I’m 14 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first & now that things are starting to not fit anymore, I have been trying to do some maternity clothes shopping. But wow! I didn’t realize clothing yourself while pregnant was so expensive! Just curious to know if you had any ideas or thoughts on places to go for good deals on maternity clothes. -Eden
Maternity clothes can definitely be very pricey, but there’s no need to spend exorbitant amounts on a whole new wardrobe to clothe you while pregnant. Instead, take it as an opportunity to get creative and think outside the box. Here are some things which have allowed me to spend very little on maternity clothes over the course of my last three pregnancies:
Re-purpose Items You Already Have
I’m pretty petite, so the 30 pounds I always gain with each pregnancy mean I go up at least two to three sizes in clothing by the end of my pregnancy! Needless to say, I’m not one of those women who can wear her regular jeans the entire pregnancy (I wish!).
However, I’ve found that some things in my wardrobe can still be worn until at least six months. Sweaters, high-waisted blouses and items which can be layered work especially well for this. So start with what you already have in your closet and see if there are some items which can be re-purposed to work as maternity clothes — at least for a little while.
Borrow From Friends
So many friends have been kind to let me borrow their maternity clothes from them over my last few pregnancies. They’ve always offered to share and I’ve been more-than-happy to take them up on their offer. And I’ve been happy to return the favor to others now that I’ve built up my own “collection” of maternity clothes.
Buy Used
Before going out and buying anything new, definitely check out the possibilities available for used clothing. Craigslist, Freecycle, garage sales, eBay, consignment stores and many other sites online carry used maternity clothes — often at a fraction of the price of buying new.
Shop the Clearance Racks
Motherhood Maternity, Target and Old Navy usually have some pretty good clearance racks in the maternity section. If you keep your eye on them when you’re out shopping, you’ll likely be able to find some good deals. And if you can pair the clearance deal with a coupon (which are often released for Target and Old Navy) you might find a killer deal! In addition, you can occasionally find some great deals online at Kohl’s when they have $0.99 shipping and a coupon code.
Choose Quality Over Quantity
Since I’m a minimalist, I always find it easiest to just have a few classic pieces which mix and match. A few pair of jeans or capris (depending upon the season, a pair of really comfy yoga pants, a couple of skirts, a few casual shirts and a few dressy shirts. I go for quality over quantity and just wear the items over and over and over again during those four months or so when I’m in maternity clothes full-time.
I’ve found it’s best to buy shirts which have ties in the back as these can be adjusted with your growing belly. I like elastic-banded pants, jeans and skirts which go under the belly (like these) as I can wear them my entire last half of the pregnancy and then for a few weeks postpartum, too. Making sure you buy items which can be worn more than a few weeks saves a lot of time and effort.
What are your ideas and suggestions for saving money on maternity clothes? Tell us in the comments.
Like a lot of people, I went crazy buying maternity clothes during my first pregnancy, but by #3 there was no way I was gonna spend that kind of money for a few months of wear. I have found that Mom to Mom sales have great stuff for a fraction of the cost. These tend to be a little higher end than a normal garage sale. Most clothes are in excellent used condition. You can find beautiful brand name clothing without paying the price.
Hi there,
Im also a small woman, and went through the same thing when I had my Son. I couldnt beg or borrow, because I was the first of fam and friends to get pregnant, so I bought lots used on craigslist, and dropped about $100 on the clearance racks for new maternity stuff.
I also discovered that yoga pants are MARVELOUS. They are cheap at places like Marshalls and Ross, and fit great for my entire pregnancy because they wear so low, the belly didnt interfere with the fit. The best part, I can still wear them! good luck!
Yard sales are great. I just got a whole bunch of shirts for $.50 each. Salvation Army can also be good. The ones in our area when I had my first didn’t have much but, the area we live in now has 3 stores with fairly large maternity sections. If you go on a Wednesday all clothes are half off.
One of the first things I purchased was a “Belly Band” from Motherhood Maternity… it was one of the best things because I was able to wear my “regular” pants & jeans longer.
All you have to do is wear a longer shirt so it covers the Belly Band – but you can just pull it around your waist and it helps to hold your pants up without actually buttoning them.
I’m very petite so I found that since tunics are so fashionable now that they make great “maternity” clothes. Target has great ones for pretty cheap, just buy a size larger than normal. Remember that anything ca be a maternity shirt if it’s long enough!
I found about 90% of my maternity clothes at Rummage Sales. Most times the clothes are in great shape because they are worn for such a short time. I also try to go to consignment shops and purchase shirts that are larger than my normal size and I can usually get away with not having to buy maternity. Cami’s work great if the shirt is a little short because of your belly.
i wore maternity pants(found at goodwill)
with my own regular shirts past 6 months.
i bought a few maternity tank tops at target to wear under my clothing. it didn’t work with really short shirts, but it kept everything covered.
i’ve heard great things about belly bands to do the same thing : )
In terms of quality I don’t think you can beat Gap Maternity. I’ve bought all of mine on eBay (new with tags or very gently used) and everything looks great after two pregnancies. As for the worst quality? I don’t think I would ever buy anything from Motherhood Maternity again.
Belly bands, thrift stores, Kid to Kid, Ross, and Burlington Coat Factory have been good to me to get me through a pregnancy. Oh, and swapping/borrowing from friends–never discount that!
I found that Sears and Kmart clearance had great deals on maternity clothes. I also bought some clearance at WalMart. I also shopped at Goodwill. Plan on being bigger than you think at the end! I bought 2 maternity summer shirts in size small bc they fit at the beginning of my pregnancy (with lots of belly room) I was due in July. I couldn’t even pull them on at the end!
I had a lot of luck at consignment sales, too. I am plus sized, and for my first pregnancy, needed to look professional. I found a lot of good stuff at Sears. Just watch for their sales. They have a very small maternity section, all stuff made by Motherhood under the Sears label. It’s held up well through 3 pregnancies now.
I also agree with buying some basics even if they aren’t on sale. A good pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, and a pair of capris, as well as a skirt, will go a long way towards making you feel good as you enjoy your pregnancy!
If you have several friends who are in the same stage of life as you are, consider starting a “maternity trunk” with them. One of my girlfriends had this idea several years ago and I am so glad that she did! She saved all of her maternity clothing in a trunk for the next of us girls who would be pregnant. The six of us just kept passing it around for over 15 years total! The one rule was that when it was your turn for the trunk, you had to take out 1 article of clothing that had gotten very worn or out of date and replace it with something new and fresh. That way we kept it up-to-date and the clothes still looked relatively nice for the last one to marry and have babies (ME!).
I am now pregnant with my third child and have already been thinking about where I will be getting my maternity clothes from. We recently moved to Minnesota from Indiana and I do not have my old trustee consignment store that I would always go in to find great maternity clothes for very cheap prices.
One great resource I discovered after I was pregnant with my second child was to look in children’s consignment stores. This is the place where I found many great baby items and maternity clothes.
You should also be on the look out for large children’s sales that are usually in churches, fairgrounds or other large buildings. They had them in different places when I lived in Indiana and they have them where I live now too. They usually have 50% off most of the clothes on the last day too.
I know not everyone likes to go here, but I also have found some very nice maternity clothes at GoodWill. They usually have a small maternity section. If you can’t find it, just ask someone who works there.
I have also bought some clothes on Ebay and also look on Craiglist in the clothes and baby section.
I never have bought maternity clothes from Old Navy, however I might this time because their clothes are so cute 🙂 Any how I know that I have seen some great prices on their clearances maternity clothes and sometimes there are coupons you can use too.
I am actually now am in the progress of starting my own online store, that contains maternity, nursing, infant and toddler clothes for very good prices. I know how hard it is to find good quality maternity clothes for a fair price so decided to start my own store. I will have mainly used high quality maternity clothes.
If you have an Old Navy/Gap credit card you can get amazing deals. There are great ones out there even if you do not have the card. they are always running 25-30% off sales. If you combine the % off with their sale selection you can get shirts for 5-7$ and jeans for as little as 12$. I buy only on line.
DEFINITELY buy off-season. If you’re going to deliver in the spring or summer, buy the maternity shorts and capris NOW! They are down to $4.48 on clearance at my local Target – my fave for cheap but stylish maternity finds! I had my second daughter in May this year and I bought off season starting at the end of summer in ’09, it was well worth it!
