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@ColeandAmyT: I'm only a few weeks ahead of you, but with twins I've been in mat clothes for awhile now. Here's my 2 cents:
1. I'm buying what fits now, but looser, if that makes sense. Pre-preg I wore mostly size 10 bottoms, and medium tops. I've been able to buy mostly the same size bottoms, but I make sure they've got some give in the legs and if possible, around the waist. I figure I'll have to shop a few times, but I can't expect what fits me now, to work for me in the third tri either.
2. Depends on your life and how often you do laundry :) I work from home, so I can live in more sweats than women who work in a professional office. Right now, I have 3 pair of pants, 3 ss tops, 3 ls tops, a sweater, a dress - all maternity. A week's worth of clothes is a good goal for each stage.
3. I think tops are easier than pants to get by with regular. Just buy long tees. But the rouching on mat tops is really nice for hugging an expanding belly without making me feel big all over, just fyi. And I haven't spent a ton yet - most of my pieces are from Target and Goodwill (but Gap, Motherhood, etc brand). My most expensive piece was $20, and most have been $10-15, some as cheap as $5. You don't have to buy at boutique stores to look nice while pregnant.
4. My three pair of pants are three different types. One is under the belly - this has been really nice for the inital bloat and popping stages. Getting a little tight when I sit now though. The pair I really like right now in mid-2nd tri is the short elastic band (like 6"). They stay up and are comfy. My last pair has a panel that comes higher on the belly. They slide down a lot now, but I'm sure as my belly grows, they'll stay up better. I think they'll be my favorites once I'm big :)
1. If your pants are just starting to get tight, you might be able to hold off on buying full-on maternity clothes until a little later, when you find out where you're gaining weight/how you're carrying. Some people gain weight all over, some people just grow a big belly. :) I would suggest holding out/making do as long as possible (some people use a belly band to stretch their non-maternity wardrobe), and then buying what fits, with the options of buying a few more items at the end, if needed.
2. I started out with like 3 pairs of maternity pants and 7-8 maternity shirts, with my first pregnancy. It got a little monotonous and boring, but it lasted me the whole pregnancy.
3. Non-maternity clothes will probably work for a good part of your pregnancy. Look for anything empire-waisted and/or flowy. Also, wrap dresses and empire-waisted dresses (with leggings, if needed) work great for early pregnancy, all the way through post-partum.
4. There's a few different sizes and materials for the belly band part of maternity pants. Personally, I found the under-the-belly pants (with no belly band and no buttons/zipper) the most comfortable for the majority of pregnancy. Really, though, everyone's body shape is different, so you'll just have to try a few different brands/types on to figure out what fits you bext.
Hope that helps!
I am 16 weeks and have recently done this as well. I am loving the full panel pants with the elastic that goes past the belly button. You would think it would be super uncomfortable but it is wonderful. My favs are work pants from motherhood maternity. I am wearing them now and they are so comfy it is like pjs. I am just buying things as I need them. Open cardigans, not from maternity, are fine. Also, some maxi dresses and skirts non maternity may be fine as well but its hard to predict how you will grow.
In the motherhood maternity stores there was fake baby bump pillows in the dressing rooms tha treally helped me visualize how i might look further along in the pregnancy. Most stores suggest to buy your pre pregnancy size but use your own judgement. For example: If it is already a lil forfitting or the fabric has no give, you may want to size up. I am still in all my normal sweaters. I have found maternity tops to be a lil big right now but I am strictly wearing maternity pants. Other pants fit but just feel so uncomfortable that I cannot wait to rip them off.
I have puchased 1 pair of jeggings, 3 pairs of work pants, 2 pairs of yoga pants, and 2 maxi skirts. I also purchased a few non maternity open cardigans to wear during the next few months over maternity tanks. I figured I could use the cardigans again post baby and save $$ from having to buy maternity stuff. Old navy and motherhood maternity have been my favs so far. Good luck and try and have fun with it.
