Not a fan of Motherhood Maternity.

[luckytwenty]

I think I liked it better when I was just starting to show and had a tiny little baby bump. I wore a small back then. Ha ha ha.

So we have a wedding this weekend and I'd ordered a dress online. The dress has a ribbon that's supposed to go under the bust, but being a DD preggo woman, that line went across the chest. So I went to the store where I was told they could exchange only, not return.

An hour later, I walked away with a dress I might wear as a bathing suit cover up, but not to the wedding. Everything was either cheaply made or just looked awful on me. I think they cater to women whose breasts don't change during pregnancy. Spaghetti straps??? Seriously?? I need lasagna noodle straps to hold up this cleavage!

And going up to a size L didn't help at all, because then it was swimming everywhere else, which made the belly look comically enormous.

[OctoberMommy2010]

I have been totally disappointed with Motherhood. I find that a lot of their material is cheap and doesn't wash well (and their return policy is ridiculous!) I'm wearing black capris from there now and after they come out of the wash they are so stiff and uncomfortable. Yuck! I get a kick out of spaghetti straps too. Who are they kidding?

I hope you find a dress for the wedding. Recently, I bought a couple of dresses at Target that were in the regular womens section. Since they were free flowing (but still formal enough for a wedding) I can totally get away with them (I'm just shy of 7 months pregnant) and they didn't break the bank either! I've gotten a lot of compliments on one of them and it's SO comfortable too! Sometimes us preciously plump pregnant women need to think outside the box. Maternity clothes can be so heinous! GOOD LUCK!

[sste]

I hate motherhood maternity, peapod, etc (they are all the same company). Terrible quality. Terrible customer service. I have nothing good to say and I don't see how they stay in business.

I second Target. Haven't done shopped there personally but a friend liked Kohls.

This is my favorite maternity source and you can sometimes find coupon codes for % off or free ship. I have not had a problem with their return policy. http://www.bellydancematernity.com/?campaign=adwords&kw=belly%20dance%20maternity&gclid=CKyH4J-CnqMCFRFrDAodECPTXA
It is expensive but they have sale items. If you phone the salespeople are very helpful and they have several dresses that you can dress up/down. I have this one and it literally can go from beach to wedding if you change your shoes/jewerly:
http://www.bellydancematernity.com/NOM-Jade-Annalyce-Dress.html

[swissair81]

I can't buy online maternity clothes. I have to know how they fit before I buy. Unfortunately, destination maternity is all we have, so... Their return policy is awful though.

[DrSally]

Yeah, no one is a fan of Motherhood Maternity around here. Their clothes are cheaply made and return policy is horrid. I've had better luck w/ON or Gap maternity if you have a store with maternity nearby.

[sste]

Doesn't gap have maternity stuff too? That might be another option for OP.

I am someone that needs to try on too but if you don't have an issue with having a large credit card charge and then refund, what I normally do is buy a pile of stuff - - as in 2 sizes of my top 3-5 picks and often even more. And I treat it like a home shopping/personal shopper thing where I just reconcile myself in advance to paying $10 or whatever to insure/return ship (which for me is not a big loss given the costs of gas and sales tax in my area). It is less expensive to do this as a per item matter though if you are buying a bunch of clothes for the season rather than an individual dress.

[wellyes]

MM stinks. It's Sears quality but sub-Sears customer service which is really saying something.

HOWEVER, they do a nice pair of plus size petite maternity jeans. Other than that, bah humbug on them.

[WolfpackMom]

I def got all my maternity clothes from ON, Gap, and a consignment sale, with a little bit of Target mixed in. Peapod, Motherhood, Desitnation people warned me ahead of time are extremelly irritating, especially since they want you to sign up for everything under the sun when you check out. I only walked into one maternity store while pregnant, one time because I needed leggings that would fit with my belly and I had to explain why I didnt want monthly newsletters etc since I was already 8 months along and these were for a one time party to wear with a dress. Blech the clothes are just a rip off and they have terrible CS policies.