I like newCreation Apparel for excellent maternity skirts—http://proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/2010/09/feminine-and-modest-newcreation-apparel.html
I pretty much wore the same four shirts and two pairs of pants every week, with two dresses to alternate between Sundays. All of those were purchased during my first pregnancy by my expert thrift-shopper mom! Since then I’ve added a few items to my wardrobe by shopping at thrift stores and (my favorite) Target’s 75% off clearance rack! I’m sure I’ll be pregnant again, or my soon-to-be married sister or someone else will, so I always look for and pick up good deals that are in good condition.
Check the Just Between Friends website and see if there is a sale in your area… .most have maternity clothes as well as EVERYthing you’ll need for your new baby.
I had someone make some jumpers for me (I am plus-sized.) They were comfortable throughout my pregnancy, and because I was always covered up, I could wear non-maternity shirts underneath.
I had some luck shopping thrift stores like Goodwill for maternity clothes. I found mostly shirts there that I could wear. Some of it was not necessarily work attire. At the time I was pregnant with #1 I was working. I did find some nice pants for work at the Gap outlet near us in Northern Kentucky. It is not an outlet associated with an outlet mall but a seconds/overstock/slightly damaged clothing store. They had maternity pants for $5, which is a real deal for “new” pants. And I never had trouble with them. If you live close, it’s worth a look.
I live in VT but while on my 5th child I found a place advertised on Craigslist, it was a place that gave away maternity clothes and had kids clothes for consignment. The guy said he was trying to give back to those in need. I was very impressed and got much of what I needed there. I also found that once you know your size often people sell maternity clothes on criagslist fairly cheap or even give them away. Boy I could have used this info when I had my other 4 I really struggled to be able to afford them then.
I didn’t read all other comments but the Bella Band is a life saver since you can wear your regular pants and other bottoms for so much longer. Not cheap but saves money in the end. Also try buying tops in a size bigger that would have a good fit when pregnant (like empire waist).
Check out ConsignmentMommies.com to search for consignment sales in your area. I bought several great maternity pieces at consignment sales, not to mention all the heavily discounted baby stuff (like a $15 exersaucer). I had a Christmas baby, so I needed sweaters and cold-weather clothes that were nice enough for work. I found some items from brands like Motherhood Maternity (that would be too expensive for me to buy regularly) for $4-10 at the consignment sale. They usually don’t have dressing rooms at the sales, but I just tried on the sweaters over my shirt or guessed on the t-shirts and jeans, and did just fine on the sizes.
Also bought some basic tops & khakis at Old Navy and Target. A few of my babydoll non-pg shirts worked fine for maternity wear.
Ditto on not buying a lot at once – it’s hard to predict how your body shape will change! I bought a few adorable summer shirts but wasn’t big enough to need them by the time the cooler weather ended. But my co-worker is now borrowing them, so I’m glad they’re getting used.
I got the best deals on maternity clothes at Kohl’s on clearance paired with a coupon. I got pregnant in March, and started shopping right away because I knew I’d find end of season fall/winter clearance on the racks. I got a variety of long sleeved shirts for 3.60 that fit perfectly now that it’s cooler and I’m quite a bit bigger than I was in the spring! Good luck!
Maybe it is just the store here, but JCPenney actually has a bunch of quality maternity clothes that fit me well AND were in the clearance section. They often mix maternity clothes in with the regular clothes on clearance – look for the Duo brand.
And I agree, the V-necks are great afterward for nursing, keep that in mind!
I bought my maternity clothes at thrift stores and childrens consignment shops.
My advice, especially if you plan on having more than one child, is to buy pieces that aren’t trendy but are more classic (jeans, basic shirts, etc.). That way you won’t have to redo you maternity wardrobe every couple of years! You can always acessorize with jewlery, scarves, etc.
My favorite store for good deals was JcPenney. When they put their maternity clothes on sale they really mark them down. I actually bought shirts for $1 and jeans for $3 and resold them on ebay once. Target and Kohl’s also have reasonable prices. Also, I got away with only buying maternity pants until later in my pregnancy. The babydoll & tunic shirts are in style now. If there’s a good sale just buy a larger size.
Ross is a great place to find maternity clothes that are cute and cheap. Burlington Coat Factory/Baby Depot is also great!
Don’t forget – you don’t HAVE to wear maternity. I work in a conservative organization, so when I was in the 3-4 month stage in the summer I picked up some inexpensive summer short-sleeve sweaters in the next size up. Worked great!
I found some basics for low prices at Ross, Old Navy (call first to make sure they carry maternity items) and LandsEnd.com clearance. I also picked up some great things at a second-hand clothing store called Kid-to-Kid. They mostly carry items for babies and children, but I still love some of the tops I found there.
Ross! And Burlington Coat Factory! They both have clearance racks too that are really fantastic! I found the best pants at Burlington for my ultra-large-pregnant-with-twins belly!
Have you ever tried the freecycle yahoo groups? There are many locations that have a freecycle, the only rule to asking for anything on our local one is that you have to offer at least one item you want to get rid of before you can receive anything. Also sometimes there is a “sister” site where you can buy and sell used items at yard sale prices.
I know GAP doesn’t strike you as a place where you can find good deals, but I’ve found a lot of great deals on maternity clothes there — especially when paired with a coupon. You really can’t beat the professional styles. So much better than anywhere else. Also, the inventory turn over really fast, so the sale rack is usually pretty full. The best part is that they hold up and wash really well. I’m cookin’ baby #3 and still wearing the same clothes I wore the first time around. Plus, everything will still be looking good for Baby #4 or resale.
A few examples —
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=26697&vid=1&pid=707693&scid=707693052
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=26697&vid=0&pid=738965&scid=738965032
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=26697&vid=1&pid=761523&scid=761523002
When I was pregnant with both of my boys, I was still working, which required me to have office clothes, church clothes and “play” clothes. I had a couple of jumpers (that weren’t maternity but happened to have gathers in the front) and paired them with different shirts for different occasions. For work, I would wear loose fitting t-shirts underneath (some were maternity, some were just large and stretchy) and for church, I would wear dressier blouses. The t-shirts and blouses could also be worn with pants, jeans and skirts. As I got larger, I just left the bottom buttons unbuttoned on my blouses underneath the jumpers and no one could tell. I also bought a couple of very nice Land’s End tanks in a larger size that I usually wore and paired those underneath some of my blouses. I could leave the blouses open and the Land’s End tanks were a nice, thick material and looked cute under my blouses. (I still wear the tanks now layered underneath blouses and cardigans) But it is always fun to have actual “maternity” clothes so that folks can tell you are pregnant and not just getting fat and trying to still squeeze into your old clothes (ha ha!) I got a lot of my maternity clothes at Sears and found that their pants fit me better. Like someone else posted, I carried low and a lot of pants were uncomfortable to me. One other piece of advice would be to invest in some comfortable, well-made clog-type or slip-on shoes. As I got near the end of my pregnancies, I couldn’t bend over to tie tennis shoes (and my feet swelled too) so the clogs were perfect and went with dress pants, jeans, jumpers, dresses, etc. Congratulations and God Bless!
When I got pregnant with our second child it was quite a suprise and we weren’t financially able to handle it not to mention I had JUST 2 yrs earlier gotten rid of all my maternity and babystuff as I was not expecting for awhile to have more children. Birthright was a god-sent as ours locally here had racks and racks of maternity clothing and baby clothing that you could borrow and bring back when you were done with it. For low income families finding an organization like that really is a good way to go because it’s amazing how many sizes of clothes you may go through when it is all said and done and all those months means you’re going to go through a few seasons so just a few outfits may not be suited during your long wait for an addition.
Congrats to all expectant mothers and hope you can find good deals, friends & family or organizations to help you out.
I just had my third baby two months ago. My first two children are five and seven, so I hadn’t saved any of my maternity things. Anyway, this time, I bought most of my maternity things at my local Just Between Friends sale. I was pleasantly shocked at how reasonable the prices were. There were also lots of great items left on half-price day. There are 22 states that have Just Between Friends sales, so I think it’s definitely worth checking to see if your state is one of them. I also bought a lot of my baby clothes there, and am still fairly pleased with the selection of items I find for my older two children. It’s a lot harder to find used items in good condition for older kids, but I always feel like the JBF sale is worth my time. And, no, I’m not affiliated with this sale in any way. I’m just a loyal shopper!
