maternity clothes

[Hibou]

What does everyone do for maternity clothes? Do you buy new or used maternity? Or do you just wear bigger sizes, or alter your own clothes?

[hvl25]

I bought some new and some used during my pregnancies. My first pregnancy I was broke so I bought bigger clothes/borrowed clothes:)

[Trishy]

I saved everything from my last pregnancy, knowing I would be pg again in a few more years. I am bigger than I was when I got pg last time so some of my pants do not fit anymore. I am giving those to a friend and I have been able to pick up a few things at thrift stores. I lust for some of those loew rise pants but they are exepensive. I do think I am going to splurge and buy myself 2 packages of these because my underwear keep rolling down from where I no longer have a waist:

http://www.oldnavy.com/asp/Product.asp?wdid=80370&wpid=232813

[Solange]

First pg I had lots of $$$ to spend so all I had was new...*sigh*

I have been a sahm now for 4 years since ds #1 and this time around I have no $$$ to spend so I am looking for great deals from MDC mammas here on gently used maternity or at resales shoppes in my area and really good sales on new one size up clothes at the malls.

so I have a combo of both maternity and one size up regular clothes, used and new...:LOL
if this answers anything I have no clue...:raz
pg mamma brains for you.....

[mamaroni]

I've used a combo. My sister also has 3 kids (she started a couple years before me) and we've traded stuff back and forth a few times. For all my pgs, I've been able to wear a size bigger until about 22 weeks or so. The first time, I was working full time and had a new wardrobe in addition to my sister's things. I had to buy a few things this time, but not many.

Look for some of my items on the TP in a few months!! (including at least one pair of the low rise pants, trishshack).

[Hibou]

trishack- I bought some low-rise pants yesterday at Winners for $10.00. I never thought I'd wear low risers, but they are so comfy, and leave lots of room for my expanding belly to grow above. Do you have a Winners? (I think it's like a target or something- all new discount clothing).

I really don't like the idea of spending $$$ on clothes I'll never wear after the baby comes, so I'm looking for creative (inexpensive) ideas that work. In my last pg, it was summer time when I had a belly, so I got away with wearing sarongs most of the time!

[naturegirl]

So far I have bought a few things (mostly on sale) at motherhood and have started brousing ebay. I need to get some clothes I can wear to work and a couple of special occasions (graduation and a wedding) I am also looking for good deals. And don't forget you can always re-sell things on ebay and at consignment stores.

Congratulations on the pregnancy! :thumb

Cheryl
:hippie

[Lucysmama]

I love Babystyle.com maternity clothes, and they have an online outlet that is pretty reasonable. I just got a very cool hip ruched black shirt for $15 and a cool stretchy lace skirt for $12. They look so great together, and in-style and they are sooooo comfy. And, it was only $31 including shipping! :thumb They also make their pants with panels, no panels, flat fronts, and stretch bands, so you can choose what is good for you.

I also bought a few things on ebay. I have some maternity clothes from my last pregnancy, but they are all fall/winter and I need summer/early fall. What a great excuse to shop... :D

Now, I just need to grow enough to look right in them...I am just over 6 weeks, and my jeans are already too tight! :eek But of course, I look like a big weirdo in maternity clothes...I will probably just wear yoga pants and hoodies till April or so.

[momto l&a]

Yard sales:thumb

I dont show much preggo so I normally wear larger sized clothes as most maternity clothes are just to big. Pants are what I really have problems with, so I do stretch jeans, most maternity pants fall of me.

I do have a few peices I have picked up a yard sales. I see many maternity clothes at yard sales at very reasonable prices.

[Aura_Kitten]

all of the above :D i've been lucky enough to find some really nice maternity clothes for *really* cheap, used.

we've also found some great larger stuff in local thrift shops... just larger skirts and looser/longer shirts... *but* unlike a lot of mamas i know (at least around here) i don't get huge when i'm pregnant -- my belly does, but the rest of me stays small, which makes it fairly easy to get clothes to fit.

[True Blue]

Last time I bought mostly new, some used at great consignment shops for babies and maternity, and borrowed some from a friend. But, that was when I live in the San Francisco area and now I live in Florida....vastly different climates!! I need shorts and tanks now. I lent my clothes to my SIL (who, incidently, gave birth to a 7lb10oz, 19in little girl yesterday :D) and I'm hoping I can have some of hers....but I have a feeling they won't fit. She weighed (cough) 130lbs when she gave birth...I weigh um 127 now so I'm thinking mine fit her bc they were a little big and that hers won't fit me. We shall see I guess. Otherwise, my favs were Old Navy and Gap bc their clothes were much comfier than Motherhood.

[sistermama]

My best friend and I wear the same size and were pregnant with our first babies about a year apart. So, we managed to amass quite and assortment of maternity clothes between us. By the time I'm really big though, I just wear my favorite jeans almost everyday and then only have to have a couple of cute t-shirts to go with. Now I just have to find everything in storage...:rolleyes:

[ebethmom]

I saved all of my maternity clothes from ds, but none of them fit now. I started this pregnancy 70 pounds less than the first one.

Luckily, I live 10 minutes from a Gap outlet. I bought 5 or 6 pair of pants, most for $2 each. I splurged on $12 jeans.