[DrSally]

Target is another place for better quality and prices in maternity. I bought some stuff online (better selection) and you can return it to the store if you don't like it IIRC. I would definitely look online at Target and see what you find.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

while i did end up getting a few key items i really really liked at MM while preggo (like cropped pants for super cheap, a nice dress for a wedding, velour sweatpants), by the time i was in 3rd trimester i started looking elsewhere for the bulk of maternity clothes. The return policies/CS didn't bother me, as i only bought in-store and so i tried everything on before buying. However what annoyed me was when an item would be marked down "on sale" and it went from being $30 (overpriced) to like $25 (still over priced). a month later, and no further markdowns..but the fact that it's on sale meant that u couldn't return it. Um, that's not really a "sale," that's sneaky if you ask me.

for maternity clothes, i really really liked Old Navy..especially back then when they had ON weekly and i could get 20% of my entire purchase (in add'n to the discounts they had in store). i never got a dress there, but i got a ton of really nice tops and pants there. Gap was nice too, but i mostly got only sale items. i also got a few dresses from LizLange maternity from target.com. i don't like to order online but i figured since they allowed free returns to Target stores, it was worth it. the dresses i got were really nice, and i was able to get several for $25 each or less. though, the problem with the Liz Lange ones is that i couldnt' wear them postpartum bc I couldn't nurse in them (whereas the dresses at Motherhood usually have the faux wrap-style front that allows you to nurse).

i recently bought a few pairs khakis i really liked at Pea & Pod (no longer preggo, but still need maternity clothes), and the quality seemed great to me..but i bought on a major sale, i think for like $25 or less. No way in heck would i have paid $70 for them. the style at Pea & Pod is waay better than Motherhood but then again seems $$$ for what it is.

[luckytwenty]

Yeah, this was my second time in MM since being preggo--last time I desperately needed a bathing suit and Target's maternity didn't have my size, and this time, I needed something for an event on Saturday.

I buy everything else online from the Gap and ON, and have some nice stuff from Target, too. But Target didn't have much in terms of dressier dresses in stock in the store.

Very frustrating.

[creativelightbulb]

Gap (for the tall pants only), Target, Macy's woman size 1 or 2, TJMaxx/Marshalls woman sizes 1 and 2 and Lane Bryant have been my go to for maternity clothes....

[luckytwenty]

For me, the problem with just going up a bunch of sizes is the fit isn't as good. With dresses the belly makes the front of the dress several inches shorter than the back, and with pants, my hips are maybe a few pant sizes bigger but my belly makes it who knows how many sizes in the waist.

[SnuggleBuggles]

It's a terrible store. No reason to shop there- I never bought a single item there. They sell all your info, I am sure (why else do they make you give your personal info for purchase?). It just bugged me so I skipped it. Kohl's, Gap, Target and ON got me through. :)

Beth

[rkold]

I guess I was lucky in that my MM experience wasn't that bad. I got a few cotton sundresses for about $20 each there and they seem to work fine for me. I think my biggest problem is I wish they made x-small. >>;

The ON near me has an awful selection and the fit on dresses and skirts tends to be way too long for me. I bought a few t-shirts there but the dresses do not work at all. I'd love to try some Gap things but none of the branches near me carry maternity and ordering on line when you're not sure of size and fit doesn't work well since it can be a pain to return things. All the companies claim you should just wear whatever size you use to wear and... that has not been the case for me. I'm much smaller in maternity sizes than I was pre-pregnancy. The Target near me also has an awful selection too. ~.~

I did find one maternity sundress I adore at H&M and my 2 pairs of favorite shorts are from there as well.

Like you, I need to figure out something to wear for a wedding. My brother is having a huge formal wedding over Labor day week end and I'm still attempting to figure out what is going to work and what is not.

[sewarsh]

Def NOT a fan of MM either. CHEAP is right and Pea in a Pod is SO expensive! I have gotten plain black dresses at Gap Maternity before and dressed them up with cute jewelry and heels for weddings.

[marymoo86]

Last time I was in Gap Maternity (http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6035&vid=1&pid=761858) they had a really cute silk dress - simple with a ruffle in the front down the cleavage. Fit was good to a bit big in the normal wear your prepregnancy size, size. I have been able to score some major deals there.

They are doing 25% off purchase when you use your Gap card too.

[kam]

I'm with everyone about Motherhood. Blech -- the quality is rotten, the clothes don't wash well, and the cut isn't great, so they're not always that flattering. (They're just "ok").

