Sarah is coming to the end of her first trimester and wondering what to wear to be comfortable for the duration of her pregnancy.
“So far this pregnancy I’ve got away with wearing my normal clothes, but now I’m starting to show and those jeans are getting a bit tight! Maternity clothes seem expensive and I don’t want to spend a fortune on stuff I’m only going to wear for a few months and then throw away but I know I can’t keep wearing my normal clothes. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve started to find any pressure on my belly unbearable and the buttons are no longer doing up on my work trousers so I know it’s time to bite the bullet and go shopping! I was just wondering if other pregnant women out there have any advice for me as to what are the absolute essentials that I need? Do I have to spend loads of money on maternity clothes or can I manage with stretchy leggings and t-shirts in a bigger size from a normal shop? I would like to find stuff that’s fairly flattering yet comfortable at the same time and can last me the whole way through without breaking the bank.”
Our survey results are in! If you are wondering whether or not you can get away without forking out for maternity wear, 38% of our mums bought maternity clothes, 20% mostly wore regular clothes and the remaining 42% opted for a bit of both. The good news is that maternity clothes don’t necessarily have to break the bank with 64% spending less than 100 pounds, although some of you spent over 300 on maternity clothes.
Leggings, maxi dresses and maternity jeans are the must have items but Sarah might want to steer clear tight trousers or dungarees as these were reportedly worn the least for most of our respondents. When it comes to the best brands for style and fashion, most popular choices are New Look (48%), Next (20%) and Dorothy Perkins (11%). Our top budget brands were New Look (38%) and George at ASDA (11%). A few mums mentioned buying maternity clothes cheaply on Ebay too.
Our mums had some great advice for Sarah and other wardrobe challenged mums to be:
“Go with comfort and make sure you show off and emphasise your bump. Make sure you get regular breast measurements to make sure you are wearing the right size bra. Ditch the heels! Oh and while still early on, try those button extenders to make your normal clothes that little bit longer!” - Dawn, Cheshire
“Invest in a couple of pairs of comfortable trousers or jeans that you can easily team up with a variety of tops. Depending on your size and the size of your bump you can get away with some non maternity tops which could save you some money. For the trousers / jeans, try before you buy as there are numerous styles (eg over the bump, under the bump) and you may prefer one over another. Ebay is worth a look for some bargains too.” – Helen, Glasgow
“I found Peacocks great. I got a few essentials...maternity jeans and some vest tops/t shirts. But I also bought a few normal dresses/tunics in bigger sizes and it lasted my whole pregnancy :)” – Dee, Kent
“Invest in a good pair of jeans and some leggings, then build your wardrobe round them. Make sure you buy items with room to grow as you don't know how big your bump will be!” – Claire, Southampton