1. Maternity clothes are designed to be the same size as you wore pre-pregnancy, and to grow with you (if that makes sense?). I wore a small in all of my maternity clothes, which is for women who wore size 4-6 pants or small tops pre-pregnancy.
2. I think I needed maternity pants more than the tops at first. I have dressy and casual days at work, so I bought 2 dress pants and 2 pairs of jeans and that worked well for the pants. I also bought some maternity yoga pants to wear when I workout and those were great (old navy). I was able to wear most of my shirts through the 2nd trimester, and then I used through about 10 tops to get me through the last trimester.
3. For the tops, you can buy a bigger size than you normally wear for a while. For me, I like my clothes to be a little more fitted so it didn't look like I was wearing a tent all the time. And you can get the extenders and/or the bella bands to help you stay in your pants for a little longer. But for me, it was SO much more comfortable to wear the pants with the panel, since my hips were getting too big to fit in my pre-pregnancy pants early on.
4. I prefer the full panel pants (the ones that go up to your chest). I would fold the panel down in the beginning, and once I started showing, I pulled it up. It helps to hold your pants up and I liked the added bonus of not having to worry about showing my buttcrack if I bent over - haha. Again, a bella band can be used the same way as the full panel pants with your pre-pregnancy clothes until you absolutely need new ones.
I splurged on the pants and got them at Kohls or Motherhood. I bought a bunch of tops from Old Navy and Walmart to save some money, if that helps.
Congrats and good luck!!
I am 28 weeks, and here is what I have found so far:) I hope this helps!!
1. I have bought generally the same size that I always wore, but it can vary depending on the brand. In Old Navy I am a M, same with pants at motherhood. I am also one who actually lost a little weight in the beginning and am still playing catch up. To be fair though, I have only gained in the belly and little in my boobs, so I didn't really have to size up on anything other than a pair of skinny jeans that I bought (they were just too tight around the knees),and a slim fitting shirt from motherhood.
2. Right now, I have 2 pairs of work pants, 3 pairs of jeans, 2 black dresses, 2 tank tops, 4 short sleeve t's, 1 long sleeve t, and a couple of dressier shirts for work. So far, it seems to be enough, especially since if we don't go anywhere on the weekend, I stay in my pre-preg lounge pants.
3. At this point, I can wear a non-maternity sweater, t-shirt, or two but pants and things just would NOT work. Because I am tall, a lot of the old navy tall things that I bought seem to work OK to cover me up. But, most other shirts that are not either tall or maternity are way too short. I, like other posters, have gotten a lot of stuff at thrift stores. We have store called Savers and they always have like brand new maternity things. Sometimes, it's the same stuff you could buy at oldnavy.com that same day. I have definately scored there. Also, I found that JC Penny has good maternity stuff and a good price, just not much selection.
4. As far as the different types of pants. The only ones that I wear are the motherhood "secret fit belly". These are a thin panel that comes up over my belly. I have to pull them up sometimes, but they don't dig in anywhere, and since I am tall, I am limited to whatever motherhood carries in long. I did wear a b-band from target with my non-maternity clothes until I was about 17 or so weeks.
I'm 27 weeks. They really do grow with you wth those 'attached belly bands'. I have maternity pants with different lengths of bands. I think it is a bit of a personal preference. I actually love the largest bands, but not everyone does. I shopped when I was about 13 weeks, and was going just to get a belly band. I thought I'd have to wait til I was bigger to buy the other things, but nope, you can fit into them pre-pregnancy and they just stretch with you. They are soooo comfy. When I tried on my first pair I was like "why aren't ALL pants made this way?!!!"
@cvbee: I said the SAME thing about the pants. I think I am going to wear maternity jeans for the rest of my life 
@cvbee: Me too! At Thanksgiving dinner last year, everyone was complaining that their pants were soooo tight, and I was like "Not me! My pants are AWESOME!"
@ColeandAmyT: I'm 12 weeks and I'm in maternity pants already because I didn't like the Bella Band and anything tight across my stomach didn't feel good. I'm in some maternity tops because my boobs are already huge. I'm up to a F cup. I started to get a complex because some people don't ever have to wear maternity clothes or they are only in them in toward the end. I just have to do what's right and comfortable for me and that right now is maternity clothes.
