style: maternity wear

As I enter the final stages of my second pregnancy, I thought I'd reflect on my favourite pieces of maternity wear. Unfortunately I managed to be heavily pregnant during a completely different season for my second pregnancy to my first. First time round it was the height of summer and I lived in flip flops and maxi dresses. This time round, it's winter - and a cold one to boot. So I've had to be a bit more imaginative. Dresses are still a godsend when you reach the third trimester and you're huge and uncomfortable. This Next dress has been my absolute favourite this time round.

It's loose and flowy and not too far off my usually style. The buttons mean that it will be useful in the early weeks after the baby arrives too, as I'll be able to breastfeed in it. That said, I have just bought it in the non-maternity version - on sale for just £9! (You can find it here - search "drop waist dress" in womenswear - as well as another print in non-maternity.)

If you're pregnant too and fancy trying this dress, it's currently only £14 in the sale at Next - you can find it here (search "printed long sleeve dress in maternity).

differences between first pregnancy and second

Just over a year after giving birth and a week after celebrating the baby boy’s first birthday, I found out I was pregnant again. The idea of two babies under two was suddenly a reality and one that just as suddenly terrified me. But first of all, I have to deal with being pregnant with a baby in tow. I thought being pregnant the first time around was hard but I had no idea just how different it would the second time. For me, these are the main differences between my first and second pregnancy:

Me time

First time around, I could pamper myself, have a rest and put my feet up whenever I wanted.

Second time, the only time I have a chance to put my feet up is once the baby boy is in bed (or napping). And then, I have a million other things I should be doing – washing for the millionth time, cleaning, clearing toys.

Googling

First time around, I googled EVERYTHING. And I mean, EVERYTHING. Strange twinge in side? Googled it. Gassy feeling or movement? Googled it. What can I eat/not eat? Googled.

Second time, I barely have time to respond to texts these days – Google is a distant memory.

Worrying

Sort of the same thing. But first time around, I worried about everything.

Second time, did I mention that I just don’t have the time?! If I stop and think for a moment, then I do start to worry about things again. But this is one of the few advantages of the second time around, that I don’t really have too much time to worry about the baby. Sorry number 2 – I have a feeling this might be a sign of things to come.

The bump

First time around, I could have hidden my pregnancy for at least four months without anyone realising there was a baby growing in there!

Second time, yeah, there was no hiding the bump this time! By 13 weeks it was already well and truly there and the maternity jeans were busted out.

Awareness

First time around, all I could think about was the baby growing inside me.

Second time, I suddenly catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror and am surprised by the bump and have to remind myself I’m pregnant.

Expectations

First time around, I was so so naïve. I thought I’d sail blissfully through pregnancy with a wonderful glow. I was shocked when I was sick almost constantly for the first 20 or so weeks. I was shocked when my legs, feet, hands, fingers and everywhere else swelled to massive proportions nearing the end of my pregnancy. I was shocked when my birth plan went out of the window within minutes of arriving at the hospital. Essentially, I was totally unprepared.

Second time, I know what to expect and actually, it feels so much easier. So far. But I’m not under any illusions that come the third trimester I won’t be huge and exhausted and grumpy. But I’m prepared. I know what to expect this time.

Read the rest of the post at Selfish Mother, here.

here we go again!

👶 B A B Y • N O • 2 👶 If I’ve been a little quiet on here lately, this is why. I’ve been growing the baby boy’s little brother/sister. We’ve got to 20 weeks and finally the nausea is starting to wear off. If I thought being pregnant was tiring the first time around, I was totally unprepared for how tired I’d be with a toddler in tow. But we’re all so excited to welcome baby #2 to the family next spring! Any tips for #2under2 are much appreciated!! • • • • #preggers #knockedup #pregnancyannouncement #20weekspregnant #babyno2 #2under2club #pregnancylife

A post shared by Emily Taylor (@thetraineemum) on Oct 20, 2017 at 10:18am PDT

my breastfeeding story #celebratebreastfeeding

As it’s National Breastfeeding Celebration Week I figured that for once I might jump on the bandwagon and talk about my breastfeeding journey. It also seems fairly timely too that this weekend I will have been breastfeeding my baby boy for a whole year.

