As Liz said previously – pregnancy is the style statement of the moment!!  Every time I turn on the TV or open a magazine there seems to be another celebrity who has announced they are pregnant or have given birth.  On the down side that means there is even more pressure for us hectic mums-to-be to look as good as our celebrity mums-to-be, but on the other hand it’s great for people like me who don’t see why style should go out of the window when you’re pregnant.  I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl on my days off, and everyone who knows me would be shocked to see me in floral prints and frills, so when I found out I was pregnant I was horrified at the thought of my wardrobe morphing into a jumble of frumpy tent dresses and smock tops!!

Don’t panic girls though, it is easy to keep your sense of style as your body undergoes all the changes that are associated with pregnancy.  Silly me – I thought that just my tummy would get bigger but my whole body has changed!!  My hips are wider, my bottom is bigger, my back has gone broader and my face has started to change shape!  Fortunately my arms and legs have stayed slim so these are the two areas I’m playing up, and I’m being slightly more discreet about the other areas!  Obviously I can’t hide the fact that I am pregnant – and I wouldn’t want too – but I am finding ways to look and feel more confident.

The most important thing I’ve found is underwear!  A good maternity bra is a godsend.  They’re not the most attractive items a lot of the time, but they are essential to support your growing bust and possibly help prevent the sagging afterwards!  Lots of designers are now producing maternity ranges which are more attractive than the maternity bras of old – look at ranges like HOTmilk, and Elle Macpherson Intimates.  Remember to get measured quite frequently too because as your bump goes your boobs will change shape and size too!

Another essential I’ve relied on is a wrap dress.  I’m not usually a dress kind of girl, but wrap dresses are so easy to wear, and they adjust to fit your back, boobs and tummy – and an extra bonus is that they are great for breastfeeding too!  My wardrobe staple wrap dress is by Isabelle Olivier, and it is in cotton jersey which is a really useful material as it skims over my bump rather than clinging to it!  I’ve worn it to work with a little white vest top underneath and flat black shoes, and I’ve also worn it out dressed up with kitten heels and lots of jewellery.  Another fab dress shape is the empire line – this supports your growing bosom whilst gently skimming over your bump to give a flattering silhouette!

My other wardrobe staple is jeans as you know!!  And I’ve found that whilst I’m pregnant the straight leg boyish style suits me better as it balances out my bump. It’s also worth looking round for jeans where the elastic is in the side rather than at the front because this can look quite frumpy.  One of my friends loves her designer jeans so much though that when she got pregnant she just cut v’s into each side and inserted her own elastic – so she could wear them all through her pregnancy!  If you can’t bear the thought of snipping at your 7 for all Mankind’s then take a look at apeainthepod.com as they stock a full range of 7 for all Mankind Maternity jeans – or if your budget doesn’t stretch that far then head for Gap because they have a wide range of maternity jeans to suit all shapes and sizes.

I’ve also relied quite heavily on another thing I have lots of in my wardrobe – t-shirts !!!  The great thing about t’s is that because they’re made of cotton jersey they stretch with you, and they also help to keep you cool too – as temperature regulation becomes more important the further on in your pregnancy you go!!!  In fact – anything jersey is always a winner – I got some fab palazzo pants for £5 in the Mama and Papa’s sale.  They’re so comfy and I’ll be able to wear them after the birth too – bargain!!

And finally down to my feet!!  I’ve not worn heels for weeks because my centre of balance has gone for a burton!!  I’ve been living in flip-flops but making sure they are either leather or have some detail on in order to keep them more stylish!!  I got a fab black pair with black jewel detail on from Matalan – and I also bought a gold leather pair which have hardly been off my feet!!!

So, that’s my short guide to how to look stylish in pregnancy – please let me know any tips you have – all information gratefully received!