) at Target. They're really forgiving for changing cup size and super comfy for sleeping.

FarmerMomma--- love those pants!

[spotty4]

Originally Posted by Sweet Huck 

Any recommendations for where to find nursing/maternity bras?

I have been told to check out Motherhood.

[holidaymama]

Today I'm wearing some cute pre-preg caramel flare cords with a bella band and a black long sleeve t from gap. I LOVE gap maternity because I am thin and don't need maternity shirts to be wide, I need them to be long!

I have never worn nursing bras with either of my two kiddos. I always just pulled up my reg. bra over my boobs to nurse! I do need to get some new sports bras for exercise though as my regular ones are starting to cut off my breathing while running!

[JNajla]

What is a bella band?

[Tenk]

A bella band looks like a tube top (sort of) and goes around you waist band area of your regular pants so you can leave them unbuttoned and/or unzipped but they still stay up.  I have one, but can't find it LOL and I think they work out great!!!  Totally worth the $20 (or what ever) they cost.  I got mine at Target for $17 I think and it's black.

As far as nursing bras, I HAD to have them.  It always felt like my boob was being smashed if I tried to pull up my regular bra and that was SO uncomfortable!!

Motherhood has a clearance section and sometimes you can find $10 nursing bras in there!!  Also, sometimes they have buy 2 get 1 free in all their bras :)
 

[MommyThea]

I actually got some great deals at Kohls during the thankgiving day sales on line, they had everything 50-6-% off so I got some pants for about $20. It is so hard to find cute, comfortable and affordable maternity clothes if you're plus sized. The pants I bought were so long, like longer than normal pants, so I'm going to have to hem the legs, but they fit great everywhere else and are comfortable.

[JNajla]

I would be really nervous that my pants would fall down with the belly band. I'm wider in the hips than thighs so I'd be afraid that I'd lose my drawers in public or something! But I have to figure something out.... maternity pants are too big, my pants are too tight, and I've been living in leggings and yoga pants- which is getting boring...

[kitteh]

This is one of my favorite outfits right now. The cardigan and jeans are not maternity, but the brown shirt is. You can't see the bella band, but I'm wearing it to keep my jeans up. Luckily they are pretty stretchy and were too big in the waist pre-preg, so they still sometimes work buttoned. But sometimes I unbutton them and loop the hair tie through the button hole and around the button, and then put the bella band over it to smooth everything out and keep it all in place. I get the fear of having your drawers fall down when going with unbuttoned pants, but the hair tie trick coupled with the bella band really does work for me.

I have a pair of OldNavy maternity pants in size 2 and they're still too big. I'm thinking of going down a size and trying again. I currently only have 3 pairs of pre-pregnancy pants that work with the hair-tie/bella band trick and it's limiting my wardrobe!

[kitteh]

Also, I seconf the suggestion of Motherhood for nursing bras. The Motherhood ones I have from 3 years ago with DD still work for me, whereas the Target nursing  bras have long fallen apart.

[SweetMama34]

Originally Posted by kitteh 

This is one of my favorite outfits right now. The cardigan and jeans are not maternity, but the brown shirt is. You can't see the bella band, but I'm wearing it to keep my jeans up. Luckily they are pretty stretchy and were too big in the waist pre-preg, so they still sometimes work buttoned. But sometimes I unbutton them and loop the hair tie through the button hole and around the button, and then put the bella band over it to smooth everything out and keep it all in place. I get the fear of having your drawers fall down when going with unbuttoned pants, but the hair tie trick coupled with the bella band really does work for me.

I have a pair of OldNavy maternity pants in size 2 and they're still too big. I'm thinking of going down a size and trying again. I currently only have 3 pairs of pre-pregnancy pants that work with the hair-tie/bella band trick and it's limiting my wardrobe!

This is seriously adorable! Where'd you get the brown shirt? I really prefer fitted maternity tops, but they don't seem easy to find!

Also, I'm curious about how much work it is going to the bathroom with a bella band and hair tie. Is it just not as complicated as it sounds? I worry that I'd be fumbling all day in the bathroom. :P

[dayiscoming2006]

Originally Posted by SweetMama34 

Also, I'm curious about how much work it is going to the bathroom with a bella band and hair tie. Is it just not as complicated as it sounds? I worry that I'd be fumbling all day in the bathroom. :P

I tend to stick with yoga pants since I'm a stay at home mom, but the hair tie/bella band combo isn't hard at all. I pull up the bella band and pull it back down after. HTH

[kitteh]

And adding the hair-tie trick in the mix isn't that much more taxing. I think it will be nice to finally move into maternity pants so I don't have to deal with any zippers or buttons or bands or hair ties, but until then it is not terribly annoying and it feels good to still be wearing some pre-preg stuff.

As for the shirt, it's Old Navy! All of my maternity stuff this time around is. We have a rewards credit card with them and use it to buy all of our groceries (paying it off in full every 2 weeks.) Right now they're having a promo that is 5X the rewards points for grocery store purchases, which is a total jackpot for me. So I wait until I get a 30-40% off promo code and combine that with the rewards points to get most of my maternity stuff darn near free. Last order I had 7 items--2 bottoms and 5 tops--and I paid less than a dollar out of pocket for the whole shebang. We were super broke when I was pregnant with DD and I couldn't afford to buy ANY maternity stuff. I was lucky to get some hand-me-downs from friends, but they were all taller than I am (not a difficult feat when I'm 5'2") We couldn't afford to tailor anything (unless you call hacking off 3 inches at the bottom of pants using kitchen shears "tailoring") so I spent most of the time feeling frumpy and blah.Now that we are in better financial standing I decided I was going to get myself a real maternity wardrobe, and when I discovered the Old Navy rewards trick I went nuts. I have a whole closet of maternity clothes already, but I've paid next to nothing for them.

[FarmerMomma]

Rock on kitteh! No need to feel frumpy. I wore boys pants all through high school. I tried some on again recently for something baggy but it feels so frumpy to me now. Rock that bump girlfriend.