Before I continue I want to acknowledge that all too often conversations about breastfeeding descend into guilt, blame and judgement. Regardless of how you feed your baby, you’re doing the very best you can for your child. The problem for me is, that those mothers who want to breastfeed are not necessarily being enabled to do so (according to official figures, eight out of 10 women stop breastfeeding before they want to). And as a result, the UK now has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world.

I knew I wanted to breastfeed before I even had children. While I was pregnant, I remember being asked by my midwife on numerous occasions who I intended to feed my baby and I always said that I wanted to try to breastfeed. I had many friends who wanted to breastfeed and for whatever reason – lack of support, tongue tie, etc – were unable to continue. I never felt confident that I would breastfeed but I knew I wanted to try. My reasons for wanting to try weren’t all that altruistic, yes, sure I knew it was good for the baby but also, it was free and quick – what can I say, I’m lazy and imagining being woken umpteen times a night sounded bloody awful, without having to also make up a bottle.

But I’ll be honest, I didn’t really give breastfeeding much more thought than that. And then suddenly after an exhausting induced labour, followed by an emergency caesarean, I had my baby boy in my arms and no clue what to do with him!

I was lucky and he latched fairly quickly – we just had a few tries and then we were away. It felt weird. So weird. And then within days, it hurt. So much. Coupled with a healing c-section wound, I felt utterly dejected. I remember feeling so uncomfortable in the final hot weeks of my pregnancy and eagerly looking forward to giving birth and suddenly getting my body back again. But that just didn’t happen. And I hated it.

It was hot and sticky and breastfeeding made me sweat more and I had a tiny little person attached to me for much of the day. My husband could only look on (and thank goodness that he had some time to himself while the baby fed – All. The. Bloody. Time!!).

For me, in the early days, breastfeeding felt lonely, painful and draining.

After chatting (read: breaking down) with the midwife 10 days in, I decided to set myself small, manageable targets. First, I would get to two weeks, then a month, then two. My mum kept telling me that one day soon I would look down and realise that I actually enjoyed it. I was incredulous. Enjoy it?! But she was right. About five or six weeks in and I looked down at this tiny little boy, feeding away happily and realised that not only did I enjoy it, I was beginning to love it. Even then, I felt that six months would be long enough.

Very nearly 12 months later and we’re still feeding. It’s down to one feed a day but neither of us is completely ready to give that feed up yet and I’m fine to wait a while.

The initial weaning at about seven months was my decision but it was based more on circumstance than emotion. I returned to work when the baby boy was eight months old and so knew that about a month before that I would need to start reducing his daytime feeding. I also got to a point where I could no longer face night time feeds. Since then we’ve been nursing first thing in the morning and at bedtime, but over the past couple of weeks we’ve dropped our morning feed.

I now feel as if I’m reaching a point where I wouldn’t mind if it came to an end. I’ll be sad not to have our quiet time together but I know we’ll still have cuddles.

There were many times that I nearly gave up in those early weeks, when my nipples were sore, when both the baby and I got thrust, when I was so tired and it felt like he’d never stop feeding. But now, a year on, I’m so glad I persevered.

#3things: gifts for a mum-to-be

Got a baby shower to go to? Friend who's about to give birth? Or maybe a friend who's already given birth? Often around this time, mums-to-be and new mums can get forgotten in a pile of baby grows. I've picked out three gifts to make those mamas feel extra special:

1. If you haven't heard of the amazing site Don't Buy Her Flowers - get on over and check it out. Don’t Buy Her Flowers was founded with a simple aim: to provide thoughtful gift packages for new mums because they deserve something lovely just for them. How nice is that? There are lots of gift options but I like this Care Package, complete with magazine and chocolate!
2. This Maternity Essentials Hospital Set by Asos is ideal for any mum-to-be. I'd totally wear the nightdress for daywear too - in either outfit you'll feel ready for visitors in those early days after having your baby. The eye mask will help you to sleep in the hospital ward - they can be quite bright even at night. And the socks are something you'll forget to pack but you'll be surprised about how cold you can get.
3. The Boots Mum to be Essential Kit has all of those toiletries you need postpartum. The maternity pads and breast pads have long since been used from my pack but I'm still using the nipple cream. And although I didn't have too many stretch marks, the oil is really nicely moisturising.

