When did you start wearing maternity clothes?

[Deleted]

I feel like a poser thinking about dragging my maternity clothes out this early, but dude-- my belly is sticking out and my regular pants hurt! Did anyone else start wearing maternity clothes this early (11 weeks)? I know you can show a little sooner with subsequent pregnancies, but this seems a little extreme...

[CloudBee]

6 weeks - I couldn't comfortably button my work pants due to early bloating.

I don't understand why many women put it off as long as they can. You look better (and don't show as much early on) in pants that actually fit.

I preferred demi panel pants until about the 3rd tri, then went about 50/50 with full panel and demi.

No one will be able to tell you're wearing maternity pants.

[Deleted]

I started wearing maternity pants around 12 weeks with my first pregnancy. I figured that by wearing them "early" I'd get the most "bang for my buck." No reason to be uncomfortable when a better option exists! :-)

[hocus2]

At 11 weeks I bought up a size in regular clothing.  I was in maternity in second tri.

[gibbinator]

My jeans started becoming uncomfortable around 15 weeks, and I bought my first maternity pants at 16 weeks. Life became so much more comfortable when I switched.

[pinkpinot]

I was doing the rubber band thing around 10-12 weeks because omg the bloat. Then I bought maternity yoga pants from Old Navy and never looked back.

[Deleted]

8 weeks. Elastic pants 4 lyfe.

[leonard131]

I didn't really start until 20-22 weeks but was doing the rubber band trick at 16 weeks. It was spring and I was trying to wait until summer when I could just wear dresses and not really have to deal with maternity stuff.

[heygrey]

this thread makes me feel a lot more justified in considering it at 13 weeks. i don't have any belly to speak of yet and i haven't gained any weight, but my pants are getting uncomfortable. i'm terrified that my ass is getting bigger, lol.

[arch01]

i had a bella band until 11 weeks (started at 8ish) and went to maternity pants FT after that. shirts was much longer-20+ weeks.

[CloudBee]

People over-think this too much. You should be thinking of comfort, and the "but it's too early!" should never cross your mind.

Comfort, comfort, comfort.

There is no being justified in such a decision.

[kangaroo11]

I had to get pants at about 11 weeks because the bloat was awful. I wore regular shirts until at least 16 weeks (lost 5 lbs fist tri since I threw up so much).

[docholly]

I started wearing maternity pants with my first at around 12 weeks and with my second at about 8 weeks due to just wanting to be more comfortable. I also don't get waiting until the last minute to wear maternity clothes. A. I like to get my wear out of them because they can be $$$. B. They are so much more comfortable than stuffing your bloated self into a pair of jeans. C. Maternity clothes can be cute!

[sjh722]

I remember my regular pants being slightly uncomfortable around 14 weeks, but I tried wearing maternity pants and they weren't any better, LOL. I think I did regular pants with a bella band until about 20-21 weeks, then literally, overnight, they became so uncomfortable and I switched to maternity pants.

I'm also taller (5'9) and have a long torso, which helps. I have a friend who's closer to 6' and I think she made it to 26-28w still being able to wear regular pants low-slung or rubber-banded. My SIL was the same way. Most of my shorter friends switched earlier. No one can really tell which pants are which, there's no sense in holding out for an arbitrary date.

[slug*bug]

I showed late with both kids, so I didn't bust out the maternity until later than average.

But I think comfort is key: I say go for it.

[HoneySpider]

I started around 15-16 weeks, I didn't really need maternity pants yet but I was flying to Hawaii and figured I wanted to be comfortable. After that I was hooked so I kept wearing them even though I could have worn regular pants just fine.

I'm in the "wear it whenever you want to so you can be comfortable" camp.

[djc315]

Aug 26, 2013 9:26:54 GMT -5 @acaawesome said:

8 weeks. Elastic pants 4 lyfe.

This. I have not fully ditched the elastic pants.  Demi panel, FTW!

[soozy87]

22 weeks

[heygrey]

Aug 26, 2013 9:53:16 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

I remember my regular pants being slightly uncomfortable around 14 weeks, but I tried wearing maternity pants and they weren't any better, LOL. I think I did regular pants with a bella band until about 20-21 weeks, then literally, overnight, they became so uncomfortable and I switched to maternity pants.

I'm also taller (5'9) and have a long torso, which helps. I have a friend who's closer to 6' and I think she made it to 26-28w still being able to wear regular pants low-slung or rubber-banded. My SIL was the same way. Most of my shorter friends switched earlier. No one can really tell which pants are which, there's no sense in holding out for an arbitrary date.

even if goals are stupid, this is what i was hoping for. i have a lot of torso for this kid to hang out in so i'm not expecting a noticeable belly any time soon. unfortunately, i'm finding that my stomach is just sensitive. any sort of pressure for an extended period of time annoys me. 

finding decent maternity clothes in my city is nearly impossible - i've looked, and all my pregnant friends before me have struggled. i'll switch to tights and tunics when i get super uncomfortable and shop for better clothes when i'm in the states this fall. 

[galaxy8227]

I started around 10 weeks with my first and seven weeks with my second. I figured this time since I already had them I should just start using them.

[dulcemariamar]

Around week 12, i pretty much made the switch to maternity clothes

[sjh722]

heygrey, I wore a lot of leggings. :-)

[Deleted]

I mostly wear dresses so I am still in those. Started using the rubber band on my jeans at 5-6 weeks due to bloat. BeBand at 8 weeks. I bought one pair of maternity jeans and wore them last week but they are still kind of big. I think I will just wear dresses for the next 6 months or so. I feel huge but people tell me that they couldn't tell I was showing before I told them. Comfort is key.

[ladygrey]

I finally broke down and bought some maternity pants at 16 weeks. I don't know why I waited so long - they are super comfy, especially full-panel jeans in the winter (I loved having an extra layer under my clothes).

[kdubs923]

Early. I already had them from a previous pregnancy (but miscarried right after purchasing, so never wore them the first time).

This pregnancy, I was so uncomfortable from the first tri bloat, so I tried on the maternity jeans around 10 weeks. I was literally doing squats in front of H while saying, 'THEY FEEL LIKE YOGA PANTS'. Never went back.

[whitepicketfence]

With DD1 I didn't need maternity clothes until around 15-16 weeks. With DD2 I started wearing them around 8 weeks. I was SO freaking bloated the 2nd time around.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using proboards

[magpie]

I think I waited until about 22 or 23 weeks, but changed as soon as my regular jeans became super uncomfortable. My bump is pretty high and most of my pants are pretty low rise (and were also a size too big to start with, since I lost some weight right before I got knocked up). I can still fit into a pair of my regular shorts now. I guess my regular clothes are too frumpy, lol.

[statlerwaldorf]

I didn't start showing until around 15 weeks, but I started wearing maternity earlier than that. I had to stop wearing tight fitting pants early on. They were just too uncomfortable. I wore a lot of dresses.

[thebreakfastclub]

Pants - used the Target belly band and continued with mostly regular pants until about 20 weeks. Tops - wore looser fit blouses / sweaters until about 24 weeks.

I felt huge when I first put on maternity clothes. I am still wearing my maternity robe now though, LOL.

[ginkgoleaf]

Ummm early. Like 9 weeks I wore maternity shorts because I was so bloated. I was wearing maternity pants at least half the time before I even told work, and I told right around 12 weeks. Maternity clothes are comfy, yo, especially with the bloating.