I'm Pregnant!!

But my confusion is that since this dress doesnt come in a size 2,4,6 its all in measurements. Do I add 5 inches onto what my bust is now to play it safe? Thats what everyone was trying to figure out. If it came in number sizes itd be easy for me to just order it 2 sizes bigger. But they need the upper bust, bust, under bust, waist, hips, and hollow to hem measurements. So that's why i'm so confused and so frustrated! I love this dress and think it would really work. And it also doesnt take all that long for them to make and ship. I just need to know how many inches is safe to add to the measurements, so i don't end up with a too small dress. Also do I order the yard of fabric from the website, bc that is where i'm ordering the dress from. Not the store, so it's made tailored to me. Thank You so much!!!

Hellena

One size is one inch in the bust & waist area. It can be more for the hips depending on the manufacturer. Since this is a maternity dress, I would guess that you give them the measurements as you are and they figure it out. But they aren't asking were in the pregnancy you are so it's not at all clear what you are supposed to do.

There is a link for a live chat in the page you sent me. I think it would be a good idea to ask them how they work this out with the measurements you send. I really can't say how they do things.

added December 2009

Hello,
 
My name is Renee and my best friend asked me to be in her wedding a week before i found out i was pregnant....I am due July 21st 2010 and her wedding is Sept 11 2010(dont ask me why she picked that date i have no idea)
Anyways, she wants me to order the dress (from an online bridal shop) in mid febuary and i will only be 17 weeks pregnant at that point...and she wants me to guess my size, and then get it altered afterwards....the dress is a 3/4 length, "a-line" dress with a tie up back...it is strapless....i have attached a photo of the dress.
 
now the problem i have with this is that this is my 3rd pregnancy....the 1st i gained 60 lbs and the 2nd i gained 25lbs so there is absolutely no way of telling/knowing how big i am going to be or how much i will loose within that month and a half before the wedding...as that too was different for both pregnancies.  Now i ave mentioned to her that it may be a better idea that i be on the sidelines as a guest and still help out with the planning...but she says thats not an option... i have also asked her to hold out until may to order the dresses but thats not an option either.
 
I was just wondering what your thoughts on this was.... will i be safe ordering the dress in febuary, or should i just do as i tried, and bow out gracefully...??  and if it will be safe how would i go about "guessing my size"
 
Any help would be appriciated!
 
Very Confused..and worried bridesmaide!
 
Renee

added December 2009

H i i bought my wedding dress and it fits perfect. i am a big girl to begin with so i am hoping i don;t gain to much wieght but i will be 12 weeks pregnant when i get married. What can i wear under the dress to get through the day without having to buy a new dress. I am thinking i just need a little holding in. I tried the dress on yesterday and it still fit actually better than wheni bought it since i lost a little weight. I am including a picture. first one is wheni bough it second is last night. neither have any type of bodice under neath.

added March 2008

I am a small store owner and wrote to you several years ago.you were very helpful whenbridezilla made me feel like quitting a;; those years ago/ I have helped so many achieve their dream look thanks to your reasurrance that I handled her situation correctly. Thank you. We do alot of pregnant bridesmaids and never avoid them becasuse it's a fact of life. We suggest ordering theirs last and as close to the date as possible. Of course adding the extra fabric and the dress must be an a-line otherwise it doesn't work. We add just a triangular gusset andit works well but we order several sizes larger too allowing for mother nature to take it's course hormonally.  A wedding is a joyful event please don't discourage the pregnant maid to sit the sideline.as you know everything and anything is possible.You sound the a magician so with you I'm sure a miracle is an everyday occurance. Gid bless. Kathy

No where on my site does it even suggest that I think a pregnant lady has to "sit on the sidelines". I list several options for dealing with this problem. I think it is mean of you to suggest that I am trying to discourage ladies just because one very legitimate option is to give the pregnant lady a different place in the wedding plans than being a maid. There are many wonderful things she can do to be involved with the wedding without being a maid.

