Best and worst pregnancy gear?

[JLeigh29]

I was just thinking about what have been the best things that have gotten me through pregnancy, and what have been no use. There are a few things that I wouldn't be without if I was gonna do this again, and some that were a waste of $$ for me.

Most useful:
Lewis, my body pillow! So good that he gets a name!
My preggo lacy undies - sooooo comfy!
Maxi dresses
Stretchy-top pants and skirts rather than velcro or button up maternity stuff


Least useful:
Belly Bands - I found them very uncomfortable.

So ladies, what are your recommendations for most and least useful pregnancy gear?

[allycat06]

I didn't get very big and carried high so managed to wear all my existing clothes and jeans until bout 37 weeks which was nice. I found all the maternity wear pretty hideous anyway! I bought a few fitting, stretchy tops from cotton on and a pair of harem pants with an elastic waist from sportsgirl which were great when jeans became too uncomfortable. Lived in leggings at home.

Mum bought be a belly belt which I never used so that would be my least useful I guess?

[Cassius2]

My Fav Pregger Picks:

breastfeeding pillow...as a sleeping pillow to support my guts and relieve the hip ache
ripe maternity jeans that i bought for $6! (has an elastic waistband so sits low rather than covering the guts
stretchy maternity skirts...i also dont dig the velcro/button stuff
Hot Milk maternity bras! oh.so.comfy. just wish i had of had them first time around lol!
leggings!

My Dust-Collector Pregger Picks:

Belly Band...got the smallest size and it still swam and kept falling down, so it looked just like a crumpled piece of fabric around my waist.
bonds maternity bras...found they had no support and i would spray milk outta the top LOL!
Floral print maternity tops...what was i thinking...probably tuning 'hyacinth' from 'keeping up appearances' LOL

[volcomkitty]

Mum bought be a belly belt which I never used so that would be my least useful I guess?

Definately. I was trying to think of things, but forgot about this. Absolutely useless for me, the smallest one made my pants too big.

[Cupcake]

My chiro is ordering me a body pillow & breast feeding pillow, cant wait for them to come in!

I have a pink pair of stretchy pj shorts that mum got me for chrissy and im absolutely living in them! They were only cheap & from best & less i think but oh so comfy!

Also my white maternity tops from bub2b (i think its Targets brand? or Kmart) are awesome! Tight fitting but they cover bump nicely!

No useless things as yet..i dont have any belly belts haha

[allycat06]

Floral print maternity tops...what was i thinking...probably tuning 'hyacinth' from 'keeping up appearances' LOL[/COLOR]

love that show! rrriiiiiccchhhhaaarrrrd!

[~me~]

I had a denim skirt I lived in through all three pregnancies. It was by Monika Monkhouse. Wore it summer, winter and autumn.
Most useful was a pair of maternity tights (winter pregnancy). As alot of the normal tights didn't give room around the belly and itched.
I didn't buy alot of maternity tops, the most useful were the Giordano brand tops as they stretch really well and then go back really well after you have had baby.
Same goes with Metallicus.
Least useful were things that sat under my belly. Ok at the start, then when I got big they were really uncomfortable and I felt like I was always pulling them up.

[Nai]

Best -
Maternity/Breastfeeding pj's from Dangerous Curves. I still wear them!
Bonds maternity singlets
Maternity bathers from BigW
Stretchy black pants from Pea in a Pod

Useless -
Belly belts and bands

[feeb]

Best

Pumpkin patch maternity jeans
Pumpkin patch and Target maternity tops stretchy and long!!
Target loose thin cotton PJs


Worst

Body pillow (couldn't get comfy with it was too long and took up too much space)
Bio oil

(didn't have a belly belt)

[AliBaby]

Best
-BellyBelly
-Rennies
-PP maternity jeans
-maxi dresses
-thongs (couldnt reach down to put on shoes so thongs were great)
-my pedastool fan (that hting went everywhere around my house with me as I used to get so hot)

Worst
-daggy maternity clothes that cost a fortune
-baby name books (easier to search internet)

[MrsFabuloso]

Best:

Black yoga pants from BigW (I think??) I got about 4 pairs and lived in them through 2 pg's. I will need to invest in more for a 3rd pg though!
Maternity t shirts from Kmart
Maternity jeans from Pumpkin patch
Long sleeve cardi's
Hot milk Mat bras. (Still wearing them almost 2yrs later!!)

Bad:
Any Bonds maternity wear (just doesn't sit right on me)
Belly band (absolutely useless for me!!)
Maternity bras from BigW
Maternity pants from pea in a pod (small sizings nothing I got fit me!)

