winter coat question - pregnant in dead of winter

[CloudBee]

I am due in late March so I will be my biggest during the coldest months.

If you were huge in the dead of winter, what did you do about a coat? We get snow storms up here, and all of my coats/jackets are fairly fitted. There's no way they will fit once my belly pops and I start showing.

Would I look like a fool if I wore my them open with a chunky scarf?

What did you do?

Does anyone carry reasonably priced maternity jackets/coats? The thought of buying one annoys me.

[luvmagoldn]

I had a gigantic pull over fleece that got me through winter - both times. I don't remember ever needing more than that because I was a furnace!

[dr.girlfriend]

I had DS in December (I'm in Philly) and just wore coats open with a scarf in the front. I worked until my due date, so it was really just the walk to and from the train. Not worth buying a maternity coat or anything.

[fussybreeches]

I delivered this past March. In the middle of the winter I wore my coat open with heavy sweaters. Once or twice I borrowed mh's coat. We had a pretty mild winter and by the end I was so warm that I didn't need a heavy coat.

[6fsn]

I was actually able to wear my coat all through my March pregnancy and I'm hoping to make it through a December one too. I see nothing wrong with leaving the coat open. If it gets bad I'd probably go to TJ Maxx and get a coat in a bigger size.

[anonnani]

You can go for a sweater under a pea coat. Not sure the style name but the kind that has the 3 bottons on top and kinda flares on the belly, if you get it slightly bigger afterward they are easy to have a tailor take the buttons in for a tigter fit. I did this while pregnant with my son during the winter. I do advise a sweater underneather for any air that blows up the coat if you get it bigger in size pus pea coats aren't the super warmest.

[whitemerlot]

I bought a cheap, ugly puffy coat from Old Navy for like $20 and wore it. I'm in a cold state and had a spring baby and have a toddler. I went on walks all winter and was so glad I didn't try to get by with just my normal coat.

The first time I was pregnant, I was due in December and just made due with the coat I had. I didn't do much walking when it was cold though.

[jinnifah]

I just did exactly that - let my belly hang out and wear a scarf.
Just being pg kept me warm and toasty on those cold days.

[Ashley&Scott]

I bought a maternity wool blend peacoat. It was really cute & warm. (Liz Lange from Target.) It was $50ish & I easily found a coupon to save 10%.

My office is a sauna in the winter & I was already warm from pg hormones, wearing warm sweaters with my coat open was not an option. I was wearing short sleeve shirts or thin long sleeve tops.

[jr009j]

I bought a cheap winter coat at Motherhood Maternity-like $30 cheap.

[Mrs.Syntax]

My due date with DD was March 25. I live in Wisconsin and at the time, I walked 8 blocks to work every day. I bought a wool peacoat from Motherhood and it was totally worth it. I worked at a law firm and I didn't want to look scrubby.

If I wasn't going to work and wasn't going to be outside long (errands, etc.) I wore a regular fleece jacket, unzipped, sometimes with a scarf.

[barefootcontessa]

I have had two winter babies and just wore my regular long coat with the top buttons down and the rest open with a scarf.

[kittycatlove]

I just wore my peacoat with a scarf. i was so hot most of the time even in the winter the cold wasn't that bad. Our winters are pretty brutal (chicago).

[thatgirl2478]

Aug 6, 2012 20:07:48 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I am due in late March so I will be my biggest during the coldest months.

If you were huge in the dead of winter, what did you do about a coat? We get snow storms up here, and all of my coats/jackets are fairly fitted. There's no way they will fit once my belly pops and I start showing.

Would I look like a fool if I wore my them open with a chunky scarf?

What did you do?

Does anyone carry reasonably priced maternity jackets/coats? The thought of buying one annoys me.

Surprisingly, I used my same coat (and buttoned it - which seems impossible looking back). Honestly, by that point I was so freakin' hot all the time that I was never 'cold' with my coat open! And I gave birth 1 week after the massive snowstorm that hit Chicagoland in 2011.

