Week: 25

Waist: 38 inches (+ 2 whole inches!!)

Feeling: Properly pregnant owing to new ‘over the bump’ jeans

My plan to make do with low-rise jeans for the duration of the pregnancy has been thwarted: the button on my Levi’s simply won’t stretch any further and, not wanting to ruin them, I’ve gone over to the elastic side. I’m talking full-on maternity jeans with an ‘over the bump’ elastic panel (below – I’ll spare you a picture of me actually in them – it’s not a pretty sight). Misery Guts laughed out loud when he saw them and I can’t say I blame him.

They weren’t what I intended to buy at all. I intended to find a non-maternity pair that simply fitted, but when the sales assistant in JoJo Maman Bebe enthusiastically encouraged me to try them on I was too polite to refuse.

Oh. Lordy. They are sooo comfortable I was instantly converted. I knew as soon as I pulled them up and before I looked in the mirror I had to have them – I didn’t care what they looked like. Like my over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder maternity bra, which also isn’t a pretty sight.

Even better, the size 10s were too big so I slipped into a pair of 8s instead (I expect they do that on purpose – make the sizings bigger so you feel less whale-like). The relief and comfort is indescribable – no more button-straining, digging in about the waist and general ill-fittingness. And they only cost £29.

I’d go as far as to say I think these types of design ought to be more mainstream. If I can away with these jeans after the birth I will…