[lessismore]

Hello everyone, I hope everyone is doing well. Love the pictures on some of the threads, keep the cute baby faces coming!

So I'm going to complain for a moment - I'm 17 weeks pregnant with my second baby, and I went out shopping for maternity clothes yesterday. Now, I've gained about 8-9 pounds at this point and tend to "carry large" but I would not consider myself an overly large pregnant person for my stage. The clothes at Old Navy and Motherhood (maternity clothes only I'm talking) were so small and straight-fitted - nothing worked!!! I'm not mentally prepared to go straight to the dreaded panel, but I think I'll have to in order to avoid the bunched up butt look.

I'm normally a size 4 or 6, although my backside has expanded quite a bit, but some of the mediums at these stores were way too tight, the larges just looked awful. Am I missing something? Please share your experiences!! Also, my husband is very slim and small and wearing is clothes is not an option, not to mention, I don't like wearing men's clothes.

[almostheaven]

I actually found Motherhood to have a much better line than anywhere else. I was shopping at Penny's, but as my belly grew larger, yet my legs still remained small, I was ending up with pants to fit the tummy that looked like elephant trunks on my legs. I was carrying everything out front, with an extremely huge belly. And just like the problems I had when I was overweight, to get something to fit the tummy, they would increase the leg size 10 times to match. Ick. Now some of them at Motherhood were the same way, but I looked around and found some styles that would work.

[aphil]

lessismore- What I am experiencing right now, is the the Motherhood stores, Old Navy stores, and Gap maternity departments are catering to "women who have small babies". What I mean by this is, is that they make these cute little low rise "under the belly" pants, and these tiny tops that are form fitting and cute-but only fit you through your entire pregnancy if you are having a 5 pound baby!

What I suggest-is buying only a couple of staple items in your current size right now of 4/6 or a medium top-the things that fit now, but are more form fitting to you. A couple basics like a pair of denim jeans...a white or black tee...a pack of underwear...you know, the things to get you by for now.
When you reach about 5 months along, you will have to go up an entire size-I know you feel like you are swimming in them right now and that they look terrible, but they will fit better in a couple of months.

To save money, why don't you try looking on Ebay? Since I have to start with one maternity size myself, and graduate to another mid-pregnancy as well-I buy a few items new at the stores, and buy other things on Ebay for much cheaper. I also sell my used maternity items on Ebay as well to get some of that back.

I know the maternity clothing is CUTER now, but it is also more ill fitting. The "full belly panels" actually fit 100% better once you are at 5 months to your due date-better than any "under the belly/no panel" pants do. All they do once my belly rounds out is fall under my belly and all over-and I end up with plumber's crack.

Along with the tops getting tighter (to be more stylish) in recent years, they have also gotten SHORTER. As in, by the time you are 7-8 months along, your top shows the bottom of the "panel" of your pants.

Funny you should all mention this now-I just sent an email to customer service at Motherhood about this YESTERDAY. I told them that basically, they can still design their clothing stylish, and give us a little more belly room at the same time. They actually contacted me back about it!!!

I told them that to get a t-shirt to cover my belly for my entire pregnancy (I normally wear a L in pre-pregnancy tees.) that I have to start with an XL, and go to a 1X by the time I am 7-9 months along. I have belly room at the very end in a 1X, but the chest/arm/shoulder area is swimming on me. (I have 9-10 pound babies.) I told them that anyone who might be expecting twins would have the same situation-they can't fit into any of their clothes by the time they are in their last trimester.



almostheaven-it sounds like you are really lucky in the fact that your belly gets larger, but your legs stay small. A lot of the new stylish maternity clothing seems to be made for your body type! I, on the other hand, get pregnant EVERYWHERE...butt, thighs, breasts, upper arms...everything gets big.

[almostheaven]

Yabbut, with the belly thing, I had the problem of the tops getting too short that you hit on. I bought some tanks from Motherhood and within a couple months, my belly button was sticking out the bottom of them. LOL I went back and found one line of tanks that were longer than the previous ones I purchased. They didn't have the cute sayings like "Motherhood: It's Hot" like the previous tanks, they were just blank, but at least they fit. I also had to try on several styles in bathing suits before I found one that fit my belly without falling off my chest. The others were stretched so tight across my tummy, I thought I'd pop the seams.

[aphil]

Lucky me...I have the wonderful problem of EVERYTHING getting bigger-as well as getting the huge-o belly.

Nothing like starting out as a L, and ending up in a 1x-two sizes larger-by the time you deliver-and this isn't with a massive 75 pound gain or anything, either.

I am 6 months along here next week-and I think my gain is around 20 pounds. It is just the way I "carry" everything.

I hate the "too short" maternity tops now. With my daughter (who is now 7), the tops were plenty long for the belly. It was nice, because they went to about hip length, so the covered up the expanding rear end as well.

I don't see why they can't have the cute "It's Hot" tees, and 3/4 sleeve tops, and all of the other trendy items, but just make them a little LONGER for pete's sake. Hopefully my feedback to them will make a difference-but by then, I won't be pregnant any more.

[almostheaven]

I wish I'd gained only 20, but no such luck. I gained 60, and it was all sticking out front. When I get asked at least 3 times by total strangers if I'm having twins, something's gotta give.

[aphil]

WEll, it is 20 now-and I am almost to my third trimester, so it will probably be about 40 pounds by the time I deliver. I always pack it on at the end.