Styling the 2nd Trimester by Amy Lafayette

iCandy is delighted to be collaborating with Stylist and mum-to-be Amy Lafayette who is sharing a fashion guide on dressing your bump for every stage of pregnancy. Amy's next instalment focuses on embracing the second trimester...

Once you’re over that sicky, tiring first trimester you should hopefully start feeling a bit more back to normal – I’ve personally really enjoyed my second trimester as it felt like all the fun parts you looked forward to in pregnancy finally started happening. You will have probably told most of your family and friends your good news and should have a lovely little bump to start dressing!

 

You’ll hopefully be feeling more energetic now too so it’s a good time to start exercising and moving again if you weren’t feeling up to it before, (I know I wasn’t for the first couple of months) and what better way to get you in the mood than treating yourself to some new workout outfits. There are some great high street maternity active wear ranges now or you could just try buying a size up if you’re still early on. Personally, I like an over the bump high waist legging as this feels a bit more secure, but some women prefer under the bump which is an option too.

 

As we’re all staying at home at the minute its good to try and do some kind of movement/exercise each day to stay active, whether that’s a daily walk or a home workout - I found pregnancy Pilates and yoga a great way to stretch and feel more in tune with my body. I had just started to attend a pregnancy Pilates class and was worried about losing this contact but luckily, I’m still able to join in via Zoom which has been a great way of exercising and still connecting to other pregnant women at this uncertain time. If you do some research most places are still offering online courses, so I definitely recommend making the time to do this even if it’s just once a week. Hopefully a new yoga mat and some fab gym outfits will get you in the mood and make you feel so much better.

 

One of the plus points of pregnancy really is the excuse to buy new clothes once things stop fitting you - there’s some great maternity pieces available now from a lot of your fave shops, so as we’re all at home it’s a good time to check them all out. You might not want to spend on too many things that you know you won’t wear once the baby is here so I tried to buy some essentials to wear with current things I owned or new pieces I knew I would still keep hold of. A good essentials list would be:

 

• A couple of good maternity jeans (so much more comfortable once your bump has popped)
• Some maternity loungewear bottoms that you could mix and match with your own tops/trainers to still feel like you!
• A pair of maternity faux leather leggings, these can easily be dressed up or down
• Some loose fitting boho smock style dresses that can be worn with ankle boots now and will see you into summer months with sandals
• Some maternity dungarees, because these look so cute with a bump!

 

It might also be a good idea to invest in some cool but comfortable trainers - being kind to your feet right now is key. They’re starting to carry more weight and by the end of the second trimester you may find your feet have swollen and so trainers are the comfiest option! Chances are you’ll be getting a daily walk in at the minute and will be doing a lot more walking and pram pushing in a few months when your baby arrives, so you may as well look stylish and be comfortable while you’re doing it!

 

Shoes, bags, jewellery, makeup and accessories are all things you can buy now and wear throughout pregnancy and afterwards regardless of having a growing bump, so why not embrace them all. This is the perfect time to have an excuse to spoil yourself so make the most of it.

 

I was hoping to enjoy a babymoon break with my husband at this point but unfortunately this doesn’t seem like it’s going to be an option any time soon, so I’ve been trying to get out in the garden as much as I can and pretend I’m on holiday – thank goodness for this summery weather we’ve had!

 

Luckily, I did manage to get a short break in with some friends at the beginning of my second trimester and I wasn’t sure how I’d find packing my holiday wardrobe now I had a bump but I really enjoyed it. If you manage to get away on a babymoon I would say dresses were so easy to throw on day and night and I just went up a few sizes for swimwear and tighter pieces. To be honest it was great not worrying about having a flat stomach and sucking in after a big dinner!

 

My final tip for this trimester is to start taking pictures of your bump along the way, it’s so nice to document each stage and see the changes. People keep telling me I’ll really miss it when it’s gone so I’m trying to keep this in mind and how amazing will it be to look back and think my body did all this!!

 

It’s so easy to feel down and focus on the negatives of us all being kept away from family and friends at the minute, but I’m really trying to stay positive and see this as a time I wouldn’t have had to read baby books, take online courses and spend quality time with my husband. It’s so special that he’s getting to see my bump grow every day and chatting to our baby when we would have probably been rushing around commuting and working. I try and see some plus points of this time and think how much you will appreciate when it’s over.

 

Amy x