Maternity Clothes
Before your bump arrives you’ll probably be
manically inspecting your tummy every morning to work out whether
there's any sign of it yet. By the third trimester you'll start to wonder if you'll ever see you feet again and you'll be dreaming of the days you used to squeeze into skinny jeans and vests!
When your bump starts to
show depends entirely on you and your body shape. If you are tall you
may not see a bump appearing until near the five-month mark, and if you
are small you may see a bump after a month. There are no rules to
pregnancy so you’ll really have to wait and see. By six months most
pregnant women will be throwing down their skinny jeans in horror and
discomfort and shopping for some looser, possibly maternity, jeans.
It’s not just your belly that changes during pregnancy, it’s
your legs, breasts, feet, arms, bum and hips too! Thankfully for most
women they go back to something near their old shape
over the first year of their baby's life – although the greater
majority of women do report that their figures have changed from
pre-pregnancy (sometimes for the better).
So, how to go about buying maternity clothes? The trick is to
buy key pieces and try not to fork out too much money. You’ll probably
only be wearing maternity clothes for three or four months, with the
possibility of wearing them after your baby is born and before your
baby bump disappears. Believe me, once you don’t need to wear maternity
clothes anymore you won’t want to see or put them on ever again!
Gone are the days when pregnant women had to wear tent-like
dresses or dungarees – now most shops have stylish and affordable
maternity ranges and plenty of styles, such as the smock dress, are
suitable for pregnant women to wear from current collections.
Maternity jeans/trousers
Maternity jeans are probably one
of the first items you’ll buy because your old jeans will quickly
become tight around the waist. This is partly to do with the bloating
you feel in the first trimester when your digestive system becomes
sluggish due to the pregnancy hormones in your body slowing everything
down. Some women may feel a little baby bump appearing in the first
trimester and sitting down all day at work can be uncomfortable.
Jersey panels
There
are two styles of maternity jeans that offer the most comfort. The
first are jeans with a full jersey panel attached to the top of your
trousers that fits over the bump. Although this style is suitable for
any stage of pregnancy, it offers support, particularly once your bump
gets bigger during the second and third trimester. With this style of
trousers, if you wear a long top it will look as if you are
wearing normal trousers, not maternity trousers.
Under the bump
Lots
of trousers offer an ‘under the bump’ style nowadays, which is ideal
for the first and second trimester when you haven’t got huge yet. These
trousers fit snugly under your bump and usually have adjustable
waistbands so that you can loosen your trousers as you grow bigger with
the next stage. These style of trousers can also be suitable for after
the birth when you still have a little bump and want to be comfortable.
Fully-elasticated waistband
This style of trousers
have a fully-elasticated waistband that fits over your entire bump.
It's a style that's particularly suited to the latter stages of
pregnancy when your bump starts to get big and possibly needs some
support.
Drawstring
Drawstrings are normally
used in comfier styles of trousers, such as jogging bottoms. They will
have an adjustable back and you can adjust as you get bigger.
Skinny jeans
Just
because you get pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t dress in the way you
want and if this means wearing skinny jeans – so be it! There are
plenty of high street shops offering maternity ranges that are exactly
the same as their normal ranges but with built-in maternity features.
Remember when buying maternity jeans to buy your normal size – there is
no need to go up a size as the waistbands should accommodate your bump
effectively.
Smart work trousers
Depending on where you work,
you will probably have to buy some smart work trousers to get you
through a few meetings. Again, the trick is not to buy too many, but to
buy one pair of black and one pair in another colour. You can always
buy more trousers as your bump gets bigger and different styles feel
more comfortable. If you are buying trousers for work, bear in mind
that you may be sitting for long periods and may want a baggier style.
Tops
There are plenty of different types of maternity
tops and it is up to you which styles you prefer or feel more
comfortable in. Lots of non-maternity wear is suitable for
pregnancy because of the current floaty fashions and smock top styles.
Don’t forget that anything ‘non-maternity’ may ride up at the back as
the material will only just cover your bump, so as you get bigger they
might not be suitable. Some women get away with borrowing tops from
their partners, a white shirt for example, teemed with a belt can look
really elegant, but most women want their own maternity clothes, to
help them feel appropriately dressed. There is no harm in borrowing
your partner’s clothes at the weekend while vegging out, though!
Dresses
Some women can get away with wearing
non-maternity dresses during their pregnancy, but because the bump
requires extra material the dress will often ride up in all the wrong
places and you may be showing more of your legs than you’d like! If you
have a wedding to go to, or feel more comfortable in a dress (which can
be handy in the summer when it starts to get hot), it’s probably best
to stick to maternity wear.
