The countdown is on for me now. My baby boy is due on 17 April so he could be arriving any day. I feel like a ticking time bomb! The hospital bag is packed, the nursery just needs a couple of finishing touches, and every trip to Sainsbury’s I’m stocking up on nappies. I’m wondering what kind of personality the little man is going to have and whether he’s going to have golden brown curls and grey-green eyes like his big sister. (How on earth did that happen?!).
Today I just wanted to talk you through some of the clothes that have seen me through the different stages of my pregnancy.
The Little Black Dress
If there is one thing any of you pregnant ladies need in your life, it’s this Bardot dress from Asos. I bought it when I was pregnant with Lyra and I was actually a teeny bit sad once I had given birth and couldn’t legitimately wear it any more! It’s made of the comfiest stretchy jersey material so you can wear it through all the trimesters and that isn’t something that I can say for a lot of maternity clothes. (Yes maternity jeans, I’m talking to you). And being black it is so practical and flattering.
It’s ace because you can dress it up or down. It looks just as good layered under a sweatshirt or longline cardie, with black tights and trainers, as it does with heels and a statement necklace. I’ve worn mine to the office, not one but two RMLtd meetings, a wedding, a comedy club, a posh afternoon tea, and the playground underneath my parka. Heck I even wore it on Christmas Day.
One thing that should probably put me off is the fact that Lyra calls it my ‘witches dress’, but nope, this makes me heart it, and her, all the more.
The Shoes
As a bit of a shopaholic, I’ve really missed being able to go clothes shopping. I’m pretty sure we won’t have any more kids after this one so I didn’t see the point in buying many more maternity fashion-y bits. However, I have treated myself a little bit when it comes to shoes. After all, shoes are something that I will need and wear even after the baby gets here, right?!
For the aforementioned wedding, I bought these Aldo heels. My feet didn’t hurt after the wedding, despite being three months pregnant and spending a large part of the day chasing Lyra around a cobbled courtyard in three inch heels! Amazing. (And if you don’t believe me, read the reviews). I love their simple but elegant style and the fact that they will go with everything.
Another Aldo purchase that I’ve been impressed with has been these leather loafers. Again, elegant and understated, but with a subtle sparkly pewter finish. And on my want list are these leopard print flats. Along with everything else from Hush.
The Leggings
The sections above may make it sound like I am all about the glitz and glamour. This is really not the case and I have pretty much lived in leggings for the majority of both pregnancies. (But how nice is it to have a piece of clothing that makes you feel confident and a little bit dressed up every once in a while? I’m telling you, you need the dress). My favourite maternity leggings have been from the H&M Mama range – they fit comfortably over your bump, wash really well and retain their shape, and stay nice and tight around the ankle.
The Maxi Dress
Another option that you can wear through all of the trimesters, hooray! And it’s also one of those outfits that you can sometimes get away with buying the non-maternity version. I’ve got a maxi dress which, when I’m not pregnant, is slightly too long for me, but it currently fits perfectly due to it raising up over my bump. When we went to Dubai one of my lovely friends let me borrow a load of her maternity holidaywear and I’m still wearing the maxi dresses – which are a bit like this jersey one and this high neck one – now I’m back home. They’re super comfy and look great under an unbuttoned shirt or denim jacket.
The Jeans
In the first two trimesters I was ALL about these Topshop Joni maternity jeans (apparently one pair of Jonis is sold every ten seconds). By seven months they were just too tight and maybe if I’d gone for the over-the-bump version they might have been more comfy. Both versions look great though, and Topshop seem to bring out new colours quite regularly. I’m also loving the look of these Jamie ripped jeans.
The Underwear and Swimwear
I have relied upon bump bands to give me just that little bit of extra support and now that I’m heavily pregnant I am even wearing them to bed. I don’t know if it’s all in my mind but at a fiver each you can’t really complain.
When I was pregnant with Lyra I bought a maternity tankini from Topshop which was just brilliant because I used it on holiday, and wore the top half in the birthing pool (it sounds ridiculous but I wanted to preserve at least a bit of my modesty!), and then continued to wear it after she was born, until I felt confident enough to wear a bikini again. This La Redoute one has caught my eye and there’s 40% off with the code BIG40.
I’m currently on the lookout for some nursing bras which are both pretty and practical. Why are these so hard to find? The best I’ve seen are these ones from Mothercare and Topshop but if anyone has any recommendations I will love you forever.
And on that note, we’ve got a shortlist of names but still no front runner so if you can think of an unusual-but-not-too-wacky boy’s name or you have a boy’s name that goes with Lyra then pretty please put it in the comments box below!
What were or are your go-to maternity fashion items? Seen or bought anything recently that the mamas-to-be need to know about?
