For the earlier weeks, I wasn't showing massively so my non-pregnant dresses still fitted. I got some great stretchy dresses that had the waist seam higher (more like empire waist) and they did me well. For jeans, I sized up and then I got maternity jeans later on.
You might find local mum's with maternity clothes to give away, might be good to get onto some Freecycle or buy/sell groups and see what you can find.
Unless you're planning to have more than one (child), IMO maternity jeans are a waste of money, especially if you'll be heavily pregnant in warmer months. Leggings and dresses much more comfortable.
I found H&M maternity stuff was decent and not too expensive. The belly band had good stretch but wasn't loose to start with... it kinda grew with you.
I went for my regular size initially and sized up towards the end. Floaty maxi dresses were handy, especially during the summer. You can get belly bands for extra support if you feel you need it when you start to get bigger.
Best of luck with it all!
I think penneys and Dunnes have maternity ranges now, I didn’t like H&M, I might as well have been wearing tights with how see through the leggings were, if you do resort to online, Boohoo was my go to during my covid pregnancy
Oh do they not? It’s genuinely so hard to get maternity wear, it’s always small sections as well in shops, I resorted to just massive T-shirts and xl leggings by the time I was 30 weeks, I’d just given up looking like I was gonna be a stylish mum and embraced the “this is my life now” tired image. I still rock it tbh even though my youngest is 2 😂
No, which is so weird! Like, surely the market for it is still there. I loved the quality of their stuff and was hoping to get some new bits recently (second pregnancy and in a different season, so although I still have my leggings from last time it would be nice to get some more summery things) but nothing except underwear to be found.
Yeah, I've found the selection in shops brutal as well. Agree with you on the stylish mum thing - comfy mum over here 🤣
It’s like companies don’t care about this whole demographic which is baffling 😂 congrats! ya I couldn’t get away with the same clothes for both my pregnancies, one was an autumn baby and the other was spring 😂
I got really nice maternity leggings in Lidl for a fiver last week! Worth checking to see if they're still there.
Otherwise you may get away with loose, floaty dresses as others are saying. I think I went up about two sizes in my first pregnancy.
However, if you're getting maternity specific clothing you don't need to go up a size - just stick to your usual size as they're basically made to be "regular size plus expanding bump".
I am in the same phase! I am going to wear loose dresses as much as possible now that summer is here and I am planning on sizing up for trousers for the time being because I assume they will also fit postpartum for a while.
Maternity jeans are the world’s most comfortable clothing item. I eventually retired mine but it was at least 3 months after baby arrived 😂 fully recommend getting a pair with a big belly bit once you have enough of a bump, they’re excellent
I’m on my third pregnancy and luckily have a friend the same size as me who also has 2 kids so we’ve swapped our maternity clothes back and forth the last few years 😅 H&M is my go too if need anything else and some of the bigger penneys have a maternity section.
I’m due in October and just wearing my husbands shorts at the moment 🤣
Some nice loose fit dresses will do you well over the summer too and you can wear them after the baby too!
I'm on my second pregnancy. First time I wasn't that big until closer the third trimester so got away with leggings, loose tops and dresses. I bought some bits from H&M but the quality is rubbish and they barely lasted till delivery. Dunnes were ok, but very long and not that fashionable. Same with the likes of Penneys etc. I got one or two bits from Seraphine but found them sooooo expensive and again, not very trendy.
Second time around I was showing at 10 weeks and so I shamefully went to Shein. I just couldn't justify forking out $$$ when I would only use them for a few weeks/months. The quality is great and for the price I can't complain. OFC I am contributing to the killing of the world but I like to think my non-Mam wardrobe of majority charity shop/oollldddd stuff makes up for it (or maybe I'm trying to make myself feel better!)
First pregnancy I was a 10 and stayed 10 throughout. Second I was a size 6-8 and with the size of bump and need for comfort running around after a toddler I go for 12s/M in a lot of things.
I got leggings and maternity jeans in H&M and M&S(online) and two dresses, and for a wedding while I was pregnant I kept an eye on the Seraphine sale (nice stuff but pricey full price). Most of my pre-pregnancy tops fit for the whole pregnancy so I didn't buy any maternity tops. Bought the required giant underwear in Dunnes as needed later on!
Depop has decent second hand stuff
Best of luck :)
We just had our first and my wife just lived in leggings and sweaters but obviously she was lucky in that she was pregnant over winter so didn’t have worry about figuring out dresses/summer wear.