I’m preggo with #2 now and only this time found Ebay. If you shop carefully, avoid bidding wars, and buy used you can get some real good deals. I bought one lot, but would avoid that again, because there were a few things that I couldn’t use. What I loved was finding a shirt or pair of shorts in my size that was a good price, then checking with the seller’s other lists. Most sellers will offer a shipping discount and if they’re about the same size you can find several items you need.
I didn’t have a chance to read all the reader comments. But in case no one mentioned it, Freecycle.org is a great Yahoo Group to belong to. You can post a wanted ad for maternity clothing in your size. I got most of my pregnancy wardrobe there.
I also LOVE thrift stores and have 2 favorites local to me. Salvation Army, Goodwill stores or any other consignment store might be your best bet.
I bought stuff from Ebay as well and if you can find some stuff on clearance in the stores, that would work too. I don’t think I bought anything for full price for either of my pregnancies.
As a matter of fact, my daughter is almost 4 and I have one or two shirts that I loved when I was pg for her that I still wear today. Good luck!!
I put a post on facebook asking if any friends had maternity clothes to share. I was amazed at how many friends and collegues had tubs of clothes in their basement or garages who wanted them gone. I only purchased 1 pair of jeans and 1 shirt (from a second hand shop) and ended up with 7 tubs of clothes. Many friends did not want the clothes back, so they have been given to another friend.
I recently had a lil one..she’s 2 months old this week. I bought a pair of basic editions at kmart in size 42″X30″ BASIC EDITIONS cargo pants in dark color and a pack of Hanes 42″ white cotton tshirts. And I wore that the last 3 months..grin 😉 I was comfortable. And funny part was most people thought I was just gaining weight. One guy even said months after I had her..”you look great..looks like you lost weight..lol ..usually i say yeah I gained a 6lb kid LOL.
I just found a motherhood maternity outlet store near me! I find shirts for under $2- and I mean great quality long sleeve shirts at that!
Quality over quantity is great advice usually, and I’m sure that will be my mantra for subsequent pregnancies. However a wide selection of sizes and pieces (quantity) was a blessing for me during my first pregnancy. I didn’t know how I’d carry or what styles of maternity clothing I’d like. It was great to use garage sales & craigslist during my first few months of pregnancy to create the base of a wardrobe for my whole pregnancy. Then I knew I had something that would probably work for every stage of my expanding belly. My favorite find was a Pea-in-the-Pod sweatsuit that I essentially lived in the last few weeks of my pregnancy. Another favorite was a black ruffled skirt that I bought as part of lot of clothing off of craigslist. I didn’t even like the skirt initially, but loved it months later when I tried it on my big belly and realized how comfy it was. It was great,especially late in my pregnancy, to go “shopping” in my own closet.
I bought very little when I was pregnant. My mom suggested to me to buy pants with elastic bands to get me until I was 6 months or more. She told me they would be things that I could wear after I had my babies. It was the perfect advice. I had several friends outgrow their maternity clothes at 8 months because they bought their maternity clothes at 3 or 4 months. I suggest to buy two pair of pants, one jean, one khaki, and one skirt. Then you should buy one dress maternity shirt, and maybe three shirts that are more casual. I didn’t see anyone suggest borrowing your husband’s t-shirts. I’m sure not everyone can do this, but if your husband is a bigger man then you, borrowing t-shirts don’t make you look like a guy. I wore a lot of my husband’s t-shirts around the house. I saved my maternity shirts for going out. I also suggest that if you have to buy a bigger bra, to go ahead and buy nursing bras if you are planning to nurse. Your chest isn’t going to go down until you stop nursing. It may get bigger when you start to nurse, but if you buy a nursing bra while you are pregnant, then you will save on that expense after you deliver.
Ross!! or even on Craigslist and Ebay!! I found some discounted maternity clothes at my local Susie’s Deals and DD’s Discount store =)
But if you can borrow maternity clothes, that’s your best bet. Sometimes Motherhood Maternity has some good deals on their clearance rack as well. Happy shopping =)
I’m 19 weeks with our first, so I don’t know how all these clothes will fit me in a few months, but I’ve had a lot of success with clearance racks and/or using coupons at Old Navy, Destination Maternity, H&M, and Kohl’s. The thrift stores around here unfortunately didn’t have many maternity clothes (although they are great for baby clothes!)
I wore the bella band earlier on, but maternity pants are much more comfortable now. My favorite thing to wear so far is cheap maternity tank tops with long cardigans I already own or can wear after pregnancy too. I also have a feeling I will be wearing my husband’s hoodies a lot this winter!
Also, forgot to add thiss. I advise buying pieces that are solid in color and not too trendy. Classic pieces. I’m pretty young, and will probably not be done having kids for another 10 years. With that being said, buying more classic pieces are a good idea so that they don’t go completely out of style by the time your have your next pregnancy.
Congrats! 🙂
I bought a ton from Target (basics), consignment shops and gap. Most of my friends and I share our maternity clothes which as really worked out but my suggestion is to spend money on what you will wear often. Jeans, decent black pants, and anything else you live in. I also went to old navy and bought a ton of thier capri’s that are drawstring pants (no buttons or zippers) and bought them in bigger sizes. They were not maternity but fit all the way through.
The Bella band which is also sold under another name at target, will buy you more time with your pants!
I had great luck with Gap and Old Navy online. You can shop off the clearance and find some great deals! Also, Gap and Old Navy you can order off the same site so shipping is all together and at certain times free.
Also, JC Penny has a great maternity section here in KC and I could find great tops all for under $10.
I agree with the other ladys, the belly band was great! It was hard to use it at the end, but I used it until about 25 weeks. The bands at Target are the cheapest ones that I’ve found. Plus, they are great to use for post partum as well.
I have found garage sales to be a great place to find maternity clothes. I paid $1 for 2 pairs of jeans and .50 for a couple shirts. Usually they ask a little more at garage sales but this lady just wanted to get rid of them. I felt like I hit the jackpot. I wear a lot of athletic pants and they still fit fine when I’m pregnant. I have a few nicer outfits for church and other outings, but when I’m home with my kids I just try to be comfortable. My normal athletic pants and sweatshirts work just fine. The rubber band around the button of jeans and through the loop hole works, but I don’t think it is as comfortable.
Target has some great sales on maternity clothes, esp if you get the “end of season” sales. I just got a very nice top and dress for $15 total. Garage sales are good places, too but sometimes hard to find anything that’s not either worn out or completely outdated;). Sears has a great selection of maternity clothes and they have good sales, too. My 2nd & 3rd pregnancies I had (have!) to wear the full panel pants b/c I carry the boys so low. But Sears has a line of pants where the band is adjustable so you can comfortably push it down for post-postpartum wearing. I also have been blessed with friends who have shared/given their maternity clothes. And if you go for quality, they’ll last through a lot of pregnancies! I counted up and a lot of mine that I’m wearing this time (on my 3rd) have been through 10 pregnancies! And don’t look it. It’s really crazy how expensive maternity clothes are.
Definitely thrift stores. You can find great quality pieces for next to nothing. I bought a number of items thrift shopping during my pregnancy and in total I spent just under $30 on everything. The quality is usually good and the wear factor is minimal as most people only wore the items for a short while during their pregnancies.
Also – the other day I was at the mall with my 7 month old and happened to see the maternity store and was really happy that I hadn’t spent a wad on new clothes that I wouldn’t even be able to wear now. It was a nice eye opener.
BirthRight is a wonderful place to check out.It is ran by private donations.It is completely free to any pregnant woman.They can do so much to help a mommy to be.They offer everything a baby or mommy would need.They were a Godsend for us.It is not state run.They go by your need not your income.Hope this helps………Dena
This hits home for me, I’m pregnant with our first also… Her points are right on! 1) I received SO MUCH stuff from friends and friends-of-friends who wanted to get rid of their clothes. I made sure to mark their initials on each person’s contributions so that if they want them back after I’m done with them, they are easy to sort. If they don’t, I just add to the pass-it-on bag. 2) BELLA BAND (or similar)! I received 2 from my sister and they were a lifesaver my second trimester… you can leave your pants unbuttoned and no one is the wiser. I found some on eBay that are less expensive and cotton/lycra as opposed to just lycra, and I actually like them better because they are longer (go all the way up to my bra line) and I can use them for nursing (so I won’t have a bare belly showing!). I got like 8 of them in different solid and patterned colors so they go with everything. 3) It’s a good thing the styles these days are maternity friendly. Most all of the shirts I have in my closet are long (tanks especially) and empire waist. I didn’ t have to buy barely anything new (although I did buy some just to have some new things 😉 )
4) Shop Ross, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx… and Kohl’s has GREAT clearance sales, especially when you can stack coupon codes, etc. Old Navy also had some good Maternity sales. Good luck! 🙂
Kohl’s! Keep your eye out for the $10 off a $20 purchase in your newspaper, combine that with a 15% off or 30% off coupon (if they send those to you,) and go comb the clearance racks. I have gotten great tops for around $3 many times. Their maternity brand is made by Motherhood.
