maternity clothes - are they a myth??

cookieandcream · May 31, 2010 5:09PM

At 13+3 my jeans are becoming increasingly uncomfortable and i decided to bite the bullet today and go on a big maternity clothes shopping spree. So i went into town all hopeful and full of excitement about my new clothes that i wouldn't have to unbutton as soon as i get home each day. only to find that not one shop in my city centre seems to have a maternity section! (ok i tell a lie - h&m had a measly selection which only had 2 pairs of jeans neither in my size) i went in all the places you'd expect to find mat clothes - dorothy perkins, new look, next, m&s, etc... and nothing! i live in a big city too so we're not short on shops.
i'm sure i've accidentally stumbled into maternity sections in these shops before i was pregnant so i'm now assuming there's some kind of conspiracy going on.
so ladies, tell me your secret - where do you buy your maternity clothes from?? or am i going to have to walk around with my trousers fastened with a hair bobble for the rest of my pregnancy?
xxx

xCALLEIGHx · May 30, 2010 11:39AM

i found this too. in my town nowhere sells maternity apart from mothercare. i wondered what everyone elkse was wearing then when i started looking at pregnant women i relaised it's JJB! lol. i got mat clothes from a nearby city in H&M, red herring, topshop and some in asda! but mainly blooming marvelous. now, if you think it's hard finding mat clothes, wait until you have to find nursing tops!!!!

rosemary20 · May 30, 2010 11:39AM

oh no! I didnt have this issue, I went to all the places you say and found loads!

Why dont you try an online shop? I got lots from asos as they do free delivery.

Is weird that those large shops didnt sell any.. maybe ask the sales person if they do?

Socksxx · May 30, 2010 11:43AM

No I had trouble too. I had to go to my nearest city and even then the selection was not great. You can order on line with most of the shops but I like to try things on and don't want the returns hassle. Very annoying!

MrsBounce · May 30, 2010 11:43AM

i found this problem whilst pregnant, the best place and only one really was Adsa, they have some great stuff and for a fraction of the prices of main stores (when they don't hide it.lol) also they do the chapest & most comfotable bridget jones's which i would reccomend to everyone, that stretch over post baby tummy when healing, i love them!
HTH.x

WoWbabies · May 30, 2010 11:44AM

hi, yep it seems only the 'biigger' stores sell them, in the city centre there is a big shopping bit and only the h&m sells mat clothes, however, there is another shoppping centre about 10miles away and there all the same stores stock mat clothes (newlook, dotty ps, peacocks, next, debenhams, all of which have stores at both places)
this time round i've actually bougth a fair few items off ebay, well i bought a few things off of one of the ladies on here last week and today i've bought some linen mat trousers from ebay and 2 mat vests from peacocks, i'm a tiny bit behind u (12+5) ...oh and matalan sell mat clothes now too. u'll probaby find if u have a nother shopping area a few miles away that they might sell it...also the big asda stores sell them too, which is annoying as i thought our asda was massive but no apparantly the closest one that sells is the otehrside of the county, also if u keep an eye out for some bump bands (ebay, newlook, matalan, peacocks) they will halp ur normal clothes last a little longer until u can find some mat clothes that u like xx

_mummy2grace_ · May 30, 2010 11:44AM

I have this issue- I live in Bournemouth and other than the very odd rail there is nothing in Next, Asda DP's M&S- i've asked and they all said I either have to go to a city store or buy online- which isnt ideal and ends up adding to the cost- especailly if things dont fit and you end up sending them back grrrrrr! Ifound the best thing to do was to order a massive selection from Next (meaning I only paid delivery once) and just trying loads of stuff at home, its bloody frustrating though x

cookieandcream · May 30, 2010 11:44AM

i'm going to have a look online now, just a bit unsure of buying jeans online as i normally have to try loads on to find some that fit right.
calleigh i think i'll give jjb a miss! lol
xxx

xCALLEIGHx · May 30, 2010 11:46AM

i think my town was on the Chav town website that was about a few years ago! :O

_mummy2grace_ · May 30, 2010 11:48AM

oh to add with Next you can return to your local store even if they dont stock the stuff so you dont have to post back x