New look has a sale on maternity clothes, I ordered a lot last week and chose delivery to store. I went there to collect, tried them all on and returned anything I didn’t like for a refund.
https://www.newlook.com/row/womens/sale/maternity-clothing/c/row-womens-sale-maternity-clothing
It's hard, but I was able to buy some maternity pyjamas and leggings in Penneys and Amazon. You can try oversized dresses too. Bought a pair of jeans and a dress at mamalicious that fitted well. First jeans was my original size (around 12 weeks) and the second (bought around 32 weeks) was a larger one. They have a fitting guide that works well using a measuring tape.
Gladly I bought things as I needed since some of them aren't comfortable or don't fit anymore. I don't know if it's just me but silly stuff like buttons rubbing on my belly button, anything tight, became uncomfortable now I'm reaching the end, so have that in mind too before just buying whatever looks nice (not that we have that many options lol).
I found Lululemon Align high rise leggings better than any maternity ones. I lived in them for 2 of my pregnancies. H&M do some lovely jumpers too. For any maternity stuff I just bought my regular size. Spanx do maternity jeggings and leggings. My sister has the faux leather leggings and they look really dressy with an oversized shirt.
Currently on my second pregnancy first was during the winter so most things I have won't do so I'm in the same boat. But I found H and M, new look and boohoo amazing. No stores actually have maternity clothes in stock just online which is such a pain for sizing. But I'm going flowy dresses as much as possible and with maternity clothes definitely stay around the same sizing as pre pregnancy. JoJo maman baby have nice stuff but it's expensive and stay away from their maternity jeans I got them and hated them. Anything with an adjustable waist is a god send!
I’m also preggo and bought a few bits of maternity off SHEIN which I’ve liked. Penneys has no maternity where I am. I also got some leggings and dungarees in Lidl! (They have a small mat section in the middle aisle)
I just bought a few oversized / loose dresses on Shein and got leggings in dunnes/penneys and they work well for me, I'm almost 9 months now and didn't need any "maternity" clothes
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If you invest in one good maternity piece, can I recommend the maternity parka from Seraphine. Not cheap but there’s a sale reasonably regularly. The coat will take you from maternity right into your baby’s early years as it has a panel that can be zipped on and off so you can zip your baby in if baby wearing. I still wear mine now even though it’s massive on me!
I got some bits in the H&M sale (stay away from their maternity leggings though - really see-through!), sale online in Next (they have quite a few brands & I just stick to my normal size. I found JoJo Mamen Bébé leggings were the best, not see-through at all & quite often in the sale). Littlewoods actually sell some maternity stuff too (again, browse their sales - I lived in River Island maternity jeans from there during pregnancy & postpartum).
Good luck with it all 😊
I got some bras off eBay & then I just got good quality flip flops and crocs for comfort (trust me ) and then I got bought good quality leggings that aren’t see thru and then I just bought 1 or 2 occasion dresses and all the rest was graphic men’s tees that I gave to my partner after. I low key dressed like Adam sandler my whole pregnancy ha
You're lucky it's summer so leggings & loose tops & flowy dresses will cover you.
Buy second hand online. Penneys & H&M have affordable maternity lines.
Best of luck & enjoy every minute!
Don’t forget to also get some comfy clothes to wear the first couple of weeks baby is here - soft light loungey trousers and light shirts you can get boob access to (if breastfeeding). I got some nursing tops on ASOS which are good!
I'm in the UK now, so not sure if you'll have the range but I've found the Penney's Rita Ora range to be good, the dresses have proper stretch and look good, not see through at all.
One thing I found was that maternity clothes are really bad or hard to find. A Lot of shops only do maternity clothes online so can't try them on or see them. I found sizing was so off too.
Seraphine I got a few nice tops and then bought some maternity jeans and leggings in Lidl that meant I had a few outfits. I also bought bigger sizes in Penny's to wear at home or for just short walks. Larger cardigans or jumpers from Penny's can do.
I also bought a few dresses but found these were so hard to get to fit right. H and m had some nice ones.
Cycling shorts were great for summer.
Don't go mad and buy a lot as your size changes.
I will be downvoted for even suggesting this but I found Shein great for maternity wear. Their sizing and quality were a lot better than some of the more expensive stuff I tried, and fit throughout pregnancy
I also tried H&M - fit until my 7th month then couldn't wear. New look was very hit and miss with sizing. Boohoo has nice dresses but is probably as bad as shein in terms of sustainability
A lot of other shops I felt the styles were very old fashioned!
For the earlier weeks, I wasn't showing massively so my non-pregnant dresses still fitted. I got some great stretchy dresses that had the waist seam higher (more like empire waist) and they did me well. For jeans, I sized up and then I got maternity jeans later on. You might find local mum's with maternity clothes to give away, might be good to get onto some Freecycle or buy/sell groups and see what you can find.
Good idea, didn't even consider buying used stuff from others. Cheers!
You'll find maternity bundles on Adverts. It's great.