[rosie77]

Ok one lonely vote for the belly band

I wore it from week 8/9 to present (Week 18). My jeans were getting too tight to button at that time but I couldn't really justify buying maternity clothes yet. I got 10 weeks more wear from my jeans by using it.

It worked best for me when I tucked the top half inside my jeans, making it about half the height (iykwim). If I left it sitting up (as you are probably meant to) it was too loose and bunched and rode up.

Getting too uncomfortable to wear as I'm getting bigger so I bought jeanswest maternity jeans today. Too early to say if they are hit yet but they look nice on and are very comfy so far!

[Persephone1]

So far...

Love:
My Belly Belts (another vote for the belt!). It pays to shop around though - I got some good, reasonably cheap ones from eBay. The best ones are thick fabric that don't fall down.
iPhone Pregnancy Application. It's American but still useful and good fun.
Heat Pack for back pain.
Long t-shirts from Target. They're not maternity shirts, but Target makes some regular size clothes that are long enough to cover the belly. I've lived in them since 12 weeks, and they were all about $15 each.
Poise Liners for the extra moisture
Belly Belly, of course.
Slippery Elm tablets for reflux/heartburn.
Positive Birth Stories on Belly Belly.

I'd put my Body Pillow in the "sometimes great" pile - sometimes it really helps me sleep, other times I find it too crowded and suffocating.

Do NOT Love:
Baby Name book. Total waste of money and paper. I've resourced all our baby names from newspapers, google and Bellybelly (stealing names from other Mums).
Up the Duff (pregnancy book) Not my cup of tea, but I know other preggy ladies like it.
Unsolicited advice.
Negative birth stories from people who feel they need to tell me.

[~Hestia~]

BEST MATERNITY ITEMS
Long, skinny body pillow
Pumpkin Patch maternity tops. They were nice & long.
Slippery Elm Tablets
Womama maternity bras. So soft & comfy.
Bando Belly Band. LOVED IT!! Mine was seamless & super stretchy. I wore it everyday, kept my pants up & my belly covered. Even wore it post birth for weeks as it was great for holding everything in IYKWIM!!
Bonds maternity singlets
Bonds maternity jacket. This was awesome as it was nice & stretchy, plus it was hot pink!! At a time when all I could find were grey striped maternity clothes - this was heaven!! Was really sad when I grew out of it post birth so to speak lol.

WORST MATERNITY ITEMS
Belly Belt, didn't get this at all!!
Target Belly Bands. These ones were loose & uncomfortable
Maternity jeans. Waistband up over the bump gave me the irrits, waistband under the bump meant my pants kept falling down!!
Grey striped maternity clothes!! Most of my maternity wardrobe is white/grey strip, black/grey stripe or just grey...because apparantly pregnant women don't want colour?
Kmart pregnancy tops, because they're all very tight fitting & sometimes I just wanted something to hide behind lol.
Hot Milk maternity bras, once my milk came in they were very uncomfy.

[Winter]

Mum bought be a belly belt which I never used so that would be my least useful I guess?

My mum bought me one as well and I found it incredibly useful, I wore it all the time. Made my work pants & jeans last for AGES just with a long top over them.

Pregnancy pillow was ACE, couldn't have lived without it.

Least useful - anything ginger! urgh talk about making a girl want to spew!!

[~me~]

BEST MATERNITY ITEMS
Bando Belly Band. LOVED IT!! Mine was seamless & super stretchy. I wore it everyday, kept my pants up & my belly covered. Even wore it post birth for weeks as it was great for holding everything in IYKWIM!!

Yep, forgot that one.
Oh and I bought two Anita maternity bras..the best investment ever!

[Winter]

Up the Duff (pregnancy book)

I agreed - the tone is patronising. Give it a miss.

[entreat]

Love...
Belly band - when the work shirts couldn't button up over the belly any more.
Tunic tops - combine with tights/gym pants & you look great (even a big-bum like mine!)
Hot Milk bras - can't rave enough about them. Nice to have something with actual coverage!
The loose summer-season fashion - 80% suitable for a preg belly
Belly belly - speaks for itself!
The lycra pants mum gave me - no idea where they're from, but I look great in them
Pillow for the knees - knocked the SPD on the head early on.

hate...
The button in Jeans expander - was useful when belly was small, but found as belly has grown, pants quickly try to retreat to knees... I spent so much time pulling my pants up, and have all but given up on them.
Undies that are too small - give up, buy the bigger granny-dacks for the duration.
Some stupid preg book I bought for DH - I wish I could remember what it was called. Had a picture of a bloke in a hospital gown & hair net on it. Even he found it to be a disgraceful sexist & patronising book. He was so annoyed with it that she asked if I minded if he didn't finish it, and then threw it in the bin at the airport on the way to the plane.