Also, look at their online sales (be sure to use a %-off code and eBates) and order enough stuff to get free shipping, try it all on at home, and bring back what you don’t like to the store for free.
I recommend getting a denim skirt or two and wearing them like crazy. I have a terrible time finding pants and jeans that don’t fall down, and skirts have been just wonderful.
Also, some stretchy T-shirts, like the Merona T-shirts Target has right now, work great as maternity shirts if you buy a size or two larger. They go on clearance frequently, too.
for anyone pregnant in the summer … i just had my 3rd in july and had to go to a couple of weddings over the summer when i was 9 mos pregnant. i didn’t want to spend a lot of money, but still wanted to be dressed somewhat appropriately so i bought a dress from marshall’s (doesn’t have a maternity section) that was loose and “one size fits all.” it’s cute! spaghetti straps and elastic across the top but loose on the bottom. don’t think i’m describing it well, but it was $25 and i can still wear it even when i’m not pregnant. even if you don’t have weddings to go to, that style of dress is nice in the summer when you’re pregnant cuz it keeps you cool … er. 🙂 and you can usually wear them even after your belly is back to normal.
another thing i found was super target’s clearance! i don’t live near a super target so i don’t get to go there often, but this past summer i got 2 nursing tanks for $4 each on clearance in the intimates section, not maternity. i’m not a big fan of the maternity section at target simply because things rarely go on sale and the regular prices are over my budget, but the clearance section at super target was perfect!!
I have found several things at Old Navy and Motherhood on clearance…I mostly only shop clearance racks so I’ve borrowed a lot with this (my first) pregnancy since I didn’t pre-buy much.
I prefer to shop seasonal consignment sales for both baby and maternity clothes. I haven’t found much online as far as consignment goes and unfortunately we only have a few shops around here. I did come across a site that offers decent prices and a decent flat-rate shipping charge. The link is http://www.cravingstyle.com. I have found though that as with most stores, the smaller your size, the larger the selection.
I hope that can be useful. 🙂
I know this will make some women cringe, but truly, my favorite items have been from Pea in the Pod, the most outrageously expensive items ever, but the best clearance sales you can imagine. I buy nothing over $20, and the clothing is made so well, holds up so well, and looks flattering. Motherhood and Target has been a ripoff for me, with the pants looking stretched out and old almost immediately. Gap maternity clearance sales are excellent too. I wear the same Gap maternity pants for $20 to work, to church, etc, and they hold up so nicely after going in the washer with Woolite. So if you’ve got a little bit more to spend, and can buy some basics that won’t go out of style by the third kiddo, and you can take care of the clothes you buy… The items at consignment near me have been such poor quality, faded, out of style… I bit the bullet and got some great basics that will hopefully last for years.
Hi Eden! Congratulations! I am expecting our fourth little blessing, due this spring. Everyone has given you so many great suggestions already on where to find good deals, so there isn’t much I can add. I would highly suggest searching yard sales as I bought most of my maternity clothing during my first pregnancy at one, and have worn them through each pregnancy so far. My suggestion is to buy same larger (especially tops, as the bottoms of them tend to creep up as your belly gets larger) clothing for the last bit of your pregnancy. I was shocked at how incredibly large my belly grew with my last pregnancy. I’m pretty small, and am definitely “all belly” when pregnant. My last pregnancy I went from a 24inch waist (around the belly button) to a whopping 48inches! I never imagined I would need a size large shirt to cover my huge belly! I suppose that’s what happens when you go nearly two weeks overdue and delivery a 9lb 13oz baby boy!
@Charity, OOPS! Came back to read more comments and realized I had a typo on my baby’s weight…actually 8lbs 13oz, still a big baby for a small gal like me…but I couldn’t imagine a pound larger! 🙂
I’m pretty sure Target donates some of their clearance to Goodwill because I’m always finding A TON of brand new items from Target at Goodwill. That’s where I bought almost all of my maternity clothes. You can’t beat 2 bucks for a brand new shirt!
Borrow from your husband’s closet!
I’m 8 months pregnant with my first right now and the biggest lifesaver for me during the first five months were the clothes I received/borrowed from friends. I picked up some basic tees and a pair or work pants at Motherhood Maternity but my personal style doesn’t exactly mesh with what they sell so sometimes it was hard to find dressier things.
I’m in my 20’s and was a pre-pregnancy size four so I actually went into a store called Forever 21 and was able to find clothes there. My new-mommy and recently pregnant friends pointed me in that direction and I’m so glad they did. The store is geared toward younger women and teen girls so the place will be trashed if you go during peak shopping hours (if you have one in your area, that is.) I spent a couple hours there on a Tuesday night and took my time and found some really cute (and work appropriate!) graphic tees with side-ruching, some long cardigans and deep V-neck tunics that not only work great now but will also be good for breast feeding. If you don’t have a store and aren’t nervous about buying clothes online, check out their website. I suppose because they kept having young moms come in to buy inexpensive maternity clothes, they just recently launched a Maternity line which is only available in select stores, but you can find it on their website. Most of their clothes are in the $5-$30 range and the Maternity Line is in the $10-$25 range.
Watch for garage sales that are advertising infant items! I’ve found alot of garage sales that have strollers, infant clothes, baby toys, Bumbo’s, etc usually have some maternity clothes for sale also! And knowing from experience, when we knew there aren’t more children coming, it’s time to get rid of the baby gear, as well as my maternity clothes! 😉
I just wore sweats, so I’m no help there.
I was given the tip that you can use a rubber band as a “button extender” to give yourself another inch or so on the pants you already have. Loop the band around the button, thread the (other) end through the button hole, and bring it back to loop around the button.
I gained 40 lbs while I was pregnant. Ugh!
Maternity clothes are expensive! I was able to buy larger sizes of regular clothes at Old Navy off the clearance rack. Ross Dress For Less even has a small maternity section. I by far found the most stuff at a local second hand/resale store.
Target clearance rack.
I would also say check Gap’s clearance… I lucked out with my first pregnancy… my sister’s and I were out just looking and stumbled upon the jackpot, I got several sweaters, pants and an awesome winter coat for around 7$ a piece. INCLUDING the coat! Of course through that pregnancy, my second and my sister’s first we have picked some things up at Target and ON, but I saved up my Mypoints for a Gap gift card and have my Gap groupon… I’m planning on buying some maternity jeans as soon as the gift card comes in. Even though they will be expensive, I know that I will wear them more than enough to be worth it. I also know that even though I don’t plan on gettting pregnant again other people will wear my jeans.
The best part about the Gap clearance find was that winter coat… I wore it all through my first pregnancy (was end of January baby) and then wore it over the ergo for a while. Wore it some with my second (May baby), my sister wore it some, we lent it to a girl at my church last winter, and I will wear it again for my now January baby. That’s 4 winter’s worth of wearing a $75 coat that we paid like $7 for… that’s what I call a good deal!
@Anna, Lucky on the coat! I looked and looked and ended up paying too much for an Old Navy one of mediocre quality.
Oh, I love repurposing and reusing things! I also love things well worn, soft and without a hefty price tag! I always get my maternity clothes at thrift stores such as Savers, Goodwill, Salvation Army, the DI. You wouldn’t believe just how many *new* or *like new* clothes you can find there, and that goes for baby clothes too.
you might want to try a children’s consignment sale. There are usually lots of them in the fall and spring. Even though they’re known advertised for kid’s stuff, MOST will also be selling maternity items as well.
I don’t seem to see anyone commenting on this, but if you live near a H&M they actually have a maternity line of clothes. They are usually very affordable to start with and also have some really great sales. Some of their stuff is a bit much for me, but you can find some nice basics at the store.
