9 Weeks Pregnant - Too Small for Maternity Clothes, Too Big for Regular Ones!

For nausea I ate small snacks and meals almost constantluy (sometimes every 10 minutes). Nuts, trailmix, apples, cheese, and ginger (from my spice rack) in hot water helped the most. Good luck! It WILL end... :-)

I am 26 weeks pregnant and getting by fine without buying any maternity pants at all! (mostly because they are all too big on me, I am an x-small) When I could no longer button my regular pants I bought a band from Motherhood ($17) that is cheaper than the Bella band, that works great. Now that the belly is bigger I fold it over to fit under the belly and keep my regular pants on. I also use a rubber band and loop it on regular pants, just wear it with longer shirts and sweaters. I have 3 months left to go and I think I'll get by just like that.

The belly bands work great. I also think its a good idea to buy the new jeans in a bigger size. You will be glad you have them when you are losing the baby weight a year from now. It is much more fun to buy them now then when you are still fat from the pregnancy after the little one is born.

Bella Bands work pretty well. I got mine on www.babycenter.com 's store . They are nice because they help both your maternity and non maternity pants stay up.
Also, Old Navy materinty has "first trimester" pants that work well. Plainville and Canton (I think) have maternity sections in their stores so you can try them on, or you can always order online.

I did the elastic with the buttons too, and also, they sell Bella band which are basically tube tops for your waist. you can leave your pants unbuttoned, and it acts as one of those panels in the maternity pants. They are around 16 dollars. And I had the morning sickness for the first four months. what worked the best for me, was celestial seasonings tea, the gingerbread one. Ginger calms your stomach and it really does work. I have even just smelt ginger powder from my spice rack and its a quick fix. but the tea helped SO much. good luck!
And I don't think that the saltines worked at all with me. I ended up on Zofran for it, and that worked wonders, if all else fails... The tea would have had to be consumed 24/7 and I just didn't have time to make tea for everywhere I was going... but hopefully it works for you!

I see eveyone already said Belly band. The other thing is just to take a hair elestic & use it were you button your pants( give you a little extra room for a while.

I'm not sure what to tell you about clothes. I worked in a professional office and ended up going to buy maternity clothes early on and then had to buy even more as I got bigger. If you don't work in a professional office, I'd recommend sweatpants and leggings. There are also a lot of skirt styles now that have elastic waistbands. I find a lot of them at Kohl's.

As for morning sickness, I lived on oranges and orange juice (to the point where I can barely eat them now). I had m/s really bad, even had hyperemesis with my second. You really just have to find what you can tolerate and resign yourself to the fact that there is very little you can do to curb it. I tried a lot of things, but nothing worked for me.

looks like you got a lot of great responses so far regarding the clothing. As for the nausea, I carried the individual servings of Apple sauce with me in my purse. Nausea would hit all of a sudden and that was the only thing I could get down that I didn't feel like I would spit right back out. As I got a little better about making sure I kept my stomach from getting empty I would eat a regular apple cut & dipped in peanut butter for protien (I melted the peanut butter in a small bowl in the microwave about 10 seconds to make it almost like a caramel sauce).

Hi -
I went through the same thing! Try the Gap because they seem to have the largest selection of maternity pants with the hidden buttons inside. The pants have a "real waist" and you move the buttons inside as you grow. Though they won't last you long, you can try to get pants with an elastic waist (nice ones, not old lady ones...they really do make them. Try Marshalls or Macys...)

As far as the crackers, doesn't Whole Foods carry gluten free crackers? Good luck!

J.

if you are a sahm i strongly recomend yoga pants from old navy they are the best!

wear your hubby's clothes! =0)

You should check out maternity wears at morph maternity.They have really good collection! I got mine online.Their tops have this discreet openings for nursing that i wore them for a year even after my delivery.Really comfortable and affordable.

i looped hair ties/ rubber bands thru all of my jeans until my maternity clothes fit! worked like a charm, just wear looong shirts! also, try your local freecylce thru yahoo groups, people give away maternity stuff all the time! the nausea, ginger candy helped, and whole foods has a "vitamin" I think called good mornings, you take it at night before bed and in the a.m. ( i think) and it worked wonders! check it out, it really helped, Good luck mama!

i remember that stage all to well. i bought overalls and never felt so comfy. they look adorable and you feel good, plus fall is the perfect time for skirts and boots. long sweaters with elastic waist-skirts to your knees. best part is you can wear it all after as well. hope that helps

They sell belly bands, a band of stretchy material, at maternity stores.I wore mine throughout my pregnancy. During the first months of pregnancy I wore mine over my regular pants with the pant button undone and the zipper slightly open. It helped hide the pants being undone and gave me just enough extra room. Then in the later months I wore it to help keep my shirts from riding up and exposing my very pregnant belly. They worked great for me and is an inexpensive fix. Good luck and Congratulations!

