Pregnancy is too tiring and too long a time to spend in ugly, shapeless clothes. Add to that the breastfeeding years where you’ll still carry some post-pregnancy weight, you’ll see that getting some fitting maternity clothes might be worth it.
One tip to get more mileage out of such clothes is to get maternity wear that provides nursing access, so it can last you throughout the last stages of pregnancy as well as the first year of your baby’s growth.
We show you where to get affordable nursing dresses and maternity wear.
Bove by Spring Maternity
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Spring Maternity is a local brand that has gone international with its maternity and nursing clothes that are truly functional, fashionable and flexible, taking you from pregnancy to postpartum.
Bove is especially great for working mummies. The Aine High Waist Tulip Skirt gets our thumbs up for its scalloped hemline, an interesting detail, and its price – just $24.95. The Bibiana Contrast Dress at just $34.95 and can easily go from the office (with a jacket thrown on), to the dinner party (with sparkly accessories).
In general, tops range from $25 to $45, bottoms from $25 to $35 and dresses average at $40.
They have a store in Suntec Tower 4, or you can also order through their website.
Address: 3 Temasek Blvd #02–728/729/730 Suntec City Branch, Tower 4 Singapore 038983
Website: bove.co
Maternity Exchange
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Maternity Exchange is a Singapore company that carries maternity and nursing wear from local and international labels. New styles are added every three weeks. The price range for their maternity wear and nursing clothes is rather wide, from anywhere under $10 to over $400.
What’s nice about Maternity Exchange is that they understand that you may not want a cupboard full of maternity clothes when you’re no longer pregnant. That’s why it provides a rental option as well so you can keep changing clothes without busting your budget. For anywhere between 4 and 8 weeks, you pay $329 for 8 pieces.
Because they specialise in rentals, their online offerings are somewhat limited. If you’re looking for range and variety, go to their store. You can also get bargains by buying online from them. You can get a Mothers En Vogue pencil jersey skirt for just $9.87.
Update: Maternity Exchange’s store at Marina Square is closed for good.
Website: maternityexchange.sg
Milky Way Family
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Another made-in-Singapore brand for mums by mums that has gone international, Milky Way carries both maternity and nursing wear. They also showcase other brands like LLUIE and Dote at their e-store.
Their pieces lean towards soft, flowy and feminine without being too girly, perfect for weekends and days out in the sun. They also have a great selection of dresses for formal office functions that are very classy.
For instance, the REI Babydoll Blouse In Vigor ($19) has a forgiving cut with a fun print that’s good for the weekends and the office. Another affordable piece is the Maternity Swing Skirt in Astoria ($29) with black and white geometric prints. It is a welcomed change from solid colours.
Update: You can only buy maternity wear from Milky Way Family’s online store only.
Website: milkywayfamily.com
Jump Eat Cry
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Their cute-as-a-button name comes from the three things your tot will do – jump, eat and cry. Every week, their team comes up with fresh designs to add to the collection.
The variety at Jump Eat Cry for nursing mums is astounding – lift up access, pull up access, side seam access, bust seam access, vertical access, button down access. Who knew there were so many ways to get to the breast while fully dressed?
What we particularly appreciate are their dual function pieces that take you from pregnancy to nursing. Their Vesper Mermaid Nursing Dress ($51.90) is one such piece. And if you thought that being pregnant or nursing a child means you have to give up one-piece outfits, you’ll love their selection of jumpsuits as well, such as the Yesterday Best Stripes Nursing Jumpsuit in Blue maternity one-piece ($47.90) that incorporates a vertical seam nursing access. Talk about an all-in-one onesie.
We love their style range as well – everything from casual girly to corporate woman. The only thing lacking about Jump Eat Cry is that they don’t really have bottoms. Their sole offering is a pair of shorts.
Address: 681 Punggol Dr #02-27 Oasis Terraces Singapore 820681
Website: jumpeatcry.com
Dorothy Perkins maternity wear
Dorothy Perkins offers maternity wear for mums who love sensible British fashion. Think solid colours like black, navy and grey, jerseys and leggings.
