Hey, I managed to stick my little girl in the bath for a wee while and and here I am, trying to blog about pregnancy wear. I will not finish this post while she’s there but bear with me…

So far, I have bought maternity wear worth around £200. It consists of three t-shirts, one vest, three pairs of jeans, two hoodies, six long/medium length-sleeved tops and three bras.

I bought my first pregnancy jeans this time while I was around three months pregnant. As a second-time around mum, I knew what lay ahead and wanted to be prepared. I also thought I was being very clever and ordered them in the summer, while the main shops and retailers had their sales on. After shopping around-virtually-for a while, I decided on a pair of progressive maternity jeans from Vertbaudet (yeah, the posh shop that advertises kiddy wear on Nick Junior).  I chose them in my pre-pregnancy size(as the maternity wear retailers recommend) and hoped for a really good pair of jeans, practical and adjustable which will see me throughout the pregnancy due to the elastic bands they come with. Unfortunately, size 40 fitted me just a tad too tightly and as I grew in belly size the bands proved uncomfortable and baby kicked at them annoyingly. They have ended up in my post-pregnancy pile for now as I hope that I will be able to use them without the zipped-on maternity bands after baby makes an appearance. A bit annoying and a not-so-good a deal from Vertbaudet…

My second pair of jeans is my favourite and comes from New Look. Actually, I could be their maternity wear ambassador as at the moment 90% of my maternity wear is from them. I love this pair because they are soft to touch, comfortable and their elastic band is elasticated enough without digging into my belly but strong enough to hold them up my bum…

My favourite item at the moment is one of my New Look hoodies. I love it because it’s cottony soft, cosy and long enough to cover my back and keep me warm. I foresee it being over worn this winter.

My least favourite items at the moment are…my bras. As any pregnant mum, I have grown in size in this respect but finding the right size and fit has proved a nightmare so far. I have initially attempted to guess my growing size by buying Primark wireless bras. BIG mistake as I discovered Primark doesn’t quite stick to the classic measurements and even a 38C didn’t do me due to manufacturing glitches. There is also the issue of my growing uterus that makes breathing difficult and wearing broad-backed bras intolerable. I am collecting a Mothercare bra order from my local shop tomorrow. Please, wish me luck, I truly need a couple of supportive bras as this is getting a bit ridiculous now…

So, my advice for any pregnant mummy out there is:

• fancy shop items usually look good on the website and in theory but their sizes can be smaller that the usual and you may end up with stuff you may use for a very short time.
• buy a couple of tops in two different sizes if you like the design. You are bound to eventually grow into them and you may not find the next size up when you need them.
• do yourself a favour and get yourself measured for a good, supportive bra from the fourth month(even sooner, if you feel the need). Mothercare offers bra fitting services and a good choice of maternity bras.
• don’t throw out your worn out maternity items. I use mine in the house as they are more comfortable than the usual wear.

Disclaimer: I wasn’t paid nor was offered products to try on by the retailers mentioned above. Writing reviews is something I would like to do more often and eventually get paid for it but this was my first go at it, hope you enjoyed it!

Bump at 20 weeks. I was wearing a maternity top from New Look and my pre-pregnancy jeans