I will not be taking this option off my site just because some people think it awful. I have helped many pregnant maids and brides fit into their dresses over the years and I have one large page of advice and suggestion of how to fit dresses when a maid is pregnant. My message to brides is that this situation adds stress and cost to her wedding and she does have the choice to avoid it and still have her loved one in her plans by simply making a different place for her. I am not evil or uncaring or mean for making this suggestion. I just have the guts to do so when no one else will let a bride know that it is OK to look at other options for her wedding plans

added January 2008

I'm getting married June 28th and will be needing my dress altered/bustled. However, there is a catch! :) I am due to have my baby the first week of May. How long do alterations take to be finished? And is it too early to make an appointment, as I will be pushing my time limit as it is?

Thanks!
Jill

I can not alter your dress now and have it fit after the birth. I would not agree to see you until after you have had the baby. The alterations can be done in that short time, but I will have to charge you a rush fee.

added January2008

I am a bridesmaid in my friends wedding. I JUST found out I was pregnant. We ordered our dresses last month. I called the shop, its already to late to change my size (and get fabric from the same dye-lot). It's an Alexia Design dress (#1902) It's heather and white and has an A-line skirt.

http://www.alexiadesigns.com/main/index.php?p=39

My measurements (34.5 - 27.5 - 40) put me between the 8 and 10. I ordered the 10. Her wedding is either going to be Mid June or mid July. So I will either be 5 or 6 months pregnant. This is my first and have no idea how big I will get. I am only 5'4" so I know there will be extra length to take off the dress. But the top and bottom of this one piece dress are two different colors, PLUS it has a little ribbon around the waist. I don't like the dress much to begin with, so I am not concerned with looking perfect. I want to know if you think its possible that this dress will even fit. I figure some fabric from the skirt can make a new ribbon for the waist and possibly add to the skirt? But what about the rest of the dress? I am sure if I need more skirt fabric I can get it from one of the other three bridesmaids (well the two short ones).

Thanks so much for your help!! Rachel

There is a very good chance this dress might be just fine. You ordered a size that was already a little large. Most of these dresses have some room in the seams to let out a little bit. The most I have gotten without adding more fabric was 3 inches. If you do use the fabric from the hem, make the pieces as wide as possible so they don't look like inserts. If it's done carefully, inserts can look like just another panel in the dress and perfectly natural.

I do not understand the store telling you it is too late to get fabric from the same dye lot. When are these dresses due to be delivered?

The main problem with this situation is that no one can predict what your size will be in 4 months. Waiting to see what this will be is really hard on the nerves, yours and your bride's. Knowing you will have some fabric from the hemming is reassuring but still not helpful for stress control. Get yourself an alteration lady lined up for the job and ask her what her experience has been and what ideas she may have for what you can do. I would ask you to see me as soon as the dress is in to see what the seams offer and figure out what else may need to be done. I would see you again 2 weeks before the wedding to refigure the needed changes and start the work then.

Have a talk with your bride about alternatives if you can not find someone who can fix the dress or if it's too small to be fixed. Be willing to consider things you may not wish to do if this did not happen, but it has and there is now a new little person being added to your life. Your friend should be happy for you and willing to seek other solutions. Having some ideas of what you and your bride are willing to do will help you relax and be more joyful about being pregnant.

Thank you so much for you help. I am calling the dress shop again on Monday to talk to the owner and see if she can be more helpful than the associate I got when I called last time (she was not helpful when we were in the store). The dresses are due to be delivered in at the end of April.

Is there any kind of resource for finding good seamstresses? I live in south Mississippi and all the dresses I've needed altering in the past were done by the same woman who altered my wedding dress. However, she lives 1200 miles away in my hometown!

thanks again. you have been so helpful!

Many fabric stores have names of ladies who sew that they give out. If your city is large enough there will be a section in the Yellow pages for Alterations.

added October 2007

Help!

I have ordered a size 10 dress and have found out that I will now be 8/8.5 months pregnant on the day of my wedding!
My dress already has loops rather that a zip fastener is it possible in any way to still wear this dress???