My approach is different than others -- I save up and focus my buying on fewer items from the more expensive boutiquey lines. I like to look polished and a little fashionable, and if I have to wear only a few outfits the whole pregnancy, then so be it. I have gotten a few good things at A Pea in a Pod (sister store to motherhood), but don't rely on it exclusively.

There are a few traditional maternity boutiques near me, and I love belly dance maternity, since they carry a few brands that work well for me and have an excellent return policy for returns/exchanges. And, if I'm really energetic, I can go down to their NYC store during lunch. Another online site that has a wide variety of brands/prices is duematernity.com. Since this is my second pregnancy, I'm trying to just "fill in" my wardrobe from last time, which makes it a little easier, too.

But basically, maternity clothes suck. I had a Feb baby last time, and will have a Jan baby this time, and I REFUSE to buy a coat. :P

[lizzywednesday]

I did Nordstrom online for the dress I wore to my brother's wedding this past January. I was 32 weeks along and only needed a tiny alteration (which Nordstrom did for me in-store) and a new bra.

This is similar to the dress I bought; mine is long and I bought it in bronze:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3031894?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=predictivesearch&keyword=ripe+maternity&origin=searchresults

Sizing is true to the chart.

[KpbS]

Yes, their clothing is terrible. Uncomfortable, poor fit, overpriced, etc. I shop consignments and thrift stores for maternity pieces sometimes and don't even bother to try on the MM stuff.

[luckytwenty]

Lizzy, that's absolutely gorgeous.

I don't think I can do an online order, though, with the wedding a few days away. Sigh. I think I'm going to wear a simple solid dress and just get creative with accessories.

[LadyPeter]

It isn't just MM/PP/DM, though. Maternity clothes in general are positively the worst clothes I've worn in my life. Cheap, nasty fabrics, unsuitable for work, inconsistent sizing, and often styled (tragically) for teenagers.

What do adult women with JOBS wear when pregnant? I can't afford to buy everything at Isabella Oliver, but Target, Old Navy and the aforementioned maternity stores barely carry suitable weekend clothes.

I have enjoyed being pregnant, but I desperately miss real clothing. Made of natural fibers.

[DietCokeLover]

My fav clothes came from ON, Target and Kohl's. But, I also found a few good pieces at JC Penney.

[ewpmsw]

I've also been pleased with JCP, but most of what I ordered was casual stuff and I can't speak to the quality of their work or dress clothes.

I recently had a great experience at Motherhood when they were my last resort for maternity shorts. The saleslady was incredibly helpful and professional. Otherwise, I'll never order from their online catalog again. They screwed up several items in an online order I made during first pregnancy and it took weeks to get anywhere with correcting the order, sending the items I'd ordered, etc. They'd only give me credit in the form of gift cards to Motherhood Maternity on items I'd ordered that weren't in stock. Letters sent detailing the problems and incorrect items/item numbers were ignored and it took way too many phone calls to get the ball rolling on resolution. It was a nightmare.

[swissair81]

My favorite maternity piece of all time is from Gap- http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6035&vid=1&pid=637340

I have 2 of them. I love them to bits and pieces. I wear it every single day. Actually, I'm happy I looked up the link to post here because they have been sold out in any size I could have fit into for a long time. I think I shall order another one now.

[KpbS]

My favorite maternity piece of all time is from Gap- http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6035&vid=1&pid=637340

I have 2 of them. I love them to bits and pieces. I wear it every single day. Actually, I'm happy I looked up the link to post here because they have been sold out in any size I could have fit into for a long time. I think I shall order another one now.

I have been looking for this very item! Thank you for the link and the rec. I wish I had a GC though to help justify the price.

[swissair81]

Always glad to share the wealth.

[AnnieW625]

I bought a couple of sweaters and tees with DD1 that I was able to wear with all of my pregnancies, but yeah their return policy stinks. If it's not too late check out this dress from Old Navy: http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=739676002&tid=onfr1r
I have a similar version from 2006. Love it!

[brgnmom]

I think I posted a couple of months ago about being frustrated by the lack of trendy maternity clothing available... I was in the search for cute summer maternity dresses. I ended up finding non-maternity dresses at Ann taylor loft (B&M) and sizing up (medium or large petite) and they've been working out well so far. I still wear my non-maternity shirts that are stretchy and form fitting now... I've steered clear of the maternity tops that are traditional or stereotypical maternity, if you know what I mean. I can't escape having to wear my maternity capris though & found a pair of capris that actually look ok at motherhood maternity. But that was one of my very few purchases there.

