plus-size moms to be

anyone else just feeling gross? i just can't get excited about getting bigger with the baby because i just feel so fat and unattractive... worse than i usually do. My SIL is due a week before me so she's about 20 weeks now and i saw her belly shots... she looks so cute and pregnant and i just look like a big fat, gross blob. Also, i hate ALL maternity stores. why can't they make maternity clothes for chubby moms too? it's all for tiny girls that now just have a little bump. how about something for us too? i look ridiculous in just about everything... and buying the smaller sizes at a plus store like Lane Bryant...that doesn't work either because they are too big everywhere else. i am sad because i am not enjoying this as much as i should... i know i need to get over myself. deep down i am thankful and know how blessed i am that everything is fine and baby and i are healthy, but it's just frustrating to go from the good year blimp to the good year blimp plus 1.

okay, vent over!

Message edited 2/7/2009 6:21:55 PM.

Re: plus-size moms to be

Sorry you're feeling crappy.

I have gone through those feelings too once in awhile w/the whole maternity clothes thing...some of the regular size maternity clothing I wouldn't have fit into before being pregnant, so def not now!


I know LB has plus maternity online...so does JC Penny online....

I wish there was more selection too


Just think of how special this all is though, being pregnant! Sometimes if the clothes aren't doing it, I might to do something else to make myself feel better about how I look--fix my hair nice, put some make up on, do my nails, etc

Re: plus-size moms to be

i struggle with this EVERY single day....

1. Lane Bryant has a maternity section...try there - they have some very cute tops and pants...

2. JC Penney also has a plus size maternity department online. I just got some tops from them and they are VERY comfy...

mentally - the struggle is VERY real and kinda takes away from all the 'fun' of being pregnant. I have struggled with my weight since i was 14 years old... One thing that helps me is that EVERY day i tell myself, you are NOT fat - you are making space for your baby girl... I try to repeat that to myself many times - but do it EVERY morning....

i tend to wear clothes that are WAY too big for me - so i haven't had to purchase many tops (except for a few that i just mentioned)...and i have a gift card waiting for me with Lane Bryant..

this may sound silly - but when i first got pregnant and was on this board for a short while (this specific board) - i threw out an sos to plus size girls to FM me - to discuss personal stuff, like the 'double bubble', etc. SO many women reached out that i felt so overwhelmed and NOT ALONE....

we are here for you - if you EVER want to talk, PLEASE fm me....you are NOT alone....NOWHERE near alone and while i know when i say this - you will roll your eyes - you are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!

Re: plus-size moms to be

I know how you feel..it's frsutrating finding clothes to begin with, no less maternity.

But Motherhood Maternity ( I think its called Maternity Works in the Source Mall) has a plus size section..that's where I got all my clothes. And Old Navy as well. HTH

Re: plus-size moms to be

I know exactly how you feel. I don't really feel that I look like I am pregnant yet and I am 21 weeks. I had have some luck at Maternity works and at Old Navy (mostly online). I am mostly wearing maternity t-shirts or long sleeve t-shirts and my regular sweaters over it for works and etc. On the weekends, I love my sweatpants or yoga pants.

Re: plus-size moms to be

Target
Old Navy
Motherhood maternity

Re: plus-size moms to be

I totally know how you feel!
I have struggled with my weight my whole life , and before pregnancy gained 30 pounds where I am now a size 14 ( I have been a size 6 to an 18 at different points in my life ) .
I totally feel gross as well, but I decided that I am NOT going to beat myself up about my weight and just enjoy being pregnant and try to make healthy food choices . Every time I start to get upset I remind myself that the baby growing inside of me doesn't need to worry about a diet or weight right now and neither should I.

Re: plus-size moms to be

Posted by bellaluna

I totally know how you feel!
I have struggled with my weight my whole life , and before pregnancy gained 30 pounds where I am now a size 14 ( I have been a size 6 to an 18 at different points in my life ) .
I totally feel gross as well, but I decided that I am NOT going to beat myself up about my weight and just enjoy being pregnant and try to make healthy food choices . Every time I start to get upset I remind myself that the baby growing inside of me doesn't need to worry about a diet or weight right now and neither should I.

Re: plus-size moms to be

Motherhood Maternity has a plus size section... ive been buying XL from them now though but they have alot of comfy things and i get alot of complements on clothing from there....

i also agree with the others saying JC Penney's... my IL's got me a couple XL tops from there for christmas and they are very nice too

Message edited 2/7/2009 7:58:53 PM.

Re: plus-size moms to be

yeah I am plus size but very early, 6 weeks, so I am sure I will have that issue in time, but I am so happy to be prego..that I just don't care about anything else!!! Just focus on your pregnancy and having a healthy baby...don't worry about your size, it is more in your head....you are beautiful and size is just a #!!!!!

