WHAT MATERNITY CLOTHES DO I NEED?

What maternity clothes do I really need to buy and when do I need to buy them? 

Is it OK to buy cheap or should I be looking at quality, after all it's only a few months?

If I buy maternity clothes too early will I have to buy bigger sizes later in the pregnancy?

Where can I buy maternity clothes? There are no stores around.

All these questions and more, I hope to answer in this blog.


I'm guessing that if you are asking these questions, this is your first baby. Congratulations!

Now there is no rule book that you can really follow for anything pregnancy related. We are all different so the answers to all these questions is going to vary from person to person but as a general rule, you will make it through to about 20 weeks in your first pregnancy before you really need to buy maternity clothes. Having said that, by 8 weeks I was busting out of my normal clothes. If this is your second baby then chances are you'll be lucky to make it to 8 weeks before you are out buying maternity wear.

The beauty of maternity wear these days is that it is no longer ugly moo moos and pants with huge knit panels in the front. For the most part, maternity wear is more comfortable than anything else you will ever wear and they are designed so that you can wear most of it with a belly or without. Even better, most of the maternity tops and dresses are also designed for breastfeeding. You no longer have to buy a maternity wardrobe and later buy a breastfeeding wardrobe.

So the answer to the question of when to buy actually leads us to the answer of whether to buy cheap stuff or quality stuff. I know you've heard it all before, how buying cheap clothes is false economy because it doesn't last long but in the case of maternity you don't really have a lot of choice but to buy quality. There aren't many retail stores here in Australia and even fewer suppliers so what there is will certainly be more expensive than the big chain stores. Most the chain stores have dropped their maternity range so unless you are happy wearing black cotton lycra from Target, you are going to have to lash out a bit. The upside of this is that you are supporting small Australian businesses, you are getting great service and you are getting clothes that will last.

You may think it is a short time that you wearing maternity. Think again! Let's say you make it to 20 weeks before having to buy any maternity wear. There's still another 20 weeks until you give birth. I hate to break it to you but the chances of you making it back to your pre-pregnancy size inside of the first 4 months post pregnancy (without the help of a personal trainer, personal chef and great genes) are not great. So there's another 16 weeks minimum. If you are feeding it could be 12 months or more before you put away the maternity/breastfeeding clothes. So let's say you will be wearing these clothes for a minimum of 36 weeks.

If all you owned was 3 tops and 2 pants, you would be so over these clothes that by the end of the 36 weeks you would most likely want to burn them. You would be washing every few days so as the garment would have to endure over 70 washes you would want to hope it was good quality.

OK, so what am I suggesting you buy?

Ideally, don't go out a buy a whole wardrobe of maternity clothes in one crazy shopping spree. In most cases, whatever you buy will fit you right through your pregnancy, if you choose wisely and get the right advice, but there are other factors to consider. What looks good in early pregnancy, may not look so good in later pregnancy and what looks good in later pregnancy with a tight round belly may not look so hot post pregnancy with a flabby, not so round belly. You are definitely going to encounter different seasons in the time you are wearing maternity/breastfeeding clothes so no point having all Winter wear if you are due at the end of Winter and will be feeding through Spring/Summer.

If you are lucky enough to have a specialty maternity wear store anywhere near you then you have the luxury of popping in as you need things. Even if it is a bit of a trek to get to a store, after one visit you will have a better idea of the brands you like, the styles that work on you and sizing which will make ordering online down the track a lot easier.

If you have to order online, then ring the store and discuss styles and sizes. They will have a pretty accurate idea of what is needed and it will save you a lot of mucking around with returns. Some stores, like Maternity Revolution in Brisbane, will even send you a selection of items to try at no cost and you only pay for what you keep. They also don't charge for postage on exchanges and if you spend over $150, there is no postage charged for your original order either.

I know, I still haven't answered your question as to what is essential to buy and what's not.

You are most likely to need maternity pants before you need tops. Your own pants will start to get tight and uncomfortable, particularly in the afternoon. If you are working I would suggest you buy 2 pair of work pants or work skirts. This allows you to wear one pair while the other pair is being washed. If you normally wear pantyhose or tights then a few pairs of these would also be a good idea at this time. For casual wear it will depend what climate you live in. A pair of jeans and a pair of cargo pants are ideal in Winter but if it is Summer you might lean more towards, shorts and skirts.

If you are really determined to keep your maternity wardrobe to a minimum then pants and skirts are a smarter choice than dresses. You can have several tops you alternate with the pants and it will make it look as though you have several outfits. With a dress, each time you wear it people will recognise it as "that dress" again.

Another quick note about dresses. While they are super comfortable and versatile if they allow for breastfeeding, you do have the issue of thigh chaffing in Summer and in late pregnancy a dress can really make you look huge.

Also, a side note on tops. While I have said that you won't need to buy these as early as you buy your maternity pants, the exception to this is if you used to wearing fitted tops to work that you usually tuck into your pants or skirts. Most maternity pants and skirts have a black knit band on top that would look silly with a top tucked in. There are some pencil skirts in stretchy fabrics that you can buy and if you pull these up high under your bust with a fitted tucked in top, it looks cleverly like a dress.

When the time comes that your own tops just aren't cutting it anymore, then I would suggest buying 3 works tops and 2 work dresses, so you can mix things up a bit. For home you can get away with less as it's normally only the weekend you need tops at the moment so 2 should be enough. Later when you finish work you will need to increase the number of casual items in your maternity/breastfeeding wardrobe.