Definitely agree on the belly bands. Buy a couple, you just leave your pants unbuttoned (and maybe a little unzipped too if necessary) and they're great. I wore those things out to the limit. For nauseousness, the fresher the food the better for me. Salads were the best with little to no dressing on it. I also ate alot of freeze pops. Keep drinking lots of water.

When I was in that in between stage, I raided my boyfriend's closet. He's a little taller than me, so I ended up either wearing a shoe with a little bit of a heel or cuffing the bottom of the jeans. I thought it was crazy to spend the money on new clothes and this worked for a couple of months at least!

I know, the second one shows so much faster! or at least it did for me. I found several good pairs of early maternity pants at Old Navy - I bought my regular size, they had a low sitting, adjustable waist so they looked like regular pants for the most part and felt great. They sat below the belly and didn't have any of the stretchy maternity fabric attached to them. They lasted me through the end of my second trimester. Fabulous.

As for the morning sickness, I was very sick too, both times. Since then I have found that lemon works well for me - wish I new that then! When I've felt nauseous lately I eat a lemon ice - freezer section of Stop n Shop. Like Dells. I've also heard that lemon candy works. Another thing that calms my tummy is a latte, decaf for pregnancy I guess. And I'm not a regular latte drinker. Good luck, hope you are able to feel better!

E.,

I am also wheat/gluten allergic. For my pregnancy I ate Glutino pretzels. They were fabulous starchy and easy to travel with. I also drank peppermint tea. As for the pants, I would suggest skirts with elastic waists or going for dresses. I broke down and bought a pair of pants in a larger size. I couldn't take it any more. :(

W.

They sell bands I think at babies r us that extend your regular jeans. That may be a good way to fit into clothes before maternity

Go to Motherhood Maternity (stores in MA) http://www.motherhood.com , they are hip and carry a great range of jeans that will fit you before during and after a baby. They just have the stretch panel on top.

Old Navy has a decent selection of pants and some great winter sweaters/cardigans for a growing belly, too.

You can also use a Bella Band to bridge the gap, either leave your current pants unbuttoned and use the band, or use the band to hold up maternity pants that might still be big. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001710F9C/booksto...

I had a real hard time with pants, but between Old Navy and Motherhood Maternity found a handful I could really wear. Six months after the baby, unfortunately I'm still in them so keep in mind you could be wearing them post-baby by a few months.

Thyme Maternity makes an INCREDIBLE pair of "now and after" line of pants. They were my favorite style as I am a tiny woman and would be too big to fit normal clothing and too small for all other types of maternity clothing until late into my pregnancy. Those pants really were the best! If you aren't located near a Thyme Maternity store you can check for them online or at ebay.

Hey E.
I know that its a little late to give you some advice on what you could buy for maternity clothes while you are pregnant but I just signed up for this sight so Im kind of new at this.
when I was pregnat with my one year old in 2007 I was really tiny to begin with and when I got pregnant my stomach didnt get that big and I didnt fit into the maternity clothes they seemed all but too big for me, so I had to shop in the junior sections or small misses , or petite clothes so I bought a whole bunch of cute sweat pants a few sizes bigger and maternity tops for my whole pregnancy and some mens pjs too and mens t shirts too if you want to wear nice clothes they do have a store called mother hood maternity in the holyoke mall which is a nice place to go to , and even after I was pregnant I still sweats untill I was comfortable in my jeans or lost weight that is one thing I love and still love now is my sweat pants.
When I was pregant I had morning sickness or nausea the whole time and at the time for me was even thiking about food made me sick and even eating it did but I knew I had to and if your stomach is really upset then try this stuff I also read that you were allergic to wheat and gluten soo I know that saltines are out for you
things that people told me to try and actually worked for me was:
chewing a minty falvored gum
pink lemonande
or ginger rale
petobismal or any kind of tums
those should help
hope all goes well with your pregnancy and good luck :)

Have you tried buying a couple of cheap sweat pants a size up until you fit properly into maternity pants? I'm guessing it will only be a few weeks before you'll be rockin the maternity jeans.

As for nausea, it's always a great sign! Try crystallized ginger, or hard ginger candies. Ginger is supposed to calm nausea, and the crystallized stuff will not have gluten in it (I'm not sure about the candies). Sorry to say neither worked for me, ginger in that concentration makes me gag. Ginger ale may also help calm the storm, which is what I ended up doing.

Congratulations, and best wishes for a safe and healthy pregnancy!

