dressing a bump without spending a fortune

I wanted to do more maternity style posts this pregnancy, but time is rapidly running out it seems! I do have a GORGEOUS maternity and nursing dress coming up this weekend though!

Below are some tips for making the most of dressing your bump without spending a fortune, but first here’s one of my go to outfits at the moment, my trusty Topshop Leigh maternity jeans and a maternity floral shirt from Newlook. Excuse the sunglasses, I had conjunctivitis and nobody needs to see a puffy eye!

I love how light the shirt is, it’s a floaty and sheer sort of material so not too hot, although I am wearing it over a vest top for the sake of modesty! I got it just after Christmas in the ASOS sale (free delivery too from ASOS unlike the Newlook website!) As it buttons up I’ll be able to wear it for nursing when baby arrives too, and the floaty style will skim over my post baby belly too!

So, here are a few tips from me as I near the end of my second pregnancy on dressing your bump without needing a credit card to pay for it!

Think about what season it will be by the time you actually need to start wearing maternity clothes. No point in buying maternity jumpers if you won’t be hitting 5 months pregnant until spring!
Keep an eye out on ASOS/New Look etc for sales, I got some great bargains in the Christmas sales first time round, even though I didn’t have much of a bump yet!
Live in PJs when you’re at home, saves on the amount of washing you need to do so you’ll need less outfits! Plus PJs are more comfy, though you may need a size or two up by the end of your pregnancy!
Take a good look at your current wardrobe, even at 34 weeks I am wearing my pre pregnancy jumpers (which admittedly are a little tight now) and cardigans (which don’t do up but I’m too hot a lot of the time anyway) Think about floaty tops and smock dresses, I am still wearing lots of things that aren’t strictly maternity, including those cheapy spaghetti strap vest tops from Primark and H&M, they’re so stretchy they still fit! I would say that 60% of my current wardrobe is not maternity wear, including most of my leggings and tops!
If you plan to breastfeed take into account the necklines of things you buy, something I didn’t do in my first pregnancy so ended up selling most of it right after the birth because all my lovely dresses and tops didn’t have boob-access! Look for cross over necklines, things with buttons or loose fitting tops that you can pull up with a vest top underneath.
Also if you do plan to breastfeed buy nursing bras instead of maternity bras, they’re both (normally) non wired but nursing bras have clips so the cups fold down whereas nursing in a maternity bra will be near impossible! I bought a some nursing bras from Mothercare that I have been wearing now since Athena was born, so getting on for 2 years! They’re still in great shape too so worth the investment (and look out for the sales!)
Ebay is your friend: You can get bundles at really decent prices and bear in mind that people will only have been wearing the items for around 5 months maximum so they’ll still be in great condition! Plus you can make a similar amount back selling on after you’re not wearing things! Look for bundles that end overnight or early morning as they will probably have less people bidding on them, and also check your local area to save money on postage if you can collect in person.
‘Under bump’ maternity jeans can be worn when you’re not pregnant as they just have a wide elasticated band instead of a fly but over bump jeans will be uncomfy because of the excess material. My favourite style is the Leigh from Topshop, I have three pairs and none of them cost me more than £9 from ebay, and two have lasted me through this pregnancy too!
Accessorise! Floaty scarves, statement necklaces and a nice handbag will all brighten up a plain maternity dress or top and jeans, even for special occasions. If you are self concious about any potential new lumps and bumps (apart from the obvious bump) then a skater style black dress, with a gorgeous necklace and a nice up do will make you feel more confident without spending a fortune on a maternity dress you may only wear once!

Hopefully you’ll find this post helpful if you’re pregnant and struggling to dress a bump without spending a fortune! Please feel free to add any tips below in the comments!