Like many other have suggested I ended up using clearance racks at Motherhood Maternity, Gap, and Old Navy. And for some of those pieces that really lasted I actually found them on clearance at some boutique maternity stores.
Old Navy is where I found my best deals. That was most of my clothes. I also found stuff at garage sales. I say keep the wardrobe simple. You will HATE it by the end but you will be gald you saved the money. And buy a size bigger for the end of your pregnancy. You would be shocked at how small clothes gets by the 8th and 9th month. I spent the most at the END of my pregnancy just b/c I didn’t realize that and had to have clothes w/o any good sales.
I had a lot of success finding maternity clothes at Once Upon A Child and clearance racks. Sometimes garage sales have some stuff, check out the ones that have toys, that’s usually a good indicator, though NOT always the case. I’m sad that OUAC is no longer in our area, but have found some things at Savers. I think I got my entire summer maternity wardrobe at OUAC when I was expecting my daughter (she was born in August…my son had been born in January). Also, if you’re going for comfy/casual, hit up your hubbys shirts/pants. My hubbys shirts are always my choice when maternity clothes aren’t cutting it and my own don’t fit. (I’m thin with a very long torso and long legs…makes for a difficult time finding maternity clothes that fit for the entire 9 months +)
When I was pregnant I was really blessed to have friends who loaded me down with maternity clothes. Towards the end though I was carrying really low and needed a few things to hold me over till he popped out. I found a great long grey jumper at Goodwill. It was perfect, comfy, I could change my shirt or sweater and it was a new dress. Goodwill, Once Upon a Child and Kohl’s were places I found good stuff.
I’m sorry if someone already put this, but if you live ANYWHERE NEAR CINCINNATI, OHIO, you should go to the Gap Distribution Center in Hebron, KY!!! They are fantastic for any Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic clothing. They have last year’s left-overs, but it’s organized really well and CHEAP! I got over $600-worth of GAP Maternity clothes for $90!!! My WHOLE maternity wardrobe for less than 100 bucks, and it’s cute! Can’t beat it.
Start looking at children’s consignment stores! I had no idea of the consignment stores in my area until my daughter was about 8 months old. Imagine my surprise to find out that many of them also carry maternity clothes!
I wish I had luck borrowing clothes from other women, but I can rarely do that in day-to-day life, as I know very few other women my size and height. The few shirts I was able to borrow for my first pregnancy, I had to return in my second trimester since I could no longer get them over/around my boobs.
the half of half store has really great deals on maternity, i bought pant and a couple of shirts for $1 a piece , they have a website with a store locator coz i’m not sure if they’re nation wide or just in missouri and the surrounding states, also target has good materity clearence
One thing I’d recommend is to not buy everything at once. I found that I outgrew some of my clothes by the end, but I couldn’t have predicted exactly what would look flattering on me months in advance, especially with my first. It is also nice to pick up a few basic items after the baby comes to get you through until the your pre-pregnancy clothes fit again. It’s so nice to wear regular clothes again after the baby comes, but it usually takes me four-six months to fit back into my clothes again. These post-pregnancy clothes also can be recylced for future pregnancies.
Kohls and Ross were my favorite places to buy maternity clothes, and if you have time to go frequently, you may find great deals at clearance racks..
I am 27 weeks preg myself and love the skirts with the big band that comes up practically to your elbows! it is by far the most comfortable and it gives you a more seamless look under shirts (no 2″ wide elastic band bump). I buy alot at childrens consignment sales (even when I am not expecting I browse thru for steals 🙂 And as this is my second I would caution you that those skirts and jeans that fit great in the 2nd trimester may be to small in the third. Buy with a little extra room rather than fitting perfectly, especially if your like me and your hips spread to different zip codes :).
I bought a lot of larger size shirts w/ stretch to them from Target/Walmart clearance racks for a few dollars each. I bought 2 pairs of pants from a local children’s consignment shop. The rest of the time, I wore stretchy pre-maternity dresses and shirts with high waists.
One other thing I did with tops was look for good clearance deals on clothes that were a couple sizes bigger than my normal size. Worked great! (and there wasn’t the markup they do just becuase something is maternity clothing 🙂
Kohls always has maternity clothes on sale and you can often find them on clearance too.
We have a local children’s consignment store which sells maternity clothing. I have also had luck finding maternity clothes at the huge consignment sale Just Between Friends (if you go to jbf.com you can see if there is one near you)
Congrats!
If there is a Once Upon A Child consignment store in your area, sometimes I have found a few maternity selections there in the past. My baby is 11, but they still might have maternity clothes.
I purchased the vast majority of my maternity clothes at Old Navy and a few pieces at Motherhood Maternity. By far, I prefer the Old Navy stuff the best, and it has held up the best. I always got clothing on sale, but because I was working full time and all my clothes were fitted and my pregnancy was a surprise, I couldn’t shop around for clearance deals. However, here are a few strategies that will help you get the most bang for your buck:
1. I was always freezing at work, so I had a ton of cardigans and button-up sweaters that I wore throughout my pregnancy. I just bought several maternity camisoles, tanks, and tees that could be dressed up or down and wore my regular sweaters unbuttoned over them. At home (where the AC was turned off) and in the summer heat, I wore the tanks and tees alone. A friend didn’t have many cardigans, so she wore her husband’s unbuttoned dress shirts over tees and tanks. It can be cute if you roll up the sleeves and pair them with khakis.
2. I invested in several pairs of structured pants (jeans, khakis, capris, etc.) as well as a denim skirt because I gained weight in my thighs and my regular pants didn’t fit even with button extenders after the first couple months. If you have an office job, comfy pants are a must. The ones with the button and elastic extenders took me all the way through my pregnancy, so I didn’t have to reinvest in new pants every trimester.
3. I didn’t really need to purchase any “play clothes,” loungewear, or workout gear because my regular (Old Navy) yoga pants took me through my pregnancy, as did my stretchy work-out shorts. If we went out in the evening, I’d either wear capris or my denim skirt since my fitted shorts no longer fit. I’ve even been known to wear my yogas to work paired with a long shirt or sweater.
4. Unless you get a super-awesome deal, buy individual pieces as you need them. I panicked when nothing fit and bought a week’s worth of clothes at Motherhood Maternity. Invariably, those are the clothes I like the least and don’t fit quite as well as the Old Navy clothing. On the other hand, if you do find something you really like and end up wearing a lot, try to buy them in multiple colors. If you can wait, you may even be able to snag the multiples on clearance.
I’m pregnant with number 2 now, and I recently found some great maternity deals on clearance at Target–shirts and tanks around $3. I didn’t really need them since my maternity gear from my first pregnancy is like new, but it’s always nice to have a bit more variety when you’re pregnant. The same old clothes do get old fast!
Everyone has such great suggestions!!!
My babies are all early summer babies…. but this is what worked for me.
One great pair of jeans (Old Navy with the low-waist, size tall)
One great pair of black capris (dress up for work or down for play)
One great pair of black yoga pants (I went for Land’s End clearance… I wore this the entire pregnancy and during that dreaded “4th trimester” until I was back into regular clothes….)
Belly band. I used this to wear all of my usual work skirts (I have 4) that have elastic in the waist.
One really great black maternity jacket with a zipper front (buttons bulge… mine was from Motherhood Maternity and was a gift with my first pregnancy….. it goes with everything and I can proudly report it is currently gestating the EIGHTH pregnancy…. quality in some pieces is just WORTH it…. and it is everyone’s favorite maternity piece.)
One really great maternity top…. mine was a hand-me-down red button-up in a suede material…. one thing that is a go-to outfit you know will look good.
A couple of good maternity t-shirts. Mine were mostly black and a few in stretchy fabric and prints….. all purchased on the cheap in a lot from ebay.
Really good shoes. Splurge on the really nice supportive running shoes…. you don’t want a twisted ankle or falling arches during pregnancy… not super stylish but a lifesaver.
And, finally, a really great zip-front hooded sweatshirt…. I like the big baggy Carhardt ones. They get a zero for style but it fits a bulgy belly and it is perfect for nursing a baby while covering that pesky roll of chub on the side.
I bought a collection of maternity tank tops from Old Navy and paired them with some cardigan sweaters to wear at work. It was so helpful and allowed my wardrobe to vary a bit. They don’t go to waste post partum as I still wear them often (you can’t tell they are “maternity” when they are being layered).