Their items are updated weekly at their stores and daily online. What they’re known for is their wide range of sizes – UK 6 to 22. While they do stock nursing outfits, they have more maternity wear.
Their best buys are their figure-hugging pieces that accentuate the right curves. Wrap dresses also feature prominently, such as the Maternity Navy Ballet Wrap Top ($36.90). It’s thoughtfully designed with an interesting detail in the front and a wrapping design that accentuates the curves. Here’s another: Maternity Black Rope Horn Buckle Wrap Dress.
Address: Several stores islandwide, including Junctiom 8, JEM, NEX, Plaza Singapura, Raffles City Shopping Centre, etc.
Website: dorothyperkins.com
Zalora Maternity
Zalora has everything, including maternity and nursing clothes. There are bargain house labels and you can also get other brands from them – Bove and Dorothy Perkins, for example.
Like its price, Zalora’s styles and price range are varied. Prices can go as low as $12.90 for a top but as high as $578.90 for a gown.
One lovely piece is the Maive & Bo floral dress ($72) that comes in solid black as well as different prints – huge navy flowers, tiny pink bouquets and white with pale flowers. The Mayarya halter maxi ($99) that is both a maternity and a nursing dress is another popular choice. The slinky midnight blue number can be worn long after baby has grown.
Zalora’s delivery is purportedly super fast, so you don’t have to worry about ordering something in your second trimester only to outgrow it when it arrives in your third.
Website: zalora.sg
ASOS Maternity
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Perfect for younger mothers, ASOS maternity wear reflects its values of freedom of expression and courage for adventure. They carry versatile styles and more than 30 different sizes to fit every body type.
Casual, office, formal – ASOS has them all for both maternity and nursing wear. While it has a good enough selection of tops and bottom, what it really has in abundance are dresses. And the prices aren’t half bad. A pair of maternity jeans could cost just $25.94.
Their tops can be quite sexy, featuring lower necklines. We like the Mamalicious tie sleeve blouse ($40.76). Crisp white, the ribbons at the sleeves and under the bust are fun details that make this top easy to pair with a dark skirt for the office or a pair of jeans for weekends. There are also formal gowns.
Website: asos.com
Dear Collective
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This Singapore label is defined by clean lines, trendy clothes, timeless fashion. They carry maternity and nursing wear that you’ll want as regular clothes long after you’re no longer pregnant.
The prices are excellent as well. Tops range between $32 and $38 and the bottoms range between $32 and $38. Dresses start from $39.90.
Their Isabel Multi Wear Maternity Maxi Dress Lilac Grey ($59.90), a flowy number which can be worn as a toga or a tube dress is one fine example. We love their dual function collection as well which features outfits that go from pregnancy to nursing like the Keller Cheongsam Nursing Dress ($52).
Website: dearcollective.com
Good-to-have maternity wear
If you’re not sure what types of maternity wear to get and whether or not they’re actually worth your money, here’s what we think are useful.
Maternity bra and undies: Go with those with no underwire, as they will be more comfortable. You’ll probably need to upsize your bra more than once during your pregnancy.
Bra extenders: You could get bra extenders to extend the bands of your bra might help you save on buying new maternity bras every few months.
Nursing bras: For the uninitiated, a nursing bra has cups that flap open for easy nursing and snap back on when you’re done. If you want to nurse outdoors, you might find that nursing bras can help you do it inconspicuously.
Underwear: While some mummies might get away with wearing some of their looser lingerie, over-belly ones give your baby bump added support. They kinda look like granny panties, but with a firmer and thicker elastic around the waist. Take care to go for 100% cotton undies as it is a comfortable and breathable material that lowers the risk of yeast infections.
Maternity pants/jeans: Maternity bottoms come in two types: those with wide, expandable waist bands that double up as belly support, and those that go under the belly. If you still enjoy the freedom you get with pants, having elastic bands for pants make it comfortable for you.
Maternity dresses with nursing access: You can get more mileage out of your dresses by making sure that the maternity dresses you get have a zipper or a fold that provides nursing access for when the baby pops. To stretch your dollar further, go for maternity dresses that can be dressed up for work, dressed down for casual occasions or glammed up for the night.
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