My experience at Destination Maternity

{Destination Maternity is a combination of the design labels A Pea in a Pod and Motherhood Maternity, they also carry many other designers such as Heidi Klum, Elle Macpherson and the most recent addition of Jessica Simpson}

For some unknown reason I was really reluctant to buy maternity clothes, maybe because I'm a closet miser and I don't like spending money in the first place. I also didn't want to spend too much on clothes that I could only wear for a few months, and all the maternity stores seemed overpriced to me. By 19 weeks into my pregnancy I still wasn't really showing and with the aid of my bella band and a few hair elastics I could still squeeze into a few of my pre-pregnancy low rise pants. So I guess I was in denial that I would have to buy maternity clothes.   Eventually I decided it was time to get comfortable clothes that fit! I went online to see if I could order a few outfits and I noticed that Destination Maternity had a sale on their site but I didn't really feel like paying for shipping and was really unsure which size to order, so when my husband accidently drove by a Destination Maternity store I excitedly told him we had to come back and shop there. I wasn't even aware we had a location so close to us!


 The very next day we set out on my first ever maternity shopping trip. When I first walked in, it seemed nice and peaceful.  I casually looked at a few dresses here and there, they were all over $100 though, I guess because they have the most expensive garments at the front of the store.  I was happily browsing through the racks when a sales consultant came up to me to ask if I needed help. That was the beginning of what I call the stalker experience;  these people would not leave us alone!!!  I get it that they are trying to help all the pregnant customers find everything they need and be as comfortable as possible in the process, but I am the type that likes to shop at my own pace without someone constantly hovering over me. They were all very nice and pleasant but also extremely irritating. They were constantly offering me free bottles of water, free juice, free food, a free massage... and even though I would politely decline it, the very next minute they would offer it again. What happened to "no means no" ?  As soon as I picked up an oufit they would rush and take it from me and go hang it up in the changing room for me, as if the sheer weight of that one outfit was too burdensome for my pregnanct self to bear.  I do understand that they were just trying to be thoughtful and considerate, but it got old real fast and became really annoying. Sometimes you just want to hold on to an outfit and keep browsing and then decide later if you really want to try it on or not. Sometimes you want to find other garments that coordinate with it color-wise, but these people really confused me by taking all the outfits from me so I could never remember what colors and styles I had already selected . At one point my husband asked me if I thought they were doing that because they suspected I might try to steal something... I doubt it because I saw them doing that to everyone else in the store. I really wish someone would tell them to just back down and leave people alone. It's fine to offer assistance but if the customer politely declines it then just accept that and give them space to shop!!!

Their store was really nice though, they even had a sweet little fenced in play area for kids and a nice comfortable waiting area for guys, complete with a tv. They also offered the free food to my husband as well. They have a nice selection of clothing as well as other pregnancy and nursing supplies. I rummaged through the sale and for just under $100,  I was able to get one pair of black maternity pants, and three knee length dresses. I really liked all 4 garments that I bought; they were stylish and well made but still exceptionally comfortable.  I also thought it was really cute that they provide strap-on foam bumps  hanging in their dressing rooms.  You can strap it to your belly to get a better idea of how the outfit will look on you as you get further along in your pregnancy. I thought it was a bit silly at the time but I wish I had used them because all the dresses I bought ended up being ridiculously short on me by the last trimester. I think part of the problem is that their knee length dresses are way too short to begin with, especially if you are 5ft 11 like me.

Once I had tried on and selected the clothing I was definitely buying, I breathed a sigh of relief, I was convinced they would finally leave me alone. But they weren't quite done with me yet. Once we got to the checkout they requested a lot  personal information, such as address, phone number, email address, due date it was a bit annoying and intrusive. When I tried to decline to give them that information, they preached on and on and on about all the benefits I would get. I gave in and provided my information just to make them stop talking. But in my mind I was thinking,"Y'all will not be seeing me ever again in  this crazy stalker store"  To be honest, I  did get a lot of free stuff from them; I received several full sized sample cans of Enfamil formula and a subscription to Ameriacn Baby magazine. I also got a bag load of coupons and freebies with my purchase, so that was all nice. Even as I was leaving they were still trying to feed me. I don't get it, maybe I looked hungry to them? I gave in and accepted some juice and a Luna bar, which actually made me feel like throwing up. ugh! It was overall a nice shopping trip but they hovered over me so much that I really dreaded going back there and decided not to purchase anything more from them after that. I'm the type that likes to rush in and out of a store and not have a long dragged out shopping experience everytime. The three dresses I bought from them are no longer available on their site, but I chose three others that I would have bought if the price was right. I especially love the first navy dress. It is simple and elegant which is 100% my style!