Hi
I was just wondering when others bought maternity clothes or whether they managed by adapting their usual wardrobe.
I have been looking at maternity clothes and they are so expensive so was wondering which items would be essential to buy and which ones I could get away with buying ordinary clothes eg leggings, stretchy t-shirts etc.
I am currently working full time so will need a work wardrobe as well as casual clothes.
I started buying clothes pretty early on b/c I was skinny before getting pregnant and started to show quickly. I bought everything off ebay. You can find great deals on there. Buy used if you can b/c you will only be wearing them for a few months. You can find a lot of really nice used stuff for a whole lot cheaper. Just make sure the seller has disclosed the condition and any signs of wear that the clothes have. Take a good look at pictures and the sellers feedback rating. You get more bang for your buck if you buy lots or can buy multiple items from one seller and combine shipping.
I have also heard that consignment stores are great, but maternity clothes go fast.
Buy stuff that’s appropriate for the season you are in now. I made the mistake of buying some stuff for fall b/c my son was due in Nov. Well, I live in a hot climate, and we didn’t have one cool day before I had him! So the fall stuff I bought was pointless.
As far as what you need, look for comfortable stuff. I bought a few pairs of shorts, a lot of roomy shirts and a few dresses. Remember, you are going to be hot and uncomfortable later on in your pregnancy, especially if you live in a hot climate.
Hi MamaToBe
I have just had my first little baby and I found I bought way too many maternity clothes than I needed. I’ve been told though that it’s good to stock up with your first pregnancy because you can usually afford much better quality clothes than you can with other pregnancies because you’re still working.
The one thing I couldn’t do without was maternity togs. Swimming is blissful when you’re pregnant and really good exercise too. They were the most expensive item in my wardrobe but worth every cent. If I didn’t have nice togs I wouldn’t have swam as much as I did and it was the best part of my day especially in the last couple of months.
I worked full time through both pregnancies. You only need a few outfits, make sure they are all mix and match so you get more than one outfit out of each piece of clothing. Like Nikki said, buy used, and only in season.
Thank you so much for all the advice. I will definitely check out ebay.
I was lucky and was just able to buy regular pants in a larger size. I just bought low rise dress pants. Much cheaper. As for maternity tops skip the maternity stores if you can and look at Walmart and target it you have them I nyour area. Much cheaper.
I just went to the closet and stole my husband’s sweats and baggy shirts. If I had to dress up I wouldn’t go. I know it sounds silly but it relieves a ton of stress!
I worked till a week past my due date lol and I needed to look presentable. But what I discovered that the best “pregnancy” clothes i had were not maternity per se. I just looked for the styles and cuts that would work for pregnancy and avoided maternity brands. For example I would get a regular dress top made of stretchy material with empire waist, or I would get a skirt that was low rise and made of stretchy material. It looked different, very office friendly comfortable and I got compliments and lots of questions where I go these “maternity” clothes.
Also, like Niki said, consignment stores can be a real answer. They are just not all the same, so if you fid one with good prices and quality of clothes, just visit it once in a while and you will get some great pieces. Also, craigslist.org have people selling their maternity clothes by lots, and it is a good workable solution as well, if you prefer to get maternity brands for just a fracture of cost…
I only had a couple of pieces that were maternity brands, though, and in comparison with other closes I even used them less lol Also it was a good counil about having pieces that mix and match, it really helps too.
Thank you all so much for your help. I think I’ll start by looking out for maternity friendly regular clothes and see how I go.
Really solid advice on this thread! 
I found that the one indespensable item was a good maternity jeans… Choose a comfy one 
Also, there are these extenders that you can wear with your normal clothes to extend the waist for your pregnant belly … the are shaped like triangles and are fixed at the front button or the sides depending on your clothes…
I just got tops from regular shops in 2 or 3 sizes larger than my normal size… also some styles have drawstrings or a removable belt so you can wear them loosly while pregnant and then later you can just tighten the drawstring / belt and it fits well
This way, I can afford more expensive and higher quality items. So my answer to your question is: try upscale designer brands. Some examples include Stuart Wetizman for shoes, kate spade and Tory Burch for dresses, Theory for officewear, Vince for sweaters, etc. There are tons out there https://casadimoda.us/ - choose the ones you like based on your style. When you pinpoint something you want, then shop second hand or discount stores to find that item, not the other way around. And limit yourself to a few pieces a year that you know you’ll love.
I’ve had the best luck with Gap Maternity, both online and in the back of my local BabyGap store. It is more expensive than Motherhood Maternity, but I signed up for their credit card and have actually been getting really great deals. I find the quality and fit to be better which is good since I have to wear nice stuff to work.