Pregnancy Style

This may be an emotional one, it certainly was for me and the moment I had to try on a pair of elasticated jeans, it just got a little too much, that or the pregnancy hormones.

But, in all honesty it’s not something I had really thought about, until the moment came, and I was stood in the middle of the maternity section surrounded by oversized trousers and tops with easy access.

Thankfully there is a wide choice of maternity wear to suit all budgets, and you can buy some lovely items that you will find yourself reaching for long after the bump has gone and you are running around after a toddler. Where to buy Most of the larger department stores and clothes shops have a maternity section as well as some lovely independent specialist shops.

Some mums-to-be just buy a size or two larger than their normal size, but there are definite advantages to wearing specially made maternity wear.

Before you go shopping it is worth going through your current wardrobe to see what will work as your bump grows.

There is no need to replace your whole wardrobe, unless you want too of course.

You should also check out second-hand shops / websites as maternity wear is only worn for such a short time; you could bag yourself a bargain.

It’s also worth seeing if you could borrow any maternity wear from friends or family.

Going back to the elasticated jeans incident, once I got over the initial shock, they were surprisingly comfortable and my go-to jeans. Trousers You can opt for over the bump or under the bump style and you may find, particularly if this is your first baby that some of your current wardrobe will fit well into your pregnancy.

You can also buy a clever little extender which uses either a pregnancy belt style or simply a clip which fastens around the button.

Leggings are also an obvious choice as they are elasticated and can stretch well.

You can buy both normal or maternity leggings depending on your size and how big your bump grows. Tops It is probably worth getting a few tops to suit most occasions as you don’t want to stretch your current clothes.

Tops can be bought very reasonable or if you have a friend or family member who has recently had a baby, then why not raid their wardrobe?

Depending on the time of year, just getting a few t-shirts and a few smarter looking tops should work and then you can dress up or down with accessories.

If you are planning on breastfeeding then it may also be worth buying some maternity tops / jumpers with buttons so you can feed discretely and buying them earlier on in your pregnancy will maximise wear too. Coat / Jacket You can buy specialist maternity coats, but many don’t, however it will depend on the time of year you are expecting.

You can buy some coats with a detachable section which you can just zip on and off as required, which will extend the life of the coat. Embrace the bump Some mums-to-be absolutely love having a bump, while others find it more difficult to get used to.

Be kind to yourself and know your body is incredible and doing something truly amazing so accept your changing body and embrace the bump!