Beth Denny

I’ve always struggled with maternity fashion as I don’t like the idea of spending a lot of money on clothes which I will only wear for a few months. For this reason, I thought I’d buy investment items that I could wear post pregnancy, for those days where I haven’t lost the baby weight, or styles that look like they’re supposed to be loose fitting.

For this pregnancy, I have lived in this dress from ASOS. It has lattice laced sides to adjust as my bump grows but the way the fabric has been sewn together means that I won’t have the gathering around the bump which makes it obvious that it is a maternity dress. It was also a bargain at £14.00 in the sale. I love how it can be dressed up for special occasions but it looks casual with a waffle-knit cardigan and ballet flats too.

Another steal of an item was this vest top, also from the sale at ASOS. It was £5.00 and like the dress, doesn’t have the side stitching. It is also a good length to take me through the later stages of pregnancy. As the weather has been good this summer, I’ve had a lot of use out of it but as it gets chillier, I have been wearing it with a longer length cardigan.

Knitwear has been my biggest fashion stress this time around. I ummed and ahhed over buying a gorgeous Mamalicious wrap cardigan and when I finally decided I would buy it, it sold out of my size. I’ve been on the hunt for a new one since but had no luck. I have been wearing a lot of non-maternity waterfall or drape cardigans as they don’t have buttons and are baggy enough to cover my bump. These will also be handy to help cover up when I’m breastfeeding.

Trousers and jeans have also been a stress for me as I’ve needed something comfy while chasing Annabelle around, she’s a very active pre-schooler. I have only bought two pairs of jeans to add to my maternity wardrobe from last time. They were both Leigh jeans from Topshop, one in Pansy Vintage and the other in Dark Vintage (Indigo). In terms of comfort, especially around the waistband, they have been ideal. They’re great for driving and lounging around and I can dress them up or down depending on the occasion. The only issue I’ve had with these jeans is they slide down quite easily and I need a longer length top to ensure that I don’t accidentally flash anyone. I think this is because I have quite a large bottom for my body shape!

I’ve just got a couple of items to buy for the last 7 weeks (eek!) of my pregnancy. I have one maternity jumper and one long sleeved T-shirt so I will undoubtedly need another jumper or cardigan and a couple of light-weight Autumnal tops.

What are your tips for styling a baby bump? Let me know in the comments below and click on the link for more pregnancy related posts. Bx P.S. My 33 Week Pregnancy update will be live on my blog in a couple of days.