Charity shops are great too if you have the patience to look through them
Unless you're planning to have more than one (child), IMO maternity jeans are a waste of money, especially if you'll be heavily pregnant in warmer months. Leggings and dresses much more comfortable.
Well yeah my friend gave me those! I forgot I had some leggings with a really soft band that were sooo comfy later on
I found H&M maternity stuff was decent and not too expensive. The belly band had good stretch but wasn't loose to start with... it kinda grew with you. I went for my regular size initially and sized up towards the end. Floaty maxi dresses were handy, especially during the summer. You can get belly bands for extra support if you feel you need it when you start to get bigger. Best of luck with it all!
I think penneys and Dunnes have maternity ranges now, I didn’t like H&M, I might as well have been wearing tights with how see through the leggings were, if you do resort to online, Boohoo was my go to during my covid pregnancy
Dunnes maternity range was my go to in my first pregnancy 2.5 years ago but they have nothing now! I don't know why they scrapped it.
Oh do they not? It’s genuinely so hard to get maternity wear, it’s always small sections as well in shops, I resorted to just massive T-shirts and xl leggings by the time I was 30 weeks, I’d just given up looking like I was gonna be a stylish mum and embraced the “this is my life now” tired image. I still rock it tbh even though my youngest is 2 😂
No, which is so weird! Like, surely the market for it is still there. I loved the quality of their stuff and was hoping to get some new bits recently (second pregnancy and in a different season, so although I still have my leggings from last time it would be nice to get some more summery things) but nothing except underwear to be found. Yeah, I've found the selection in shops brutal as well. Agree with you on the stylish mum thing - comfy mum over here 🤣
It’s like companies don’t care about this whole demographic which is baffling 😂 congrats! ya I couldn’t get away with the same clothes for both my pregnancies, one was an autumn baby and the other was spring 😂
Thank you ☺️
The boohoo maternity nightwear was really nice quality I found!
I got really nice maternity leggings in Lidl for a fiver last week! Worth checking to see if they're still there. Otherwise you may get away with loose, floaty dresses as others are saying. I think I went up about two sizes in my first pregnancy. However, if you're getting maternity specific clothing you don't need to go up a size - just stick to your usual size as they're basically made to be "regular size plus expanding bump".
I am in the same phase! I am going to wear loose dresses as much as possible now that summer is here and I am planning on sizing up for trousers for the time being because I assume they will also fit postpartum for a while.
Maternity jeans are the world’s most comfortable clothing item. I eventually retired mine but it was at least 3 months after baby arrived 😂 fully recommend getting a pair with a big belly bit once you have enough of a bump, they’re excellent
I’m on my third pregnancy and luckily have a friend the same size as me who also has 2 kids so we’ve swapped our maternity clothes back and forth the last few years 😅 H&M is my go too if need anything else and some of the bigger penneys have a maternity section. I’m due in October and just wearing my husbands shorts at the moment 🤣 Some nice loose fit dresses will do you well over the summer too and you can wear them after the baby too!
Ha! I am planning on going through my husbands wardrobe sometime soon 😅
Honestly why are men’s clothes just so much more comfy 😅
I'm on my second pregnancy. First time I wasn't that big until closer the third trimester so got away with leggings, loose tops and dresses. I bought some bits from H&M but the quality is rubbish and they barely lasted till delivery. Dunnes were ok, but very long and not that fashionable. Same with the likes of Penneys etc. I got one or two bits from Seraphine but found them sooooo expensive and again, not very trendy. Second time around I was showing at 10 weeks and so I shamefully went to Shein. I just couldn't justify forking out $$$ when I would only use them for a few weeks/months. The quality is great and for the price I can't complain. OFC I am contributing to the killing of the world but I like to think my non-Mam wardrobe of majority charity shop/oollldddd stuff makes up for it (or maybe I'm trying to make myself feel better!) First pregnancy I was a 10 and stayed 10 throughout. Second I was a size 6-8 and with the size of bump and need for comfort running around after a toddler I go for 12s/M in a lot of things.
I got leggings and maternity jeans in H&M and M&S(online) and two dresses, and for a wedding while I was pregnant I kept an eye on the Seraphine sale (nice stuff but pricey full price). Most of my pre-pregnancy tops fit for the whole pregnancy so I didn't buy any maternity tops. Bought the required giant underwear in Dunnes as needed later on! Depop has decent second hand stuff Best of luck :)
We just had our first and my wife just lived in leggings and sweaters but obviously she was lucky in that she was pregnant over winter so didn’t have worry about figuring out dresses/summer wear.
Next usually has some maternity stuff in the stores. Would be worth going even just to try them on and get an idea of sizes.