I wore comfortable, stretchy, elastic waste work-out pants throughout most of my pregnancy. Gaucho style pants would work great I bet. I tried to wear nice tops so that I still looked somewhat professional. Try T.J. Maxx if you have one near you. I have found several pairs of workout pants there that don't look "bummy."

When I was in between maternity and my regular clothes, I bought this thing called the bella band: http://www.ingridandisabel.com/
I bought mine at Isis Maternity in Arlington. Basically it's a piece of stretchy fabric that will help to hold your pants up and you can leave your pants unbuttoned and nobody will notice. It just looks like a shirt over the top of your pants. It was a lifesaver!
Sorry I have no suggestions for the nausea-nothing seemed to help me.

Congrats! I would recommend buying a couple decent looking pairs of pants in a size up from your normal size. That way when you are postpartum, but not yet small enough for your regular pants, you don't have to keep wearing your maternity pants. I found that so depressing, and wished I had bought some regular pants in just a bit bigger size.

I had this problem as well. Try wearing clothes without waistes like overalls and dresses. Also try sweatpants if you don't have to look too cute.

Bella Bands work great for some people. It is a band that you can wear to continue in your usual clothes. Some people can use it the whole pregnancy, depending on wear you gain weight. Try ginger for the nausea. Congratulations and good luck!

Belly bands are a god-send, but in a pinch take a rubber band and loop it around the button of your jeans, through the hole, and back around to loop the other end on the button as well. You will need a longer shirt to cover it up, but it is not that obvious, and you can get a lot more miles out of your faves. Good Luck on your # 2!!

Hi E.
This is definitely the worst part of pregnancy. I always went with the yoga pants that were really low in the waist so that I could wear them under my belly. Also, some stores offer maternity clothes according to the stage of your pregnancy. (I think the Gap and Old Navy) The Gap can be really pricey, but sometimes it's worth it for a pair of jeans that fit nice. It's amazing how fast you pop out after you have already had a baby. Just go for comfort! You can worry about fashion later!

Hi would try buying a bella-band. It is basically a tube top that you wear around your belly/waist. You can wear your pre-preggo pants unbuttoned underneath it. Once you switch to maternity pants, it helps hold them up. You can fold it over or wear it up high. I have one and love it. You can get something similar at Motherhood. I think they range from $17-25.

Good luck,

L.

Here's a link on how to make your own belly band from t-shirts.

http://www.littlerinch.com/?p=33

Good luck and Congrats!!

Definitely go for maternity pants now! As for tops, empire-style tops are really in style now, and very comfy and forgiving. Keep in mind that anything that suits you at this stage of your pregnancy will probably also work in those first weeks and months after the baby is born, so it's worth it to get things you can really wear. Congratulations and good luck!

Congratulation, E.!
Get yourself a Bella Band as quickly as possible! (or 2). I couldn't have survived without this for my second pregnancy (or post partum). You can wear your regular pants unbuttoned, or start wearing too big maternity clothes and this hugs them in. The website is: www.ingridandisabel.com
But, if you google Bella Band you can find them cheaper ($23 and free shipping at: www.bellablumaternity.com/bella-band-ingrid-isabel-p-3010.... I think they also sell them at Destination Maternity on Rt 9, if you can't wait.
Good luck!

Hi E. - My BEST advice is to get over to Mother and Child on 101A in Nashua. It's in the Lilac Blossom Plaza, across from Wendys (near Pier I and Marshalls).

I started shopping there when I was pregnant and 11 years later, still swear by it. Check it out - it will be a Godsend throughout!

try papaya enzymes, they come in the form of a chewable tablet. They are more for acid reflux/heartburn, which i had and the nausia... but they help tremendously.
My midwife told me about them, they taste good, a whole lot better than tums or whatnot. You can buy them at any vitamin store.

I got clothes that I basically called my fat girl clothes, a few sizes bigger than usual, but I figure I'll wear again after baby when I'm still losing the baby weight.
I was incredibly nauseous, I found that carbs, grilled cheese, fries, rice, pasta helped.

Hi,

Check out Bella Band. Google it and then see if you can try one out at a maternity or baby shop-not all of them have them. I used one during my inbetween stage. It is basically an elastic band that covers your belly. It can hold your jeans up with the button unbuttoned. I got mine in black and wore it later in the pregnancy for belly suppoert.

Good Luck!

I don't have clothing advice, but I am also gluten intolerant and got so sick of people suggesting saltines to me! =) I used rice cakes. And preggie pops. Also found that eating a little bit all day long instead of big meals helped.

I never wore maternity clothes - I couldn't justify spending that much money on something to be worn for such a short amount of time. I pretty much lived in overalls and dresses. There are also some nice pants out there with elastic waste bands that if you wear a long enough shirt over them, could look pretty decent.

