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pregnancy moneysaving
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starlite_2
Posts: 2,428 Forumite
I can't find a thread on this topic already, only ones for baby moneysaving, and thought it might be good to collect some ideas.
My first question is maternity clothes..they seem to be really expensive and I am wondering if it's possible to get away without them. I have personally bought loads of the gypsy skirts with wide soft elasticated waistbands, along with anything jersey or lycra, real bargains to be had in h&m and primark!.I hope pairing these with long tunic tops will be fine for the summer, as i don't really wear trousers anyway, but hope i'm not just unprepared for how big I will get and how awkwardly things will fit on me.
another thing is maternity bras..not to be too graphic, but things are 'increasing' already and i don't want to waste money on quality bras that will only be useful for a few months. Is it worth buying nursing bras for use during pregnancy as they will be useful for much longer? or should i expect even more changes after the birth?
Same goes for maternity pants, are these essential? or can I not just buy bigger and stretchier ones than normal. A friend told me she wore mens briefs whilst pregnant as they were far more spacious and comfortable while recovering from labour, but I couldn't do that! I still need to feel pretty..he he
I have stocked up on folic acid and vitamins wherever I see them on a multibuy offer, and have asked friends to keep an eye out for baby product vouchers etc.
Any other ideas?
My first question is maternity clothes..they seem to be really expensive and I am wondering if it's possible to get away without them. I have personally bought loads of the gypsy skirts with wide soft elasticated waistbands, along with anything jersey or lycra, real bargains to be had in h&m and primark!.I hope pairing these with long tunic tops will be fine for the summer, as i don't really wear trousers anyway, but hope i'm not just unprepared for how big I will get and how awkwardly things will fit on me.
another thing is maternity bras..not to be too graphic, but things are 'increasing' already and i don't want to waste money on quality bras that will only be useful for a few months. Is it worth buying nursing bras for use during pregnancy as they will be useful for much longer? or should i expect even more changes after the birth?
Same goes for maternity pants, are these essential? or can I not just buy bigger and stretchier ones than normal. A friend told me she wore mens briefs whilst pregnant as they were far more spacious and comfortable while recovering from labour, but I couldn't do that! I still need to feel pretty..he he
I have stocked up on folic acid and vitamins wherever I see them on a multibuy offer, and have asked friends to keep an eye out for baby product vouchers etc.
Any other ideas?
Membre Of Teh Misspleing Culb
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Comments
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Hi
I found the bigger I got the more waistbands didn't feel comfortable round my middle, but I know other people who just managed in normal clothes in bigger sizes.
I found Asda had a good range of maternity stuff. I had a few maternity knickers but rest i just bought bigger sizes.
Make sure you fill in all the coupons from your Emmas diary etc, and join the baby clubs (Tesco, Huggies) etc. As these will keep sending you money-off vouchers from time to time.0 -
Hi
I am currently 26 weeks pregnant & just starting to get uncomfortable. I bought maternity clothes off of ebay, none of them fit properly or comfortably! I don't mean beacuse they were off of ebay, they are mostly mothercare, next & dorothy perkins maternity brands & I tried things on in the shops prior to buying to try & get an idea of cut, fit & size. They just don't fit my bump! I would say I am wearing about 35% maternity clothes & 65% big regualr clothes/regular clothes with elastic bands round the buttons etc. I am a trousers girl so need the maternity ones of them but other stuff I think the bigger sizes fit better than maternity cuts anyway.
With regards to bras, I found I grew massively for the first 10 weeks & have now stopped, at least for the time being. I bought Tesco value bras at 2 for £3 during this time. Not at all sexy but they did the job! I am still wearing my pre-pregnancy knickers, just with the waists rolled down a little bit (Oh-er!)
All the advice seems to be that I will definately need proper maternity pads for the first week or 2, don't try & compromise with anything less. After that night time pads should do the job, although I have bough washable ones ( I am planning on using washable nappies so they can go in with these, not for the squeamish though)
Vitamins : Be careful, I would suggest only buying the specific pregnancy ones, not regular vitamins. Firstly you will need folic acid, although I get lots of this in my daily diet anyway (porridge oats every morning!) I still wouldn't risk it for the first 3 months. Regular vitamin pills can also contian vitamin A which is very dangerous during pregnancy. I took pregnancre everyday for the first 4 months, when I was being very sick & probably wasn't getting my full nutritional requirement, then I dropped it down to every other day as I beagn to be less sick & eat more, now I just take one if I have an off day.