Those heels! I’m very impressed. I don’t think I could even walk in them unpregnant 😂. I loved the Asos maternity jersey dresses too and had three in different colours. That was pretty much all I wore, accessorised with different scarves (fortunate enough to have a close friend who is an amazing silk scarf designer) Scarves are my secret maternity wardrobe weapon – I didn’t need to buy much because of them but most of what I did buy was Asos. I loved their maternity denim shorts. I would live in H&M or Asos maternity leggings then if I had to go out of the house I’d just chuck on the shorts over the top.
Boys names are a tricky one aren’t they. For me, the holy grail of a name is uncommon yet not weird. There are millions of girls names which fit that description but boys, not so much. When you get to your late thirties all of your family and friends have used the classic names and you know at least two of each. And you worry that anything too far off the beaten track might sound a bit try-hard. Best of luck with that unenviable task! Sorry – not helpful in the slightest 🙈
Lucky you having a scarf designer friend! I found scarves were really useful in the first trimester when I didn’t want people to notice I was pregnant. And will be using them whilst breastfeeding too.
And you’ve hit the nail on the head with your description of boys’ names. They are so hard! X
My main piece of advice would be to try and limit the amount of specific “maternity” clothes you buy, you may only wear them a few times in your pregnancy unless you go on to have more children. Even in my case I had a summer baby followed by a winter one so the seasons were totally different!
For my summer pregnancy I wore my regular maxi dresses, just a little short on the ankle, and pulled my maxi skirts down low over the bump. A few vest tops in the next size up stretched over the bump and only cost a few quid each from New Look.
For my winter pregnancy I just wore my usual comfy jumpers with either maternity leggings or maternity jeans.
I agree that everyone needs The Dress – mine was a pink floral one from Next in a similar style to the black one you show here. It saw me through special occasions and work meetings throughout both my pregnancies: I’m just gutted that thanks to the supportive ruching down the sides I can’t get away with it as a “normal” dress!
My friend who is due next month has been a real EBay fiend and I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself. She’s been picking up Seraphine maternity dresses for around a tenner which is crazy cheap.
On the name front, my 2 faves for a boy were Ralph or Finn. With 2 girls and no plans for any future kiddies we won’t get a chance to use either sadly xx
Brill advice Claire. I do love the bargains you can find on eBay however I find it so stressful when I really want something and am outbid 😂
The ruching is the reason I won’t be able to wear my dress again too. May have to wear it today just in case it’s the last time ever, ha!
And lovely name suggestions! My friend Nat’s little boy is called Finn (see yesterday’s Rock My Style post 😊) however Ralph (and Ralphie as a nickname)…so cute x
Lovely post Lisa, really nice items, going to check out those Aldo shoes as I hadn’t heard of them before, oooh shopping on a Friday morning 🙂 x
Thanks Nicola! Love a bit of Aldo although I find their stores are better than their website. I bought my favourite ever scarf from there a few years ago in a gorgeous nude and pastel pink and beige leopard print. It’s lovely and floaty and lightweight. They also do great boots and sandals x
I’m presuming Iorek Byrnison hasn’t made the shortlist? I have to say I’d be tempted! Xxx
Awwww Iorek ❤️❤️❤️
…nope 😂. We did consider ‘Will’ though.
Have you heard that there’s a new Book of Dust trilogy out soon Karen?! X
Will and Lyra would be too cute.
I haven’t heard! Oh I’m not sure how I feel about that. Obviously I’ll love it, but the Amber Spyglass had such a heartbreakingly perfect ending. I’m off to Google it and count down the days until it’s out 😍😍
Me too! I feel like I haven’t got properly stuck into a good book for ages.
Apparently one of the books in the trilogy will be about when Lyra was a baby and one is set 20 years later so hopefully they won’t spoil the Amber Spyglass for you x
With my second pregnancy I tried to avoid maternity specific clothing unless necessary, buying lots of stretchy jersey tops/cardigans and then wearing with maternity jeans. The other essential was a stash of maternity vests as there comes a point your usual vests/camis start riding up over that bump!
Boys names are hard to get the balance between unusual but not totally out there! We went quite traditional for our son but I’ve always liked Nico, we couldn’t use it as it’s one of my husband’s best friend’s names and funnily enough also the name of one of my son’s friends!
In terms of nursing bras, full disclosure as I work for them, but Figleaves all the way! Honestly no one else has the same choice although they are all branded. I had such a nightmare with bras despite where I work and ended up with only one that worked for me so I bought it in every colour!
That’s another reason why I found the bump bands useful – for that stage when your usual tops start riding up over your bump.
Nico is already on the list! Great minds!