Thanks a lot.

It's hard to say how you will be at 8 months, but I think it's possible. You could plan to open up more of the area that the lacings are at. By this I mean open the seam at the bottom and make more loops for more lacings. You will have to add to the panel of fabric that goes behind the lacings, but that should not be difficult.

added June 2007

I am presently four months pregnant and just received my bridesmaids dress that was ordered 4 months ago (even before I knew I was pregnant). The dress is a size 14, two-piece dress with a skirt and a halter bodice, and it does not fit. Not even close. How difficult is it to alter a dress to make them bigger? Is there a way to purchase fabric from the maker (this one is an Alfred Angelo)? I still have a month and a half until the wedding and have no idea how big I might get between now and then. Any advice?
Thanks - Jessica

I have often been able to let out seams so a dress can fit a pregnant maid. It depends on how much is in there and how many seams you have to work with. Since your dress is 2 pieces the altering of the waistband may be hidden by the top so you might have more options than a dress that is one piece.

You need to ask the store about purchasing fabric. They will know how that works for the companies they work with. It's not difficult to do, but it can be expensive. Usually, the fabric is ordered at the same time as the dresses so the die lot will be the same. A small difference in die lot can make the color of the fabric look off from the dress.

added May2007

Today is May 28. 10 days to my daughter's wedding. I am beginning to panic.

I am sewing a dress for the matron of honour who will be about 8 1/2 months pregnant.

I have left it until last week thinking that it would be easier to fit her. She is also my daughter and she is 5' 6" tall , and normally a XS or S or size 6 and I would say she is petite. Her wrists are very, very small. But she is curvy none-the less. I have enclosed a picture of her on May 5 -- she is due on June 29.

The pattern is Maternity Vogue 2750. View C. (sleeveless, straight lines) attached

According to her 36" bust, I purchased the 12, 14, 16 size. After basting the size 14 together, the fitting was a disaster. It hung on her like a sack and where left overlapped the right, the centre line was about at her sternum, much too low. I used this bodice as a template and pinned and tucked where it needed to fit. I tried altering the pattern and decided to start from scratch.

I bought the size 6, 8, 10 and used the size 10. Again, the size is too big on the chest/neck area. Also, when crossing the left over the right at the center lines, it is too tight and too low. I am at a loss to how to make it fit.

The fabric store people have suggested that the view called for a moderate knit and my fabric is not stretchy enough. It is a "faille" type. But, I still think it can be done. Since the other bridesmaid's dress is finished, I cannot change the fabric.

Any suggestions as to how to make the top fit properly? I have three books from the library and they don't seem to address the asymmetrical front fitting adjustments.

The main thing is : there is bunching at the armholes about half way down on the front chest... If I shorten this area, do I have to lengthen it under the arms? How do I get it to lay flat? Also, how do I get the top to come under the breasts so that when she pulls ties it up at the left, it will conform to her body and not hang down like a sack.

thank you in advance

Anne (mother of the bride)

p.s. I also have not purchased my dress, so an immediate response would be most appreciated.

The fabric store ladies are correct. It is very hard to take a pattern designed for stretch fabric and use regular woven fabric. It usually just won't work. But you did say this daughter is the maid of honor - you can use different fabric for her than the other maids. You can even use a different color as long as it blends nicely with the other maid's colors. You can even change the pattern. The maid of honor can be very different than the other maids in many ways. You don't have to limit yourself to this fabric and this pattern.

Whatever your skill level you sound like a very creative type lady. Set the pattern, fabric and your size 14 dress on a table, make yourself a cup of coffee and sit quietly looking over these items and an idea will come to you. I often stare at a gown for hours before a way to fix a problem comes to me. Without seeing this dress on your daughter I have no way to make suggestions, but I am fully confident that you can figure this out. Ten days is a long time. Give yourself a little time to step out of the stress you are feeling so it will clear your mind and you will think of a solution.

added May 2007

Hi there! I have been looking over your Bridal studio site and it is great! I have a very close friend who purchased her wedding gown when she got engaged 2 years ago. A few months into the planning, she became pregnant, and therefore pushed out he wedding date nearly a year past the original one.