You guys are seriously AWESOME!!! These responses helped me so much! I got terribly overwhelmed and confused when DH took me out today, but I am definitely ready to give it another go! Thank you so so much for answering all of my silly questions!
Okay, I'm officially going on a clothes-buying strike until I'm pregnant.
I am 28 weeks and this is pretty much how maternity clothing has gone for me:
At 10 weeks, my pants started getting tight. I tried larger jeans that I already owned, but they just didn't fit right. So I tried my friend's belly bands, which just never seemed to work. At 12-13 week, I just gave in and bought a couple of pairs of the demi panel pants from Gap on sale. I purchased them in my normal size. They were perfect until I was 16-18 weeks or so. I was still wearing almost exclusively my old dresses and tops, as well.
By 16 weeks, I had invested in a couple more pairs of jeans, but they were from Paige Premium (on clearance) and had a front like this :
I don't know if you can tell, but they just have elastic at the corners. These are still my favorite type of maternity jean, so I own a skinny pair to wear with boots, and a straight leg pair. By 16-18 weeks, I also had started moving into maternity dresses and tops. A lot of my non-maternity tops were starting to get too tight at my chest, so I stocked up on holiday sale priced clothes at Gap, Old Navy, A Pea in the Pod, and Motherhood. I had also grown into a new bra size.
I thought I was done with maternity shopping at this point, but I am carrying really low, and could no longer wear the demi panel jeans after about week 22. They were just too tight on my belly. So I just wore what I had that did work until about week 26, in which I grabbed a couple of pairs of full panel jeans from Gap on sale, also in my pre-pregnancy size. They have been a godsend and I think they should definetly go through the rest of my pregnancy. I am also up another bra size, at this point, and am anticipating that I will have to change once more closer to time. As for tops, I can only wear maternity at this point, as well as only maternity dresses. I am all belly and boob, so I have no choice.
So basically, it really depends on how you will grow, as well as how you are carrying. Everyone is different. Be prepared that you may have to shop twice and potentially will grow out of some things, even if they are maternity. I have basically been living off of Gap maternity long sleeved tshirts, maternity jeans, and accessories to dress things up. It get monotonous, but at this point, I just want to be comfortable.
You should be able to just buy your regular size.
The panel attached to some pants is just an option you have. Some find it more comfortable to wear pants with a panel and others prefer low rise. You gotta try them on to see which works for you.
So far I have only bought one pair of maternity pants and about 5 maternity dresses, and 1 maternity hoodie. I already had quite a few long shirts and loose low rise pants that I am able to wear with my bella band. I do buy non-maternity but then I have to buy several sizes bigger than my regular size and sometimes the proportions arent as good.
I invested in a lot of yoga pants, long tops and a couple of support garments like a Bella band. Honestly, I didn't find the Bella band too comfortable after the 15th week. I went to Target to buy maternity stuff and you're right, it's so much more expensive for clothing you're not going to wear after another 5 months or so!
At 9 weeks, I started not being able to button my pants tightly.
I bought maternity pants in my pre-pregnancy size (all full panel with the exception of one under belly pair from the gap, but these tend to slip down). I bought 2 pairs of maternity jeans - one pair of skinny jeans from Old Navy (full panel) in a size up and one pair of Citizens jeans also in a size up. The jeans are form fitting, but I don't think (hope!) I'll need to get any more. I had to buy a fair amount of maternity clothing since my office is business casual (no jeans) and I work full time.
I bought all of my maternity tops and sweaters in my pre-pregnancy sizes, too. I think they will be fine, maybe until the last month of pregnancy.
I'm 23 weeks now and have gained around 12 pounds.
I'm 24 weeks and just gave up on my non maternity pants (I was making them go the extra distance with the Be Band from Target). If I'd know how comfy maternity pants would be, I'd have started wearing them earlier. For sizing, I agree with everyone else.
