Week: 20

Waist: 35 inches

Feeling: Optimistic with spells of nausea

There’s no getting away from it: at 20 weeks pregnant it’s time to dress the bump. So far, being superstitious and fearing that buying maternity clothes will make something go wrong, I’ve cautiously bought a three-pack of maternity vests from New Look (pictured), but that’s not going to cut it for much longer. I’m literally busting out of everything else that involves a waist.

A trip to both Mothercare and New Look left me decidedly underwhelmed – think dull coloured tops (Mothercare) and poor quality fabric (New Look). And I’m simply not prepared to spend Isabella Oliver-level cash on clothes I’ll wear for less than six months. Where are the hot pink tees and empire-line linens of my imagination?

So I’m going to do exactly what I did when I was expecting BB: cover my bump with a maternity vest, stick to low rise jeans and take to the internet to find non-maternity clothes that can fit over the top. And I’m particularly pleased with one little find: Joe Browns.

Think a mix of Boden and Joules (two of my faves) with White Stuff; lots of bright and cheerful prints on breezy natural cotton and linens (just the job if you’ve got a heavily pregnant summer ahead). Sadly the beautifully fitted dresses will have to wait, but they’ve got a great choice of everyday tunic tops like this one (pictured) which I have been very kindly sent to review.

Despite not actually being a maternity top I think this will last me all summer. There’s plenty of room to grow, the straps are wide enough to cover the ridiculous width of the straps of my maternity bra (more on that in another post) and it’s made of beautifully soft cotton, all for a non bank-breaking £29.99.

Of course it’s hard to judge what will fit and won’t when pregnant and buying online, but the brand’s size guide is really accurate and now I’ve found them I’ll certainly be returning.

If only Mothercare and New Look would take a leaf out of their book…