Off to check out Figleaves…x
My little boys called Xavier but we call him Xavi. Goes quite nicely with Lyra I think! Great maternity ideas, the real minefield is office wear. So glad I was pregnant in summer, would’ve been much more expensive to be heavily pregnant in the depths of winter!
I like Xavi! And it would definitely ‘go’ with Lyra.
Yes I felt so frumpy being pregnant and working in an office x
Asos over the bump skinny jeans have been fantastic! The tall range was the only pair that fit me and believe me I tried everywhere! Also long vest tops from H and M.
I confess… I am wearing super stretchy soft sports bras by a brand called Lady Hathaway purchased from that fashion icon, Costco… but they are so comfortable and you can whack a boob out anywhere with ease.
Names- Lars? Has that Polar feel to continue the northern lights thing- but two L names may not be what you want. Names on my list that got vetoed were- Rafe, Lawrence (Laurie), Alastar… and Lars.
Good luck! This last bit is just so ugh- feels everlasting!
Lucy S how on earth did you come across Costco bras 😂 A sports bra is an excellent idea though and if I am anywhere near a Costco soon I will be checking out the Lady Hathaways!
It’s good timing asking you about names 😊 Paddy was on Rich’s list. He used to want five boys and had names for them all (Billy, Bobby, Mickey, Ronnie and Paddy). Looking forward to discussing all these name suggestions with him tonight. Love Lars but do you think three of us all having L names may be a bit Kardashians?! X
Crying at this Lisa! Perhaps you could make Rich change his name to an ‘L’ name too. We loved Alfred but so many friends have chosen it that we just couldn’t call another boy the same and I love Arthur after my grandad but I think it would be a second name. I also adore Wilfred – Wilf for short and Cedric is still up there for me too. Oh and I like Remy as well.
Lolly these names are so you 🙂 especially Remy because of the French connection! Alfie is on the list but loving your other suggestions too. x
I have two months of pregnancy left – enough time to warrant buying The Dress, right?!
I’ve found that although a lot of my clothes from pre-pregnancy do still fit (e.g. slouchy knits), I just felt fat in a lot of them as they just made me look “big”! Hence I did buy two maternity jumpers that were more fitted than my usual ones. I’m living in dresses for work and have found that maternity tshirts really useful as all mine are too short!
I have the Topshop Joni jeans in black and over the bump – while they look great and are fairly comfy, they fall down after about 2 steps! I don’t think they are quite tight enough anywhere to hold them up :S
My favourite more uncommon boy’s name is Stellan (although it’s sadly not made it to our shortlist as my boyfriend isn’t as keen :().
Definitely enough time to be wearing The Dress, Katie!
I love hearing names that I’ve never come across before and Stellan is up there.
Good luck with the next couple of months xx
Lisa, blooming lovely pic of you!! I rocked the bump bands too near the end! Maternity bras, Google ‘hot milk bra’, I have a really pretty one and practical too!! 😀 x
April as you know I don’t look like that most of the time 😉
I think I’ve seen Hot Milk bras mentioned on here before – thanks for reminding me! Will check them out xx
Our list of boys names are:
Rafe
Fox
Harris
Robin
Eddie
So not that unusual- sorry!
Ahh, I like each and every one of these names. Thank you! (And you’re the second person today to suggest Rafe…) x
Fox is such a great name!
Lisa!! There was a mention of your upcoming maternity wear post on here (I think about 3 weeks ago) and I’ve been waiting excitedly ever since (yes, I am a total nerd).
At 15 weeks I’m not in maternity wear yet, but I’m totally stealing your ideas for later on. I did order a pair of maternity jeans from Asos but I think they’re too big so I’ll probably send them back. Why are the smaller sizes ALWAYS sold out?
My big maternity wear question is, how do you wear a jersey dress without looking all lumpy underneath it? Is there somewhere I should look that has especially thick jersey, or is it to do with undergarments? Then again, maybe I’m just lumpy and you’re just…not. 😉
I second Figleaves for nursing bras – Cake and Hot Milk had some nice stuff when I last needed them a couple of years ago. Heidi Klum Intimates is also worth checking out.
Good luck for your due date! If our baby is a boy I have NO IDEA what he will end up being called – my husband and I can’t agree on any boys’ names that we both like. Can’t wait to see pics of your little man (whatever he ends up called). x
Bless you Tracy…hope I’ve mentioned some nice stuff that you haven’t seen yet 🙂
Re your big maternity wear question, I think the Asos dress must be made out of some kind of magic material as it manages to smooth out most of my many lumps and bumps. And it’s not especially thick jersey which is good seeing as I am ALWAYS hot these days. I was discussing these dresses with some of the other Rock My girls at our last meeting – how you can totally get away with close fitting clothes whilst pregnant to show off your bump! There is no way I would be able to wear a skin tight dress like the one in the header photo in ‘real life’!
