Where To Get The Best Maternity Clothing Essentials
Now that I’m well into my eighth month of pregnancy (hello 34 weeks!) I feel pretty confident in the pieces that are the best essentials to buy to prepare for your maternity wardrobe. I spent quite some time trying out different brands and styles, as I wanted quality pieces that will stand the test of time, but that I could also wear pregnancy-to-pregnancy or even after I give birth. At the end of this whole pregnancy journey, I’m really happy with what I chose to invest in and the great pieces I was able to find that were really inexpensive, yet still held up really well. Read on below to see what pieces are a must-have for any mama-to-be!
Jeans
I searched for quite a while to find maternity jeans that were comfortable, stretchy, high quality, and also inexpensive. Unfortunately, I actually struggled quite a bit with that! I was never able to find jeans that fit all the criteria above. What I found to work well is to get the maternity version of jeans that I loved pre-pregnancy, because the fit would be consistent and I know that they already work for me. I tried a few designer brands and ended up loving Madewell maternity jeans, Paige maternity jeans, and Citizens of Humanity maternity jeans the most (which I both own and loved before pregnancy!). I would scour sites like Nordstrom Rack and the sale section of A Pea in the Pod to get a good discount, and some you can score for under $100! I only got a couple pairs to wear because I knew they would last and I didn’t want to overdo my stash. I got a mix of both over-the-belly and under-the-belly jeans to wear depending on what top I was wearing that day. It all depends on how your bump is sitting for what is most comfortable for you. I linked my favorite jeans from my pregnancy here.
Tees
I wanted to find some great tees that weren’t too form fitting or ruched on the side (those look too maternity to me!), but almost everywhere I looked didn’t have anything like that. I also found most maternity tees to be strangely long. Anything that did catch my eye happened to be way more than I would spend on a tee that I’d wear for only a few months. Enter ASOS Maternity tees - their basic tees are less than $10 and hold up really well, plus they have lots of cute options as well from striped to floral to graphic tees. Their basic tees come in multi-packs as well, for an even better deal! I own multiple styles and colors, and love all of them.
Leggings
The further I got into my pregnancy, the more uncomfortable jeans would be with my growing bump. Starting around 32 weeks or so, I would wear leggings almost exclusively! When searching for the best maternity leggings out there, I wanted something inexpensive, thick, and ones that would hold up wash after wash. The Old Navy maternity leggings were that for me. Being under $30 at full-price (and you know Old Navy always has a sale!), they were right within my price range. I have the full-panel maternity leggings in both black and charcoal (aka over the bump), and also want to grab the low-panel leggings as well (aka under the bump - and less than $20!) - they come in a multi-pack too! These are a must for any mama-to-be!
Dresses
During my pregnancy I had quite a few formal events and I wanted to find dresses that didn’t look maternal or dated, but also didn’t break the bank. ASOS Maternity is another lifesaver here, with their gorgeous and relatively inexpensive maternity dresses (most for under $100 if not less). I found a few great pieces to wear for date night, weddings, or parties that we went to (some seen here, here, and here), that I can always pack away and keep for my next pregnancy! I also tried to buy dresses from other brands that I knew would work during and after my pregnancy, just to prevent buying something I would only wear once (some of those seen here and here). Grabbing dresses with empire waists, are swingy, or even ruched bodycon dresses can work for during and beyond.
Bras
One thing I wasn’t prepared for during my pregnancy was having to buy basically all new bras. In addition to an increased cup size, my band size had to go up as my bump grew. I would become really uncomfortable anytime I wore a bra with underwire, regardless of the size, so I finally tried True & Co’s True Body Bras and never looked back. They fit like a sports bra and don’t have any underwire at all, but still give a little lift and support and are soft under the bust. I got these in a few colors and styles and wear them almost exclusively now. They probably won’t work well for after pregnancy, but during they were definitely a lifesaver for me and my ever-growing body!
Work Pieces
To be honest, before I was pregnant I didn’t even know LOFT had a maternity line! But they’ve been great for grabbing some inexpensive and cute maternity items for work. They fit true to how they do with their regular items as well, and you can use LOFT’s many discount codes for them (they almost always have one going on)! I really liked their work pants the most, as they aren’t a big investment and are actually super comfortable! They also have a few work tops and dresses, but I wish they had them in petite maternity - some of the tops did run pretty long on me. Overall though, an inexpensive way to have a great maternity work wardrobe.
Investment Pieces
I didn’t want to invest too heavily into my pregnancy wardrobe as I knew I wouldn’t be wearing them for more than a few months. The pieces I did choose to invest in were pieces that I knew I could wear pregnancy-to-pregnancy (see the section on jeans above), or were pieces that I could wear after my pregnancy as well. Hatch is a brand that designs pieces that you can wear before, during, and after pregnancy so that the investment is more worth the cost. I bought a few items from Hatch that I ended up loving, such as their long sleeve tee (super comfy!) and a structured top that I could wear to work. The pieces are pretty high quality, which they should be considering the price. Thankfully I was able to buy the pieces at a discount, as the brand isn’t necessarily cheap, but I know I’ll be wearing them well after Baby Z arrives!