I am going to attempt the alterations for all of the girls in the wedding party including this bridal gown. As you may have guessed she is now probably 2 sizes at least bigger than she was. The gown Is already a size 20W.

It is a floor length gown in the back and very plain with a zipper. I already planned to add a removable train, but attach it permanently to the back. It will have flowers at the waist. I was going to add flowers down the zipper as well. She carries all her weight in her upper body and therefore the waist still fits, it is the waist up that wont close. I have now decided it may work well to add a corset style lace up to the back.

I am looking at the example of this that you show on your web site and see there may be hope! The question I have is, can I seam the panel, sewing in the loops as I go, to the dress where the zipper had been attached? Or did you sew on the loop separately, then add the privacy panel in another manner? This will have a matching white satin Panel. I can picture the entire thing, but am hesitating as I'm not certain as to how much room I need to allow in the panel for the dress to be taken on and off, or if this type of construction will be strong enough to support the weight of the strapless gown.

Also. Sorry I am so wordy. The Maid of honor's gown has already been purchased and needs to be shortened a lot. 4 or 5 inches really. The trouble I'm having is that it is an A-line gown with no waist seam. and the decorative front has 2 swooping panels that are embroidered and beaded all the way to the bottom. I don’t know how to hem it and have it still come out looking right. I am scared to take it to anyone here in town as I know the work will not be up to my quality standards and will most likely be quite expensive. None of us have money.

If you can lend me any advise or thoughts it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time.
I do have picture I am able to send if you would like to see what I'm describing.

Lisa

The modesty panel is a totally separate piece. It is not included in the seam with the loops. Most are tacked on one side with snaps on the other side. The snaps are just to hold it in place while the lacings are looped. While lacing the panel will move so the snaps need to let go to allow this.

For the dresses with the embroidery panels, I think you are going to have to cut into the embroidery design to shorten them, but it won't look odd. Some dresses are that way to begin with. No one at the wedding will know.

added March 2007

Dear Leanna,

I am 7 months pregnant and getting married. The wedding date was originally in June, however we found out our little surprise was coming in late May, so we immediately moved the date to September 15th.

I have found what I hope to be the wedding gown of my dreams, but have no way of knowing if it will look okay on me as I am 7 months pregnant and should have done this when I wasn't showing, but my mind was on other things. If I wait until after the baby comes, I will only have 4 months for the gown to come in.

There is also a speculation on what size to order. My sizes have fluctuated from a 24 to a 12 and it has always been this way. This is my second child so I know that it is very likely that I will gain weight because of a necessary c-section (being off you feet doesn't do much for your body). What should I do? Should I take the risk and order the dress I love? And if I do, what size do I get? I'm hoping losing the weight won't be an issue since I also have a toddler to run around after. But I don't know if I'll end up in my pre-pregnancy size 14 or if it'll be higher. I have been very active this pregnancy because of my son and with only 2 months to go, have only gained 8 pounds.

HELP!!! Melissa

Wow, you have a lot of factors going on here. I wish I had a crystal ball so I could give ladies like you better advice, but no one really knows what your body will do. Not even having the experience of being pregnant before helps much. Each baby is different. Since you have normal weight fluctuations it's even harder to predict.

What is the normal order time for this company? Does the bridal store have any rush shipping options? Would it be out of the question to move the wedding date out a month or too more?

Moving the date is out of the question. We've already moved it twice due to a date conflict and then the new arrival. But I have just found a woman with great references who will make me a replica of the gown I want in 2 months! This will help with my time crunch, but I still don't know if I should go ahead and order this dress without knowing what it will look like on me.

Any additional advice? Melissa

What did the references consist of? Have you seen pictures of her work? Two months is not a lot of time, but it sounds like a good option for you. I am very skeptical that she can make "an exact replica" in such a short time. She's either very good or not very busy. This time of year the good ones are all booked up. I don't mean to throw cold water on your find but I'm concerned you may not get exactly what you dream of.