Last but not least, if you're in a real bind over what to buy your mum-to-be friend, buy her chocolate! I didn't realise what a great gift this was until a couple of weeks postpartum and was needing snacks while breastfeeding - chocolate is a must!

Mama to be bunting via Etsy

#3things: nobody told me about after giving birth

Nobody told me you can’t use toilet paper
Nobody told me that you bleed
Nobody told me you might need a secret place
where you can scream.

My mother in law gave me a book for my birthday (at 35 weeks pregnant) called Nobody Told Me, by Hollie McNish. Nobody Told Me chronicles three years and nine months of poet Hollie McNish’s life from finding out she was pregnant, through to becoming a mother. I've been reading the book in realtime - so at the stage that I'm at, as each time I've read on, it's started to freak me out!

If you're pregnant, you might be advised to look away now! There's probably a reason that nobody talks about this stuff until afterwards but to be honest, sometimes it's good to be prepared.

1. You'll be losing fluids. Think your waters breaking is a worry? Turns out that's nothing compared to what happens after giving birth. Make sure you stock up on maternity pads because however you give birth (vaginally or caesarean) you will bleed. And for the first few days, at least, it'll be pretty heavy. You'll also find that there is a whole lot of other fluid to get rid of from your body. My feet swelled up like balloons for a good few days - the best way to get rid of them was to sleep flat on my back with my feet raised up on a few pillows. Add on to that the night sweats - as well as your feet swelling, you'll be sweating out all of those fluids every night. Seriously, as if you didn't have enough to deal with after giving birth!
2. You'll still look pregnant. And you might feel like you're still in labour. For the first few days (at least) you'll still look about six months pregnant. And you'll continue to look pregnant for weeks afterwards. Unless you're a model and you snap straight back into shape within days. But who really does that? Six weeks later, I've returned to my pre-baby weight but still have a pretty sizeable bump! As your bump does start to go down, you'll feel contractions as your uterus begins to shrink back. If you're breastfeeding, these contractions will be most noticeable as you're feeding.
3. You will cry! A lot. The first 24-48 hours, you'll be on an adrenaline high (as well as high on whatever pain killers they're giving you) and will be feeling so elated over what you've done and the baby you've got. Then suddenly on the third day (usually when your milk comes in - whether you're breastfeeding or not) you will cry. You'll suddenly realise that you have a baby. And that you are responsible for this small person for the next 18 years - at least. And that will scare the **** out of you. I cried for two weeks, nearly constantly. The baby blues - as this period is known as - are so common that they are considered completely normal and are not to be confused with postnatal depression (PND). PND normally occurs four to eight weeks after giving birth but can start any time in the first year after giving birth. If you think you might be suffering from PND, you can find out more here.

What surprised you about after you'd given birth?

and then there were three

On 1 July, our little man arrived. After nine months of waiting, we met our son.

To say it didn't go to plan would be an understatement. I had never really intended to have a plan and had thought I'd try and go into the whole process with an open mind. But I did know that I wanted to give birth at our local midwife led unit in the town where we live and that I wanted to try the birthing pool. In the end, neither was an option.

After my waters broke (a trickle, not a gush!) in the early hours of Thursday morning, I was booked for induction at the consultant led unit at the main hospital in the next town for the Friday afternoon. I didn't make it to then, as in the early hours of Friday morning there was blood in my waters and I was told to come straight in for induction.

The induction process was daunting and I'm not sure that it was ever fully explained to us why or how it would happen. As such, within hours of being put on the drip to get my contractions going, I was exhausted and totally spaced out from the gas and air. Even the consultant told the midwife that I was in no state to give birth. Which was really encouraging!

