Whether you feel your tummy has just popped out now you are four months pregnant or you are in the last stages of your pregnancy, feeling good about yourself at this special time of your life is extremely important. You may feel fat, sluggish, huge, very different (especially if this is your first baby) and your body sometimes almost feels as if it is not your own.
One way to combat this is to make sure you have good fitting clothes that are comfortable around your bump and that you feel show off your new figure if you are happy with that. The most important piece of advice to remember when shopping for maternity clothes is to buy in your normal dress size. If you are an 8, a 10, a 16, whatever your shape, buy the same size. There is no need to buy bigger just because you are bigger. Clothing manufacturers of maternity wear take in the notion of a changing shape and cut the clothes accordingly. There will be extra material to accommodate your baby bump plus maybe a bit more room for manoeuvre in places where you are more likely to put on some weight, like your thighs and upper arms.
Feeling good about how you look when you are pregnant is vital to your well-being. If you feel great, you will be less stressed and more calm, which can only have a good effect on that tiny being that is growing inside you. Remember that wearing maternity clothes is only for nine months so you do not want to splurge out on loads of different outfits that cost the earth. Choose a few key items that will last as you grow but can also mix and match with each other.You can still look funky in maternity jeans (with the great swathe of stretchy material across the top – genius!) with a cool top.
Accessorising your look with some chunky jewellery and different shoes means you can look great every time and it feels like a new outfit. Shrugging on a jacket over the top will change your look yet again. If you think skirts are out of the question, think again. A maternity skirt over maternity leggings look great plus the leggings will hold you all in so you can keep going throughout the day. One casual look is to wear a sarong as a skirt if the weather is warm enough. They can look chic when matched with the right T-shirts or jackets. If you have any smart evenings out planned and let us hope you do, all you need is one good quality maternity dress that will expand with you. Look for ones with different button settings or try a wrap around dress as this will allow you to wear it right up until you have your baby.
Do not shy away from bright colours either, thinking you must blend into the background because you do not feel like yourself. Just wearing a bold colour can often cheer you up – be proud of your body and the amazing thing that is happening inside it. As you might be needing maternity clothes for a few weeks once your baby is born, make sure you look after them, but do not rely on them for long as you will want to start getting back into your pre-pregnancy clothes quite soon after the birth. If you want some more ideas about how to wear your maternity clothes then asking a mum whose dress sense you admire is a good way to glean more advice.