I have plenty of Spring clothes, thanks to a woman at church. I can't wait to wear those cute cropped pants! I'll probably need to buy some tops in a few weeks. There are several consignment stores closeby, and they usually have lots of maternity clothes. My Mom also likes to buy for me - she found some maternity clothes at Kohl's during my last pregnancy.

[TinyBabyBean]

I buy them all used. I find them online and local too.
You wear them such a short time. I think even if we were rich or wealthy I would only buy a few pieces new.

[tibdoml]

With both DS #1 and this pg, I bought a few new things - maybe 3-4 outfits @ a Motherhood outlet near me.
I got some from friends/fam, and the rest from a local consignment store. :thumb They had unbelievable prices and great clothes!
Chekc out your yellow pages and see if there is one near you. (and when you're done, you can consign your good clothes back for "regular" size clothes.) ;)

[bebe luna]

I wore larger sizes until about 20 weeks... then I ended up buying a few things from Babystyle & Old Navy, as well as some used maternity from the thrift store... these clothes lasted until the 3rd trimester, then I outgrew almost all the Babystyle stuff and about 1/2 the Old Navy stuff.
So then I went back to the thrift store and got few more items, as well as the Target clearance rack in the maternity section. also my friend who had her baby in December passed down a bunch of stuff she had from Motherhood and GAP maternity...

[BoxOfRainMama]

I have bought most of my clothes this time around off ebay, used in used condition. I got a whole lot of clothes for 5.00. Several of the shirts have bleach stains but I so do not care.... I just need to cover the body :) Im bigger now than I was with my first 2 pregnancies so none of my old stuff fits, I guess I will just post it on eBay too!

[Jennifer H]

I didn't buy a lot of maternity clothes and got a lot of hand-me-downs from various people with my first two pregnancies. Unfortunately, after being worn for two to four pregnancies they all look pretty raggedy this time around. Our thrift shop wouldn't even take some of them!

I'm having trouble with the current trend and new clothes aren't fitting well either! All the maternity shirts are too short for me! Five years ago with Lars they all were longer. I'm 5'9" and long waisted so short shirts just won't cover the panel on my maternity pants!

[lilyka]

I have bought my basic wear-em-into-the-ground peices new with each pregnancy (a pair of jeans and long sleeve and two short sleeve white shirts). they are pretty much through by the end of the pregnancy. I bought a couple of things with my first baby. Whatever was cheap. there was no where to buy used then. Woth my second, My friend gave me two full totes of clothes. A friend died and we were talking about what to wear to the funeral and I asked if red would be OK since it was my only dress. She went and got me something appropriate. She had much better taste than me. For number three, my last pregnancy we had money to spend and I wanted to do it up right. Not much but I went right out to buy stuff and got about 4 outfits for $100 (garage sale money) on close out (right when you know your pregnant all the clothes that you will need will currently be clearanced. ) while I was working I needed to look decent so I bought stuff. Also the clothes from my first preg., were shot and the clothe from my second pregnancy had been returned so I was pretty much didn't have anything.

This is a great place to find maternaty clothes.

[PattyCakes]

In the States Ross/TJ Maxx etc are similar to Winner's in Canada. I occassionally find deals there. Check Sears sales racks. I found a couple of great tops there (cotton!) cheap!

I found great pants (with the thick elastic at the waist like Japanese Weekend) at Mimi's. I paid a bit for them even on sale (just under $30) but they are AWESOME. They've got a bit of stretch to them - they are DANG comfy and I wear them almost every day. I got a kahki and black pair and they are PERFECT for work. I will probably wear them out by the end of this pregnancy, but they were completely worth it.

If I didn't have to work I would just slog around in yoga pants (or my Dh's sleep pants). :)

Sometimes you can find great deals at Old Navy (in the mat. department) but I don't have much luck with their stuff personally. I'm too round in all in all the wrong places for their stuff. (but it's cute). :)

[Dreaming]

trishshack- I have about 3 pairs (all different brands) of those low-rise pants. They are all pretty horrible, so your not missing out on much. Everytime I take a few steps, they start sliding down and pretty soon, the crotch is nearly at my knees :splat . Since our hips disappear and we cannot wear belts, there is nothing to hold them up.

FWIW- I have been wearing them since the beginning and I'm 25w2d today (showing quite a bit for over 10 weeks). Some people told me that they would fit better after my belly got bigger and I have found the opposite to be true as they are now "flipping" down below my belly and still sliding.

You are better off buying full belly panel with the adjustable elastic. I wish I would've done research better as it would've saved me a ton of money and I would have been more comfortable sooner.

If you want to try them anyway, buy them (keep tags and receipt), put them on and walk around the mall or wherever you are for about 20 minutes. If you don't have to hike them up 2 or 3 times, they may be perfect for you.

Regarding the OP- I would definately recommend ebay for clothes- especially jeans. I just bought a great pair of GAP jeans for less than half of what they cost in the store (including shipping) and they are very comfortable. I would recommend going to the site of the original seller and checking the sizing chart. I have had to buy 2 different pairs of pants because GAP jeans run big and the first pair will have to be resold.

JC Penney has pretty good prices on their clearance rack.
Motherhood clothes shrink really bad, so don't buy them unless you buy larger than what you would normally wear (or you buy them from someone who has already shrunk them down to the next size for you).

Beg or borrow whenever possible (least expensive route).

HTH