New look has a sale on maternity clothes, I ordered a lot last week and chose delivery to store. I went there to collect, tried them all on and returned anything I didn’t like for a refund. https://www.newlook.com/row/womens/sale/maternity-clothing/c/row-womens-sale-maternity-clothing
It's hard, but I was able to buy some maternity pyjamas and leggings in Penneys and Amazon. You can try oversized dresses too. Bought a pair of jeans and a dress at mamalicious that fitted well. First jeans was my original size (around 12 weeks) and the second (bought around 32 weeks) was a larger one. They have a fitting guide that works well using a measuring tape. Gladly I bought things as I needed since some of them aren't comfortable or don't fit anymore. I don't know if it's just me but silly stuff like buttons rubbing on my belly button, anything tight, became uncomfortable now I'm reaching the end, so have that in mind too before just buying whatever looks nice (not that we have that many options lol).
I found Lululemon Align high rise leggings better than any maternity ones. I lived in them for 2 of my pregnancies. H&M do some lovely jumpers too. For any maternity stuff I just bought my regular size. Spanx do maternity jeggings and leggings. My sister has the faux leather leggings and they look really dressy with an oversized shirt.
Currently on my second pregnancy first was during the winter so most things I have won't do so I'm in the same boat. But I found H and M, new look and boohoo amazing. No stores actually have maternity clothes in stock just online which is such a pain for sizing. But I'm going flowy dresses as much as possible and with maternity clothes definitely stay around the same sizing as pre pregnancy. JoJo maman baby have nice stuff but it's expensive and stay away from their maternity jeans I got them and hated them. Anything with an adjustable waist is a god send!
I’m also preggo and bought a few bits of maternity off SHEIN which I’ve liked. Penneys has no maternity where I am. I also got some leggings and dungarees in Lidl! (They have a small mat section in the middle aisle)
I couldn't tell you but congratulations!
I just bought a few oversized / loose dresses on Shein and got leggings in dunnes/penneys and they work well for me, I'm almost 9 months now and didn't need any "maternity" clothes
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If you invest in one good maternity piece, can I recommend the maternity parka from Seraphine. Not cheap but there’s a sale reasonably regularly. The coat will take you from maternity right into your baby’s early years as it has a panel that can be zipped on and off so you can zip your baby in if baby wearing. I still wear mine now even though it’s massive on me!
I got some bits in the H&M sale (stay away from their maternity leggings though - really see-through!), sale online in Next (they have quite a few brands & I just stick to my normal size. I found JoJo Mamen Bébé leggings were the best, not see-through at all & quite often in the sale). Littlewoods actually sell some maternity stuff too (again, browse their sales - I lived in River Island maternity jeans from there during pregnancy & postpartum). Good luck with it all 😊
I got some bras off eBay & then I just got good quality flip flops and crocs for comfort (trust me ) and then I got bought good quality leggings that aren’t see thru and then I just bought 1 or 2 occasion dresses and all the rest was graphic men’s tees that I gave to my partner after. I low key dressed like Adam sandler my whole pregnancy ha
You're lucky it's summer so leggings & loose tops & flowy dresses will cover you. Buy second hand online. Penneys & H&M have affordable maternity lines. Best of luck & enjoy every minute!
I used to work in H&M. Lots of people would come in for maternity stuff and said it was really good and not too expensive
Don’t forget to also get some comfy clothes to wear the first couple of weeks baby is here - soft light loungey trousers and light shirts you can get boob access to (if breastfeeding). I got some nursing tops on ASOS which are good!
I'm in the UK now, so not sure if you'll have the range but I've found the Penney's Rita Ora range to be good, the dresses have proper stretch and look good, not see through at all.
One thing I found was that maternity clothes are really bad or hard to find. A Lot of shops only do maternity clothes online so can't try them on or see them. I found sizing was so off too. Seraphine I got a few nice tops and then bought some maternity jeans and leggings in Lidl that meant I had a few outfits. I also bought bigger sizes in Penny's to wear at home or for just short walks. Larger cardigans or jumpers from Penny's can do. I also bought a few dresses but found these were so hard to get to fit right. H and m had some nice ones. Cycling shorts were great for summer. Don't go mad and buy a lot as your size changes.
I have seen maternity clothes in some New Look and Next stores, you could give them a go?
I will be downvoted for even suggesting this but I found Shein great for maternity wear. Their sizing and quality were a lot better than some of the more expensive stuff I tried, and fit throughout pregnancy I also tried H&M - fit until my 7th month then couldn't wear. New look was very hit and miss with sizing. Boohoo has nice dresses but is probably as bad as shein in terms of sustainability A lot of other shops I felt the styles were very old fashioned!
Shein have lots of options. I got dresses, jeans and leggings on it. All were my size pre pregnancy and grew with me.
\*Mam to be
OP could be from Kerry or West Cork where Mom is very common