When I was carrying Oscar bump was at it's largest over the Summer months so the majority of my maternity wardrobe is floaty dresses and loose tops. These were perfect teamed with leggings over Autumn however as Winter has come upon us it's just a bit too nippy.
So I needed some staple pieces to switch up and interchange, something a bit warmer. My trusty shop last year was definitely New Look. New Look have a pretty good range of maternity clothes available online and in store at West Quay shopping centre. However currently they are undergoing a refurbishment and their maternity line has been withdrawn in store.
The tough thing I found with maternity wear is I needed to try things on, your body is undergoing a lot of change and is not quite the usual shape you might be used to, ordering online, awaiting items in the post and returning things became a bit tiresome.
So my recommendations for your winter wear for you and bump come from H&M (Whiteley) and secondly Peacocks (Fareham and Shirley branches both stock maternity wear )within he Southampton area. You can actually visit in store and try garments on for size and fit. It's so nice to be able to still go shopping and treat yourself to something and to be able to feel like you have a few outfits to choose from.
So here are a few of my favourites:
Peacocks Maternity Ponte leggings £16 are also a nice staple to mix and match, these are a little thicker fabric than standard leggings to keep you snug and warm on those chilly days!
I must be honest these leggings are not quite as nice fit as some previous leggings I have, the aren't as flattering but a huge plus is the thickness (no see through to your pants issues here!) and they have a lovely fashion trim to them :)I have found myself edging towards over the bump leggings/jeans as I find it comfortable to have support for bump any under the bump trousers I have tried tend to dig in and cause discomfort, but this is a personal preference and I encourage you to try things on to see what works for you .
If you're reading this from further a field I thoroughly recommend New Look stores, H&M and Peacocks for more affordable maternity style all of which have their ranges online.
Debenhams also have a reasonable range of maternity wear, Red Herring have some trendy jumpers and tops and Topshop also stock their own range for mummy's-to-be however I've personally found them to be a little on the more expensive side.