Re: plus-size moms to be

I had my first 7 months ago, never looked pregnant, well not until the end when i gained lots of water.

I lost 20 pounds in the beggening and then just gained gained gained, had her and within weeks was at my starting weight (which is nothing to be proud of because it is a large number to begin with)

Anyways my point is that relative to my skinny friends by the third trimester i found myself in the positive position rather than negative. The back pain comes later, the waddling is less, the adjustment is easier, at least for me... maybe because i was used to carrying extra weight . Also, you dont feel as self consecious, at least i did not when i gained a few pounds here and there, i didnt show until much later and i was fine with that. Hell i didnt even look pregnant for the longest time, fine by me.

I am pregnant again now and i dont look pregnant.

IN terms of clothes, i did go with lane bryant online but their pants suck. I literally had one pair of pants that got me through my last trimester, and they were the slinky type. Honestly this doesnt work in winter but is great in summer.

My point is that count your blessing because you shouldnt feel as awkward as the girls that gain 60+ pounds.

Re: plus-size moms to be

thank you everyone for encouragement! I appreciate it!

Re: plus-size moms to be

I know what you mean too...I was a 14 before getting PG so I feel like I am still waiting and waiting to really show...right now I just look chubby and feel ridiculous wearing maternity clothes...

Re: plus-size moms to be

I was plus sized before I became pregnant with my twins-I had a hard time with clothes especially at the end-You can def. find some stuff at Target and JC Penney-that is where most of my stuff came from. I gained 53 when PG and have now lost all that plus an additional 25. My DH and I are doing "The Lifeforce Diet and I am EBF. I feel better about myself than I have in a long time. We also take the babies and walk the different greenbelts where we live. You will feel better trust me. I thought i would never get back to normal and now I am better than before-so many Moms have had this experience. Heres two pics of me one around 34 weeks(a swollen hot mess) and the other is about 7 weeks PP.

Re: plus-size moms to be

melijane!! You look awesome for just 7 weeks PP!!!! I hope I have a transition like yours!

Re: plus-size moms to be

I worried about this same thing when I found out I was pregnant. I was afraid that I would just look big, and not pregnant. I did look that way for a little while, but right around 22 weeks, I started to get a noticeable belly and during the last 12-14 weeks, I had a perfectly round belly

I got ALL of my maternity clothes from jcpenney online, old navy, and motherhood maternity.

Re: plus-size moms to be

You look great and congrats!!!

Re: plus-size moms to be

Re: plus-size moms to be

I know it is hard. I bought most of my clothes at JC Penney online, Ann Taylor Loft Maternity Online and Old Navy Maternity online.

Re: plus-size moms to be

Try Sears for clothes. I had a really tough time too, finding clothes, especially pants. I found that the Sears in Hicksville and Garden City had enough plus sized stuff that I could find clothes for work. Old Navy and Gap online were good too, because I could buy stuff and then return it in the store if it wasn't going to work. The Gap jeans I think only go up to a size 20, but they were definitely the most comfortable pants I had.

Don't worry about your size right now, just try to be healthy and get enough sleep. One of the things I did love about being pregnant is that is was one of the few times I wasn't actually worrying about my weight. I wasn't eating like a pig every day, but I would enjoy what I did eat without worrying about "dieting".

I will also add, that I didn't really have much trouble losing the baby weight after I had the baby - it's the weight I had on before the baby, that I had trouble losing before I got pregnant that I still have on me.

Re: plus-size moms to be

just wanted to add - i ordered from Old Navy's plus size maternity section and that stuff had to be returned VIA MAIL ONLY....they would not accept it in the stores...

i also found the quality and sizing to not be so great (i wound up returning every single thing i ordered)...but that could just be me...but i'm not a huge 'clothes girl'...so it's not just because it was cheap, as cheap WORKS for me!

Re: plus-size moms to be

I just wanted to say I got a cute dress yesterday at the motherhood maternity store in the Source. It was black and white (they don't have it on their website) and they had a few other new things in that aren't that bad.

I had success in the past when I was pregnant with DD with Lane bryant (the store not the catalogue) they have maternity clothes (pretty good quality) but only on their website and you have to return by mail. JC Penny's has some decent stuff but it is hit and miss too. Unfortunately Old navy is good for some tee shirts etc - but I found them to be inconsistent - I order two of the same size same black tee shirt and one fits the other is either too big or too small - and them you are stuck returning it by mail.

Re: plus-size moms to be

I go to JCPenney! Love the jeans and pants they have.
I also always wear big tops, so, I am still in those. The pants are so comfy.
I've also had luck in Kohls and Target.