Leggings and stretchy sweater dresses are also great - I'm currently wearing a pre-pregnancy legging/sweater outfit at work.
Here's what I've purchased:
Pants - 2 pairs of jeans, 3 pairs of work pants. I'm hoping this will get me through my entire pregnancy
Dresses - 4. I'll probably buy more as spring gets closer and I get bigger. I figure dresses will be more comfortable anyway.
Sweaters - 2
T's - 2 long sleeved, 2 3/4 sleeved and 2 short sleeved. I'll definitely need more of these basic pieces.
Tanks - 8. Great for layering. I wear a maternity tank with prepregnancy cardigans (unbuttoned) to extend my prebaby wardrobe.
Other - 1 swimsuit, 3 regular bras and 4 sports bras.
Everyone has given you great advice but I just wanted to suggest Kohl's as a great place for maternity wear. I got most of my clothes from there and they were all reasonably priced and really cute! Also, baby resale stores usually have a section devoted to maternity wear.
I shopped at Motherhood and Old Navy. Motherhood is great if you are a shortie like me! The size small petite (probably equivalent to a 6 short) has fit me since the beginning (18 weeks or so) and seems to still have plenty of room for the next two months. Old navy has good maternity yoga pants too. I have 4 pairs of jeans, one pair of dress pants (I don't need dressy work clothes), and 2 pairs of yoga pants.
When my maternity jeans were still slightly too big, wearing a bella band with them helped a lot. Also, get some of those stretchy tanks with the elastics on the side. I couldn't live without the ones I got at Target.
I was lucky that a friend gave me a bunch of maternity sweaters!! But I got myself a few from Old Navy. I bought tops slightly big and they fit well now with plenty more growing room.
As far as the jeans, full panel all the way!!!
@ColeandAmyT: I went out and bought a load of maternity clothes when I hit the 12/13 week mark and I have hardly worn any of them. Instead I ended up buying some 'bump bands' they kinda sit over your belly button and down to your hips and cover up the top of your trousers. I wear them over jeans that I can no longer do up (I loop a bobble through the hole and fasten it round the button) and I wear them over the top of regular leggings to stop 'muffin top' (you know where your hips and belly bulge over the top of your pants - not a nice look ). I have bought regular longer more floaty style tops and also shirts in bigger sizes drawn in at the waist with belts etc. I wish I had never wasted money on maternity clothes as they tend to be over priced and not as trendy nor comfortable as my normal clothes (with a few adjustments). The only maternity clothes I use lots are the maternity vests/camisoles. They have extra material to spread across your bump and they are nice and long so no belly shows when tops ride up (bump band also prevents this) and they are good to cover the cleavage when my regular shirts would no longer button to the top. The bump bands are mega cheap and come in lots of colours, I found them online, on ebay and in some stores too and apparently they help support your bump and alleviate back ache. Good luck and congrats!
I bought a pair of maternity black dress pants and absolutely hated them- according to the website (I bought online, so didn't try them on) you should buy your size pre pregnancy but that's not always true. My thighs got bigger and they did not fit comfortably. Luckily my SIL loaned me three pairs that were not so tight in the legs. I also bought a pair of non maternity dress pants a size up. Those 4 pairs of pants got me through the nine months at work. I did not really buy any maternity tops- I was able to find lots of bigger polos and shirts on the Target clearance rack for like $5 each. I never got a huge belly- the weight distributed itself around my middle instead of centering on my belly.
When I was not at work I pretty much just wore my regular yoga pants with larger t-shirts (also bought off the Target clearance rack). I also had to buy several larger bras. Some women will advise you not to spend too much money on new bras because they might not fit for long. For me a well fitting bra was a necessity and if I could only wear it for a few weeks, oh well.
I bought a bella band and wore it like once. I did not find it comfortable at all.
So, the only 'maternity' clothes I had were the three pairs of dress pants, one pair of cargo pants, one maternity hoodie (oh I LOVED that hoodie, I hope my SIL gives it back- she's pregnant now again), and 2 long sleeved t-shirts.
