This week's post is dedicated to all the women out there who have just given birth. After thoroughly enjoying rocking my triumphant, third-trimester bump, my suddenly baby-free abdomen was reduced to a flobbly, deflated, yet still-really-quite-large balloon. I remember being quite shocked by this.
To add insult to injury, while heavily pregnant, I had somehow tricked myself into thinking that I hadn't gained much weight other than around my middle. Through the post-birth fog, however, the reality of my true enormity hit me. Put it this way: a full month postpartum, I got the guts up to try on my baggiest pre-pregnancy jeans. A cruel fact of life is that jeans never lie, and it felt as though I were trying to shoehorn myself into an eight-year-old's trousers.
A few weeks ago in the comments thread, BackChat, at nine weeks into motherhood, wrote that she was having the same problem.
The lovely taut bump has given way to a more wobbly tummy, so anything tight is pretty much a no no … and, though the weight is falling due to a voraciously hungry breast fed baby, I really don't want to buy much that fits now, in the fear I'll get too comfy in it! I really hate this inbetweeny stage, but am trying to use that as motivation to lose the weight.
The real killer is all the clothes I cant wear/buy due to boob inaccessibility. I love dresses and thick tights... Vests and cardis are brilliant, but am already pretty bored of them!
Here's what worked for me:
Firstly, forget any fantasies of pinging back to normal immediately. It takes a while for your body to recover, especially when you're a sleep-starved milk machine. However, those bonkers initial months will be over before you know it (I promise) so there's no point getting all kitted out, other than with feeding bras, until your body starts to settle. I did buy a couple of bargain frocks online (which I can still wear over a year on), but this stage, for me, was largely a case of making do.
Any of the voluminous jersey tops I wore during pregnancy, I would now wear over a vest (those long, ruched maternity vests), so I could pull the outer layer up and yank the vest down to feed the bairn.
Empire line dresses (or tops over maternity jeans), with stretchy, crossover V-necklines, or button-down fronts, are really comfy in this phase, and will have a good chance of still suiting you when you're slimmer. You want the skirt fabric gathered at the waist rather than lying flat, so it drapes prettily over your middle. This one from Debenhams would look ace with tights and a 1940's-style cardi – and if you want greater cover when breastfeeding out and about, shove a shawl or scarf in your bag.
It's also worth digging around in your wardrobe for old shirt dresses. Wearing these helped me feel less blah, by adding some structure. Try thicker, more forgiving fabrics such as corduroy or denim. A shirt dress can't hide your ebbing bump – not much can, and anyway, it's nothing to be ashamed of – but at least it won't hug it, and you'll have a bit of a look going on. If you buy a new one, you may still be able to wear it when you have slimmed down - just add a belt. Crucially, the buttons are great for breast-feeding. You can wear a thin vest or bandeau top underneath, if you feel the need, which you can pull up or down to feed. This bird print from Miss Selfridge (left) is mightily pretty. And this comfy check shirt dress manages to look cosy and sophisticated. I'm also loving this Linea Weekend denim number – chuck on a chunky 70's cardi with it and you're away.
Finally, if you're sick of cardigans, there's always the cape, which has become an A/W staple. They may be impossible to wear under a coat, and nix slinging a bag over your shoulders, but they will make you look sharp and are possibly the only garment that will actually hide your receding bump. I got a thick, wool one in the sales when I was pregnant, which I still wear to death over other slim-fitting knits, instead of a jacket. It's especially comfortable to wear when cycling, I find.
And now, a plea: share your post partum sartorial solutions below. Millions of women out there need your help. Right now.
- Amy Fleming is away at the moment but will respond to comments when she returns.
