I found out a couple weeks ago that I’m pregnant and then 1 day later I had to rush home to Canada for a family emergency. This wasn’t exactly a “planned” thing so obviously I had no time to start shopping around in Taiwan and see what is available before I had to rush home.
I’m about a size 8/9 in US/Canada sizes but definitely have a butt and hips that are nothing like the Taiwanese female shape but I’m “regular height” in Taiwan. Finding pants normally isn’t impossible but it’s never easy. Loose some places too tight others. With this pregnancy I imagine I will get bigger as it goes on. Hopefully not too much but who knows.
So maternity clothing…as far as tops go with the types of styles that are popular in Taiwan I’m sure I’ll have no problem but for bottoms I have no idea. Have any other western women been maternity clothes shopping? Should I go on a shopping spree before I come back to Taiwan next week? Are all the maternity shops crazy overpriced?
Are there other things difficult to find in Taiwan but easy to find in Canada that might be useful even after baby comes?
I’ve been lurking around forumosa for years, but I can identify with your problem so much that I just had to respond. Thanks for bringing me out of my shell! Anyway, I’m about 3 months pregnant now, due 3/21/2010. I’m a US size 12/14 normally, so I’ve been worried about this same thing. I’m also not too worried about shirts, but pants, underwear, and bras has been another story. It seems to me like a lot of the women here wear these shapeless, sack-like dresses with a weird corset-like stomach supporter underneath when they’re pregnant. I think cute maternity clothes are so expensive here because a lot of women don’t even wear them. I’ve looked in a few of the maternity stores by Sogo on Zhongxiao/Fuxing, and the stuff was terribly expensive. Not only that, but the pants didn’t even look that big to me. I’ve been told by a few Taiwanese friends that there’s a cheaper place in Gongguan, but I haven’t found it yet and I’m kind of doubtful that they’ll have anything that fits me. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I’m going to have to order stuff, but there’s still hope for you. If I were you, I would really stock up when I’m in Canada.
So far, I’ve ordered a tummy sleeve from motherhood.com. You can see it here:
Sorry, I don’t know how to insert the link in a nice, cool way. This will allow you to wear your pants a lot longer because you just wear them unbuttoned with this band over it. I went into a ton of stores in Taiwan and no one had ever heard of it. I was kind of surprised because they’re so popular in the US! All they had in the stores were these belly support things and they kind of looked at me like I was crazy.
Other stuff that I’ve had to order is a few things that I’ve found I can’t live without in my first trimester (and I haven’t been able to find a suitable alternative in Taiwan). This includes Tums, Colace (sorry if TMI), and seasickness bands which help some women with morning sickness (don’t know if it will work for me but I’m pretty desperate now). Also get some books on pregnancy and birth because you won’t be able to find a lot of English ones here. I can recommend a few to you if you’re interested!
I’m waiting a while longer to order more clothes because I’m hoping the Tummy Sleeve will allow me to make it awhile without having to buy maternity pants. Good luck, and just PM me if you have any more questions or want to talk pregnancy. I’ve done a ton of research on giving birth in Taiwan and love talking about it!
I have found most of the maternity shops here awful; clothes are ugly and over priced. A top is about 1500+ while pants or dress are 1500-3000. There is a couple of newer maternity shops with some nice things but even more expensive.
I bought my maternity clothes in Canada when I could and also ordered online while in Taiwan from these two online shops :
As for what to bring back here are some suggestions:
A sling ( they have some here but not of the quality or choice)
A stroller (double the price here)
Gripe water
Childrens Ibprofen (can be bought here but uses a medicine cup instead of dropper)
I’ll probably think of more later and add it then!
Thank you so much everyone. I think that answers both my questions and suspicions!
I was eying a really great, Canadian made sling here but thought I might have seen them while I was in Taiwan so now I know I should go for it. I also noticed the awesome motherhood tummy sleeve and thought it was the coolest idea ever.
About ordering books in Taiwan, if you have a good Taiwanese friend books.com.tw is amazing. Unfortunately westerners can’t seem to get accounts because they require the Taiwanese ID number but if you do have a friend you can search for any book you’re looking for by ISBN. When you order it you pick the 7/11 that’s closest to you and they’ll deliver the book and then you pay for it when you pick it up at the 7/11.
They don’t always have all the books on the site but if they don’t they can send you a follow-up message when the book becomes available. I’ve been able to get about 99% of the books I’ve ordered (ie they’ve been available) and I’ve been unable to find them any other way in Taiwan.
You were asking about maternity clothing, I can’t help you there. But I can say, buy as much or as many baby things as you can in Canada!
I’m from England. I expect that the price of baby stuff in Canada is about the same as it is in the U.K.
We have found that anything here that is of a desirable level of quality is about twice the price as it is in England. This goes for everything: bottles, blankets, baby clothes, toys, car seat, push chair, cot, mattress, you name it… I couldn’t find a changing mat at all.
My sister told me about this http://www.angelcare-monitor.com. Maybe I’m paranoid :loco: , but it seemed like a small investment for a bit of peace of mind. Anyway, I couldn’t get one or anything like it in Taiwan. I got one delivered from the U.S.A.
You could also post a “wanted to buy” over at http://www.parentpages.net, as there may be moms with great stuff sitting in their closets. I got some really good stuff at the playgroup rummage sale, but one isn’t scheduled until at least November. (Members of the group often bring things from home, then donate them to the charity sale when they have finished.)
I also picked up my favorite maternity pants and dress at OhOhMini, which is a Japanese maternity shop you can find in department stores. Their stuff is not cheap, but I wore the few things I got over and over.
Oh, one more tip. If you plan on nursing your babies, you might want to look at the maternity wear you buy to see if you will be able to comfortably nurse in it in the first days after having your baby.