[marymoo86]

I've steered clear of the maternity tops that are traditional or stereotypical maternity, if you know what I mean.

I know! Why must a lot of the dresses/tops have that silly thin strip of material to imitate a tie! I have seen several items that were cute but I hate those 'belts'.

I have had a lot of luck at Gap maternity - cotton dresses/top/dressy khaki's. Even have gotten some dressier wool/poly pants there as well.

However for really dressy dresses - Nordstrom has been my go to place. That's where I got my baby shower dress and a couple of others for work when I could snag them at a great price.

The other complaint I have about Pea in the Pod is why the funeral clothes at such high prices? I couldn't believe all of the dark clothes during late spring and summer.

[kam]

It isn't just MM/PP/DM, though. Maternity clothes in general are positively the worst clothes I've worn in my life. Cheap, nasty fabrics, unsuitable for work, inconsistent sizing, and often styled (tragically) for teenagers.

What do adult women with JOBS wear when pregnant? I can't afford to buy everything at Isabella Oliver, but Target, Old Navy and the aforementioned maternity stores barely carry suitable weekend clothes.

I have enjoyed being pregnant, but I desperately miss real clothing. Made of natural fibers.

Yeah - the work thing is my problem, which is why I have about 6 work outfits that I can mix and match. The only way to do it for what I do (a litigator in NYC) is to buy the expensive stuff in coordinating colors and re-wear constantly. For more casual "in the office" days, I can often get by with a pair of slacks and a top/sweater. Actually, winter is easier for me -- sweaters and slacks go just fine for non-client days. Summer maternity clothes are really revealing, and NOT work appropriate!!!

[PGTB]

I didn't have a bad experience with the MM and Pea in the Pod. I actually quite like them, the customer service was always great, the sales-ladies polite and attentive, they give you water, put stuff for you in your fitting room, there is always a clean bathroom, you pretty much feel like you are in a more high end department store. I was never harassed by cashiers at checkout to provide my personal info, I just say "no" and there is no problem with that. The prices sometimes are a a bargain for their sale items and overall they are not in any way higher for similar quality stuff than anywhere else in mid range department stores like Macy's. At the end it's all the same stuff made in China not of best fabrics if you want to shop on a bargain end. It's not like you are going to get premium quality cashmeres and silks for 20-50 bucks anywhere.

The only thing I hate about MM is their ridiculous return policy, it's like you are buying it and you are keeping it.

As far as design of clothes, I didn't find it that bad either, I mostly bought bottoms from them because I needed the hidden belly waistband. I used a lot of my regular empire waist tops and stretchy sweaters and dresses during my PG. They just stretched over my belly and I liked that look better as opposed to flowing lose fabrics. I bought 2 nice quality cashmere tops lose wrap style to go over my tops and dresses and wore them the entire winter and will wear again non-PG since these are not maternity.

I did go again to the store after giving birth to buy some work clothes for summer, because my regular clothes wouldn't fit. I just like shopping there as it's more relaxing and faster than a regular department store in Manhattan or having to go to a discount store, which is hell. I found some great bargains on summer dresses (which BTW look like non-maternity empire waist dresses) and some skirts and tops.

[TahliasMom]

when i was pregnant 6 yrs ago, yikes, i worked in a corporate atmosphere so it was slacks and button down shirts. this sucked because i'm 5'3 so regular maternity pants were too long. i ordered my pants from jcpenney because they were the only ones that had petite preggo slacks. there was no way i was going to alter maternity pants. most of my tops came from JCPenney and ON online. now ON had maternity stuff in the stores! i never cared for motherhood and all their affiliates.

[catsnkid]

I hated them all!!! Probably the best were the borrowed gap stuff! I had a few pieces I bought at Motherhood, particulary work pants and a hoodie, a few tops. Found a few things in the thrift store, a few in the consignment, was given a few casual tops from Old Navy & JCPenney. Kohls stuff was okay but they have minimal selection and are sorta expensive compared to the rest of the store. I had a pair of Target pants but really didn't like the quality.