What did your's cost?

Just curious what the average price for maternity clothes is where you live. I was just visiting a friend who is due about the same time that I am, and she had just gone out and bought a bunch of new maternity clothes, which were very cute! But the prices! :rolleyes: I remember them being expensive when I was pregnant before, but she got two t-shirts on "sale" for $45 for two, and some capris for $59! Again, they are really nice, but I don't understand why maternity clothes have to be so crazy expensive!?! I have been looking around at the second hand stores (there are a lot of good, well established ones here especially for childrens and maternity clothes) but there are going to be a few things I'll need (want?) new. And the other thing with the maternity clothes that I have found is that the shirts are often too short, and the quality is not that great. I found that they lasted me until I was about 8 months, and then everything started to look pretty worn. There are not too many items left from my previous pregnancies that I want to re-use.
So is it just in North America that the prices seem crazy, or is this what everyone has to pay? (BTW, from what I can tell, the Australian dollar is pretty close to equal to the Canadian dollar.)

My mum bought me some lovely new stuff that's around $100 for the pants, and $80 for shirts etc.

I agree that they are all a bit short, its annoying. What I'm calling my "parsons' nose" (ie like the bit on a chook) keeps poking out when I don't want it to. But that was at a maternity designer shop.

Hi Cricket - no it's pretty much the same here. It's more expensive at the maternity shops. Kmart and Big W sell some ok stuff which isn't too expensive. I guess you could sell them when you're finished with them.

Looks about the same - two long sleeve tshirts for $55 (not each, but both) and jeans for $59.

If you're worried about the tops being too short, if you do a search on eBay for "tummy wraps" there are some sellers who make these maternity tube thingos so you can wear your normal tops or shorter maternity tops for longer. Also great if you were hipsters, you can continue and still cover your tummy with the wrap if you want.

HTH,
Rachael

It is highway robbery sometimes I reckon. I have brought most of my mat clothes from baby shops etc and found that while yes, they are expensive at the time, I am wearing stuff this pg that I brought for my first pg. So they better stuff seems to last a lot longer than the tops etc I've brought at BigW and other department stores.

Another thing you could buy is a belly Belt, a piece of elastic with fabric inserts to use with your normal pants/jeans etc.

One way around it is to buy a season ahead. This bub is due in December so I know (all going well) I will be really big in the hot months. My last bub was born in June so I have no summer maternity gear. I just bought 2 t-shirts, 2 pairs of capri pants, a pair of lightweight jeans, 2 skirts, a caridgan and a singlet top for $220 for the lot - and that was from a "boutique" store. So shop around, but yeah, maternity gear is pretty pricey.

Hey Cricket! A fellow Canadian yay! Are you in Canada atm? If so you are heading into summer and I think I prefer being preg in summer just for the fact I only needed one maternity item which was black dress pants. Other than that I have been living in normal tank tops, and skirts with elastic waists and if I need to I go a size(or more) up. I hope this boy comes out before the cold weather hits though because I just have nothing that is warm that fits. Roll down yoga pants are a great option for casual wear too, I think I have 3 pairs but they are in my hospital bag for after birth now. I just don't buy into the whole maternity clothing thing because they charge huge prices because they know they can.

Girls ATM Pumpkin Patch online is having a sale on Maternity Clothes. Not bad prices there :D

I have never bought mat clothes and this is my third pregnancy. I'm terrible about spending money on clothes at the best of times, I rarely buy them, so seeing these horrid prices on maternity clothes scares me LOL.

I go to places like "millers' and buy things that are size 16-18 (I'm normally a 12) and get skirts that will sit below my belly and I've even gotten these pants with a huge wasteband made out of stretchy material, like huge, and it goes over my belly perfectly, even this late. I didn't pay more than $10 per item, and the pants with the huge wasteband were only $5. I then buy really large tops, the ones in fashion were perfect for pregnant tummys with the high wasteband thingy and then flows over from that.

I've been given maternity clothes over time, mostly older stuff but really out of that the only thing I've used was a belly band which is a life saver, covers everything that my tops don't anymore as my belly hangs out the bottom and it seals up that bit between the tops and bottoms. I've also used a mat tracksuit with my last two babies that my mum gave me as she had just had my sister and used them. I alternated with two of these but I found that my tummy grew out of them pretty quickly, even though they were mat pants. I didn't have these tracksuits this pregnancy.

