The Scoop of Maternity Clothes

When most women are pregnant for the first time, they may have common questions like these:

• When do I buy maternity clothes?
• When do I start wearing maternity clothes?
• Where do I buy maternity clothes?
• What sizes should I buy?
• What kind of maternity clothes do I need?

Don't worry, we've all been there, and I'm here to help you out! I'm going to share the answers to these questions and even show you my favorite maternity buys so far!

When do I buy maternity clothes?

This is different for everyone. Some women can get away with wearing a belly band over their current pants or doing the rubber band trick by tying a rubber band or hair tie around the button hold on their pants and wrapping the other end around the button, me on the other hand..not so much. My first purchases were black and white belly bands from Target. These lasted me about a week or two before I felt way too uncomfortable knowing my pants were wide open under the belly bands and before my pants were just too unbearable to wear. Since these tricks didn't work for me, I began purchasing a few maternity basics at around 2 months (I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks), but I'll get to the specifics below. 

When do I start wearing maternity clothes?

This too is different for everyone. Like I said above, I started wearing maternity clothes much earlier than most women probably do, I started wearing them around 2 months pregnant, but by golly these made my bloated first trimester much more comfortable! Elastic waist bands were heavenly when I felt like a whale, so do what works for you and what's most comfortable.

Where do I buy maternity clothes?

A lot of stores have a separate maternity section, sometimes a smaller section that you would think though. Take Kohl's for instance, I thought they would have a generous maternity section in the store, but really, they had two racks of clothing and a few pieces online, I was shocked! My favorite pieces came from Target, Kohl's, Destination Maternity and Old Navy.

What sizes should I buy?

Every store and their sizing will be different, but generally, you will want to buy or order the same size you would normally wear in maternity clothes. However, reading the reviews before buying things like nursing bras online would be helpful. For example, my bars started getting really tight in my second month and I didn't want to purchase larger regular bras AND have to purchase nursing bras later, so I decided to just purchase larger nursing bras now and start breaking them in. I found a few I liked from Destination Maternity and ordered them in regular size, but when they came in the mail, they were SOOOO tight! I sent them back and ended up finding a sleep nursing bra style I LOVE from Target and an under wire nursing bra style from Destination Maternity, but I chose to order them in a band size and cup size larger. 

What kind of maternity clothes do I need?

The styles of clothing you need will depend on the daily life you have and any special events coming up. Here are the pieces I have, where they're from and why I got them.

·         1 Basics Women‘s Stella Maternity & NursingBra in black from Target - using it as a sleep bra and for future nursing

·         1 Basics Women‘s Stella Maternity & NursingBra in nude from Target - using it as a sleep bra and for future nursing

·         1 Full Coverage Under wire Nursing Bra in black from Destination Maternity – using it as an everyday bra and for future nursing

·         1 Full Coverage Under wire Nursing Bra in nude from Destination Maternity – using it as an everyday bra and for future nursing

·         1 C9 by Champion Women's Maternity Legging in black from Target – using for lazy days and walking

·         1 C9 by Champion Women's Maternity Capri Legging in black from Target – using for lazy days and walking

·         1 pair of Liz Lange Maternity Dress Pants in black from Target – wear them to work and church (on clearance and no longer sold online)

·         1 Maternity Fashion Tank Top-Liz Lange in black from Target – wear under cardigans or other tops for work, church, everyday use

·         1 Maternity Fashion Tank Top-Liz Lange in black/white stripe from Target – wear under cardigans or other tops for work, church, everyday use

·         1 pair of Maternity Under-the-belly Denim Jeans Liz Lange Dark Blue Wash from Target – casual wear (LOVE THESE!!!!)

·        1 Short Sleeve Sash Belt Maternity Blouse in Pink from Destination Maternity – wear to work, church or casual

·         1 Short Sleeve Sash Belt Maternity Blouse in Purple from Destination Maternity – wear to work, church or casual

·         1 Cross Back Maternity Swing Dress in black from Destination Maternity – wear to work or church with a cardigan, or casual

·        1 Sleeveless Pleated Maternity Dress in navy blue from Destination Maternity – wear to work or church with a cardigan, or casual

·         1 Oh Baby by Motherhood Geometric Trapeze Top in Floral Print from Kohl’s – wear to work or casual

·        1 Oh Baby by Motherhood Lace Chiffon Top in black from Kohl’s – wear to work or casual

I was blessed that I wanted maternity clothes around Christmas so most of this was given to me as gifts. But good luck and happy shopping! 

Happy Living & God's Blessings!

J.M.