Have you gone shopping and trying on gowns? It would be a good idea to see yourself in some gowns that are similar to what you are planning. A gown in a picture does often look quite different when a bride tries it on her own body.

This is a good plan. You need to be aware that though it will be pretty, it just might not be as you envision it. And if she is any good this will cost you much, unless it is a very simple dress.

added July 2006

My daughter was planning to get married while she was 7 months pregnant, but we've decided to wait till after the baby is born. She wore a size 8 pre-pregnancy, and the wedding dress that she purchased (yesterday--argh!) is a size 14. It's a very simple dress with an empire waistline. Can that dress be altered down to a size 8! It may not be an issue because she might take a while to lose weight, but just in case....

Thanks for your help!! Kathy

Yes it can be, but it might take some doing and cost more than you will like. Going down more than one or 2 sizes creates added complications. BUT - going down in sizes is a much better problem to have then needing to go up. That is sometimes impossible.

Besides, like you said, you don't loose all that weight just by having the baby. Especially if she breast feeds, she will stay on the bigger side for some time. It is so much better to wait until after the birth for the wedding. I've seen it in so many customers who do either way. I do think those who wait are much happier on their special day without having to deal with the hormones troubles of being pregnant.

added May 2006

hi i am due in late december and my wedding is september 23rd of this year. i have already picked out my dress and it is made of expecting mothers but it is a size or two to big will this make it harder to alter if so what could i do. tammi

It's correct for a pregnant lady to order her dress one or 2 sizes to big. By the time September gets here you are going to be much bigger than you are now.

added April 2005

A friend of mine will get married one month to the day after my due date. She asked me to be in her wedding and I said yes. I assumed she would be getting married a year after the engagement at the time. My question is, since I can likely go two weeks after my due date before I have to be induced will a week and a half. (giving hospital time) be enough to alter a bridesmaids dress. Or should I tell her I can't do it so that she can find someone else?

Julie

If I were you, I'd bow out gracefully. This is a stressful time for both you and her. The dress can be altered in that timeframe, but it's going to add stress to your pregnancy and her wedding jitters, and it will cost more money than I think it's worth for all the hassle. It's just so much easier on everybody if you could ask her to find a job you could do that would allow you to wear a simple dress that you don't have to alter to match the other bride's maids. A great idea is for you to be the Hostess who keeps the guest book.

added May 2004

Hi There,

Having an absolute nightmare!! I had chosen my wedding dress for our Cyprus wedding this summer and all was going well until I fell pregnant. I will be a whopping 6mths ish on the big day and there is a distinct problem getting a half decent dress which will not make me look like a complete beast!
Any suggestions???

Regards,
Brenda

Not a pleasant situation, but also not impossible. First, you said you had picked out the dress, but did you actually buy it? If you can choose a different dress that can more easily be altered, it might make your planning easier. Empire waistlines are best for pregnant ladies because they often don't have to be altered in early pregnancy. If this is your first child you most likely won't be very big at 6 months and this might be a good option for you.

If you have to live with the dress you bought, it's also not horrible. You may even be in love with that dress and want to make it work out. If I knew what it looked like I could give you more suggestions, but many things can still be done depending on how big you actually are in 6 months. If there is sufficient fabric in the seamlines you can often simply release them to get enough for a slightly larger middle. Sometimes a waistline can be raised enough to pull the wider skirt into the baby area. I try to avoid it, but you can also make gussets to insert into the seams from fabric taken from the hem. Skillfully done it can look natural, but often seamstresses don't know how to do gussets creatively and they often look horrible.

Can you change your wedding date? It may cost you some in changing the travel plans but it would give you more peace of mind which is always a good thing. The stress of planning a wedding is great enough adding a pregnancy to it can't be wonderful. But you ought to be having a wonderful time for the great double blessing. Don't let the stress rob you of the joy.