After a shot of pethadine, which didn't do much, I opted for an epidural. This definitely helped me to rest and get some energy back. But the baby didn't like the strength of the contractions. It also turned out that after 10 hours, I had dilated no more. So late in the evening it was decided that a caesarean delivery would be the best option for the baby. I'll be honest, it was such a relief at that point!

The caesarean was actually the most positive part of the whole day. Everyone in the operating theatre was wonderful and supportive. They explained everything and were all very upbeat. In the end, the birth of our baby boy was a pretty positive experience. Even if I was left battered and bruised.

Unfortunately baby boy had to go to neonatal for his first night but I was lucky to spend most of it with him, nursing him and soothing him. The hospital provided an amazing service and the breastfeeding support was spot on. I knew before I had my baby that I wanted to try breastfeeding but was under no illusion that it would be easy or that it would work. But the nurses in neonatal and the postnatal wards were so supportive.

I'll confess now that even after nearly three weeks, I'm still processing the fact that my little boy's birth wasn't anything like I expected. I'll be sure to come back to this subject and my other thoughts on being a new mum soon.

style: blake lively maternity style inspiration

Loving this maternity look by Blake Lively. Totally what I'm living in right now - maxi dress teamed with a denim jacket. A denim jacket is a great piece to use from your pre-maternity wardrobe.

maternity leave: painting nails

I've been so tired - or sick - for most of my pregnancy that one of my favourite things to do very quickly fell by the way: painting my nails. Before I was pregnant, my nails were very very rarely bare. In fact, I'd often paint them twice a week. Since last autumn, I've maybe worn nail polish twice.

But now that I'm a lady of leisure, I have cracked out my (extensive) collection of polishes. I have also added to them.

The two shades above are from Boots No7's latest summer collection: Candy Apples and Beach Blues.  No7 nail polish is always spot on - the shades are always on trend and the consistency is always easy to apply and long lasting. These two new shades deliver on all fronts.

And below is the battle of the classic reds. Trafalgar is a slightly pinky red, while Pandore is maybe more of a true red. I'm rocking Trafalgar right now!

review: emma jane next generation maternity/nursing bra

I don't often feel compelled to write a review about underwear - least of all comfortable and practical maternity underwear. But I've been wearing the Emma Jane Next Generation Maternity/Nursing Bra for the past few days now and I don't want to wear anything else. I wish I'd found these bras months ago!

The Emma Jane Next Generation Maternity/Nursing Bra is seamfree and offers an extra soft and comfortable fit.

I've been wearing sports bras throughout most of my pregnancy and this bra has all of the comfort of a sports' bra with the added bonus of the nursing feature.

The bra is available from lots of places online. I bought it on Boots.com and it was a bargainous £12 (plus, if you're signed up for the Boots Parenting Club, you'll get extra points when you buy it!).

3 things: to do on maternity leave

Or 5 things! I wrote last week that I was finishing at work and beginning my maternity leave. It's been a little weird not going into work every day. I've felt a little lost.

I had really mixed feelings last week as I approached my last day in the office until next year. Since I graduated a decade ago, I have worked continuously. I began to worry what it would mean for my career and the job I love to have this break. Your job tends to define you, and for the next half a year, or so, I won't have that. I was worried about the effect the break would have on my career prospects as before I found out I was pregnant, I had been looking for my next step and that had to be put on hold when we discovered we would be having a baby! I'm really lucky that my husband is really supportive and understands my apprehension about the next phase of our lives. He is also going to share my maternity leave with me, so that I can go back to work a bit earlier and enjoy a couple of months, without worrying about childcare, to get back into the swing of it.

Back to maternity leave. I've been trying to ensure that I have something specific, either to do at home, or someone that I'm seeing each day, so that I don't get too despondent as I await the arrival of our baby.