While I was working and pregnant I had to find dress clothes. My workplace requires dress pants, but aren’t super strict, so I was able to pass off a pair of dark brown and black lounge pants as dress pants for most of the last few months of my pregnancy. No one knew that they were lounge pants and I was so comfortable! And I paid a whopping $10 a piece on them.
Shop early in your pregnancy for end-of-season items – they’ll fit by the time you need them! For example, if you find out you’re pregnant in the fall, shop the clearance rack for summer items; you’ll need them come May and June.
Also, if you get gift cards for maternity clothing at your showers, save it for when you have a “I CAN’T STAND THESE CLOTHES ANYMORE!” moment. Being able to buy one extra piece or two in your last trimester without feeling guilty about spending the money may just be the pick-me-up you need.
I just bought my daughter a bunch of stuff from Burlington Coat factory! They are far more reasonable than most places and if you catch a sale even better! As far as garage sales go we love to go to the ones in the upscale neighborhoods to pick up maternity wardrobe pieces at a steal!
This is my fourth pregnancy and I’m twelve weeks. Things are just starting to get tight. I am very petite so I can’t usually go up a few sizes in regular clothes because then the necklines/sleeves/thighs etc… all get too big. BUT the one exception has been leggings. ON had a sale on them last weekend – super stretchy and comfy, I am going to pair them with some oversized tunics and some of my husbands dress shirts.
One thing I have had major trouble finding is cute workout clothes. If anyone has any ideas on that, I’d love to hear them!!
I absolutely love Shade Clothing’s Tees for everyday wear and especially when I’m pregnant. They are modest and come LONG so you can even just buy your normal size shirt or one size bigger and they work throughout the entire pregnancy. I bought a few maternity ones with my first pregnancy and I still wear those shirts everyday when I’m not pregnant because they are great undershirts because they are so lightweight but they are also GREAT for just everyday wear and have ALOT of stretch in them so it is easy to grow in them. Any of there stuff is great but my favorite are just their classic cap sleeve tees like this one
http://www.shadeclothing.com/womens-clothing/modest-tees/modest-signature-cap-sleeve-tee.html
I found quite a few nice things on walmart dot com. Most of the stuff I got was good quality, especially the pants. I got my most comfortable pair of jeans there and also 2 pairs of pants for work which I wore them each 2-3 times a week for 5 1/2 months. They are still in good shape. I too found some very cute clearence items at kohls.
Congratulations on your pregnancy — that is so exciting!! I agree with one of the previous posters that while you definitely want to save money, its important to have a few pieces that look really nice on you and make you feel good when you really feel BIG! I wrote out this list for a friend who was very frustrated on her search for maternity clothes. I hope it helps!
-Your friends’ closets will be your lifesaver! My SIL shared all of her clothes with me, and it’s been awesome. We don’t have the exact same style (I’ve never worn a couple of the shirts that she loaned me), but it’s so nice to have variety!
-Make your own closet stretch by investing in maternity shirts or tank tops that you can wear under your own fabulous cardigans and jackets. Don’t forget all your wonderful jewelry, scarves, and hair pieces — these always fit!
-GapMaternity is fabulous. Old Navy is good too, but I would suggest trying on before buying as their sizing can be off. But once you figure out what size you are, buy away! The Target maternity section has been pretty good for me too. All of those places have great sales.
-I have found that some of the maternity only places (Motherhood Maternity, Destination Maternity, etc) are a great place to buy basics, like dress pants and skirts.
-I got a nice collection from a girl off of Craigslist. I know this can be creepy — but I had a great experience on my first round. Take someone with you and be sure to try stuff on before you buy it. From her, I got Gap jeans and black dress pants ($10 each) and several shirts for $5 each.
-At about 34 weeks, I outgrew most of my pants that weren’t full panel. SO, be sure to invest in a couple basic pair of pants (black dress pants, jeans, etc) that have the panel that go all the way up. They will be annoying right now, but the only thing that will allow you to breath later.
-I almost forgot — dresses with tights! This wardrobe got me through your stage. You don’t have to buy maternity – your regular size should fit. Especially since the trend for dresses right now is to be a little generous in the tummy area. And I felt better about buying those because I think they will be good to wear after the baby comes.
Good luck!
My biggest tip: DON’T WAIT until you can barely fit what does fit to go buy more 🙂 I looked and looked and looked at Goodwill but almost never found anything that fit. My MIL would go in there and several times found a shirt or two that fit. Out of desperation I bought a pair of maternity jeans (full belly panel) from Target only to realize about a week later that I couldn’t stand the way they fit. I shopped all the dept. stores but none of their stuff fit right. I ended up spending $ at Motherhood Maternity for 2 pr. jeans (one with the stretchy underbelly band and one with the full belly “tube” 😛 ), 2 skirts, a sweater and some long sleeve tshirts. They were high dollar and I cringed spending the money, but since we plan to have more kids I looked at it as a good investment. None of my friends’ maternity pants fit well enough for “public” though I loved having the stretchy yoga pants to wear around the house.
My only complaint… why can’t they make regular jeans as comfy as maternity jeans? Seriously! I have SO much trouble finding jeans to fit my body shape, but the maternity ones are perfect!
If you are a working mom, you still want to look your best! I got most of my clothes at Kohl’s & Old Navy and on occassion Motherhood because I LOVE their clothes! Buy a couple pairs of pants and some shirts. I would not buy anything fancy unless you need it. If we had some occassion coming up I would splurge and buy a nice blouse or sweater. My issue was during pregnancy #2 was I could not stand any elastic around my waste and I had to buy some new pants!
Make your own belly band: Grab an old fitted t-shirt, cut off the last 10 inches (or more), and voila! wear over your unbuttoned pants. If it’s still too wide (or not tight enough) just sew a seam down to the side to make it tighter.
I don’t think anyone mentioned Sears (website). This is a random place to get maternity, but when they have a clearance, there are great deals. I got many cute shirts and slacks there a yr and 1/2 ago. They also have the Lands End brand which holds up well over time.
Target has a lot of their Liz Lange maternity on clearance and Burlington Coat Factory usually has some pretty inexpensive clothes. I also found a lot of mine at the goodwill mixed in with the rest of the clothes. Go on a 1/2 off clothes day and have a grand ole time 🙂
I skimmed through the comments and didn’t see anyone suggesting that you buy non-maternity clothes in larger sizes. I read an article a year or so ago about a fashion writer who tried to look good while wearing as much “normal” clothing as possible during her pregnancy. She sought out styles that were open in the belly (this obviously works best for shirts, tunics and dresses/skirts!) and just bought a large enough size to fit her growing bump. This way you can take advantage of the standard consignment shops/thrift stores you might normally shop at. Good luck!
Yoga pants! Get a nice pair of yoga pants (I got black)! Mine were nice and I was able to wear them to work and dress them up if I needed too, but they also were very comfortable and looked fine with just a T-shirt too! If your husband is bigger than you, see if you can fit into some of his clothes (mine is the same size, so that didn’t work for me)! I worked at a Catholic school when I first got pregnant and had tons of clothes given/donated & loaned to me! I would recommend this route! Scour the clearance racks and get clothes a size or two bigger than what you normally wear, this & the yoga pants will be a great use again postpartum! I also suggest splurging and getting a few outfits that just make you feel wonderful about yourself! http://mylittlebitoflife.com/?page_id=121
I recieved all of my maternity clothes, pretty much, for free through Craigslist, Freecycle and just hitting yard sales as they were ending and people were wanting to get rid of stuff :). A lot of people will just get rid of maternity clothes for free when they are done having children, so keep your eye out on Craiglist and Freecycle. I also recieved a TON of clothes from my sister-in-law (who was then done having children) who got her clothes the same way *laugh*.
Good luck!
http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/search/label/maternity has some great ideas on repurposing old clothing items, or cheap items into great maternity wear. I just made myself a new (and free) maternity skirt out of a pair of my husband’s old jeans and an old shirt I didn’t wear anymore. It is the most comfortable skirt ever! I am planning on making at least one more when I get a chance.
Children’s consignment stores are a good place to look for gently used maternity clothes, without having to dig through the racks at thrift stores.
Definitely Kohls- I had my son 10 months ago and I still head over to the maternity section to find clothes- and I’m skinnier than I was before I was pregnant, but I have found that most shirts these days do not accommodate for long waisted women with nursing chests, so I go for the maternity 😉 My average cost is about $4.70 per item off the clearance rack. I also have a motherhood/pea in the pod outlet nearby that I frequent- they are a true outlet and I have gotten some VERY nice pea in the pod pants regularly $150.00 for $50, and their motherhood items are much lower.