HTHPost Natal Depression is the worst part of giving birth:p
In England we have Mothering Sunday & Father Christmas, Mothers day & Santa Clause are American merchandising tricks:mad: Demonstrate pride in your heirtage by getting it right please people!0 -
I bought loads of maternity clothes for my first pregnancy but this last time around I just couldn't find anything that wasn't frumpy.
I bought a pair of Tesco low rise velour tracky bottoms which fit neatly under bump and a pair of Asda Yoga Tracky pants which s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d up over bump. As I was Preggy over Xmas I invested in a pair of black maternity pants and two maternity tunic tops and the rest of the time wore normal vest tops or tight T shirts with tracksuit type jackets over the top.It depends very much what you need clothes for....work/shopping/sitting at home?
I'm normally a size 10-12 but bought cheapo size 16-18 knicks from Asda and the same for bras. As long as they're not underwire then supermarket value bras are fine as long as they offer good support.
I hated maternity pads as they feel like you're wearing a pillow so I stocked up on Always Night-time pads which were wonderful.
What I would say it that a decent pair of shoes is not a compromise. A good pair of breathable, flat, comfy shoes is a must for those last few months. Mind you a pair of Asda flip flops (£2) were my favourite pair until it started snowingJust run, run and keep on running!0 -
Hi
You can buy bra extenders for about a pound/ They simply make your existing bras bigger. I went mad as soon as I found out I was pregnant last year. Striaght to Mothercare and 3 bras at £28 each. 3 weeks later they didnt fit. I ended up adding the extenders on. Job done.2007 is my getting slim year
Total weight loss so far is 16llbs:T
Total to go 15 pounds:eek:
Not no more as im having a baby:D0 -
i made my own maternity pads and breast pads last time i was pregnant..... they were so much more comfy than nasty disposable ones and cost me nothing
cos i made them out of an old sheet
will go along with the bra extenders too - unless you are getting larger in the cupscos they won't help you then
:rotfl:five children? I must be mad........ :rotfl:
aug grocery spend - £166.450 -
I'm, not so sure the extenders will work for me, I have gone up three cup sizes already!and as for stuff below the waist..thats what i hope to go for..unless it gets too uncomfortable, i am experimenting with things one size up from normal at the moment and hoping it will work
Also as it will be summer I aim to rely on a good pair of birkenstocks!
am I silly to think it will be okay to keep wearing my beloved heels?I wouldn't want unnecesary pain or the chance of toppling over..Membre Of Teh Misspleing Culb0 -
I'm 26 weeks too and have bought loads of mat clothes - I've got a bit carried away. I've been using the discount codes you get for verbaudet etc, as well as buying sale things from their websites. Also I've bought a few pairs of jeans from ebay. If I don't like them I'll just resell!
Primark has been great too.
I find that layering is a must. The maternity vest tops from H&M etc are great for this as they are long. I can wear my normal cardis only done up at the top with one of these vests.
Re shoes, don't get anything too flat as this is just as bad for you as high heels. There was an interesting article about this in the Telegraph a while back. I don't think I can link to it but it's in the Health section.0 -
You just need to work out what best suits you, really.
Personally, I found that nothing was as comfortable as proper maternity wear, especially the hideously unattractive stuff with the big material stretchy panels at the sides. I was adamant that I would never wear them but couldn't get me out of them by about seven months!
As for bras, the medical advice that I was offered was that you could manage without 'proper' maternity bras, but should never wear underwired bras during pregnancy. Hope that helps.0 -
oh..hadn't thought of ebay..silly really as i often get clothes from there..great idea..and then i can resell if i take care of them!
h&m does have some nice maternity stuff but i'm trying to stick to regular clothes for as long as possible..
it was quite upsetting on saturday night when i was getting ready to go out for a birthday meal and none of my dresses would fit, but i'm sure that should be the least of my worries..he heMembre Of Teh Misspleing Culb0 -
jo_b wrote:You just need to work out what best suits you, really.
Personally, I found that nothing was as comfortable as proper maternity wear, especially the hideously unattractive stuff with the big material stretchy panels at the sides. I was adamant that I would never wear them but couldn't get me out of them by about seven months!
As for bras, the medical advice that I was offered was that you could manage without 'proper' maternity bras, but should never wear underwired bras during pregnancy. Hope that helps.
I'm not saying you aren't right Jo B but this is not the adivce I have been given, I have been told it is fine to wear underwired bras during pregnancy up until I start to produce milk, and not to wear one from then onwards if I intend to breast feed or whilst feeding. Might be worth getting this clarified?Post Natal Depression is the worst part of giving birth:p
In England we have Mothering Sunday & Father Christmas, Mothers day & Santa Clause are American merchandising tricks:mad: Demonstrate pride in your heirtage by getting it right please people!0
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