1. I have been watching a fair amount of TV. Love Island has become a bit of an obsession - trash TV is always good when you're exhausted. Plus, it doesn't matter if I fall asleep halfway through!
2. I've been trying to make some batch meals for the freezer. I'll admit, so far, I've managed to make a huge portion of bolognese and made some of it into lasagne. And that is it. But we have a couple of meals in the freezer at least.
3. Obviously I've been doing some blogging - and catching up on all of the blogs I've missed recently.
4. Yesterday, my first official day of maternity leave (after a couple of days of annual leave last week), I treated myself to breakfast in bed - such a luxury! Sometimes, you've got to treat yourself.
5. Finally, I've been packing my hospital bag. As this is my first baby, I have no idea what I need really. I've found a few lists online and used these to help me pack our bags. I've packed three bags - is that excessive? It feels it! One for me during labour, one for me and baby after labour and one for my husband! I'll share the contents soon.

Any tips on how to stay sane during this waiting period before the baby arrives?

style: full term and maternity leave

On Monday I was officially full term - 37 weeks. Yesterday I started my maternity leave. I'm not going to lie, this heat is the worst when you're pregnant. My feet are like balloons - I don't have ankles anymore! Sleep - which is not easy during pregnancy anyway - it now completely elusive. So I am glad to have finished work and am able to nap during the day now. But apart from napping, what else am I meant to be doing while I'm on maternity leave and before the baby arrives? Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy this time. But apart from enjoying it - how should I go about doing that? Any suggestions welcomes!

This is dress is from New Look. I bought it for a wedding we went to a few weeks ago. I searched high and low for something to wear that I would feel comfortable in and that wouldn't cost the earth (you might remember this post?). I found a fair few that ticked the first box but were very pricey. This dress was really well priced and wasn't so dressy that I couldn't wear it again over the last remaining weeks of my pregnancy and really get my money's worth. Maxi dresses are all I'm living in right now.

pregnancy post: the final countdown

On Monday I was officially full term - 37 weeks. It feels quite momentous to get to this point. But now the waiting really begins.

I finish work today. This makes me happy because the recent warm weather has left me struggling to cope with 8+ hours in the office. And sitting at a desk for long stretches has also left my lower back in pain too. But I'm also apprehensive about how I'll spend my time between now and when the baby arrives.

I'm not very good when it comes to surprises and not knowing. So the concept of waiting for the baby to arrive when it's ready is quite difficult for me to get my head around. It really could arrive anytime now, in the next five weeks!

I am determined not to sit around the house, waiting for labour. But at the same time, I'm tired and uncomfortable. Anyone got any tips for keeping busy without exhausting myself while on maternity leave?

pregnancy beauty: clarins mum to be spa treatment

Two weeks ago was my birthday. My husband very kindly treated me to a day out in Birmingham. He told me he'd booked me a surprise for the morning and that we'd then go for lunch.

My surprise treat was a mum-to-be spa treatment at Clarins based in Selfridges. It was heavenly and exactly what I needed.

I have been to Clarins spas before and have always found them to be the nicest, cleanest and offer the best service.

The mum-to-be treatment included: a back massage, a facial, a shoulder and neck massage, arm and hand massage, leg and foot massage and an oil rub on the bump to help stop stretch marks.

For the back massage, you are on a stool, leaning over a pile of pillows on the treatment bed. For the rest of the treatments you're on the bed, at an angle (similar to the angle my midwife usually has me at at my antenatal appointments).

The products that Clarins use always smell divine.

It can feel a little intimidating to strip off at 35 weeks pregnant but they offer you the space to get ready and provide a robe (to wear backwards over your bump) for the back massage and then cover you with multiple towels for the other treatments and just expose the necessary parts. They will also ask you if you're comfortable with each treatment before they start. So if you're not so keen on someone rubbing your bump, you can pass on that.

The beautician who did my treatments told me that they offer the package to anyone, right up to the end of the pregnancy. I have to admit that if it wasn't nearly an hour from home, I'd be very tempted to go back for another one once I start maternity leave later this week.

Have you tried any mum-to-be packages?

3 things: reflexology has helped with during pregnancy

I've been having reflexology sessions since I was 23 weeks pregnant. I had had a few sessions previously and really enjoyed it. When I first started a couple of months ago, I had read that it can help with SPD, which I was really struggling with. I admit, I was slightly sceptical that it would too much but thought that if nothing else, it would be nice for the foot massage side of the treatment. I was very pleasantly surprised by the positive results it has had.