Non maternity clothes I bought- the dress pants one size up, about a dozen size L polos, about 5-6 size L button down shirts, and about 5-6 XL short sleeved t-shirts, and 5-6 large ribbed tank tops (all courtesy of Target's awesome 50-70% off rack), 3 new bras
Pairing the above items with one pair of super relaxed pre pregnancy jeans, all my yoga and VS track pants, and several larger shirts I already owned, and I bet my pregnancy wardrobe cost me about $200 total (of course if I had to buy the pants my SIL loaned me that would jack the price up to around $300-$350).
1. It really depends on the store. I found that Gap stuff runs big, Motherhood and ON run more true to size. I'm fortunate that a lot of stores here in Chicago carry maternity clothes so I tried things on whenever possible. What helped me a lot was that I have a Banana card so any exchanges for size for anything that I bought at Gap or ON (where I got a majority of my maternity clothes) were free. I tried to buy a lot of tops and tanks with the rushing on the sides so that I could wear them for the whole 9 months. I'm starting to find in month 8 that some of the other tops are starting to get too small with how big my belly is getting.
2. I can wear jeans to work so I have about 5 pairs (2 skinny, 2 boot cut, and 1 black), then 2 pairs of black dress pants, 1 pair of gray, and a few pairs of cords (borrowed from my SIL). I also wear leggings under tunics or long cardigans if it's not freezing cold. Being pregnant in the winter sucks- if you are around 13 weeks, you'll be bigger in the warmer months, so I would get a lot of cotton sundresses or maxi dresses and tunics. Those will be something you can layer in the spring and then you'll be able to wear all summer and after the baby is born.
3. I was able to wear non-maternity tops and dresses (flowy, empire waist) up until probably the end of the 2nd trimester. Pants were a no-go- I gained most of my weight in the 1st trimester and it went right to my butt and thighs so regular pants didn't fit anymore. I hated the Bella band- I only wore that for a few weeks.
4. I have pants with the full panel and the demi panel. The demi panel ones were really uncomfortable during the beginning of the 2nd trimester- they are only ok now because the baby is higher. I love the full panel- if you are only going to buy a few pairs of jeans, I would get those. I agree it's going to be hard to go back to regular jeans after wearing them :).
Oh, another tip...but you need to get really lucky for this to work (has only worked for me once or twice!)...If the Old Navy near you does not carry maternity, but someone makes a return of a maternity item there, it goes to the clearance rack for half off!
I wore my regular pants with a belly band until sometime just after 20 weeks. Then I switched to maternity pants, but still with a belly band to hold them up b/c they were constantly sagging down. Now I jut wear the maternity pants w/ no belly band.
I initially bought 2 pairs of work pants, 2 skirts, and a pair of trouser jeans to make it through pregnancy. I owned plenty of loose-fitting tops and have managed to make non-maternity tops and dresses work until just now at 30 weeks. This past week I finally caved and bought a few maternity tops from Old Navy w/ a 20% off coupon. In total I paid less than $100 and walked away with 3 t-shirts, 1 blouse, and a pair of skinny jeans. I wear the t-shirt w/ my non-maternity cardigans (unbuttoned), and that works great.
Basically, I think a little goes a long way w/ maternity clothes if you focus on buying a few of the basics that you will wear over and over again. You can supplement w/ cute cardigans, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories, so nobody will notice that you're re-wearing the same pants, skirts, and t-shirts repeatedly.
I was a 21 year old, pregnant for the first time, and I had a good job that I could spend some money on maternity clothes. So yeah, I went hog-wild on a maternity shop and bought 3 pants, 3 shirts and 3 "maternity" underwear... BUT let me tell you, I will never do that again! It cost me $300.00!
And my favorite thing to wear? My MOTHER'S sundress! (It was an August birth)
1. I would buy clothes at second hand stores. They are NOT going to stay with you forever, so I would never buy brand "new". I would go to the different sizes, as you get bigger. Try them on, and make sure they fit "now" and possibly a little bigger so you'll have the item for maybe 2 weeks. Then go back when those are getting tight, and buy some more. Especially at the last 2 months of pregnancy, you will balloon!
