Pregnancy Style

A lot of my friends who have had babies said that they didn't have to buy pregnancy clothes until the very end of their pregnancy. But let's get real: this is me! I love shopping, so pregnancy was definitely not going to stop me from getting my shop on! Luckily for me, a lot of high street stores like Top Shop, H&M, and Dorothy Perkins carry a maternity line. Current trends like tunic tops and leggings have also helped me find clothes that fit, even if they weren't necessarily from a maternity line. Living outside of London however made shopping difficult, so my go-to retailer for maternity clothes quickly became ASOS, especially because if you spend £100, you get free next day delivery and free returns! I also became a fan of Mamas & Papas. I feel like it gets a rep for being uber-expensive, but you can find great deals at both ASOS and Mamas & Papas when their clothes go on sale. They have sales ALL the time, as long as you're a bit patient.

Here are some of my favorite pieces:

Jeans - It looks super dorky, but as soon as my bump started expanding, I realized how great 'over the bump' pants are! I found that stretchy jeans would get pushed down by the bump and the cloth that goes over the bump helps to keep them up! I thought I would hate it because I always favored low-cut jeans and never felt comfortable with high-waist styles, but they ended up being super comfy!

These skinny jeans from Mama.licious were the first pair I bought from ASOS. I think I got them for about £20, too!

I also bought the boyfriend jeans on the right from Mamas & Papas. They retail for £40, but I think I had gotten either a £5 off voucher or 20% coupon through e-mail. They're also an 'over the bump' style and because these are loose fitting jeans, they def help keep them up!

Not quite jeans, but I love these pleather-panel leggings from TopShop! They make them in normal leggings as well as maternity leggings. They cost £28.

Tops - Tunic tops and long-line wifebeater tank tops have pretty much saved me, but for dressier looks, I turned to sweaters! It's been a pretty mild summer and autumn in England, so I've definitely been on a knitwear kick!

I pretty much live in this cardigan right now! It's so comfy and just thick enough to substitute as a jacket. Because of the pregnancy, I def feel overheated much quicker than before! It's a bit pricier than my other pieces at £40 from ASOS, but well worth it, considering how often I wear it!

(Sorry for the tiny thumbnail image!) I love this sweater from Mamas & Papas. It works as a long dress (on shorties like me!) or a long sweater with jeans. The square neckline also means it can be pulled to one side for a more '80s off the shoulder look! I got it for about £30, but it retails for £48.

I usually don't like 3-in-1 styles because why buy one top that looks like 3 when you can just buy 3 and layer yourself? However, I've gotta admit that I had my eye on this top since the 'Nordic Tales' line debuted at Mamas & Papas. It retails for £40, but I got it for £24, I think.

Dresses - Although I was made redundant shortly after I found out I was pregnant, I continued working as a contractor until the end of September. As such, I needed some more business formal pieces and for this, I turned to dresses! It was 'summer' but a very cold summer in London this year!

This '60s-inspired swing dress is super comfy and super cute paired with a bright cardigan and flats! I got it for about £20 but it retailed for £45.

I also got this dress for a bargain on ASOS. It looks great on its own, with maybe a long or multi-chain necklace or scarf, or with a blazer. It went on sale for £17 from £38!

(Again, sorry for the small thumbnail!) This is one of my most recent purchases and also one of the most versatile. You can wear a long-sleeve shirt under it or pair it with a blazer or cardigan. It does land a bit short, so you'd have to either wear it with leggings or skinny jeans. Then of course boots complete the outfit! The dress retails for £45 but then it went on sale for £15!

While the above pieces weren't the only things I bought, they were some of my favorite! The bonus is that I'll be able to wear most of the clothes again because they don't overtly look like maternity clothes! The jeans will have to go into storage, but they have been well-worn for the last 9 months! That's about it for now. Hope it helps to let you know that while you don't have to buy a whole new wardrobe to accommodate your growing bump, you can still buy a few statement pieces to liven up your closet!