new baby. You’re ready to face the world again and you’d like to look your best, but when you look in your wardrobe you find that the only clothes that fit you are your maternity jeans and tunic tops, so what on earth are you supposed to do? It’s no wonder new mums have a slight clothing crisis!
As a new mummy you don’t get much sleep and there’s no extra time or energy left for primping and preening. Giving little consideration or lack of care to your appearance is not thoughtlessness or laziness, your priorities have simply changed. Now you are absorbed with the wonder and care of your beautiful new baby. The need to create a flawless appearance often becomes trivial in comparison.
Your thoughts towards clothes and style may have changed considerably from pre-pregnancy days. It’s easy to loose touch with what’s going on in the world of fashion, and let’s face it shopping with a new born baby in a pushchair is not the easiest of tasks! But most of all, it’s the change in your body. The mummy tummy, breasts, weight, it has all undergone changes which are completely natural but sometimes hard to come to terms with. The styles you once wore comfortably and confidently may no longer be appealing or suitable.
Here’s just a few of my top tips on how to look like a yummy mummy with a new baby:
- Underwear, as always is your starting point. For breastfeeding or non-breastfeeding mums, a good-fitting bra is so important. A poorly fitted nursing bra can cause problems such as mastitis, and insufficient support can cause undue stress on the neck and back muscles. Make sure you get measured regularly after the birth and change your sizes accordingly until you feel you have reached a stable size. Fed up of the wobbly mummy tummy? Then try some Spanx. These big knickers suck you in and smooth you out without rolling down and feeling uncomfortable.
- Look for clothing that is easy to clean, comfortable and hassle-free, yet still stylish so you will look and feel good. I absolutely love babeswithbabies.com their clothes are designed to make new mums feel as gorgeous as possible. Their collections feature slimming shapes and clothes that make you feel cosy as well as chic, perfect for post-natal tums and a slightly altered shape. They also do a great selection of breastfeeding tops that allow for quick and easy nursing so you don’t have to flash everything in Starbucks (but rest assured, they won’t make you look like an aging hippy either).
- Having a baby may mean the journey of fitting back into your old jeans is a long one, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t still look fab in a pair! You may just need to alter the brand to suit your new shape. NYDJ (Not Your Daughters Jeans) are a favourite of a lot of my ‘new mum’ clients as they are slightly higher waisted with a little stretch for comfort and hold everything in that needs to be!
- Just prior to the birth of baby, consider getting a low-maintenance hair cut/style. For mums who prefer to have long hair, simply tie it back in a pretty bobble or clip.
- Have a gel manicure and pedicure. The gel polish lasts for weeks and is hardwearing, nice bright neat nails and toes will make you feel better and look lovely even in your nightie!
- Eat right and try to get as much rest as possible. A good diet is very important for new mothers. Eating right helps revitalize the body and strengthen the immune system. Good nutrition will also help bring hair and skin back to normal more quickly.
- ‘Me time’ is also important to your health and well-being. After a couple of months of dedicating every waking hour to the new baby, stress, fatigue and being cooped up in the house with endless visitors can take its toll. Going out with dad, spending some time with friends, shopping alone for a few hours or simply taking a lovely bubble bath can help ease some of the stress of new parenthood.
Above all, don’t worry too much about your appearance. Don’t forget, it took you nine months of pregnancy to get to where you are. So it’s only fair to allow your body the same amount of time to recover its shape. womanly shape. Be proud of your body. It’s done a wonderful job of bringing your baby into the world.
If it’s a few years down the line and you are still staring at your old clothes, stop it! Throw them out, give them to charity, to friends or sell them on eBay. It’s only depressing looking at clothes that no longer fit or suit you, they also take up valuable room in your wardrobe that could be filled with lovely new items that you will look and feel fantastic in. The excuse, tell him… Cleo said that I totally deserve it!
