Skinny pregnant women are invading my space

I know I'm obsessing - but I just can't get off this pregnancy clothing issue. In my opinion, the whole thing is a sham.

Yes, there are some brands of pants that have the stretchy waist and are made of elasticized material. Okay, some shirts are longer in the front and gather at the sides. Fine, tights have a tummy window that are soft on the belly.

But, the rest of the clothes - loose fitting sweater dresses, expensive turtle necks from stores like Belly, on Mount Pleasant, and Kick , on Eglinton Ave., are just regular brands with a heftier price tag.

And, I was told at Belly just this weekend that it's impossible to get my size in almost anything because fall merchandise came in a while ago and now its all gone.

This makes no sense. You can't shop early as a pregnant woman - you have no idea how you'll look, how your butt will balloon or whether all the fat will migrate to your arms or thighs.

And, stores like that attract skinny women, who don't look pregnant.

When I was at Belly this Sunday, a tall (about eight feet), toothpick of a woman who looked one month pregnant (or less) was cooing at herself in the mirror and checking out her butt in a pair of, what else - skinny pregnancy jeans (a ridiculous contradiction in terms, if you ask me).

"Look," my mom said. "She looks so cute in those jeans."

"Of course she does," I yelled. "She's not pregnant."

"I am," the woman answered with a scowl.

"Oh please," I snorted in return.

My mother, embarrassed, apologized for my outburst with her eyes. And then said "she's not taking well to this gaining weight thing," to the salesperson, in reference to my crustiness.

Well, I just don't think barely pregnant women who weigh less than the fetus they're carrying should be allowed to shop next to rotund turkey-like women, such as myself.

Admittedly, I've had a long day at work and I'm tired and hormonal. But come on - I thought pregnancy was a time to embrace bigness?? But how can I do that when even pregnancy stores aren't a safe zone??

Time for bed.

Comments

[Naomi]

Michele - I love that the feistiness is still there! Those women are not really pregnant, it is probably just a food baby and since they are not used to eating, they delude themselves into thinking that they are pregnant so that they can explain the bloat. Joking aside, the fashion industry does not cater to needs, only to trends, so just ride it out and enjoy the knish:)

[Don't fret!]

Ahh..places like Belly, Bump, etc. are so over-rated and attract those skinny pregnant women. Don't compare! Everyone is different and every pregnancy is different!

I would love to shop there, but refuse to pay those prices. Best items I've found are at H&M (yes- they carry a maternity section) called H&M Mama. It is available only at Eaton Centre, Heartland Power Centre, and I think at Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket. Also, you really don't have to be forced to wear pregnancy clothes, especially tops this early. I'm 18 weeks and I've been shopping at H&M regular stores, Banana Republic, Jacob and New York & Co (in the US). We're very lucky that the style now is A-line, empire waist, and long stretchy dresses. Buy necklaces, accessories and wear your fall boots to really play it up.

If Tori Spelling could pull off a non-maternity wardrobe, so can you! Just be creative and open minded in where you shop. You'll never know what you'll find and at what amazing price. You don't have to look frumpy! Embrace your belly, it's truly a blessing!

[Anna]

During my last pregnancy, I got a lot of stuff at, of all places, Winners - look for empire waist tops, a lot of them have so much fabric that they work right through the 9th month. And I second H&M - the selection is small, but nice.

[mommy26]

Motherhood (Eaton Centre)has been my favourite maternity store. Reasonable prices and very fashionable! The jeans fit very nice, and comfy!! The best part is they stay on!! Don't buy Thyme jeans...they fall down. The waist is too thick and the wrong material.
I felt the same way, waiting to shop until I really needed it and had a bump. These barely pregnant mom's must have a lot of money, and buy clothes every week.

[Sheri]

I'm a plus size woman to begin with and I'm having a rough time too. Thyme Maternity looked at me like I was insane when I asked if they had a plus size maternity section. However, at Motherhood Maternity they greeted me with open arms and showed me the plus size AND petite section!

[New Mommy Too]

Old Navy Maternity rocks in terms of price, style and comfort. Plus, while you're buying big clothes for yourself your hormones will entice you to buy super cute baby stuff too.

[DianaBananna]

I'm a woman with a fanny pack of flab. The rest of me is regular size but the fannypack sends my jean size soaring. I just went shopping myself at The Bay this weekend (though I am only in my 9th week, I wanted to get an idea of what was out there) and all of their stuff was geared towards tiny skinny women who dared to have the impropriety to show.
Asking if they had any ACTUAL plus sized maternity garments, as their XL was usually an average of 12, I was told that my best bet was to go look in the SuperSized section. It was very dissapointing, and considering I felt large already, finding myself not fitting into maternity clothes made me felt like crying for hours.

[Michele Henry]

I totally feel your pain. I'm finding shopping for maternity clothes very, very difficult.
I'm short - about five feet tall... and while I've tried very, very hard all my life to stay thin, it's been impossible to control where the pounds end up when pregnant.
Before I conceived, I reasoned, totally incorrectly, that when I did get pregnant, the clothing would reflect the reality that fat doesn't only pile on the stomach. But it just doesn't.
All the stores I've found still cater to taller, skinny women. H &M had really cute stuff, but none of it was in my size.
Other stores are expensive and I still can't bring myself to splurge on clothes I grow out of in five minutes.
I've ended up trying to buy regular clothes in bigger sizes - which just make me look silly, I think. And fatter.
So, I know how you feel. I have broken down several times already. Hang in there!! Keep looking and let me know when you find a great place! I know you will!

[Ellie]

Belly is hilarious -- it's a store for stick-insects masquerading as pregnant women. I think walking out of there was the lowest I've felt, clothes-wise. The snooty attitude of the sales people didn't help, either.

Even stores like Motherhood use ridiculous images in their marketing -- like the skinny silhouette of a woman with a delicate basketball bump on their shopping bag. Whatever.

I had much better luck at Rhonda in Yorkville -- I needed a suit for work and since I am tall (5'10) I couldn't find anything at the mall stores. Thyme doesn't carry suits and Motherhood had maybe one style, but the sleeves were too short for me. Rhonda has an internet coupon for 10% off on their Web site and patient sales people who really know their stuff. I paid less than I would for a good regular suit and it's lasted my whole pregnancy. A friend went and got a lot of good stuff on sale. I would really recommend it.

I have also had good experiences at Old Navy (Can and US) and JC Penny (US). But considering how baby-happy the media is, it's amazing how little there is to choose from in maternity wear.

[Steph]

I know this is an old blog, but I could not help but comment...

You seem to be applying some steep generalizations to one group of people. FYI -- people can't "not eat" and get pregnant. It doesn't work that way. Some people are naturally thin -- get over it! Some people work to get and stay that way -- it's healthy -- don't hate! My experience has been that I can't find anything to wear, because maternity clothes come in all large sizes and not so many smalls. So, it works the other way, too.

[Plus size nursing bras]

Really god to hear that, my days are over for myspace I guess!