Brill – will check out Cake too. And you have reminded me that I did mean to mention Heidi Klum Intimates in this post – I used to love the Elle Macpherson range before Heidi took over.
And re your RMF comment yesterday, according to my careers test I too should have been an archivist! x
Our little boy is a Rafe ( Rafey)! Other options are Hugo? Wilf?
Ahh another vote for Rafe! I am going to have to text Rich 🙂
LOVE Wilf. And it’s Rich’s dad’s name. x
Ooh good luck for whenever he may appear.
I found the Elle McPherson Mat bras were both pretty and practical last time. I managed to get them from an outlet store so they were also a bargain too! Winner winner.
We loved the name Lucas if we were to have a little boy. Due to have our second girl in 5 weeks and have finally settled on a name, we struggled last time too, possibly too much choice.
Xx
Thanks Louise. Good luck to you too 🙂
I like Lucas and I also think Lukas with a ‘k’ is pretty cool.
There are too many girls’ names to choose from and too few boys’! Well done on settling on one. If it’s down to Lyra this poor little boy is going to be called George (Pig) x
On bras, I had the so unglamorous but ridiculously comfortable Bravado seamless ones (https://www.johnlewis.com/bravado-seamless-nursing-bra/p3112169?colour=Ivory). Honestly, I lived in them for AGES, they washed really well and were so flipping comfortable. But not a looker (albeit totally seamless under tops). Isabella Olivier dresses rather like your black one were my best friends, I had several colours and rotated them at work. Good luck with the new arrival!!!
The John Lewis model makes these look glam! They look great, thanks for the recommendation x
We didn’t know the sex of our baby, and our baby boy didn’t have a name for 3 days!! We tried one out for a few hours but it wasn’t working, so we settled on Arthur.
It is so hard to find a nice boys name! Especially when you are trying to fit it with another siblings name!!
You have some lovely ones suggested here though so sure you’ll be fine and not as disorganised as us!! (He was early in our defence so took us a little by surprise!! 🙈)
Arthur is one of those timeless names, great choice. And it looks like you’re in good company (see Lolly’s comment above ⬆️).
I’m pretty sure this one is going to be early too seeing as Lyra was x
I’m due next week and not a clue on names! Oh well, I don’t think you can name a baby really until you see it!
I’m so fed up of maternity clothes and not being able to put socks on very easily. Though your choices above are great. I’ve just worn mat skinny jeans (m&s) and stretched into tops – mostly Boden bretons.
Good luck!
Hooray for April babies – hopefully you are putting your feet up in the sun today!
I am with you on the socks. And any other footwear other than slippers for that matter. X
My toddler has other ideas and wants me to sit on the floor with him … not so easy getting up and down!
Oh nooo. Give your mum a break!
Love your bump pic – you look so gorgeous! I kind of missed my maternity wardrobe after I gave birth – I had such a nice capsule wardrobe going on and the suddenly nothing to wear! I did wear quite a few of my normal clothes but was a bit sick of them by the end of it. The prettiest nursing bras I found I bought when I went back home to New Zealand – Heidi Klum intimates – did a quick google and you can buy them from ASOS and a few other places online. I like them because they had the modesty panel around the top so when you unclipped you weren’t pulling your whole boob out so to speak. As for name ideas – boys are so hard! My son is called Joshua – it’s the only name my husband and I could agree on…goodness knows what we’ll do if we ever end up having another baby one day and it’s a boy!
Ahh thanks Emma, you’ve made my day!
I’m just on figleaves.com checking out the Heidi Klum ‘Madeline’ bra. It’s gorgeous and has rave reviews. I think it may be the one! Thanks for the tip. Now just to decide on a blinking boy’s name! x
Lovely picks! Definitely a wear anywhere dress, a comfy pair of jeans and bump bands clothed me throughout my pregnancy. It took a good few months after giving birth for me not to look 6 months pregnant so I got a lot of post birth wear out of my maternity wardrobe too! Now if RMF fancies doing a going back to work practical, machine washable, good value, capsule wardrobe post that would be great!
I’m sure it can be arranged Sophie x
My friend named her little boy Hugh. A lovely choice I thought. X
[…] my maternity fashion post over on Rock My Family I asked if there was such thing as a pretty breastfeeding bra. Turns out […]
Hi Lisa:
Thanks for the great info. I would like to share this site which has a great 3 in 1 Maternity Coat which can be used during pregnancy, for babywearing with sling and can also be worn normally as a stylish piece once baby is grown. They have many styles and even a line of maternity clothes and jackets. Apparently, they use a removable panel technology. Pretty neat. All the best.
https://goo.gl/7zrgtL