Pregnancy is full of little joys and annoyances. As your expectant body changes and grows (sideways), you're left in awe (and hormonal irritation) of your rapidly disappearing waistline. There's the stage where your stomach hasn't quite swelled to give the appearance of pregnancy, but you definitely appear to have put on weight. Denial is a scary thing. Rubber bands through the button were used to gain another week out of pants. I eventually gave up on the button altogether and used my burgeoning backside to keep up my corduroys. Finally, the zipper fell lower and lower until it was really best for the public that I investigate some maternity wear.
Perhaps had a adjusted my attitude and accepted the inevitable I may have shopped smarter and spent less money. Yes, I'm only using the clothing for nine months, but given my levels of discomfort and lack of clothing options and I was in a constant state of discomfiture. The reality is that post-partum, maternity clothes are going to be the most comfortable articles of clothing.
Since I was still working, my wardrobe needs were two-fold. Finding clothes with versatility was key. Instead of finding short cuts (for example buying clothing a size up to postpone the inevitable), investing in some staples will be worth your while. I did the bulk of my shopping online, the selection in stores was often picked over. I conducted a plethora of online searches and waddled around countless department stores.
Maggie Maternity was my splurge. The clothes were so soft and fit me through the entire pregnancy (and towards the end everything was busting at the seams). I could use these items for both work and personal. I purchased the Classic Maggie Box ($195.00) with a black figure tee, bump trouser, model tank and silhouette skirt. All the pieces were used for both work and home, and post-partum these were my favorite items. I loved the tank so much I also bought it in plum.
If you need a great deal, Old Navy is the place to go. I bought a pair of khaki corduroys and found my favorite pair of preggo jeans (which I used up until a month ago). They also have a lot of basic t-shirts and tanks, which are great for layering. The sales racks were a source of countless finds for me, and weekly visits gave me an assortment of lounge wear.
For general style and quality, I think Gap was my ultimate favorite. For work, I purchased one pair of black pants and one pair of khaki pants. I also bought some plain sweater dresses and a few long sleeve shirts. Most of their maternity clothes are the same as the regular clothing; you'll find all the latest colors and trends. They frequently send out 25 percent off coupons and they have mark downs all the time.
When I was pregnant, they were phasing out their maternity line, which was frustrating. I did snag a corduroy skirt from a final sale rack in Cherry Hill, NJ. Apparently, they revamped and brought it back a few weeks ago. Their styles are classic and I'm sure the quality is on par with their regular line. The prices are higher than Gap and I think they are targeting the "working woman" as their market niche. I've always been pleased with Loft's quality, I'm sure the maternity line is no different.
I purchased a lot of tops and tanks from Target; they have great basics. My favorites were long sleeve shirts in brown, black and white, I also bought tank tops in white and nude. I didn't have much luck with pants (they ran long) or dresses/skirts (the selection was limited in stores). The prices are Target prices, generally reasonable.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find an H&M locally that carried the H&M Mama label. My sister was kind enough to notice that the H&M in Washington DC did have a maternity section. (If you go the H&M web site, it tells you which stores carry maternity.) I found tanks, dresses, skirts, sweaters and vests here. I'm confident that if I was able to stop in frequently I would have had even more luck.
I stumbled across this site during one of my online searches. The prices are reasonable and there is a nice variety offered on the web site. I found the quality to be hit or miss, but for the most part I was pleased with my purchases. If you do an internet search, you should be able to find a coupon code to save 15-25 percent off.
Some of the popular stores, which didn't impress me, were Pea in a Pod (way too pricey for me) and Motherhood Maternity (clothes were a little big and looked cheap overall). Kohl's has a maternity section, but everything was a little big for me, same with JcPenney. I've heard that Gap Outlet is a great place to shop, but I didn't have a convenient location to peruse.
I packed up all my maternity clothes, officially, as of last week. If one bundle of joy is all you can handle, I think ebay will offer a nice outlet for gently used maternity clothing.