I’ve bought maternity clothes at thrift stores, on Ebay, and the clearance racks at Kohls.
One thing I did to make my jeans last longer was to buy a piece of elastic. I cut three button holes into it and zigzagged the edges with thread by hand. I then attached a button to the other end (make sure the size of the holes, the button you attach, and the button on your non-maternity jeans are all the same size!). You can then put the button through one side of your jeans and put the button of your jeans into one of the holes. With multiple holes you can keep expanding as needed. Of course this works best with long sweaters/tops or with maternity tops.
Blessings on your pregnancy and your growing baby!
I got most of my maternity clothes when I was pregnant with my oldest at Gap Clearance Outlet. They sold both Gap and Old Navy maternity clothes for a FRACTION of the price in the regular stores. By the time I was pregnant with my second, the outlet near me had closed down, so I went to JCPenney’s, Kohl’s, and Motherhood Maternity (when I needed a maternity suit for a job interview and could absolutely not find one anywhere else). Also, I was lucky enough to live minutes from a Gabriel Brothers, which sometimes carried maternity clothes, but it was never a consistent thing they carried.
#1: goodwill/Savers/2nd hand store: you have to hit up several locations, and maybe even several times. I like to find bottoms at these places, and maybe tops. In my experience the tops tend to be much more worn looking, so I generally avoid them. Another thing to look for is that the elastic band is in good shape, not too stretched out or curling/twisted, and that the butt isn’t already too saggy in the pants.
#2 clearance racks @ Target and Old Navy: Especially if ON is having 1/2 off all clearance in that section. A few years ago I really scored on Black Friday with $10 maternity jeans (they carry talls, which are kinda hard to find!) and several shirts from the clearance rack half price for $1.50-$2 each!! Target clothes are generally nice, but sometimes the “clearance” price is only a couple dollars off, I wait to find great deals usually $5 or under!
…As a side note, I also bought a couple of nice pieces from JCP with just a regualr coupon code (had to order online to get the talls), and the courdoroys are my fave!! The couple of shirts that I got shrunk and faded alot in my opinion, but the pants are great. I think I will look for more on Ebay maybe in another color.
I proably bought 75% of mine off of Ebay..(i am a full figured women, so the amount that stores have out its minimum!) I was in khols last night, and they had a bunch on clearance, target carries, (also look on line at these stores) fashion bug has a some on line.
I would put a request in on freeecycle, looks on craigslist…
(when I was done with mine, i sold back on ebay.)
I hardly ever wore maternity pants, they never seemed to fit right, I just wore a streach pant,
Good luck to you….
I found that my husband’s jeans started fitting me around 4.5mos. I would wear those with occasionally a belt that I loosely fit. I wore his T-shirts most days. If I was staying home all day I wore PJs.
I was able to find maternity jeans and dress pants at one of my local thrift stores (Mother Hood). This worked well for the days I had to “dress up”. A friend had given me all of her maternity clothes before we left Hawaii. And my mom bought me some spring shirts as it started getting warmer.
I don’t know where you live, but I assume these are everywhere—those giant twice a year consignment sales are great! You can buy and sell! I live in a pretty small town and we have at least 3 different ones each spring and fall. The “big city” (45 mins.) away has numerous others. Not only maternity wear, but just about everything else for babies and kids!
If you have a Kohl’s store nearby, they carry the Motherhood brand and you can find find things for 4$-10$!! I’m not sure what kind of climate you live in but if it is still warm they are having great deals on the summer clearance stuff (I live in GA so it doesn’t get really cool for another 6 weeks). You may even be able to find a few short sleeve pieces that can be layered over long sleeve T’s which you can buy by the dozen in just just larger sizes at Old Navy!
They also will have really cute dresses (great for nights out with the hubby, parties and the holidays…don’t forget a baby shower!!)
I loved Old Navy too! Target I never really had luck. I found the Liz Lange to be more expensive than the others and I did not find it as comfortable. Shopping according to the size you were prior to pregnancy didn’t work for me there because it did not seem to take into account the ALL OVER weight I gained. I found the items constricting on my arms and thighs (which were on the larger side before being pregnant, but WHOA, NELLIE! during!!)
Good luck to you and the start of your family! One warning…you have NO idea how much love you are capable of…The one thing that shocked me the moment I laid eyes on my children, was how much love I truly had for them. I tell them all the time that I have a whole separate heart for each of them because one just cannot possibly contain it all!
I have found most of mine at Goodwill! Most of them were “Motherhood” or “Duo”, with like one from a brand I’d never heard of. Got great prices on them! I am a trendy dresser so there was no comprimise on looks there! 🙂 I think there were just one pair of pants I bought that needed some of the belt loops sewn back on, they looked as if someone had put a belt way too wide through them.
@Beth,
Also, I too plan in advance for maternity clothes.
I recommend Freecycle or Craigslist — I tried to sell ALL my old maternity clothes and had SO little interest. I ended up selling a gigantic tub for $50 — that included jeans, formal dresses, office-appropriate clothing, etc. So you can definitely find some steals there.
I also recommend checking out regular clothing in larger sizes. For my last pregnancy, I lived in Old Navy Roll-Over Jersey skirts (they are regularly $15 but almost always on sale in some colors) and XL graphic t-shirts from the clearance rack at Target. I still wear the t-shirts although the skirts in no way fit — although they were great postpartum, too!
I did a lot of shopping at rummage sales, consignment stores, and places like Goodwill or Savers. Most of the new maternity clothes I got came from Kohl’s clearance racks…wait until they’re doing a sale where you get 15-30% off everything, or $10 back for every $50 you spend (or both deals together, which they do occasionally!!!), and then stock up! Also, our only daughter is 14 months and we’re hoping to get pregnant again soon, so I’ve been buying things here and there over the last year when I found really good deals. Now I’m really well stocked on all seasons of maternity clothes, and just waiting to need them!! 🙂 Planning in advance can really save you in the long run, if you know you want to be pregnant again.
Here’s a tip: I borrowed a lot of maternity clothes from friends who were nearly done having their families! When I finished borrowing their clothes and went to return them, some friends told me to keep them or offered to sell them to me REALLY cheap. It was great because I knew I wasn’t done having babies. I could keep the pieces I really enjoyed wearing and pass on the ones that weren’t so flattering on me.
Belly bands are great too! They got me through my 6th or 7th month!
Salvation Army often has maternity clothing for super cheap especially if you go on 1/2 off day =)
also check out Ross and T.J. Maxx.
@Laura,
In north TX, there are maternity clothes at Ross but not at TJ Maxx.
Also, Old Navy has free shipping on returns if you order maternity (only) clothes online. At least they used to – I haven’t done it in a few years. Assuming they still do, and you don’t live near one, you can order online and return easily. As I recall, they even send you a mailing envelope to to send it back in, so no need to go to the post office.
@Heather,
Old Navy and Gap both used to have free returns, but now they are return by mail only and it costs you $6.
I found, though, that if you take it to the store (ours is an hour away) that they would take it as a return. This only works if you plan to go to the store. I can’t wear Old Navy maternity becuase they just don’t fit me right.
Don’t buy too much at once. Pants you love at the beginning, you may hate by the end. I loved the idea of the low-rise (wear under belly) pants, but I have no hips, so most don’t stay up well on me. Hard to figure that one out in the dressing room.
Also, don’t overlook the giant full-belly panel pants! Not very stylish, but by the end, they are the only pants that I can tolerate wearing.
Generally, I don’t wear skirts that often, but when pregnant, I find them a good option. I prefer the kind that have a simple elastic waist all the way around (no panel). You can wear it under the belly, mid-belly, over-the-belly – very versatile.
@Heather,
I agree with the comment about the under the belly pants falling down. By the third trimester, mine just fall down all day…which is much more annoying than the over the belly panels!
@Melanie,
And then there’s women like me, who have too much hip and always feel like I’m being cut in half with the elastic band! LOL
Old Navy and friends. I was fortunate to have friends, my size, that were done having children and they handed down their gently used maternity clothes. Even if your friends are having more and on a break right now you could borrow them and then return them when you are finished. You are only really pregnant for a relatively short period of time. Although at the end it does not seem like it.
