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View Full Version : Maternity tops for the um...over-blessed



smilequeen
10-17-2003, 11:10 AM
OK, I know there has to be someone out there with this problem. I am 9 weeks, so I'm working on an early maternity wardrobe so I don't just wake up one day and nothing fits (this is what I was warned could happen at least)

So...I'm not having a lot of luck here...pants are tough, I'm tall (well 5'9" but it's all leg), I have to search out the longs, but I'm finding them. But its the shirts...why all the empire waists???...even now, without a belly, those things hit ON my breasts, not below...I look like an idiot! (you know, besides the fact that I look like an idiot trying on maternity clothes when I have no baby belly yet :) )

I was a 36D before this, now a 36DD. I don't want to wear button down shirts for the next 7 months. Any brands/styles you liked that were flattering for us well endowed girls?

And as a bonus question, how many cup sizes up did you go? I'm getting scared!

calebsmama03
10-17-2003, 11:30 AM
I'm not well endowed by any means (or super tall - 5'7") but just wanted to say that I had the SAME ISSUE with the empire waist stuff hitting smack in the middle of my boobs! It is just poorly designed. I found some cute stuff at www.babystyle.com , www.oldnavy.com and www.gap.com that wasn't empire waist - I REFUSED to wear that stuff :) The Liz Lange stuff at Target hadn't come out till I was almost done, but I've seen cute stuff there too. I mainly went for more form fitting long sleeve t shirts and knits with a few peasant style blouses. Nothing Empire waist though.

As for cup size, I ended up a little more than 1 cup size (maybe 1 1/2) bigger right now (DS is 7 mos and exlcusively BF) than I was prepreg.
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03

trumansmom
10-17-2003, 11:47 AM
** Edited for clarity***

With my son I went from a DD to an H. And unfortunately, after weaning only went back to a G. This pregnancy has not affected cup size yet, thank goodness!

As far as tops go, the best shirts I have found are from Lands End. They seem to be cut fuller through the bust than other brands, and I don't think any of them have an empire waist. Another good place to look is Kohls (Their T-shirts are longer as well. I really appreciated this close to the end of my pregnancy when nothing would cover the panel on my pants anymore!), and they have pants in tall sizes, too.

Belly Basics and Gap tops are hit or miss for me, but the ones that work are among my favorites.

And even though I love the way Babystyle and Liz Lange tops look, they don't work for me AT ALL!!

HTH-

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01 and EDD 4/23/04!

divabell
10-17-2003, 11:58 AM
I've gone from 40C to 42DD so far (7 weeks to go). Not sure what will happen with BFing... I'm nervous about that!

I work at home so I don't need too much of a dressy wardrobe--don't know what your situation is. But I've had really good luck with Gap and Old Navy knit shirts. They're so comfortable and they still fit now. I hated the empire waist stuff too for the same reason--so if I needed something nicer I went for the button-down shirts. I tried and tried to find nicer blouse-type shirts but no luck. I did get one at Motherhood that was kind of a wrap style--crossed in front and tied at the side. But usually that style didn't fit right in the chest.

Babystyle's stuff is really cute but I found the tops to run small. I guess they're meant to fit tightly. I bought two XL tops that were great in months 4-5-6 but now I'm not comfortable wearing them!

Good luck!

Jen841
10-17-2003, 12:33 PM
I feel your pain! I was a 36D and now am a 38e while breastfeeding.

I did well with cotton shirts from the Gap, Target and Old Navy, and sweaters. Stay away from the buttons.

I was at a DD when I discovered I was pregnant (I was a bit in denial.) They did not grow much more until Jude was born and my milk came in. The belly will grow.

I knew I was pregnant when my belly extended out further than my boobs.

stillplayswithbarbies
10-17-2003, 12:57 PM
I went from a 38D to a 38H.

I remember waking up one night and noticing that my boobs were huge. I swear they popped out all at once and that is what woke me up. That was early on, before I was even showing.

I had the same problem with the tops. I found a nice velvet smocked top at Motherhood Maternity that wasn't too bad. Mostly I stuck to t-shirt type shirts.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

jayhjay
10-17-2003, 03:35 PM
I was a 36DD prepreg and by the time I was fully into nursing I was wearing a G bra! Fortunately, I went back to my prepreg size after a few months of nursing.

I pretty much stuck with pull on type shirts and sweaters (tshirts in the summer, long sleeve pullovers and sweaters in the winter). I shopped at Target, Gap/Old Navy online, Motherhood, and a few other places.

Button downs seem like a good idea at first, but I am afraid you will find (as I did) that when you get bigger, the buttons start pulling open and you get that lovely gaping in the front! Almost all the button downs I bought early on are nowhere near fitting me now. You are probably better off with pull over styles. Good luck!

amp
10-17-2003, 03:44 PM
Karen - I am also very *um, over-blessed". I was a 42D or 42DD (it so depends on the bra for me) prepregnancy and I ended up getting by with 44DD & 46 DD) by the end of it. Honestly, I'm still wearing those bras *and* my prepregnancy bras right now. (Like I said, it depends on the bra and the brand).

Anyway, I didn't buy anything with empire waists as I have had that problem with them back several yrs. ago when they were more in style. So I bought all pullover tops from Target (outgrew these almost immediately), Old Navy, Gap & Kohl's. My favorites, honestly were the ones from Kohl's and Old Navy. They were a nice, soft cotton and they covered my burgeoning belly and kangaroo pouch on pants until almost the end, at which point I stopped caring! After I went back to my regular clothes, I was wishing that I could buy the same shirts in non-maternity, but I just can't find the same ones.

My favorite pants, by the way, were non-maternity Eddie Bauer sweat-type pants and Land's End maternity pants. I had some jeans and khakis from Gap and Old Navy, which were comfortable in the beginning, but in the last month or two, I *hated anything that didn't stretch or had a pouch in the front. They cut into my belly and were too uncomfortable.

Good luck!

Marisa6826
10-17-2003, 05:06 PM
Karen-

I started out at a 38DDD and ended up a 40G.

I got all my tops from Gap online (at the time they didn't have stuff in their stores). Mostly t shirts, although I got a several cute sleeveless sweaters with matching cardigans (which are very generously sized). Since I got hot all the time, I liked having the option of taking the sweater off.

I got my pants mostly from Target, although I did end up with some shorts from Gap, and a cute dress from Old Navy.

The Babystyle stuff runs small and is very fitted. If you're cool with that, they are great. Some of their stuff does go to XL. Toward the end of my pregnancy I was so sick of my "wardrobe" I actually bought a little matching outfit from them. I wore it almost everyday till I had Sophie.

I actually wrote them a nasty note saying that just 'cause I'm big, doesn't mean I'm interested in muu muus. Chalk it up to hormones! :P

Happy Shopping

-m