style: Next maternity jeans

I bought my first piece of maternity clothing at 14 weeks. It felt like it was really early but my skinny jeans were feeling very skinny and as I was still suffering from nausea, I wanted something that felt more comfortable around my middle. So my first maternity purchase was a pair of jeans and they were a revelation. A friend of mine who was nearing the end of her pregnancy at the time said she’d gone out at 14 weeks and bought new jeans, a size up from usual, only to then have to buy maternity jeans a few weeks later. I figured I may as well save my pennies and just take the plunge!

I've tried two different brands so far: H&M and Next.

The Next jeans (that I'm wearing in these photos) are more of a geniune denim which makes them a little less stretchy but the big bonus of the Next jeans is that they come in different leg lengths! For a short girl, different leg lengths is a must! I usually have to do a DIY turn up job on my jeans! The Next jeans also have a button on the lower waistband - in addition to the over the bump band.

Next (!!) up, I want to get a pair of their black leggings style jeans which I think will be a little more flexible.

I'm wearing: Next maternity jeans, Matalan maternity top (I love the scooped hem of this top - plus it was only £8!), Mango leather jacket (like cardigans, I'm making use of pre-maternity jackets and just not doing them up) and Superego trainers.

*Disclosure: I was sent the Next maternity jeans to try but all views are my own.

style: six pieces to see you through your pregnancy

I’ll be honest – I didn’t want to spend a fortune on clothes throughout my pregnancy that I will wear for a few months and then never again. Also, what is it with stores adding an extra “0” to something just because it says maternity?! With this in mind, I've been keen to re-purpose pieces I have in my wardrobe. But I did quickly realise there were a few things I would need to buy. These are the six pieces accommodating my growing bump right now:

1. Trousers/jeans/leggings – I live in my skinny jeans and these were the first thing that got tight. Some people suggest wearing low slung trousers/jeans under your bump. I did not find this an option – around week 13/14 your uterus starts to move up and very quickly hits the point at which your trousers do up. At this point, the pressure was so uncomfortable that I succumbed and bought a pair of maternity jeans. I’ve not worn anything else since!
2. Tights – if you’re planning to wear dresses, I would definitely advise investing in maternity tights. When I first saw how expensive they were, I thought I would stick with my old pre-pregnancy tights. But very soon they were digging in too and really uncomfortable. And then I spotted that Primark do maternity tights for about half the price of other shops (£3.50 for a pair of 100 denier maternity tights) and there was no looking back!
3. Bras – this was something that I was hoping to really not have to buy. I already wear non-wired bras most of the time anyway (the perks of a small chest!) but what I didn’t count on was the expansion of my ribcage/back. Plus, my chest also grew a fair amount too! Most maternity bras look a little like scaffolding to me. I wanted something that would be plain, simple and fairly inoffensive. I’d also decided to get nursery bras, so that they would last a little longer. Enter Primark – again! My local store stocks two maternity pieces: tights and bras. The bras are two (one black, one white) for £8 – another bargain!
4. Long-line t-shirts – long sleeved/sleeveless/whatever. These will stretch with your bump and will cover any elastic waistbands. I’m wearing out all my old Primark tees and vests and figure I’ll buy nice new ones after the baby arrives.
5. Trainers – ok, so I guess this should really read flat shoes but I’m having a trainer moment! They’ll be comfortable now as you get bigger and will be useful in the months and years after the baby arrives and you’re first, pushing a pram around and then, running around after a toddler!
6. Oversized dresses – I’ve found that many maternity dresses are wrap style or body con style. Neither of these are what I would normally wear. Instead, I have maxed out of oversized t-shirt dresses from Primark that fit loosely and comfortably over my growing bump.