Too early for maternity pants? And advice, please!

[bex]

I'm 8+3, and thinking I need to venture into the land of maternity pants.  I'm big enough where my regular pants + belly band + rubber band trick are pretty uncomfortable (the pant button digging in is the worst part), not to mention that it is a total PITA to undo and redo all of that every one of the (5 million) times I have to pee a day.

So, I stopped into the motherhood maternity outlet this weekend and took one pair of jeans back to the dressing room with me.  Then I hear the sales clerk telling a future grandmother shopping for her pregnant daughter to get a belly band and that will last her through about 14 weeks, and she shouldn't need maternity pants until then.

I was so embarrassed I just left without even trying the pants on.  But you guys - I'm not going to make it another 6 weeks!!!  I had a few extra pounds already (so pants were tight to begin with), and I know that this is bloat and not baby, but the fact is, my pants don't fit.  So, can I wear maternity pants yet?  Are they very obvious?  And I probably need new shirts b/c boobs, but I think regular ones in a larger size should be fine for now, right?

And for the love of all that is good and holy, is there such a thing as good maternity dress pants?  The ones I saw at the store looked so tent-like I couldn't even bring myself to take them to the dressing room.

(doesn't help that DH asked me when I will start showing and keeps rubbing my bloat like its a baby - I just tell him if he does it again I'm going to puke on him and that fixes that for a while)

[ang32]

This is my second child, and all I will say is this: go for the maternity pants. If the belly band and rubberband are uncomfortable now it's only going to get worse so welcome yourself into the land of maternity clothes! They are so amazingly comfortable. When I was pregnant with DD, I was like, "no way am I venturing there yet, too early!" but now I know it's a battle not worth fighting. Pregnancy comes with some discomfort; at least wear clothes that help alleviate some of that!

Regarding, maternity dress pants I'm not sure. I do know, however, that maternity leggings are stretchy and will grow with you. I have them in size M from my first pregnancy and I started this pregnancy out 15lbs heavier and they still fit very comfortably.

ETA: I too have a bellyband that I wore over my normal jeans when I was pregnant with DD until I think the 20ish week mark but it was a cost thing, to be honest. Now I don't bother with it because like I said, maternity pants are just much more comfortable and convenient. But they aren't cheap!

[musicalsilver]

Wear what is comfortable, and screw "normal"!

[danabsd]

I've been wearing maternity pants since 6 weeks. Third kid problems.
Also, I much prefer ON to Motherhood.

[morwen]

1) I'm wearing mostly skirts/dresses that are loose and flair out to avoid pressure on my blump

2) I got a pair of linen drawstring shorts from old navy on the weekend - drawstring is awesome when you need them a bit looser and I can put them so they sit below most of the blimp

3) I totally tried on maternity shorts at old navy - they were comfortable but they only had them a size up from what I needed so I didn't get them. But if they'd had my size I totally would have

It's whatever is comfortable for you, I would buy a pair if your that uncomfortable. The sales lady doesn't need to know how far along you are, you'll just be able to use them for longer.

[letal316]

Yeah, I think you should wear whatever makes sense for your body. For my first, the belly band never worked for me. I don't plan on using it for this one either. I think I actually used it a little postpartum because I didn't want to wear maternity pants after I delivered. Everyone's body is different, I don't think there can be a 'normal' with any of this.

[kellybenelly83]

I've been in those 2 inch elastic waist pants for a few weeks. my regular pants with a belly band can be comfy, but only to a certain point. If you feel too uncomforable, try them on and see, its really not up to the sales girl to judge. I even pre-bought a few pairs of full panel pants becuase they were on sale.
Really just go in, try them on and explain that the belly band isnt comfortable if they suggest it to you.

[alpies]

I resisted wearing maternity pants FOREVER with my first and when I finally caved I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. So, so comfy. Don't fight the urge.

[TheImpossibleGirl]

I was about 8 weeks when I started wearing maternity pants with my first. I'm still hanging in there with regular pants and a rubber band for now, but I'm trying to fall back on skirts and dresses more than anything because it puts less pressure on my tummy and hides the blump best (since we haven't told anyone we're expecting yet). It also helps that I wasn't back down to my normal size before I found out I was pregnant with #2 anyway so everything was bigger and more roomy to start out with. Or at least that's what I tell myself to make me feel better!!

Look at it this way, in about 6 months you're going to be uncomfortable and there's not going to be a whole lot you can do to ease it until you have the baby...so who cares what anyone thinks, ROCK THOSE MATERNITY CLOTHES AND BE COMFY NOW!!!

[kh59]

If you are uncomfortable, get something comfortable! There's no right time.

On the subject of whether or not the dress pants ever look nice, it really depends on you, your body, and what you're willing to spend. With my first, because I'm tall and carried high, I just couldn't find any full-panel pants that fit me that were in my budget--they tended to hit me mid-bump and both looked and felt pretty terrible. My solution was to just stop wearing pants from second tri onward. Skirts, dresses, and leggings all the way. That worked for me, so I'm planning to avoid maternity pants altogether this time. Some of my friends love their maternity pants and look great in them, so more power to them. Definitely don't be afraid to try things on, though! If the saleslady asks, just tell her you're 14 weeks if you want ;-).

[piperhalliwell]

I desperately needed shorts and couldn't bring myself to buy some that I wouldn't be able to get on before summer is over, but I didn't feel ready for maternity clothes yet. I broke down and bought my first pair of maternity shorts (not full panel, the two inch elastic waist kind) last week and I am in love with them.

I have to agree with these ladies that you should just do what is most comfortable for you and not worry about "normal." Besides, I really don't think there is a normal with a pregnancy body. Everybody develops and feels differently at different times.

