17 tips for buying maternity clothing
1. WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO BUY MATERNITY TROUSERS?
You are pregnant and suddenly your trousers no longer fit too well. In the mornings, all is well, but by the end of the afternoon and in the evening, the trousers start feeling tight and you would ideally like to undo a button. This is a good time to look for a pair of maternity trousers. You might think you can just buy a larger size, but that will not alleviate the tightness around your stomach, because normal women’s trousers are not made to fit pregnant women the way maternity trousers are. The fit of maternity trousers is designed in such a way that the waistband is below your stomach and does not press on your stomach the way your regular trousers do.
2. WHAT DO I NEED TO LOOK FOR WHEN TRYING ON MATERNITY TROUSERS?
Keep to your normal size when trying on maternity trousers. The trousers have been designed to accommodate your belly. When you put on the trousers, the abdominal belt can be worn over your stomach. You can tighten the adjustable elastic in the trouser waistband and as your pregnancy progresses, you can keep loosening the elastic. Since the adjustable elastic holds the trousers on your hips, the full weight does not rest on the top of the abdominal belt, so the trousers will not sag.
Tip: Once you have put on the trousers, go and sit in a chair. If you cannot feel the belt on your stomach, it is the right size. If you immediately feel the belt on your stomach when you sit down, try on the trousers in a larger size.
3. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SKINNY FIT AND SLIM FIT?
The skinny fit is tight around the legs and ankles. The slim fit is tight around the legs, but looser around the ankles.
6. WILL THE MATERNITY TROUSERS STRETCH?
Maternity trousers always stretch somewhat. That is why it is important to buy the trousers in the right size and not too large, otherwise the trousers will sag. When you wash the trousers, they will fit snugly again.
Tip: loosen the elastic when you put the trousers in the washing machine to stop the elastic stretching.
7. WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF MATERNITY TIGHTS?
Can I not just buy a larger size? The benefit of maternity tights is that they are designed to accommodate your belly. In normal tights, the seam goes across your stomach. In maternity tights, there are two seams along the side of your stomach, thus there is no seam going across your stomach, which can feel uncomfortable. Besides, it looks better under a dress when the seam does not run across your stomach.
Tip: when you buy tights for a party, buy two pairs. Keep a reserve pair in your bag!
10. AND WHAT ABOUT MATERNITY SHIRTS?
The same applies to maternity shirts, the front panel is longer and rounded along the bottom so the shirt covers your stomach nicely and will not creep up. A maternity shirt also goes better with maternity trousers. The abdominal belt of the maternity trousers is positioned below the stomach and will be visible if you wear a regular shirt. A maternity shirt is longer than a regular women’s shirt and will cover the abdominal belt adequately.
11. I USUALLY ACCENTUATE MY WAIST, WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN I AM PREGNANT?
Your body changes during pregnancy and that can take a little getting used to. Your waist transforms into the so-called ‘maternity waist’. Your maternity waist is beneath your breasts and is the narrowest point during your pregnancy. By accentuating this point with a belt or ribbon, you accentuate your body’s narrowest point, as well as your stomach.
Tip: If you tie a ribbon below your breasts, ensure the bow is positioned to the side of your stomach and not the centre.
Tip: When wearing a wrap dress or shirt, position the bow in line with the wrap.
15. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BUY A MATERNITY BRA?
The best time to buy a maternity bra is when your normal bra no longer fits. During pregnancy, a woman’s bra size goes up 2 cup sizes on average.The fit of a maternity bra is different to that of a normal bra and is more geared toward comfort and support of the breasts during pregnancy. Because the underwire is more ‘banana-shaped’, the bra will not press on the breasts the way a normal underwired bra can do.When you buy a maternity bra, you need to take into account different and important considerations to when you buy a normal bra:
• If you are in the early stage of pregnancy, ensure the hooks on the band are fastened as tightly as possible so that you will be able to make it looser. As your belly develops, your ribcage also protrudes somewhat.
• If you are in the final stage of pregnancy, ensure the hooks on the band are fastened as loosely as possible. After childbirth, your ribcage will retract and you can tighten the band of the bra.
• The underwire must fit well around the whole of the breast. Under no circumstances should it press into the breast.
• The edge of the cup must rest on the breast as it were. If the edge of the cup is pressing the breast, the cup is probably too small.
Tip: Is your bra band fastened as tightly as possible, but riding up? Then it is too wide.
16. CAN I WEAR A NURSING BRA DURING MY PREGNANCY TOO?
You can wear a nursing bra during pregnancy. When you buy the nursing bra, ensure the underwire fits properly around the breast and that you can still wear the band on a looser setting.
17. I WANT TO BREASTFEED. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BUY A NURSING BRA?
You can buy a nursing bra from week 34. An underwired nursing bra is mainly for wearing during the day, a non-underwired nursing bra is suitable for wearing at night and during the postnatal period.You may experience over-supply of breast milk shortly after childbirth. In that case, it is helpful to wear a soft, non-underwired nursing bra.
Tip: you wear breastfeeding compresses/pads in your bra when breastfeeding. Take this into account when trying on nursing bras.
Tip: You will also wear breastfeeding compresses at night. Noppies carries seamless nursing underwear for wearing at night, which you can sleep in too. It is inadvisable to sleep in an underwired bra.
Tip: Ensure you have at least two nursing bras; one to wear while the other is in the wash.
Looking for more inspiration?
Alles over het eerste trimester
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."
Sectie 1.10.32 van "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", geschreven door Cicero in 45 v.Chr.
"Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?"
1914 vertaling door H. Rackham
"But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?"
Sectie 1.10.33 van "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", geschreven door Cicero in 45 v.Chr.
"At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga. Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat."
1914 vertaling door H. Rackham
"On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue; and equal blame belongs to those who fail in their duty through weakness of will, which is the same as saying through shrinking from toil and pain. These cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish. In a free hour, when our power of choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents our being able to do what we like best, every pleasure is to be welcomed and every pain avoided. But in certain circumstances and owing to the claims of duty or the obligations of business it will frequently occur that pleasures have to be repudiated and annoyances accepted. The wise man therefore always holds in these matters to this principle of selection: he rejects pleasures to secure other greater pleasures, or else he endures pains to avoid worse pains."