Help: Planning my maternity wardrobe for a winter pregnancy

[Anonymous]

I am due at the end of March, so I will be big pretty much all of the cold months this fall and winter. My work attire is pretty relaxed business casual, which pretty much means anything but jeans or cords.

I looked online at old navy and it looks like they have a bunch of cardigans and wrap sweaters that I think would work and are affordable. What do I do about pants?? If I was going to be big in the warmer months I would wear summer dresses all the time. Pants are so much more difficult. I was very petite pre-preg so I already can't wear any of my pants and have been wearing my one elastic waist pair almost every day. Any suggestions on pants???

Also, if I go with fall/winter dresses, like sweater dresses, what do I wear for shoes? Are flat boots still in? I would invest in a pair if I could get away with wearing them to work with a wool/knit skirt or dress. Could I wear Tory Burch type flats with tights?

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm already having a hard time adjusting to my body changing and I don't want to fall into a slump of wearing dumpy clothes because I can't fit into anything. I'm already on that path with my one pair of pants.

[Anonymous]

For pants, I bought three pairs of wool pants from Banana Republic that I would've bought if I weren't pregnant, just two sizes bigger than usual. I was able to wear them with a Bella Band almost to the very end - and I gained nearly 50lbs! Also, they are the only work pants that fit me now, 5 months post-partum, and it was a huge relief to not have to buy all new stuff when I started back at work a few weeks ago. I also bought a couple of pairs of non-work pants from Old Navy in various, bigger-than-usual sizes for weekends and again, was really glad to have them to wear after baby was born. For the last 6 weeks or so, I had two or three pairs of black Gap maternity pants that I wore nearly every day. I just didn't give a crap by that point!

Maternity tanks/tees plus a cardigan of some sort was pretty much my uniform. For shoes, I lived in a pair of flat, zip-up Cole Haan boots with the Nike sole, at least until my ankles were so swollen I couldn't zip them anymore. And a pair of JCrew driving mocs, though they were not as comfortable as I thought they'd be.

[Anonymous]

I second getting a bella band. I'm 8 months and currently wearing a pair of pre-pregnancy pants and i've gained 38lbs so far. I can't do this with all my pants, but the ones that were slightly loser still work. get lots of long cardigans...they don't have to be maternity. i got a few from urban outfitters. layering will be good because towards the end you will be hot even in cold weather!

as for boots, i'd wait on buying any shoes until you see how your feet act. my feet and ankles swell all the time and i had to go up half a size and get wide shoes only. zappos has a decent selection of wide shoes (as does cole haan). it sucks you can't try them on first, but i haven't found any stores that carry a good selection of wide shoes. my legs swell so much i probably can't get a pair of boots on at this point

[Anonymous]

The bella band is pretty useful, but I will say, even though it never really moved much when I was standing, it does ride up when sitting down a lot. It's fine if when you stand up you can take a moment to adjust it, but if you work in an open office, it might be harder. That said, it does look just like a tank top on the bottom, so it's not like people can tell you're pulling down your "I can't zip my pants" band. Also, even though it never rode up enough to show that my pants were unzipped, I still was so nervous about it that I spent the day fairly uncomfortable and I was always tugging on it.

In some ways, I think pants are a little easier. Yes, with dresses you just throw it on and you're done, but pants and much more comfortable as I've gained weight (22 weeks, 12 pounds so far). Plus, as I've gained weight, I'm not super psyched about the way my arms and legs look, so I'm glad the colder weather is here and I can cover up a bit.

As far as clothing goes, I've actually had the best luck at Motherhood, which has the added bonus of being one of the cheaper options. I have one pair of ON pants, and while they're pretty comfortable, I don't like the buttons on the inside of the adjustable waist band (you can loosen it, but then they fall down too much). The ones at Motherhood have a really soft and stretchy waist. When you're smaller, you fold it over so it's a bit tighter and helps keep the pants up. As you get bigger, you wear it up around your belly. Their return policy sucks, though.

As for tops, I've had the best luck with either my own stuff that's looser, or maternity stuff that's empire waisted. The stuff that's not, I don't fill out enough, so it just looks really big. The empire waist stuff is loose enough so that it fits, but form-fitting on top so I don't look like I got dressed out of someone else's closet. It also helps define the baby bump, so I look more pregnant and less chubby.

Dresses w/ ballet flats and tights are totally fine, IMHO. Although I'd wait to buy shoes until you have to, in case your feet swell.

