Finding out you are pregnant brings with it many feelings … excitement, happiness, a sense of entering the unknown and …. panic that you have nothing to wear as your clothes get tighter and tighter and your buttons become more and more stubborn! Unfortunately your growing bundle of joy is more concerned about finding a comfy spot on your bladder than the demands it might be making on your wardrobe, purse and lifestyle. Yet for many women the struggle to look good during pregnancy begins as early as the second month and for those women who work during pregnancy it’s essential to continue to look and feel professional, glamorous and in control.
Pregnancy is all about growing and glowing, so why shouldn’t this be a time to shine? Gone are the days when women hid their bumps beneath baggy jumpers and tent dresses. Today maternity fashion is about being loud and proud of your bump and womanly curves and showing them off to the max. Yet the pregnancy wardrobe is a minefield. When and how do you start shopping for your bump? And surely you don’t need a whole new wardrobe for just nine months? We are often asked if it’s really necessary to buy maternity clothing. Surely bigger sizes and stretchy tops will do the trick?
The answer is that they will in the short term but you won’t get the longevity that do you with maternity clothing which is specifically designed to flatter and accommodate a growing bump all the way through pregnancy. A pair of trousers two sizes too big might do the trick for a few months, but they won’t be comfy on your bump and won’t take into account your growing bottom, thighs and hips as well. Maternity trousers not only cater for expansion in all areas but are designed to disguise and flatter the additional weight gain while accentuating and showing off the beauty of your gorgeous growing bump. The end result is that you feel beautiful and confident while pregnant instead of awkward and uncomfortable.
The materials in maternity clothing are softer and more flexible than those used in normal clothes. They will not only get bigger with you and be comfortable right up until the day you give birth, but they will then get smaller with you in the post pregnancy months too. The truth is it takes nine months to put the weight on and it takes nine months to take it off again. So unless your name is Nicole Richie or Victoria Beckham you certainly won’t be strutting your post pregnancy bod in your pre pregnancy jeans two weeks after giving birth. The beauty of good quality maternity clothing is that it shrinks back down with you post birth and most maternity tops are also designed to accommodate breast feeding.
We firmly believe that whilst you don’t need to invest in an entirely new wardrobe a few maternity 
staples go a long way. Take the Bumpband for example, an ingenious invention that has revolutionised maternity wardrobes. The Bumpand is a piece of stretchy material that fits over your bump and the top of your trousers or skirt allowing you to wear your non maternity items for longer. So for example, if you can still get your beloved jeans over your hips but can’t do up the zip, you can use a Bumpband to cover the gap, giving the appearance of a layered top effect an no one would know the difference. Likewise you can wear your favourite tops for longer and not worry as they start to ride up your midriff!
Another essential is a great pair of comfy maternity leggings. These can be worn around the house, dressed up with boots or heels, worn with dresses or a denim skirt over the top or just with a long comfy jumper.
Don’t underestimate the importance of a good pair of maternity jeans. Again a well designed maternity jean will see you through your pregnancy and beyond and can be dressed up or down in a number of ways.
Finally no maternity wardrobe is complete without one flexible little dress. A nice dress can be worn for work and then dressed up for an evening out. Or dress it down with boots or over leggings for a comfy yet chic day look.
These essentials should form the basis of your maternity wardrobe. Then you can begin to mix and match and add other maternity or non maternity items as you choose. There are of course also a number of clever ways to complement (or disguise!) your bump depending on the look you are going for. A well placed scarf either draped over the bump or tied under it, an eye catching piece of costume jewellery, a pair of cute boots and even big hair or a hat will all even out your curves or accentuate them.
For the recent Indybel Maternity Fashion show we deliberately choose real pregnant women to model our maternity ranges. When they first tried the outfits on they were amazed by how soft, sensual and sexy they made them feel. And that’s the real secret of looking great during pregnancy. Maternity clothing is not just something you need to see you through 9 months of weight gain, it is actually designed to show off the natural beauty of your changing body shape, highlight the pregnancy glow and make you look as wonderful on the outside as you feel on the inside.
Indybel are the exclusive stockists for Seraphine Maternity clothing in Spain. As worn by Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba and Halle Berry during their pregnancies. Indybel also stock the JoJo Maman Bebe maternity range, Emma-Jane maternity lingerie and the Bumpband. For more information visit www.indybel.com
Indybel are offering all our blog readers a free pair of pregnancy lounge pants with any purchase they make from our site. To take advantage of this offer simply type the words I love the indybel blog in the customer notes box at the check out stating whether you’d prefer black or white and we’ll add the pants to your package!
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