When to start wearing maternity clothes with second baby

[ashleybama24]

Ok I just found out I am pregnant with baby number 2! My son is almost 13 months old and I am thankfully 10 lbs below pre-pregnancy weight. I still can't wear anything from before pregnancy thanks to breastfeeding. I literally have 5 tshirts and 2 pairs of jeans...pitiful. I need to go get more clothes but am not sure if I need to go ahead and buy some maternity clothes. I know you show sooner with your second but how much sooner?

[okinawama]

Congrats!!!

I too am pregnant with my second (my DS was 14mo when I found out) and I started wearing maternity pants around 10ish weeks. However, I was doing the old "rubber band on the pants" trick much earlier (maybe 6ish weeks). Plus, I wear a lot of yoga pants :) I would have some maternity clothes on hand just to feel comfortable, I hate when my pants are too tight!

[JenaW]

I think it all depends on your current size and what kind of shape you are in. I am 24 weeks preg with #6 currently, but very little of my previous maternity stock actually fits me as I am in close to the best shape of my adult life (well I was prior to getting pregnant!). With my 2-4th pregs, I hadn't lost all of my previous weight, so I was back in maternity stuff fairly fast. Now that I am smaller overall, I would rather wear more fitted stuff that shows off my bump instead of the tent-like stuff I wore before. I am actually just now starting to wear true maternity pants. Up until now I just got out my "bigger" jeans and pants and went up a size or two from where I was. However, I am large enough in the waist now that I want the soft and comfortable belly band and not a regular button and zip fly waist. As for tops, again I have mostly stuck to non-maternity stuff that is more form fitting, but have gone up a few sizes, as my chest has doubled back to near to my nursing size and of course I have a large belly as well.

If you are 10 pounds below your pre preg weight, than your maternity stuff from last time may not fit until well into your pregnancy. Not sure if I am helping at all. You will most likely pop out in the belly earlier, but if you have any of your larger clothes, you may fit into them for the time being.

[lowrioh]

I started wearing the Bella Bands with some of my pants around 10 weeks but by 12 weeks I had to go to mostly maternity pants. As far as tops, I'm still wearing a lot of non-Maternity stuff that I had that were roomy. You might want to invest in some non-maternity tunics and baby-doll tops that you could wear for until 5 or 6 months and then again for a few months postpartum.

[resipsaloquitur]

I had to buy new pants at 7 wks.

[ashleybama24]

It's ironic I have never been a runner but I recently became motivated to start the C25K program. I feel great and even now that I am pregnant I more inclined to work out and stay in shape mainly because I know how long it took to lose all the baby weight this last time. I actually lent all my maternity clothes to a friend...we are having (and had) a huge baby boom in our neighborhood. Plus last time I was pregnant spring-fall and this time I will be pregnant winter-sumer so all my old maternity clothes are for the wrong season!

[KrisM]

That's hard to say. With #1, I was in maternity about 14 weeks, but went to about 26 weeks with #2. I started at the same weight, but just carried differently.

[luckytwenty]

I was in great shape before getting pregnant the 2nd and 3rd time and needed maternity clothes very early. I think it's because my waist had gotten so small that I was in very body-conscious clothes as opposed to yoga pants and baggy tops. :-P I was out of my regular clothes by 9 weeks both times.