clothes and hair after pregnancy?

[livingzuid]

My beautiful baby is four weeks and looking fabulous. Unlike me who is feeling still incredibly fat and frumpy. She has a better wardrobe than I do. I put on a huge amount of weight in pregnancy - a combination of loads of water retention and a sudden passion for cheeseburgers. With HG I was so limited with what stayed down :( I think it is going to take ages to shift this flab and I feel quite low about it. I am convinced I should still have a wide load sign. DH is wonderful and supportive and still says how beautiful I am but it doesn't help if that makes sense!

I do understand it is early days to be thinking about getting back into my old stuff, and I'm still in the healing process so can't go exercising (still get horrible swelling in my ankles), but I really really would like to get out of my husband's tracksuit bottoms and into real clothes even if they are two sizes larger than what I was pre-pregnancy.

I also start work next month in a new job which requires me to look smart. I am excited but it is a rather conservative atmosphere so I want to look good. I ordered some transitional cheapie casual things from ASDA to tide me over but I'm floundering a bit for ideas.

Also my hair is just meh. I had it cut before the birth but was just to get rid of greys. It's long and mud coloured and I have no idea what to do with it. I just tie it into a bun every day. Short hair or anything shorter than shoulder length makes me look like a garden gnome but I can't think of long-haired styles that are easy to get ready for work quickly, practical for being a mum but also interesting.

Sooo can anyone suggest good places to go for some nice and inexpensive stuff, and styles that will work for a enormous large bosomed lady with a bit of a sticky outy tummy and bum? And what to do hair-wise - any inspiration? I will probably go with a nice darker brown colour which does suit me wishes for blonde but wrong skin tone

Sorry for moan, just feeling a bit dejected and unattractive and would like to get my fashion mojo back. Feel like I've lost my way somewhere.

For hairstyles, when I had long hair I used do a very simple updo for everyday. I just took chunks of hair, twirled it around and pulled it to the back of my head and secured the hair with pins. Chunk size depended on mood/what I felt like that morning. I started at the top and front of my head and worked myself down and backwards, alternating between left and right side of head. Depending on length of hair I would have to "circle" the chunks of hair at the back and use pins. The twirling makes the hair "shorter" and gives volume and texture (which I need). I made sure loose ends of hair would stick out as this is a very casual everyday updo. I deem this as a conservative but chic style which I would use for work (if I still had long hair).
Obviously, specifics needs to be adjusted to your hair and the shape of your face, the above is just to give you an idea of how easy and quickly it can be done.
Also highligths is a brilliant way to get some va va voom into your hair.

Thank you both for these great suggestions. I might well go for some highlights which I haven't had for years which would be different. On the bras - yes very good point. Even my maternity ones didn't fit me in the last month or so I was so huge, so I will revisit this and get measured. I also like the idea of the eyebrow shape! I badly need one!

I did save up and buy a couple of really nice new make up bits which was nice, and have very good shampoo and conditioner so my hair is at least in good condition, even if the rest of me has yet to catch up.

I wore my over the bump maternity skinnies for about 3 months after each of my DC with a long vest in thick stretchy jersey and a cardigan. They gave the appearance of a smooth middle in spite of the truth.

High waisted skinny jeans, held the tummy in. I got a couple of simple tunics from fat face. I had a complicated second c section so was very sore for a long while.
Blusher is good too, clinique do colour pop ones for £16.

I had to read your post twice to check I'd read it right - yes, four weeks. Four weeks! Cripes I'd barely brushed my hair by then. I know you're starting work soon and I totally sympathise/empathise about feeling not great after having a baby but just want to say please go easy on yourself. You've gone through a lot and have a baby to look after, everything including mojo will come back in time

Salted is right it is still early days, but I do totally know how you're feeling am pregnant with dc4 so have experienced what you are feeling a few times. The one thing I would say is be careful about doing anything too drastic with your hair don't know if this is your first dc but it's really common to lose quite a lot of your hair when your baby is around three months old so I would avoid having a cut that removes too much weight as you may end up with hardly anything left! I speak through experience

I have a 5 month old and I totally sympathise re the hair especially! I tie mine up every day as LO pulls it.
I saw this today which might be helpful
www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=3014171353&group=0&frame_type=a&blog=3888409&frame=1&click=0&user=0
Good luck going back to work, good for you I was still in my pjs at 3 months

Try a wrap/empire line dress. Don't be tempted by black, shows snot and saliva like there's no tomorrow. Invest in some chunky costume jewellery.
Have your eyebrows threaded and practise the loose bun look, maybe?

Echoing what KiaOra said about black showing stains, patterns hide a multitude of sins especially when saying goodbye in the morning to a baby who likes to see you off with a good hearty puke.

Leopard print may not be quite appropriate for work however a leopard print cardi as a coverall until you've left the house might work, if you forget to take it off til you arrive at work you'll arrive in style at the very least!

(Says she who came back off maternity leave and nearly ended up on the bus to work in her slippers... It's easily done )

Thank you everyone these are great ideas.

The blog on wet hair is great :) I live in black but it made me laugh to read the comments on not wearing it as DD had just decided to not keep her dinner down and it had just dawned on me that black and dark colours were not the most practical!

I will have to get over the fear of the pattern and actually get adventurous with clothing. I found myself getting increasingly boring over the years so maybe this is my chance for a change. I do have one animal print dress which is a maxi and I wear it all the time so yes, will look at that more too. Although not sure how well it would go down at work hehe.

I am notoriously impatient which drives dh up the wall so I know I need to take months at least to ease back in. I did not enjoy pregnancy and what it did to my body and went from being very active and fit to the opposite. I find it hard to get my head around that lots of physical stuff is still not open to me or that I am not the size I was, so just need to breathe and enjoy the rest I guess :)

romcom it's purely for practical reasons, retuning to work so early so I feel fortunate that I am progressing well on recovery. It was worrying me that physically I wouldn't be up to it but touch wood all is OK. I am sure I will also end up wearing slippers inadvertently on the bus too cabster!

I think I might revamp make up as well and ask for a make up class for my birthday which is coming up. I normally am minimal on everything including accessories so I may invest in some nice pieces. Also going to look at some YouTube tutorials on hair and makeup.

(can't wait for the eyebrow shape either!)