[becwheat]

I am in maternity scrubs art 8 weeks. My ute/bloat is tender and I am much more comfortable in these pants all day. I give no fucks about timing.

[trtlcrzy]

I've been wearing my mat pants for about 2 weeks now...I'm 8w4d today. Any pressure on my tummy makes me nauseous so that's why I made the switch. I do find my full panel dress pants are still a little bit and I end up pulling them up throughout the day, but really that's NBD. I love the black dress pants from gap maternity personally.

[lazyreader]

+1 to wear whatever. I like the low band for early and the giant over the belly one for later.
+1 for ON & Gap.

[tkford216]

As a heads up for those who like ON, looks like they're having some sales/deals at the moment, at least for the next couple days.

[redhead610]

Wear maternity pants! With my first, my regular pants didn't fit by 8 weeks due to bloat and my hips expanding. I tried a belly band but found it horribly uncomfortable. I figured I may as well get maternity clothes and get more use out of them.

At first, I wore long camis under my shirts to make sure I always hid the maternity waist band. It was practical because it was fall/winter. Then I switched to maternity. Shirts in a larger size just looked awkward and tenty.

I have been wearing some maternity shorts for a couple weeks. I also got a few maternity tanks and have been wearing them because I didn't have many regular ones anyway.

[dreadpiratebuttercup]

Go for comfort, and screw what the sales lady thinks.

[mrsmuq]

Maternity pants, unless they're jeans or yoga pants, suck. I bought a lot of wrap dresses that lasted most of my pregnancy plus PP, and we're much more comfortable/better quality then any maternity pants I bought.

[redfraggle]

I've been in maternity pants since 5 or 6 weeks. Honey, if you need them, wear them!

FWIW, I've done this with all my PGs, and I'm not overweight to begin with. I got a lot of comments with my first PG because the pants didn't stay up very well early on, and I was always pulling them up, but I had HG that was much more severe with clothing that was even remotely tight. I didn't really care if other people thought it was too early or not, I was so miserable until I made the switch.

As for style and comfort, don't limit yourself to one store. Kohls, Younkers/Herbergers/Bergners/Boston Store/Carson Pirie Scott, Motherhood, Zulily, and a lot of other stores sell maternity clothes. Craigslist also often has people selling their used maternity clothes, as does Goodwill. Shop around for some things you like, even if you have to pay a little more. You'll feel better about yourself, and you'll make sure you wear the clothes. One thing I didn't realize when I first started maternity pants shopping is that there are different band styles that fit your belly differently and are good for different stages of the pregnancy. Try some different styles of bands to help with the fit issue.

As for new tops, buy them as you need them. Your body is going to change a lot as your PG progresses, and you won't know exactly what will fit you in January until January comes. You can estimate, but if you gain more or less weight than recommended, you may need a different size than you expect.

Best of luck! Maternity clothes shopping can be a real drag.

[redfraggle]

Also, I think the sales lady was just trying to sell belly bands, which are in my opinion, a worthless product. I bought one with my first PG, and I can't say I ever found it useful.

[anna87]

bex, totally lurking from Aug 15, but I switched into maternity pants around week 8-9. I found the band really uncomfortable.

If they are comfortable, go for it

[krl52014]

I have been wearing some if it will make you more comfortable, go for it

[lotsacake]

My son was born in July 14..... I haven't stopped wearing maternity pants. They are just so much more comfortable since my csection.

[wicked22]

I've been back in my maturity jeans since about week 7. Jcp online has some nice looking dress pants but I bought the maturity yoga pants instead. They have a nice clearance section and always have a 15% off coupon you can use with it.

[NellieOleson]

With my first, I was definitely ready to start buying maternity pants by 8 or 9 weeks. Regular pants were just so uncomfortable, even if they technically fit. This time around I bought maternity shorts at like 5 weeks. The bloat was fierce!

As far as maternity dress pants, I have heard great things about J Crew's Minnie and Pixie pants. They are not cheap, but people seem to love them.

[stefuge]

Wear what makes you feel comfortable! The belly band and/or rubber band get old, quick! I have been wearing maternity or elastic pants since 6 weeks (granted, this is baby #3, but still). I also like Old Navy, and I would recommend the low band for now - the higher bands are really annoying to deal with at this point, although they are definitely more comfortable later on.

[rivers and roads]

Do you and what makes you comfortable!
I've been getting by with flowy dresses and skirts all summer, but this new job called for biz-cas and lol @ those pants I wore back in Feb fitting now. My gap maternity sale shipment came in over the weekend so I wore them today. No regrets.

[mishy2010]

Do what's comfortable. I pulled out my maternity pants for Thanksgiving when DD was 18 months.

[musicalsilver]

Jul 21, 2015 14:15:12 GMT -5 redfraggle said:

Also, I think the sales lady was just trying to sell belly bands, which are in my opinion, a worthless product. I bought one with my first PG, and I can't say I ever found it useful.

Just to offer an opposite opinion - I guess due to the way I carried, I only needed the belly band with my regular pants last pregnancy. Never did maternity pants and was never uncomfortable with the belly band.

[eyelashedviper]

I am only holding out because I have loose enough fitting summer bottoms but this thread is making me think about what suitable items I have stashed in my maternity clothes in the basement (as I sit here with my pants unbuttoned).

I had no bloat last pregnancy but had still outgrown my jeans and was WAY more comfortable in maternity pants at 12-13 weeks (I was surprised I was there already). My Mom took me cross-border shopping at a Motherhood outlet and we pretty much bought a whole wardrobe. Anything else I bought throughout my pregnancy was second-hand, I had great luck at Value Village's maternity section. I am excited to check out ON this time around, they didn't sell maternity here when I was pregnant with DD.

bex I hope you find some comfortable clothes you love!