Bras are just a whole other discussion and you will find my advice on this in an earlier blog here.

A few weeks before you are due you will need to think about what you are taking to hospital. In most cases you wont' be there for long and most hospitals give you a good list of what to pack. Just keep in mind that if you have a caesarean you are better off with nighties and dresses than pants. Also remember that you will be wearing big thick maternity sanitary pads and bleeding profusely so go for dark colours and if you are taking pants, go for long tops. Also remember that you will be having visitors so you are best to have loungewear for day use, rather than wearing sleepwear all day.

Another mistake that first time mum's make is that they forget that they will be having to wear a bra to bed to keep their breast pads in place so they don't leak everywhere. Given that you will be sore and engorged for the first week or so, it is best to take with you soft sleep bras and feeding camis with built in bras rather than your super supportive day bra. Definitely forget the underwire maternity bras for that first week or so.

So in summary I would suggest:

Shopping Trip 1
- 2 pair of work pants or 2 skirts (approx $60 each for pants and $50 for skirts)
- 1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of cargo pants or shorts/skirts (approx $80 for jeans and $65 for cargos)
- Pantyhose/Tights  (Approx $12.50 each for pantyhose and $25 each for tights)

Shopping Trip 2
- 3 work tops (approx $60 each)
- 2 work dresses (approx $70 each)
- 2 weekend tops (approx $60 each)

Shopping Trip 3 (when getting ready for hospital)
- 3 more casual tops (approx $60 each)
- 2 casual dresses (approx $70 each)
- 2 sleep bras/camis (bras around $40-$55, camis $40-$50)
- comfy pants that can double as pj's if needed (approx $40 each)
- 2 nighties or pj sets (approx $80 set or $60 for nighties)
- Disposable breast pads
- Sanitary pads.
-Disposable briefs for hospital ($9.95 for 4)
-Ice packs

By now you will have already bought some maternity bras but don't go too crazy, just in case feeding doesn't work for you. Once you have had the baby and your engorgement has gone down you can then buy a few more bras and some re-usable breast pads which are great for use at home and for sleeping and will save you heaps of money in the long run.

Now the last question I have to answer is where to buy all this maternity wear.

Well the sad truth is that there aren't many maternity stores left. Ladies these days seem reluctant to buy maternity wear and therefore it is not exactly a thriving industry to be in. There are a few left here and there, like us in Brisbane at Maternity Revolution. Brisbane in fact has about 6 stores to choose from but some cities have 1 if they are lucky. In this case, I'm afraid it has to be Target, Kmart or online shopping. At Maternity Revolution we offer online shopping as well and we encourage you to phone or email us if you are unsure because we are hear to help and make suggestions.

Please try and support Australian businesses before purchasing from overseas websites if you can.

Hopefully, if more ladies support local maternity stores then more will open and once again you will be spoilt for choice at amazing prices.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution
1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500
Ph: 07 32051818
Email: lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au

MATERNITY TIGHTS AND LEGGINGS - A FEW THINGS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU DECIDE ON A STYLE.

Seems a fairly simple request. A customer walks into our store wanting a pair of maternity tights. She heads for the accessories wall and suddenly she is confronted with at least 7 different options. Confusion sets in.

Allow me to explain your different options.

Maternity Pantyhose: your conventional sheer 15 denier pantyhose for work and evening wear. 

EXAMPLE: Fertile Mind Sheerhose 2 pack.

Compression Maternity Pantyhose: Same as above but with medical compression for ladies with vein problems. 

EXAMPLE: Therafirm

Footless Seamless Maternity Tights: A thicker style of tight that can almost be worn as a pant but not as thick as a cotton lycra or viscose legging. Very stretchy and comfortable and made in the same way as traditional pantyhose on a knitting machine. 

EXAMPLE: Seraphine Leggings or Fertile Mind Premium Leggings.

Opaque Maternity Tights: Available with feet or without. Half way between a pantyhose and seamless tights. Very stretchy and comfortable but still a bit sheer. A nice lightweight option for layering an outfit. 

EXAMPLE: Fertile Mind Maternity Tights and Footless Tights.

Cotton Lycra Leggings: Cotton lycra is the typical t-shirt type fabric. In leggings it is an actual pant with a very fitted leg. Available in both full length and 3/4 length and can be used to layer an outfit or can be worn as a pant and particularly good to exercise in. 

EXAMPLE: Pea in a Pod cotton lycra leggings.

Viscose Leggings: Viscose is a much softer, thinner fabric that cotton lycra. Probably comfier and better for layering but because the fabric is a bit thinner they probably show a few too many lumps and bumps to be worn as a pant. Available in full length or 3/4 length. 

EXAMPLE: Laila and Spot Maternity Leggings or Pea in a Pod Soft Touch Leggings.

There are also jeggings but that's a whole other story. Jeggings originally were a legging that looked like a jean but the term has been extended to very skinny fitting pants. For example, Pea in a Pod have their Rolls Royce Ponti Jeggings and Ripe have the Isla denim Jeggings. There are also various print leggings available.

Hope this helps. I have included links to the various examples so you can easily purchase them or find out more information them.

If you are after something we don't have or a size we don't have, let us know and we can try and source it for you.

As always, feel free to phone me on 07 32051818 or email me lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au if you need any help.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution
1/124 Southpine Rd
Brendale QLD 4500