The Holiday Bump...

Negotiating a holiday wardrobe whilst pregnant is no easy task. In theory, it sounds perfect: long, cool, floaty dresses, flip flops which don't constrain tired, swollen feet and the ability to wear a bikini without worrying that your tummy might look a bit big, because, well you know - it's supposed to!  

Sounds like a match made in heaven, unless of course your ever expanding bump (and body) is not only unpredictable but also out of control. By day 3 of our holidays I'd outgrown my underwear and suddenly realised the perils of having to keep my legs hair-free when I struggled to even see them...

Luckily my twin sister (who is pregnant with twins) packed a stash of size 18 pants 'just in case' which she conveniently pushed my way and we both pretended that the 1 was a 0 and I still fit into my pre-children clothing size from 3 years ago. Add to this, my stretchy 'no fasten' black crop-top style 'sleep bra' suddenly being repurposed as a 24 hour bra and I sort of got by.

Thankfully I was a little more prepared in the swimwear department! I'd been sent a gorgeous bikini and kimono from Little White Lies which although not maternity wear, worked really well with my changing shape and size....

The bikini briefs had a generous tie side detail which meant I could increase and decrease the size of the waistband depending on how low baby was sitting or whether it was morning/evening ( I can't be the only pregnant lady whose bump expands as the day goes on??!?) the ties had big tassels on the ends which Arthur called my 'paintbrushes' and loved to use them to 'paint' my legs and tummy. The bikini top had a tie back and halter neck which again, were adjustable depending on size (some serious ribcage expansion occurred for me whilst away) which was a massive help. I probably could have done with a larger size bikini top in hindsight, as although this was a size L, there was still quite a lot of my chest on show....in my mind I think I'm still a size 8, almost flat chested 20 something year old...dressing for a completely different shape and size can be a bit of a minefield at times! The only thing I will say about the bikini is that if you are planning on wearing it for a day at the beach or by the pool for the first time - remove the labels from the inside, especially if you have sensitive skin like I do! They look lovely, but the glittery writing on the label was a bit itchy. They came off easily - problem solved. 

Original, unedited photo from day 1 of our holiday - bump expanded significantly after this!

The kimono was a gorgeous tiedie print with white edging and a split on each side - this gave it a real beachy/floaty vibe rather than it looking too much like a dressing gown. It also meant it didn't pull or gather on my tummy/hips/bottom, but still have ample coverage and sun protection when needed.

Little White Lies also sell a matching bikini and beach trousers to go with this kimono, and a kimono and beach trousers to match the bikini I wore. 

Unfortunately they didn't have my size at the time of ordering pre-holiday, but I did manage to find myself these pair of hareem maternity pants from ASOS instead which were an absolute godsend! I bought these in a size 14 to allow for plenty of room and stretch around the waistband which I wore under the bump and folded over. I cannot tell you how comfortable these are, I wore them on the plane over and I'm pretty sure they will form a staple part of my wardrobe post-birth as well...

I actually bought a couple of other hareem style trousers - non maternity - in a larger size and different colours, just because they are so comfortable to wear and so much more forgiving than the black leggings I wore when pregnant with Arthur!

Another kind of holiday 'bump'...

Unfortunately, four out of our ten days away (door to door) were filled with rain and thunder - not so easy when you have a 2 year old and no toys!! We managed to find a soft play center (!!) not too far away which we took him to...

How fab is this chair and footstool they have there??? Perfect photo opportunity and quite impressed that Arthur and his Daddy managed to wear clothes to match too!! Rainy Saturdays in Spanish Soft play centers however are MANIC...Arthur loved it of course, but thank goodness his Daddy and his Uncle were there to chase him around - I stood no chance!

If you follow me on social media, you may have gathered from a couple of my posts that my pregnancy related PGP took a turn for the worse whilst I was away. Luckily, I had taken my crutches with me - which I really needed - but I ended up using a wheelchair at the airport because I just couldn't walk without my legs giving way. I suffered with the same thing whilst pregnant with Arthur, but it started much later and wasn't quite as severe....unfortunately it is a condition that tends to get worse with each pregnancy. The worst thing for me is that I can't pick up Arthur and cuddle him in my arms anymore...I couldn't do very much at all in fact. I will be writing a post soon about this condition and some of the things that have helped me so far, but I am still looking for more 'solutions'!! Please throw your advice my way if you have any experience of PGP or SPD...

PS: Underwear update: Husband was sent on an emergency mission to M&S this week to buy me some low rise Knickers that fit...he came back with size 20 after further bump expansion, and some back extenders for my bras....hopefully that's the end of it! Only the last trimester to go......

Love Sarah x

(Disclosure: I was sent the items from Little White Lies in return for an honest review.)

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