[Anonymous]

DC #1 was born at the end of March & DC #2 is also due in March so I know a little bit about winter maternity attire. I am also petite & pants were a huge problem. I wore regular pants with the bella band & regular loose fitting shirts up til about 5-6mo. I could only wear pants from the gap b/c they offer the ankle length & I liked how you just order your regular size & they are already adjusted for pregnancy. Please do not buy maternity cardigan sweaters! They are a waste of money. Buy maternity tanks/tees/long sleeve tees & wear regular cardigans. The longer length cardigans work well. As for dresses, I just bought a couple loose fitting regular dresses a couple sizes bigger & they fit right up til the end (I gained 38 lbs). I always thought clothing would be easier for a summer pregnancy, but when I was big & swollen in Feb. I was so happy to cover up in pants & sweaters. I am short & continued to wear a little bit of a heel (wedge mostly) with boots & other shoes. I buy the foot pads from cvs to put in my shoes for extra support & comfort.

[Anonymous]

Dresses are good for warm weather, but I think in the winter time, you're going to want pants. I used the Be/Bella band until the 3rd tri, but it's really good to have a couple pairs of maternity pants. Get a pair in black, brown, khaki, and just wear those throughout the week. No one really notices if you've worn those same black pants for 3 days straight, anyways.

For tops, big sweaters (I love DH's sweaters) and the long-sleeve tee + cardigan look works well.

[Anonymous]

Appleseed maternity carries these great stretchy work pants that go all the way up over your bump - they came in black, tan and brown and I bought all three. Here is the link to them: http://www.appleseedboutique.com/noppiessandpants.html They are very work appropriate, look great with sweaters and are basic so it's not that noticeable that you're wearing the same thing all the time. I wasn't a fan of the styles of maternity pants that came below the bump - felt that I would end up exposed - so really liked these.

I was very klutzy during my pregnancy and fell and stumbled a lot - I guess my brain hadn't caught up with the new dimensions of my body - so I would go with mostly flat shoes. I like the Tory Burch - they are obviously really trendy , but I think they're a good combination of cute and comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Oh, for the shoes, I just got a pair of mary jane flats from Ecco. These are SO comfortable! Ecco is a little pricey, and boring looking, but I got these at the Leesburg outlet. I also saw some on sale from Endless.com if you know your size.

[Anonymous]

Thank you all so much for the advice! I checked out the appleseed pants and they look great. Could I wear those early on though?

I'm thinking of trying pants a size up and trying one of those bands for now. I've gained some weight in addition to the belly bump (went on vacation and ate my face off at the very beginning) so I'm a little bigger in the thighs/butt than a few months ago. But even for my pants that fit in the legs and butt, I already can't even begin to zip them up!

[Anonymous]

Lots of great advice that I won't repeat, but I do want to second the PPs who suggested Ts/tanks under things. My son was born in early April, and layering was key for me through the winter because I was HOT! My ramped up pregnancy metabolism made wearing thick sweaters unbearable. I would often just wear my T or tank in the car and not put on my blouse or thin sweater until I got to work. If I was alone in my office, I'd strip down to my base layer there too. I had a maternity coat from Old Navy, (don't spend a lot on this, you'll only end up wearing it a few months, and wait til after Christmas you can get one for a steal!), but only wore it on the very coldest days or when I had to walk to the Metro (and then I'd take it off on the train). Congrats!

[Anonymous]

I was pregnant last winter (my daughter was born in May). I wore a lot of flats...if it was particularly icy or snowy, I wore sneakers and then changed into flats at work. I second the recommendation for layering - one minute I'd be freezing, and the next I'd be super hot, and being able to take off/add a layer when I needed to made life a lot easier.

I found that maternity pants were something I definitely needed to try on, and try on multiple sizes - I had the best luck with the demi-panel ones from the Gap. I tried and really wanted to like the Bella Band, but I just couldn't get used to the idea that I was at work with my pants unzipped. Target sells an inexpensive version of the band if you want to try one without being out much money if it's not your thing.

Old Navy has great sales - I found a winter coat there for $20, and it's also where I got the bulk of my maternity wardrobe. Congrats and good luck to you!

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't recommend Tory Burch flats unless you are planning on having your baby in March...2007.

[Anonymous]

Skirts with elastic waistbands can really be your friend. Maybe they aren't always the height of fashion, but you can pair them with a blazer (your normal size blazer) and you're good to go. Pick a few up at Marshalls or Filene's or some place like that so you don't spend a fortune.

[Anonymous]

I'm due november so i'm just starting to face the cool weather clothes dilemma. Bella bands don't work for me at all. At 6.5 months, I've gained about 25lbs, but my waist measurement has expanded by 10 inches.

I can still wear pre-pregnancy cardigans & jackets, just can't button them. And I'd definitely go for a couple cute winter dresses; what about some flat ankle boots?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't recommend Tory Burch flats unless you are planning on having your baby in March...2007.

ouch! give a pregnant mommy a break. i work full time, have a toddler and am preggers -- and now my shoes have to be the height of current fashion too?