Old Navy online helped with the fillers. I found a maternity winter coat for $13 and I purchased enough clothes so shipping was free.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Freecycle! This is a GREAT place to post requests with specific sizes.
I post all my items looking for new homes here. Saves me time and gas – I just leave the items on my porch for pick up.
My son is 5 months old, and I still can’t fit into my old clothes. So, I went to Target and bought some more maternity clothes. I found a great pair of jeans that, instead of the big elastic belly band, have two elastic strips on the inside that attach to buttons. You just loosen or tighten the elastic (using the buttons) to where you need it. They work great!
The belly band never worked for me for 2 reasons:
The weight I gained in my thighs was no longer allowing me to get my pre-pregnancy pants above my knees, and…
I contracted very easily and found that the pressure of the band only added to the problem.
I had my son 8 weeks ago (yay!) and I found a large portion of my maternity clothes at goodwill. They were mostly new with the tags still on from Target. I paid about $100 for an entire summer wardrobe and only needed to add a few pieces from Old Navy to round out my pregnancy wardrobe.
I have 3 kids and with my third I was very sick of the things I had worn with the first two. I did buy a knock off “bellaband” from Target. Not only did it let me wear my regular pants through my whole pregnancy but I could also wear a lot of my regular shirts because the band acted as a second layer sort of like the layering tanks. Then I found that a lot of the thrift stores in my area have a lot of maternity pants and skirts that are almost new. I never had good sucess with finding shirts at the thrift stores though, it seemed like what they deemed maternity was realy just plus size and didn’t fit the pregnant shape well.
I got some stuff from eBay, some from a friend and bought some new from JcPenny (they were the only ones who carried tall maternity clothes, I’m 6′). Most children’s consignment stores also have maternity clothes.
Finally, I had my mom make me a few shirts. She used one of the shirts I bought from JCP that fit well as a template and made me a few on the sewing machine. Then I could choose the fabric and add a little additional length.
I second the consignment/garage sales. I’ve gotten a lot of great things from those. Another place I’ve gotten maternity clothes is shadeclothing.com. They are going out of business this week, so have some pretty decent prices, but they only carry basic tops. Also, if you sew, there are great ways to make jeans into maternity pants so you can use old jeans or buy cheap jeans from thrift stores.
When I was pregnant with my first, I wore my husband’s dress shorts – they were a few inches bigger. He had put on some pounds too, and I wore the ones he’d outgrown. I went from a 34/36 inch waist to 44 inches at full term. I also wore a lot of clothes with stretchy waistbands.
the fold-over-waist skirts and yoga pants were great throughout my entire pregnancy and even postpartum. I just bought the regular sizes and even after gaining 40 lbs during pregnancy, they were still plenty stretchy. They can be dressed up or dressed down and cost about $15 each.
I wish that somebody had told me to concentrate on skirts rather than dresses my first pregnancy. Dresses are comfortable, but if you end up nursing through your subsequent pregnancies, you’ll have to wear skirts or pants.
I’m petite and have been able to convert regular skirts from Goodwill into maternity skirts. As an example, I’m normally a petite 6, so I’ll buy a regular 10 that’s not a maternity skirt. Then I cut off the top part of the skirt so that the zipper is entirely gone. I fold over a piece of stretchy cotton to make a band around the waist, encasing a piece of 2″ elastic in the fabric. I make them into underbelly skirts. Finding modest, maternity skirts in petite sizes is almost impossible, but this works well and ends up costing under $10 when it’s all said and done.
I bought a nursing dress, however, and I really like it. It was moderately priced, but I find it is nice to wear for special occasions, and even for church sometimes.
oh! And you can make yourself a bella band. Get a regular hanes or FotL tee shirt 2 or 3 sizes small. Cut it off at the chest, right under the armpits. Bam. Bella band for pennies. I did this last time and it worked just as well as the actual bella band
I’ve gotten most of my maternity clothing from GoodWill. Now that we live in a larger city (Seattle area), there are lots of second-hand and consignment stores that have really nice maternity and kids’ stuff… though I haven’t had a need to buy more clothes here. 🙂
I’ve always worn the same few maternity bottoms (skirts) and had more of a selection of tops since those are cheaper usually (and easier to find in my size)! 🙂
old navy has frequent sales. I’ve found that skirts tend to be full-term wear more than pants. I bought a bella band while pregnant with my fourth, but couldn’t use it, my pants kept falling down. With my fourth, I wore skirts and the bella band let me wear my regular skirts up to delivery.
You really don’t need that much… I have 2 maternity skirts and a handful of shirts. With good care and rotation…some of my things have lasted through 8 years and 5 babies!
I would recommend buying jeans/trousers with the elastic adjustments inside (like inside kids clothes). They can grow with you as well and work well after the birth for a little while. I never had luck with the normal maternity jeans because my belly wasn’t big enough until after 6 months for them to stay up–and I’m not petite by any means, just didn’t really show until then which is kind of annoying for your first pregnancy when you want everyone to know!
Believe it or not, I had great luck buying them off of ebay. I would go to the maternity store, find the styles that looked good on me and then shop for those styles on ebay.
@Melissa, That’s a great idea I hadn’t thought of, trying them on in the store and then seeing if you could find them cheaper on ebay! thanks!
I had great luck, too! I am very petite and can only wear one brand of pants, and I bought several off of eBay for only $1-$2 plus shipping!
@Melissa,
I’m almost 14 weeks pregnant with our 3rd, so I’m right about in the same place as this reader. I have found that while I don’t want to break the bank in buying maternity clothes, it also helps a lot to buy a few pieces that I really love and make me feel and look good, even if it means not getting them for rock-bottom prices. Depending on how many children you plan on having, given that it’s your first, I would also recommend getting as much quality as you can for what you can afford. My stepmom got me a beautiful blouse in my first pregnancy that I’m sure cost $60+, but it has held up the most beautifully and still is in style.
The most I’ve spent on one piece of maternity clothing was full price for a denim a-line skirt at Motherhood Maternity ($34.95). But you know what? It was totally worth it. Not only can I wear it during my pregnancies (I got it in the middle of my 2nd) but also it works well as a postpartum piece, because I often wear it under t-shirts where the smooth waistband actually makes me look better than a normal piece of clothing. Some people have an issue with getting out of their maternity clothes as soon as possible, but I don’t :).
As for stretching your budget the most, I would say look at what your lifestyle is right now and try to purchase according to that. For my 3rd pregnancy, I really needed a new pair of jeans and maybe a couple of sweaters since I’ll be big during the cold months, whereas my last 2 were born in August. I have in mind what I’m looking for, and just look at the different clothing lines and wait for sales, but if I find what I love and it’s a reasonable price, I’ll get it even if it’s not rock bottom.
@Jenni @ Life from the Roof, I agree exactly. There are a few pieces I got rid of after my first pregnancy because I ended up HATING them. Now I try to get clothing I really feel comfortable in (mentally and physically), instead.
I, also, have a piece of “maternity” clothing that found its way into my non-maternity pile – a crossover V-neck shirt that ended up being perfect for nursing.
I have found that Goodwill’s around GA get alot of stuff from Target so it still has the price tag on it.. And buy a “bellaband” (i think that is what it is called) You can get the generic @ Target for about $15 and use it with the jeans you already have..
Those belly bands really work! You can wear jeans, pants, and skirts that no longer can zip up by using it. If you buy one or two you don’t need to get a bunch of bottoms, just use what you have.
@Blythe, YES! love those!!! A must for every expecting mom.
I discovered after my son was born that Kohls has a small maternity section. I know a lot of people here use discount cards for that store – you might be able to do really well. I’m not pregnant right now, but I’d go for a nice pair of jeans (like from Old Navy and Motherhood Maternity on sale) with several tops to rotate from Target, Old Navy, etc.
Also, check consignment store/sales! I never thought of that, but they often have a maternity section even though the sales are for kids’ stuff.
Ross! I bought almost all my maternity wardrobe there…tops between $4 – $8, pants (including dress pants for work) for $6 to $12. I did pretty much rotate through the same 5 outfits each week.
@Jennifer Creswell,
Ross is great!
I love the deals there- even though you have to kind of sort through stuff.
ALSO- YOU CAN NOW RENT MATERNITY CLOTHES!!!!
I found this out recently- here’s the link!!!!
https://www.rentmaternitywear.com/