Bridesmaid Dilema

[josh_2415]

Good morning lovely ladies! So I have a slight dilema. One of my friends wants me to be in her wedding at the end of May,  but my baby is due in the beginning of May.

I plan on attending as long as my baby boy is born relatively close to his due date and we're both in good health. BUT, what on earth do I do for a bridesmaid dress????? I need to order it soon or it won't come in time, but I can't try on the style she's selected due to my belly.

I was a size 8/medium before pregnancy and I've gained about 20 pounds so far (at 25 weeks.) I've been considering just getting a size 14/16 and praying it fits. Any suggestions?

[sweetvegetable]

Don't get it too big! If this is your first pregnancy you will probably bounce back fairly quickly. I was wearing most of my prepregnancy clothes within a week of my first, and I had gained close to 40 pounds. At the most, I would get two sizes bigger than normal for you.

[josh_2415]

Yeah, nursejay01.  It's tough.  I don't want to say no, but don't know what to expect.

Thanks for the input ladies!  I actually went to the bridal store and told them my dilemma.  The dress the bride chose has a slight empire waist so it might work.  I put on a size 12 and it was loose, except it wouldn't zip because of my stomach.  Haha  So they suggested buying a size 14 because I can always take it in as much as needed.

The store doesn't normally do returns, but I told them my situation, and they said if I don't end up using the dress, they'll at least give me in-store credit for the value of the dress.  So, it looks like it might work out after all.  :)

[nursejay01]

I'm in a similar situation. My sister in law is getting married exactly 3 weeks after our little one is due and I'm supposed to be a bridesmaid. Tge dresses are already bought and they're not loose or flowy. I'm not sure how its going to work out, but I've got a few months to figure it out. May have to get a different one.

[juliapeychev]

I used to work at a bridal store, and we had a lot of pregnant bridesmaids come through.... I would say pick a style that has an empire waist that's loose and flowy. Chiffon is very forgiving if it's gathered at the empire waist. It will flow down over your belly and not hug it. Just make sure the lining on the dress is also loose. Bridesmaids dresses usually run small so you would have to order up anyways. I would talk to the bridal consultant about it. They know the sizing of the dresses, and they can recommend what they think is best. If you go with a flowy empire waist gown you'll just need to measure the bust to figure out your size. Go up one or two sizes to accommodate for bigger breasts if you'll be breastfeeding. It's always safer to go up in size because you can always alter it down to fit. It's harder to make a dress bigger. Make sure you find a seamstress that's ok with doing last minute alterations and make plans with her ahead of time. Hope everything works out with your pregnancy and the wedding!

[momMaggie]

I think you'll have to talk to the bride about it. Let her know that you are growing and will likely be a bigger size by the time of the wedding, but there's no way to know your size. Maybe you could have a dress in the same color and similar style, but with a loose waste that you don't have to worry about outgrowing. I'd also check the store policies. Like if she wants you to stay in the same dress can you return the dress if it doesn't fit or you don't end up wearing it. And if you get a size that's really big do you have any way to alter it to fit? No matter what though, I'd say you'll have to talk to the bride about you really wanting to be in the wedding, but so she knows it may not be possible.