Around the house, I usually wear drawstring shorts, size 14 and have them sitting below my bump and I wear DP's shirts which are XL and surf brands :).

I'm measuring bigger than I did when I gave birth to DS, have done now for 4 weeks. Still I'm going along without mat clothes and pretty happy about that. I got out of it really cheaply. It was just a one off spend at Millers of $65 and I bought another skirt and top in the beginning of pregnancy that added up to $25 all up.

OMG I'm shopping in the fat lady end of the market and there's nothing I can get for love nor money under about $80!! $45 would be a bargain!

I'm contemplating just shopping a size or two up at my fave fat lady shop and sewing in some strategic elastic. I'm going to look like I'm wearing a sack anyway so it might as well be an affordable sack LOL!

Am concentrating however on making sure I have enough long tops - I don't really like the thought of my stripey tummy peeking out at everyone!!

Maybe try cute dresses and wear them as tops. It is all the fashion atm anyway. I am lucky that I was an 8-10 to begin with and now I am starting to get too big for 12's but like I said before, I live in my skirts and singlets, I am screwed on a cold day though :)

Oh...I had the TOO SHORT problem...mainly in the last month or so and man was it annoying...cos by then I wasn't going to buy anything else!! I had about 2 shirts that fitted me so I was constantly alternating and at home I just wore DH's shorts and a shirt so I didn't have to wear my "good" (lol) clothes. I bought a heap of really stretchy singlet tops in size 12 (I am normally an 8) from Best n Less for $5 each and lived in those through summer and I can still wear them now because they shrink back in size after being washed so they've actually been a great buy!! I wore them under other little tops etc too for different looks.

I bought belly belt so I could wear a handful of 3/4 pants etc I already had...so this minimised my outlay a lot. I tried to get a few things which weren't "maternity" but cos of the style could be worn whilst pg. I do agree though that the cost of maternity clothes is ridiculous!!

I LOATHE buying maternity clothes.
I get so cheesed off having to spend so much money on clothes I'll wear for a few months then probably have to give to a friend!
I bought a couple of good pairs of pants for work, and yep they were around $70 ON SALE grrrr.
I also have the too short problem at the end but by that stage I refuse to buy anymore clothes so I go to Best and Less and buy big huge mens t-shirts and wear those for the last month. Then I use them for labour, and then I throw them in the bin. LOL.

I have had to spend $80 for a pair of slacks for work, thats more than I have ever spent but I wanted to be comfortable and still look a bit stylish.

With tops I have found a lot on Ebay, this week I got 10 tops for $50! Instead of proper maternity tops I have gone for loose fitting flowy things that can accomodate my bump.

I got a lot of stuff on ebay or at factory outlets, but I did splurge on my maternity jeans (egg maternity, $129) and they were woth every cent. I loved them!

i've only bought a few maternity items so far and they've all been REALLY expensive... i got them all from Premaman on Toorak Rd, so you wouldn't expect to be finding a bargain there anyway... but, i went to a few other (much cheaper) maternity shops first and couldn't find ANYTHING that looked half decent on me... the standard price in the shop is $200 for corporate trousers or skirts, and about $150 for casual pants... the tops are generally about $60-$100 each. it's very expensive, but the stuff there (pants especially) just fit me so well and are SO MUCH more flattering than any other maternity stuff i've tried on...

Yeah, my main problem is my size - I started as a 6 pre-pregnancy and am still a 6 (sometimes 8) in maternity clothes. I bought a normal dress one size up, and it is ok, but you can tell it is too big in the arm holes and also the cross over front (have to wear a top under it). Summer stuff ok - those singlets are a great thing, I've bought about 7, works really well. Had to buy a maternity dress for a wedding but have worn it again, and it was only $95 so not too bad - might even get some more out of it yet.

Check this site out: www.motherhood.com. A lot of us Feb belly buddies from 2006 bought our mat clothes from this site - had it shipped out to Aust. and everything. Least you will save on shipping !!!

I think they just see us coming all vulnerable and just wanting to feel pretty, so the clothes are really expensive 'cause they know we'll pay. But i got some nice things knitted tops from target, not too pricy but not really cheap, but I think they'll last a while