PickleLily82 · May 30, 2010 11:58AM

Yes this is my biggest pregnancy issue. I had no idea exactly how hard it was and often wander why some shops just dont bother. I have had to travel a bit further from my usual places to bigger stores and even then they dont always have my size (12/14) in the nice styles i like or see.
Anyway, I have bought some pieces from new look (mostly online) and red herring in debenhams is the only debenhams department/ section (i have asked in various stores) I actually have some nice jeans from red herring (best buy) I am about to buy some online nursing tops now as had a look yesterday in the shops and again none in my size. x

cookieandcream · May 30, 2010 12:05PM

thanks for the tips! we have a big shopping centre too so i think i'll try there one day. the stores are all generally bigger there than in the centre.
WoW baby thanks for all the suggestions! i'll have a look for a bump band. haven't been to peacocks or matalan yet as they're a bit out of the way but will have a look.
michmummy that's a good idea - might just try ordering loads of stuff in different sizes!
xxx

cookieandcream · May 30, 2010 12:08PM

caza, i was really surprised too - are there not enough of us pregnant women for it to be worth their while? you'd think it would be a steady enough market! x

Lea79 · May 30, 2010 12:08PM

Not sure if you have a peacocks near you but lots of choices and really cheap x x

moonandstars-88968 · May 30, 2010 1:09PM

OMG I totally agree. I have found it so unbelievably hard to find maternity clothes. What's worse it whenever I find some they never EVER have my size (size 8). I tell you, if one more person says "have you tried Next?" I'm going to deck them!!!

So I have managed to find a pair of jeans from Mama's and Papa's, a top from Peacocks, a swimsuit from Mothercare and some leggings from H&M (their range is so disappointing!). Other than that I am just buying ordinary tops but in a bigger size. I'm still fairly small, but I have no idea what I will do when I get really big - wear a tent?????

Oh, and I also tried ordering some tops from Blooming Marvellous - size small. SMALL MY AR$E!!!!

Rant over.

purplesunrise · May 30, 2010 1:21PM

its a pain isnt it, shops in hereford are generally rubbish, however we do have a really big new look, but they dont have much maternity, about 2 rails. dotty ps had very little, and what was there had little variety in sizes. altho i did get some nice expandable jeans, h&m had no mat.wear whatsoever and i didnt get to next. there is no maternity in our marks and spencers other than bras, i was even looking for knickers but they didnt stock mat knickers- so i then was forced to spend ??23 on 5 pairs of over the bump knickers from mother care!!!! a pack of 3 for ??15 and a pack of 2 for ??8, and again they had few sizes on the rails and little choice in colour. i did get two pairs of trouser from there which were quite reasonable but im still spitting feathers about the knickers!!! my MIL just bought me a couple of tops from next directory which are nice, and im about to look for a swimming costume online- another thing i couldnt find in town- mothercare was the only place with any and they had only size 10s and 20s! grrrrr! rant over xx

sian 18+5

xMrsNoNamex · May 30, 2010 1:23PM

www.next.co.uk and www.newlook.co.uk is where i got all my bits from.

35+4 xx

cookieandcream · May 30, 2010 2:05PM

just bought a load of different jeans from next to be delivered on tuesday! bit miffed about the ??4 delivery cost mind! lets just hope at least some of them fit now!
xxx

Minnie76 · May 30, 2010 2:13PM

Lol about H&M. A friend recommended their jeans so I went and tried a pair in my pre pgcy size (8/10) and couldn't getthem pass my ankles! I had to go up to a 16 to be comfy! ended up buying a pair of long and lean in Gap (best buy!) but their maternity range is stocked in their children shops so you'll need to find one of these. I was quite lucky as we have a blooming marvellous shop here and it's great for reasonably priced work clothes. I also got loads from a friend which was really handy. Online I bought stuff from Isabella Oliver a dress and a top I live in! Pricey but definitely worth it.

Snugglenush · May 30, 2010 2:13PM

Got all my maternity stuff from next online - have an account with them its really easy!

WoWbabies · May 30, 2010 2:19PM

all bare in mind most high street retailers do free delivery to store, so even if that store doesn't sell maternity, u can order from the website to store for free, try it on and then either buy it or send it back, for free...i know mothercare do that, and soem otehr stores, just check their delivery options online xx

maternity clothes - are they a myth??

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