Maternity Clothing – What To Wear When Pregnant Part 2

Posted in Fashion, Pregnancy and Baby.

I’m almost done with pregnancy – I’m just 13 days off that 40 week target, and although Baby A could technically stay in hibernation for another four weeks (please god no I beg), she’s done all her growing and is ready for the world. And I am extremely ready to be not-pregnant.

third trimester maternity clothing

So before the bump disappears and I make my move into parenthood – namely, dressing my daughter in the most beautiful outfits while performing the sniff test on a laundry basket t-shirt for myself – I’m following up my maternity clothing post with a part two. Let’s call this the Heavily Pregnant Version!

The latter part of my pregnancy has been way harder to dress for than the first, for two reasons – the first being a frankly massive bump that requires specialist items, the second being a change in season that deems sundresses and bare legs inappropriate. I’ve bought fewer maternity-specific pieces because it seems like a waste with just weeks rather than months left to wear them, and winter maternity wear is so much more expensive than summer stuff.

So, I decided to invest in a few key items and try make my regular winter wardrobe work alongside them. I’m avoiding my favourite knits for fear of stretching them out but I’ve found cropped jumpers work really well with high-wasted maternity pieces like this Topshop Maternity tube skirt, which was only £20 and is super comfy. Jumper dresses have been another win – this cashmere one from ASOS is a fave and I wear it with maternity tights (New Look’s are good!) as well as over leggings or jeans.

Layering up my lightweight dresses has been successful, too – this Topshop dress is from the regular range and is so roomy I didn’t even need to size up. Worn over a polo neck jumper with tights and ankle boots, it’s cosy enough for chilly days.

topshop asos maternity clothing

Cardigans have been a real staple of my late pregnancy wardrobe – worn open, they’ll accommodate any size bump and add a warm layer to tops and dresses. And there’s absolutely no need to buy maternity-specific cardigans – just choose a bigger size if you want to be able to button up and then you can wear it post-pregnancy, too.

Although I didn’t want to buy lots of winter maternity wear, I do love to shop and autumn/winter is my favourite season, so I’ve tried to buy pieces that will work for now and afterwards. Cos has been particularly good for this – their clothing is cut wide and loose, meaning it covers my bump now but will also look oversized and chic when the bump is gone. I love this wool cardigan and this printed shirt. I’ve also considered the ability to breastfeed with everything I’ve bought recently (a maxi-length, polo neck jumper dress was quickly returned when I realised it was literally the most impractical breastfeeding outfit ever), but I’ll write another post about that when/if I actually experience it.

I did decide on a few maternity things to see me through the colder months – proper jeans became so uncomfortable for me after about 30 weeks, so I gave in to jeggings and bought these from M&S and these from New Look (both super comfy and easy to wear, plus they don’t fall down) as well as this cute sweater also from M&S, which has been great for those ‘pull-on-and-go’ outfits.

what to wear 8 months pregnant

As well as cardigans, long-line tunic tops and baggy shirts from my pre-pregnancy wardrobe have really worked with a growing bump, and anything can be made cold weather-appropriate with a polo neck or a Uniqlo Heattech top underneath. I also caved to the pregnant lady cliché and bought some dungarees – this cord pair from ASOS Maternity are SO comfortable; I adore them.

There are two things I’ve managed to avoid so far and I’m hoping I crack on with this labour thing before they’re needed – outerwear and footwear. Until today (hello, snow!) it hasn’t been cold enough for a proper coat so I’ve been getting away with wearing my jackets open, and in the last few days my favourite Jaeger blanket coat (similar to this) with a thick scarf. My feet haven’t swollen at all during pregnancy – although I suppose there’s still time – but I know that happens to lots of women and might mean your regular winter boots no longer fit. Luckily my only problem in this area is I can no longer bend down to tie my laces, so I’ve been sticking to slip-on boots or roping in Rob to help.

So as I quickly approach the last few weeks of pregnancy, comfort is definitely winning over style and most days I just keep it casual in leggings and a jumper. Being on maternity leave means I’m not out and about as much but on those days I do face the world, it’s nice to have a few outfit options that make me feel like my old self and not quite so much like a baby vessel.

Hopefully these recommendations will help you build your own late pregnancy wardrobe – if you have any top tips, share them in the comments and link me to your maternity style posts. I’d love to see how you’re dressing your bump!

3 Comments

Mary

Love reading your weekly updates. Please continue as much as possible when baby arrives. I’m 20 weeks so it’s nice seeing how you got on ahead of me! Mns maternity jeggings are the best thing ever!

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Suzanne

If you do end up breastfeeding there’s a fab Facebook group called ‘ Can I Breastfeed in it? UK’ which is all about finding breastfeeding friendly clothing. You will end up spending though, it’s such an enabler 🙈 X

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ule

You look great! I have to say I dig your style more now than a couple of years ago when I first started reading your blog.

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