1. Eased my SPD. I obviously can't be sure that it was the reflexology alone but after my early sessions I definitely had less pain for a few days.
2. Helped to promote better sleep. With less pain, also came better sleep. But even now when my SPD seems to have eased a little, I find that for a good week after a reflexology session I sleep much more soundly. Has anyone else noticed that they wake at around 4am and can't get back to sleep for ages? I don't know if it's hormones. Anyway, after reflexology, this 4am wake-up is not an issue for a good 4/5 nights. (I do still wake up and turn over a lot, but I fall back to sleep - and a much deeper sleep - a lot quicker.)
3. Reduced swelling in my feet. This is a new one but last week my feet were sooooo swollen. And my ankles - was definitely rocking some cankles!! After my last reflexology session, my feet and ankles have gone right down.

Reflexology is based on the notion that areas of the feet and hands are linked to other areas and organs of the body. It is used to treat symptoms in many parts of the body by using fingertip pressure on specific areas on the feet primarily, and sometimes on the hands as well.

As in the case with prenatal massage, some reflexologists prefer to wait until you are out of your first trimester before they will work on you. There are also some complications for which reflexology is specifically not recommended. You should have a chat with your midwife before going for reflexology.

Reflexologists can also work the area between your ankle and heel to stimulate labour and contractions. Obviously you don't want them doing this before you're full term! I've chatted to my reflexologist about trying this in a few weeks time. Both of us are keen to see if it does speed up the process - I'll report back!

style: summer maternity maxi dresses

I posted earlier in the week about ways to keep cool in the summer and one of those was to dress in loose clothing. I've found the few maxi dresses I've bought to be a godsend, so I thought I would do a round up of some of the best - and most bargainous - ones I've spotted:

Clockwise from top left: Asos halterneck maxi dress; Asos nursing maxi dress; New Look tropical print maxi dress; New Look back bar maxi dress (this is the one I'm wearing in the image above); New Look floral print maxi dress; and Asos bandeau maxi dress.

How do you keep your cool in the summer sun?

top tips: 5 ways to stay cool in the summer when pregnant

Turns out that the summer heat and sunshine can be particularly challenging when you're pregnant. I thought I’d share some tips for staying cool.

Summer definitely arrived this weekend in the UK. What a difference a week makes. Ridiculous to think that I was in huge jumpers and sheepskin boots last weekend and this weekend we were firing up the BBQ!

I love the sunshine and the summer heat – the minute the sun is out I am out in the garden and refusing to leave. Being pregnant in the heat is a totally different matter though. Yesterday I managed a couple of hours outside, before heading in for an epic nap.

With seven weeks still to go, I thought I’d share my tips from the weekend for staying cool in the heat when pregnant:

1. Find shade or head indoors. A parasol will be your new best friend if you’re pregnant in the summer. Usually I’d happily lie out in the sun for hours but this weekend, I hid under the parasol while we ate lunch and then headed inside to try to keep cool.
2. Drink lots. I’ve been drinking loads of water already during my pregnancy but when it’s hot outside, it’s even more important to drink more.
3. Use sunscreen. I always use sunscreen anyway but when you’re pregnancy it’s even more important as your skin is much more sensitive.
4. Wear loose clothing. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find anything tight around your bump is so uncomfortable in the heat. I’d already bought myself a couple of maxi dresses and was so glad of these at the weekend.
5. Stick your feet in cold water. When I was outside for our BBQ at the weekend, I managed to stay a little longer with the help of a washing up bowl filled with cold water!

Anyone else got any tips for staying cool in the heat when you’re pregnant?

pregnancy: a few thoughts

The past week or so I’ve been reflecting on my feelings about being pregnant. The third trimester feels like a particularly emotional time. You’re in the home straight, so to speak, thoughts turn to the birth of your baby and you start to really feel pregnant and uncomfortable.