I had minimal morning sickness and don't know much about gluten, but have you tried milk shakes? I would throw in some fruit and sometimes even some protein powder and it filled me up enough and gave some good nutrition while not upsetting my stomach. I found bananas to be a great source, too. Good luck!

Hi E.,

I had very good luck using a bella band--basically you just unjip your pants and the wide band hold them up. that solution worked for me for the first 3-4 months.

Good Luck!
R.

Hi E. - I was in your shoes...I began showing at 3 months and popped quick! I wore my regular clothes but with an elastic band through the button hole and looped around the button. Also I would unbutton my pants while sitting down (not very ladylike but I was desperate!) AS for nausea, have you tried Seabands? YOu can get them at a drug store inexpensive and they worked for me. Goo dluckand congratulations!

Go find yourself some low-rider jeans. The only time these jeans make sense to me is when your pregnant! hehe Some companies like Levi make ultra-low ride jeans (I think Old Navy too) and they really do make it easier. I have a girlfriend that has never worn maternity pants! She only wears the low-rider type!

OK I don't have an allergy to wheat or gluten... but can you do peppermints? With all 3 of my pregnancy I had some sort of problem. With the whole nauseous it really helps!

I had these maternity pants that had a belt on each side of your waist (laying in both hip areas) that could be individually adjusted. They came in khaki and black ("office pants"). I went online in search of something like these pants to include in this response, but had no luck finding them. I sold my pants to a maternity consignment shop in Biddeford, ME. The sales women commented on the pants, saying that these type of pants are always quick sellers since they can work with your shape through out the pregnancy and after. Maybe it is worth going to a maternity consignment shop, maybe even the one in Biddeford if you live anywhere near by, and ask about these style pants. They might be able to help you find this kind of pants or the belly bands people mentioned already.

The joy of the second pregnancy! I swear people could tell I was pregnant the second I conceived my youngest daughter. At 9 weeks I was also having trouble fitting into my clothes. I stuck with two or three pairs of pants that had been a little big on me before the pregnancy. If you don't work outside the home, I agree that wearing yoga pants a few days a week is a good idea, but if you get sick of those or want to be a little less casual, I'd try maternity pants that have a real waistband but a built in waist adjuster to "let them out" a little as you grow. Some of these pants have the back side an elastic but the front is a regular button or hook and bar closure. I am a teacher so I wore a lot of these because I wanted to look a little dressy at work even while pregnant. I'd also get the very thin demi maternity band jeans because they don't even look like maternity pants if your shirt is pulled over the waist.

As far as the food issue, I don't have a lot of experience with gluten and wheat-free foods, but I know they make a lot of gluten-free stuff that looks just like traditional foods. Would that work for you? You might also try applesauce or canned fruits with a light syrup - maybe the extra juice would help you feel more full. When I was pregnant both times, a green apple really settled my stomach. Apparently green apples do that!? Stick to small, more frequent meals so your stomach acids don't build up too much - that's how that sick feeling increases. Good luck with #2! It's a whole new world! :)

Hi E.-

First LEMONS, Lemon seltzer worked wonders for me (and I still love it)! Once you can cut the nausea, eating is alot easier. Good luck.

Cloths- thats a tuff one. If you want to be comfortable you'll be to either but clothes too big (not great in my opinion) or keep getting the next size up. I used non-maternity clothes in biggger sizes. (look for sales, old navy, second hand stores, put an ad on craiglist). Also I really liked a belly band. Depends on where your are getting bigger....

Cheers- Jenni

Just go ahead and buy the maternity jeans. You'll need them eventually anyway. You'll want to buy the really stretchy ones (stretchy belly). You can also buy the band that goes over your jeans or pants so that you can leave them unbottoned and they will still stay up. The band comes in different colors and sizes and you can get it at motherhood stores or other maternity stores it was perfect because it kept me warm in the winter, too. I bought stretchy dress pants from motherhood that I wore everyday. They were gray and looked dressy, but felt like pajamas! They were much more comfortable than jeans or khaki pants. I ate a lot of fruit for my nausea. Cut up strawberries, blueberries and a little milk. I always felt a little sick if I didn't have food in my stomach, so nuts, rice crackers, cheese and apple slices worked well too.

Try a freecycle group in your area. Go to freecycle.org to find one. It's an online yahoo group usually where you can get things you need from other people for free and give things you don't want anymore away to people for free. At least that way you don't have to go breaking the bank buying pants a size up from what you usually wear just to have something to wear. Do you have any sweat pants for now? I loved those while I was pregnant.

As far as the nausea have you tried eating a bunch of small meals during the day instead of 3 big meals? I didn't get too much morning sickness though so I'm probably not the best help in that department. Good luck and congrats.

M.