[hannamaren]

Could you borrow your H coat? Maybe at the very end?
I wore my H button down as pjs at the end.

[shell403b]

CB, I was due in April and I bought a 2XL coat to wear (I'm tall, when not pregnant I already need a L or XL depending on the coat). I then donated it to Dress for Success when I was done (it was a nice coat!). My mom also gave me an a-line swing car coat (wool) that I could wear (it was bright red, though, there were times when I couldn't wear it, plus it was itchy).

Can you go the size-up (or two) from what you normally wear route? (I know that's not ideal, but it may be easier to find and cheaper.)

[Deleted]

I bought an XL winter coat from old navy for $16 when they had one of their many, many sales. I was due in early May, so not HUGE in dec-march, but big enough.

[livinitup]

I had DD in January, in a major snow belt. I wore my coat until the almost-end when I wore DH's Lands End jacket. You can absolutely wear an open coat with a chunky scarf. My sister bought me a cape-type coat that made me feel like a bloated lolipop. It was a wonderful solution and I never, ever wore it. Go figure. Everything worked-out fine.

My big problem was my feet. My ankles/feet swelled in a big way When it became necessary, I actualy bought a nice pair of shoe-boots from Lord &Taylor that got me thru weeks and weeks of snow and cold. And a cheap pair of Ugg slip-ons.

[vanillacourage]

I was due 3/30, wore straight up and down (not pea cut) coats unbuttoned, and could actually fit into a buttoned non-maternity coat almost until the end because the buttons stopped high and it belted right above the bump.

Ditto PP that when you're PG you'll likely run hot. I'd wait until the weekend of Black Friday and pick one up cheap if you need it.

[mollybrown]

I bought a Motherhood Maternity Pea coat for around $30. I wasn't any more hot than usual, so it was money well spent.

[h]

I had DS2 in early April. It doesn't get that cold where we live, but we did go skiing in CO (I didn't ski) when I was 33/34 weeks. I just wore maternity sweaters and a winter coat open with a scarf. I did have one light weight maternity coat from Old Navy.

[statlerwaldorf]

I was due in early April. I ended up buying a plus size coat at a consignment store. The Gap had some really cute maternity coats, but I couldn't justify spending that kind of money. Old Navy had some cute ones, but they weren't thick enough.

[Deleted]

I bought a cheap coat from Walmart in a bigger size and bundled up.

[anna7602]

I had a maternity coat. I bought it with a gift certificate I received to Destination Maternity for Christmas. I don't remember it being too pricey, as the gift certificate was maybe $200 (from MIL) and I was still able to buy a maternity bathing suit and some other basics with it.

I used that coat all through my first winter with DD, too, when I was wearing her in a carrier on my front. And two more friends have used it after me, so all in all, it feels like it was a good investment.

[brit1017]

Aug 6, 2012 20:20:50 GMT -5 jr009j said:

I bought a cheap winter coat at Motherhood Maternity-like $30 cheap.

Same. I had a Feb baby and a Dec baby, so it got used for 2 pregnancies- well worth the money spent.

[tardyfortheparty]

DS was due March 25th & I bought a maternity coat...Gap & it was a little bit of a splurge but we had a rough winter and I wanted ti be comfortable.

[nonsenseabound]

I wore my husband's dress coat. It was larger and looked nice for work. I had both my kids in November and I'm in cold weather and I was fine. We even had a little snow when we left the hospital

[birdmom]

I wore a fleece poncho type thing, and dressed it up with a plaid fleece scarf. It just went over my head and I slipped my arms in and it fit, no matter how big I got.

[aspentosh]

I was due in January and just wore a sweater, scarf and my pre-pregnancy jacket open. Like many have said- you'll be a furnace!

[GailGoldie]

i was pg twice in winter - and never needed a coat that would close - b/c i'd always be so hot from being pg - i'd just wear my coats open