2. Don't buy too many itmes, yes, I would say 1-3 pairs of pants and a couple of shirts...
3. I would buy non-maternity clothes.
4. I had 2 pairs of pants with the belly band and I really liked it. My belly grew and I could still wear my pants. And I wore them I think a couple of months after I gave birth too!
Take a look at HelloBee.com. They have some great articles on maternity clothes. One tip she had was buy as soon as possible to get the greatest amount of use.
1. How do you know what size to get? Do you buy what fits now or do you buy something that you think you'll "grow" into?
You buy your pre-pregnancy size for maternity items, but go up for non-maternity items. I found a thermal at kohls that I love, I'm almost 36 weeks and so glad I got the xl even though it was big before, it fits great. Otherwise I stayed a medium in maternity clothes
2. How many do you need? Like 1-2 pair jeans, a dress, and a couple shirts or...?
I wear mostly jeans, I got two pair from motherhood. It's been hard having only two pairs of jeans the last several months, but I really didn't want to spend a lot of $$ on clothes I wouldn't wear long. I still wear yoga pants and sweatpants at home.
I was able to wear many of my old t-shirts until my third trimester. Now I'm only in maternity tops (except for some tops I purposely bought bigger). And I have about 5 maternity tops. I do wear many of my husbands t-shirts and sweatshirts at home since I like looser fitting clothes at this point. Empire waist dresses fit me until my late 2nd trimester when they got too short in the front, so I only have 1-2 dresses I can wear now.
3. Do non-maternity clothes work? Anything with "maternity" attached to it seems to go up in price! Did anyone buy regular size clothes with just empire waists and get by?
Yes, but some don't last as long. I bought some tops I thought would fit all the way through, and don't now. Something with lots of stretch will help. Also, go up 1-2 sizes and then sew a piece of elastic into the sides (search pinterest for a tutorial if you don't understand how to do that) to make your own ruched tops. It works great! As long as the shirt is bigger than what you normall wear. I'm a medium, and I like the xl size shirts now. As for dresses, make sure they are plenty long in the front if you get an empire waist, or else it will get REALLY short as you get bigger.
4. What's the deal with the attached belly band on the maternity jeans? Some had them, some didn't, some were thicker and shorter, whereas some were thinner and went almost up to my chest.
I realized that for different trimesters I liked different things. I switched to maternity jeans at 14 weeks, and liked the full panel to cover everything, it gave me some nice support and hid bloating really well. But now that I'm in the third trimester I hate the full panel. I would much rather have the thicker under-the-belly band because I don't like tightness on my stomach, it's tight enough as it is! So sometimes it's impossible to know what's comfortable until you're at those different stages.
good luck!
Hi! I haven't read all the replies above, so forgive me if I'm repeating things... I didn't spend a fortune on maternity clothes, and I'm glad I didn't. And, you absolutely don't have to buy all maternity - especially shirts. I found that as long as they were long enough, a larger size in non-mat shirts were perfect. And, as soon as you hit the midway point, you'll have months where your belly grows a ton. The band on the jeans is perfect for this. :)
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Okay, please don't make fun of me, but...I am super confused on how to buy maternity clothes. I'm 13 weeks and my jeans are just starting to get a little uncomfortable with my weight gain. My DH took me out to the mall today to try to find some new clothes, but I couldn't decide anything! So, my questions are:
1. How do you know what size to get? Do you buy what fits now or do you buy something that you think you'll "grow" into?
2. How many do you need? Like 1-2 pair jeans, a dress, and a couple shirts or...?
3. Do non-maternity clothes work? Anything with "maternity" attached to it seems to go up in price! Did anyone buy regular size clothes with just empire waists and get by?
4. What's the deal with the attached belly band on the maternity jeans? Some had them, some didn't, some were thicker and shorter, whereas some were thinner and went almost up to my chest.
Thanks guys! My mom is 10 hours away and we have no friends that have done the baby thing yet!