Wearing my bump loud and proud!

Yes, yes, I know. Where did I disappear to again?! Well, I'm going to blame pregnancy. Because I can.

Anyway, I felt compelled to write a post this week after meeting a horrid witch of a woman, who not only upset me, but infuriated me with her words.

I am now 8 months pregnant (finally!) and have gained a fair amount of weight. Such is life. I have a healthy baby, so I will focus on my weight loss once baby arrives. This positive mental attitude took a real bashing however, when a random woman in a lift expressed her opinion to me:

"Ooh, you had better stop eating otherwise your baby is going to be too big 

and will give you lots of pain!"

Just what every pregnant woman wants to hear, right?! How dare she. Having always been very conscious of my size - I was a UK size 6-8 pre-pregnancy - I really did not need to hear this.

In fact, why is it that a pregnant woman's body becomes open to public scrutiny? If I was given a baby-grow for every comment I heard on my size or every time someone randomly rubbed my tummy, my baby would be dressed for a good few years! It's not cool people.

But I'm over it and I refuse to let this woman and others like her spoil the remaining weeks of my pregnancy and take away from the excitement I am feeling. So I have embraced my extra-large bump and put together a little collection of photos.

Welcome to my maternity capsule wardrobe - all I need to keep me going through these last weeks...

AFTERNOON TEA WITH THE GIRLS
This dress has been my lifesaver throughout pregnancy. It's not a maternity dress, in fact I've been wearing it for a few years now, but it has the perfect stretching capabilities to keep me looking chic all pregnancy long. And nowadays I wrap the back ties around to my front to give my belly some extra support. Bring on the tea and scones!

Dress: Ingenue. Necklace: Mawi. 

Sandals: Kg by Kurt Geiger.

DATE NIGHT
I was so in love with my leopard dress, that on my last trip to London, I snapped up this jade version. It's a size larger which gives it some extra length and is therefore perfect for those extra special nights out. In fact, last night I wore it to the ballet. Hubby liked it a lot (just don't tell him I have another one on order, arriving very soon!).

Dress: Ingenue. Necklace: Accessorize. 

SUNDAY BRUNCH
This is my new fave purchase. It is ultra comfy and cooling (don't forget Hong Kong is currently reaching in to the 30s, so it is hot, hot, hot!), and is an easy way to add some sophistication to my swollen feet. Speaking of which, I don't actually wear skyscraper wedges in real pregnancy life. They just looked better in the photo ;-)

Dress: Isabella Oliver Maternity. Necklace: Mawi. Wedges: Miu Miu.

RUNNING ERRANDS
That should probably say 'waddling errands', but anyway... When I just want to throw something on and head out to the shops, I turn to my fail-safe skinny jeans and blouse combo. I am a HUGE fan of these GAP Maternity jeans. They don't look like maternity jeans, yet they give me all the support I need. And for £40/HK$480, they're pretty nice on my purse too.

Blouse: ASOS Maternity. Jeans: GAP Maternity. Pumps: Dune.

WORK LUNCH
I still have a few meetings going on, setting up work for later in the year. I can breastfeed and style, can't I?! Anyway,  I like the casual chic look of this outfit and the fact that it is comfortable (not something that existed in my pre-pregnancy repertoire!).

 Vest: Gap Maternity. Jacket: Topshop. 

Jeans: GAP Maternity. Pumps: Dune

AN AFTERNOON BY THE SEA
Being an Island, Hong Kong has lots of seaside life. What better than a nautical little number to while away those sunny days on the coast.

Vest: H&M Maternity. Shorts: H&M Maternity. Necklace: Accessorize. Sandals: Dune.

DINNER WITH FRIENDS
Hubby and I are trying to squeeze in as many friend dates as possible, before our lives change for ever!! A shot of colour is just what my maternity capsule wardrobe needs. Once again, heels are for purely photographic (read: vanity) reasons! The great thing about this dress is that it is perfect for disguising baby tummy post-pregnancy...and for breastfeeding. Score!

Dress: ASOS Maternity. 

Wedges: Christian Louboutin.

I may not have many outfits circulating at the moment, but the ones that I do have fill all my needs. And as you can see, I'm wearing my bump LOUD AND PROUD! I don't care what people think, as long as my baby comes in to this world healthy and happy. So go stuff yourself silly woman in the lift!

And to all other mums-to-be...enjoy your pregnancies. We are very lucky to be going through this magical experience!

Love Mummy-to-be Magpie xxx