Swimming costumes
Buying a maternity swimsuit is a must if
you swim a lot because a normal swimming costume will feel
uncomfortable as your bump gets bigger. Most maternity costumes will
adapt to your growing bump so you’ll only need to buy one for the
duration of your pregnancy. Lots of women prefer ‘tankini’s’ which are
basically Lycra tops and bikini bottoms which cover your bump and look
like a one-piece, but can be more comfortable as your bump grows.
Underwear
Knickers
Some women can get away with
wearing their normal knickers as their bump might fit under the top.
Other women might find their pre-pregnancy styles restrictive,
especially as their pelvis begins to widen during the last stages of
pregnancy. It might be enough to buy a pack of pants that are slightly
bigger than normal, but maternity knickers may be more comfortable.
Again, you’ll only be wearing them for six months and possibly
afterwards for a while so there is no need to buy hundreds or spend
vast amounts of money. If you have a Caesarean you may want to buy bigger knickers as many knickers end just where the scar is and can be uncomfortable.
Bras
It is very important to wear the right kind of bra during pregnancy because your breasts
will go through a series of changes and, for most women, they’ll get
bigger. It’s important to wear a non-underwired bra because the wires
can interfere with the delicate milk ducts that are forming in your
breasts and preparing for breastfeeding your baby.
Lots of shops such as M&S offer a bra fitting service with lots of
different styles to help you decide on the right bra. Some women find
it unsupportive to wear a non-underwired bra especially as their
breasts get bigger, but a good lingerie shop or maternity wear
specialist can help you to find a style that is right for you.
Once your baby is born, if you have decided to breastfeed
you will need to invest in a few nursing bras. These are bras that
unhook at the straps so you can easily breastfeed your baby. It’s
probably best to wait until after your baby is born and your milk has come in to buy a bra as your breasts will get bigger still!
Tights
It’s probably better to buy maternity tights as
they will fit over the bump, but some women find their normal tights
are sufficient at fitting under the bump. Either way, tights aren’t
particularly comfortable when you are pregnant but in the winter months
they are a must! If you can’t find any suitable tights try pull-ups
instead.
Shoes
Obviously what shoes you choose to wear in pregnancy is up to you, but after about the fourth or fifth month your centre of gravity changes
as your bump grows and you may feel yourself getting clumsier. This
means that you may have to say goodbye to your kitten heels for a while
and invest in some comfier shoes. Whether it is a myth or not, some
women claim their feet got bigger in pregnancy. Some people report that
their feet get half a size bigger and some say they stay bigger! A
quick poll around the gurgle.com office showed that 50% of us
experienced bigger feet and the other 50% were the lucky ones whose
feet stayed the same size! Having to buy bigger shoes to accommodate
this is very annoying in pregnancy, especially if they shrink back.
Invest in some baseball boots or sneakers that aren’t expensive to save
your pennies.
Bump bands
A bump band is basically a band of Lycra that
fits over your trousers and bump. It means that you can wear your
normal tops and jeans (or maternity jeans) and the band covers the gap
between your top and trousers. The bump band is ideal if you still fit
into your non-maternity clothes but don’t want any bare midrift around
your growing belly.
Maternity hints and tips
Buy your own size
When buying
maternity clothes, don’t be tempted to buy them too big - stick to the
size you were before pregnancy. This is because maternity clothes will
allow for the bump and will hopefully fit you perfectly everywhere
else. The last thing you want are clothes that engulf you.
Borrow as many clothes as you can
This could mean
borrowing your partner’s jogging bottoms or shirts, or ringing round a
few friends who have had their babies and can lend you their maternity
staples. There really is no point in splashing out on a whole new
wardrobe and if you can borrow clothes it makes it easier on your bank
balance.
Keep it simple
When investing in new maternity clothes try
to keep it simple. Buy two pairs of trousers, three tops and two vests
to start with. You can always buy more if you feel you don’t have
enough.
Put your comfort first!Easier said than done, but if you
are trying a maternity outfit on and it’s a little bit tight or
restrictive – don’t buy it! You’re only going to get bigger and the
more comfortable you are the better you will feel throughout your
pregnancy.
All
Third Trimester articles are relevant to the UK medical health system
and may differ from the experience of having a baby in other countries.
Related Articles
Last Modified: 09/12/2008