A lot of people have commented on the size of my bump in recent weeks. What is that all about? Seriously? I realise that I’m pregnant and therefore getting bigger and I was prepared for this but when people look at the bump and are surprised that you have longer left than they thought, it starts to panic you. My bump is measuring slightly on the bigger side but it is still a nice neat bump that I’m happy with. I love the fact that the bump is actually a sign that my baby is healthy and growing well. I love feeling my baby move around, giving me little kicks and jabs to remind me he/she is there – as if I could forget! But I am struggling to find clothes that fit and are comfortable and don’t leave me feeling frumpy and slovenly.

I feel as though I’ve been pretty negative about my pregnancy: I spent the first trimester (and beyond) feeling and being sick, I’ve had hip and pelvic pain from the end of my first trimester and generally felt exhausted throughout. I was having a good old moan with a colleague that people who say they enjoy being pregnant are liars! But afterwards as I reflected I realised that I was maybe being a little over dramatic. I have loved being pregnant. I have loved the feeling of growing a little person, of feeling those first flutterings and now the bigger kicks. I have loved the excited and anticipation of what the future holds. Being pregnant feels like such a special time and I feel very very lucky to be able to have this experience and to carry a child. But, my goodness, the constant tiredness and surge of hormones make it difficult to fully appreciate it sometimes.

How have you felt - or did you feel - during your pregnancy?

style: maternity wedding guest outfit

Following on from my post last week about the difficulties of finding stylish and affordable maternity wear, this week I’m tackling the tricky topic of what to wear to a wedding when you’re seven and a half months pregnant! Yep, in five weeks time (at 35 weeks pregnant) hubby and I will be attending a wedding and I have nothing to wear!

I say nothing. That is not strictly true as I have now bought four different options. And I think I have narrowed it down to two. I had a few criteria for the dress:

1. Reasonably cheap as it’s fairly close to the end of my pregnancy and I might only wear it a few times.
2. A maxi dress that will be comfortable and (hopefully) dressy.
3. Something that isn’t so dressy I can’t wear it again.

My first stop was Asos. To be fair, on my rant about a lack of maternity wear, Asos do have a large selection but they are only online so any purchases involve buying various sizes to try and different styles. I did find quite a few options in the sale – some in my size, others not, some that looked nice, others that really didn’t.

I have actually found a dress (not featured here) so I will post a photo after the wedding in May. I will say though that it can be worn again, is a nice breathable fabric so will be cool and was pretty cheap!

food: pregnancy recipes

When I was told that I needed to be tested for gestational diabetes a few weeks ago (it was negative) I decided to make a few changes to my diet straight away. I knew that I had been using my pregnancy as an excuse to eat anything and realised that this wasn’t going to help, particularly when the time came to loose the weight post-pregnancy.

I’ve tried to cut back on my sweet treats (really difficult when you’re a complete chocoholic).

I’ve swapped (some) white carbs for wholemeal versions. We eat a lot of pasta so I grabbed a bag of wholemeal pasta and tried that out – turns out it’s as nice (if not nicer) than white pasta. Who knew?! Even the hubby was happy with the change which has now been made permanent. I’ve been craving all things carb related since I got pregnant, so didn’t want to forgo them altogether. For sandwiches and toast, I’ve been using wholemeal and granary bread which actually is nicer anyway. Rice is where I fall down. I just don’t like brown rice. And it takes an age to cook too.

This simple tomato and mushroom pasta by Deliciously Ella is delicious and oh-so easy. It can be thrown together in 10 minutes so it's ideal for a work night dinner.

I’ve swapped some of my fruit portions for veggies. I’ve been craving water-based fruits, like melon and mango, a lot. So I’ve swapped them for water-based veggie sticks, like cucumber and celery. I’ve been snacking on these either on their own or with homemade hummus.

I’ve also tried to find more veggie based meals for evenings. My hubby is a carnivore (show me a man who isn’t?!) so I have to find ways to add in some meat for him but mainly he’s been pretty happy with my new menu choices. All of the recipes from the Deliciously Ella cookbooks are vegan and plant-based so they are ideal for introducing more vegetables into your diet. Another favourite is the butternut squash and lentil dahl which is a great winter warmer (or for days like today when it should be springlike but is actually horrid!).