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and can even keep your legs trimmer and more shapely. I never wore them, mainly because I never wore skirts much, but I have heard some very favourable reports from other Yummy Mummies who swore by them. Or was it at them? Not sure.

      

Sexy underwear is absolutely essential. I sparked off quite a debate in Cambridge when I happened to mention in one of my parenting columns that I still possess, and wear, thongs. ‘Thongs? A mother wearing a thong? A pregnant mother wearing a thong? Disgraceful!’ cried the forward-thinking inhabitants of this highly educated city. Perhaps some learned professor could explain the psychology behind the theory that ‘all women who are pregnant should make themselves feel worse by wearing Big Pants’. It’s complete tosh. Quite apart from the fact that increasing numbers of medical professionals will be looking around down there, and so making an effort is only polite, you will feel better if you stick to sexy lingerie.

      

All hail Diane Von Furstenberg, who invented the wrap dress. Now here’s a style which works throughout pregnancy, provided it fits well. Whether it’s a crossover shirt, jumper, dress, or a long-sleeved T, wrap yourself in one of these and cruise to the finish-line looking sexy.

      

Leggings. You’re getting into dangerous territory here, and you should try to avoid these unless you want to look like a maternity-wear model in the mid-Eighties. I wore them, and hated myself every day. The same can be said for…

      

…dungarees. (Unless you are as hip as Sarah Jessica Parker, in which case you can look fabulous in the frumpiest of maternity frocks.) Dungarees are actually having a bit of a revival at the time of writing, but fashions come and fashions go, and this is one item which needs some careful research.

       Top Wardrobe Tips From Vanessa and Baukjen, designers of hip maternity label Isabella Oliver

      Soft, drapey jerseys, and anything that stretches, are the best fabrics and cuts to cover your bump. They are always comfortable and will grow and move with you, while still looking feminine and sexy.

      Buy as many little black jersey dresses as possible for pulled together, versatile looks which are always feminine. They are easy to wear for work, or dressed up for an evening out with sparkly accessories and sexy heels.

      You shouldn’t have to change your style just because you are pregnant. The same rules of dressing still apply—there is no reason to start wearing oversized, tent-like clothes or pinafores just because you are pregnant.

      Splurge on handbags, shoes, scarves and jewellery. Make the most of your classic, versatile wardrobe by changing your accessories to fit the occasion. It is so easy to change your daytime and evening look by simply putting a few strands of chunky beads around your neck or by adding a pair of dramatic, sparkly earrings. The possibilities are endless!

      

Mind the Gap. If your tops aren’t long enough you will have a gaping hole between the bottom of your top and the top of your bottoms, which can only be filled by a swollen, veiny tummy. You will also look much bigger because everything will hang straight from your boobs down, with no curves or shaping. Tops have to cover your bump and fit well.

      

Shoes. Here’s where you can add some essential sex-appeal. Living in trainers for four months is very comfortable, but it’s highly unglamorous. Do what the sexiest Yummy Mummies do and stick to something pretty for as long as you feel comfortable (and stable!) and keep trainers as part of a low-key, funky street look, rather than a ‘dishevelled blob who crawled off the sofa to fetch a pint of milk’ outfit.

      

Accentuate your neck and shoulders with pretty necklines. That’s ‘pretty’, not ‘plunging’, unless you want to show off your newly impressive cleavage.

      

Use accessories to draw attention away from your waist. Scarves, earrings, hats and brooches all work, but not all at the same time: less is always more on the accessories front.

      

Avoid large areas of uniform colour. Breaking things up a bit, especially across your chest, will make you look smaller.

      

Stand and walk tall, and pretend you don’t feel pregnant. This really works, and you will look 1,000 times better immediately.

       Shoe Warning!

      Don’t even think about buying expensive (but obviously gorgeous) shoes when you are heavily pregnant, especially if it’s in the summer months. I made the huge mistake of indulging in some ‘shoes are the only answer to my hideousness’ retail therapy care of Anya Hind-march when I was eight months pregnant with number three, and walked away beaming with a pair of almost edible kitten heels.

      Alas, when it came to the Big Summer Wedding three months (and one baby) later, I discovered that they were a size too big. Needless to say, I wore them anyway, with several layers of insoles, but to be honest I just looked ridiculous, they came off with every step, and I ended up barefoot on the dancefloor. Silly girl.

       Maternity Clothes You Might Like to Buy

      The excellent news for all you future Yummy Mummies is that maternity wear has become as stylish as normal gear, with everyone from Juicy Couture to Elle MacPherson launching maternity ranges. Not only that, but many high-street brands have been quick to get in on the act, and now make utterly fashionable, very affordable maternity wear. You don’t need a budget like Liv Tyler to look as glamorous as she did when she was pregnant, so get yourself down to one of the stores listed on pages 51-52 and get some figure-flaunting, sexy outfits.

       Is it worth it?

      If you’re only going to be in them for a few months, after which you’ll want to burn the lot, is it worth spending money on nice maternity clothes?

       Yes! Yes! Yes!

      As every woman knows, it’s not how you look, it’s how you feel. Although obviously if you look terrible you will also feel terrible but it’s safe to say that you need every bit of help at this time to feel good in your new body, and investing in some pretty maternity gear is one huge leg-up. Good maternity clothes can improve your look dramatically, because they are specially cut to fit your peculiar new shape, which makes them much more flattering: normal tops are always too short and tight, skirts are too short in the front and look ridiculous and so on. As well as this, anything non-maternity you wear in these last months will stretch so much that it will never go back to normal, and you’ll regret ruining half of your wardrobe.

       1. Underwear

      You need a good, supportive bra for the extra volume (and hence extra weight) and if you are going to breastfeed then you might as well make it a nursing bra while you’re at it. Don’t buy a plain white tit-sling: buy the most beautiful one you can find, even if it’s slightly squeezing the budget. Bits of this bra will appear in public when you start feeding, and you should be very proud to have it on display. Elle MacPherson has a lovely range, as do faithful M&S.

       2. Vests

      Maternity ones have better

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