Heat's Editor In Chief Lucie Cave continues to take us through her pregnancy journey...
At breakfast the other morning my husband Ben said to me casually, 'So are you looking forward to having your periods again?'
I rolled my eyes, ‘Er no, not particularly’.
He continued…’Are you looking forward to being able to see your feet again?’
‘Yes’
‘…And wearing normal clothes again?’
I was about to shout, ‘No sh*t Sherlock!’ until it dawned on me that over the last eight months there was part of me that had grown very comfortable with being able to eat what the hell I wanted and still get away with wearing a figure-hugging tight dress with my belly sticking out. Even better – the bigger your tummy, the more compliments you get! I slowly realised that I was actually going to miss my pregnant body and accompanying excuse for a wardrobe. What worried me more was what would happen afterwards - once the baby had emerged from my bump (I’ve got it on good authority that said ‘bump’ doesn't miraculously suction itself back in overnight. Instead the ‘bump’ just becomes a ‘lump’: a big saggy sack of skin that you certainly won’t be wanting to showcase in any manner of tight dress).
When I first found out I was pregnant I had allsorts of grand plans to wow people with my pregnancy clobber. I was going to take inspiration from Blake Lively and Keira Knightley and swish elegantly about the streets in immaculate designer maternity wear. Oh yes...
Then I remembered this was real life and I didn't have a million pounds and a stylist living in my wardrobe…
Step forward the equally-aspirational-but-slightly-more-attainable Fearne Cotton – who, two kids in, rightly said, “I don’t get why people think they have to look like a mum as soon as they get pregnant!” Fearne admitted that like many ladies with a bun in the oven, she initially struggled with trying to find a new ‘style’. She found most maternity wear “boring” so instead wore stuff that she would normally wear “in a bigger size” or just “a lot more tights and dresses”.
I’m now nine months pregnant and about to pop any day. So here are some things I’ve gleaned about finding a decent maternity wardrobe:
Buy clothes with loose cuts – this means you can get away with wearing big shirts with bump and later when you just want to hide the lump.
Cool jackets go with anything...
You can wear skin tight dresses without worrying about what you've eaten for lunch! (Jake Gyllenhaal sadly not included)
Long maternity vests from Topshop can be a life saver when you literally have NOTHING to wear. Plus they cover your expanding arse and inevitable camel toe.
ASOS has some brilliantly affordable maternity wear and most of it is good enough to keep and wear post-pregnancy. Like these slouchy jersey dungarees...
And this floral tee
While these ASOS dresses are perfect for parties and weddings...
For the more unusual, hidden gems - Clary and Pegdo an amazing vintage collection like this jumpsuit …
And dresses like these…
For a chic work wardrobe and stuff to wear to posh parties (if you can’t down a load of champagne you might as well look the part...) then you can’t go wrong with Seraphine.
Of course you could always just flash your whole area and be done with it.
Next stop: kids clothes. And if my baby shower the other day was anything to go by I am going to be extremely jealous of my future son’s wardrobe. Although that will take some serious dieting...
So roll on periods and bonjour feet, I'm looking forward to meeting you both again ... !