Uniform for Maternity Leave/Weekends

[HolyShmoly]

I'm a mere 9 weeks away from maternity leave and, to take my mind off constant baby thoughts, I'd like to think about what I'll wear during my 10 months away from work.
A few years ago I developed a bit of a work uniform - skinny black jeans or trousers, loosish shirt blouse, black ballet pumps, with a black blazer to throw over it.
I've managed to keep it similar during my gradual expansion.

But I've never really felt like I got the weekend look right. Skinny jeans, yep but then after that I'm a bit, meh. I'd love to have a nice uniform or capsule wardrobe that I can wear once the initial pj stage is over. Something that can put up with the messiness of a baby, but that will still look fairly decent with minimal effort. I'm planning on breastfeeding for the first 6 months or so and then weaning.

I'm 5'3" and a curvy 10/12. I like having something thrown over my top, so a cardigan or something (I wear hoodies at the moment as they fit and it's super cold, but they aren't exactly smart.)

Can anyone help?

In the early breast feeding weeks I wore a strappy too and a open check style shirt as it made it much easier until we got the hang of things. A pair of skinnies and converse were standard

I hate to say it but my first 6 months post partum were the land that fashion forgot or perhaps, the land where fashion feared to tread. I was SO fat - I put on 4 stone, and whilst I thought it was “all bump” that’s just because the huge bump made everything else look normal in comparison. I gave birth and realised it wasn’t all bump, I’d actually gone up 2 dress sizes. So I had to buy some new transitional clothes but didn’t want to spend much as very much wanted it to be a short transition... Nursing fashion is also ghastly.
Here’s what I found useful:

• high waisted stretchy jeans (to hold in the mum tum)
• long line camisole tops - you can layer them to do one up one down when BF
• wrap dresses and wrap tops (good for BF)
• cheap double layer chiffon type tops - I snipped slashes in the bottom layer
• pretty nursing bras e.g. Heidi Klum NBR wait until your supply is settled (8 weeks or so) before being fitted. Stretchy multi-size ones first.
• small cross body bag for essentials (purse, phone, keys) everything else in giant changing bag. Frees you up to go to swings etc without lugging everything

Oh and everything must be machine washable!

Thanks both. I think I'm a bit scared that I won't de-frump if I frump too much at the start.
The camisoles layered with a shirt sounds like a great plan. And all with limited ironing requirements which is even better. Do you have any suggestions of good quality vests and t-shirts? I normally just grab Primark or H&M, but I'm willing to pick up something a bit more of an investment if it washes better.
I'm planning on going to get my hair cut and coloured about 6 weeks after baby arrives, which is partly to make sure I have something booked in so I have to leave her with DH. I'm hoping it will help me feel more like a woman rather than just a new mum too.
Thankfully, I don't seem to have put on too much weight other than the bump. Of course this could change in the next couple of months and I'm certainly not expecting the belly to go down quickly!

You can definitely defrump if required! I did Be kind to yourself in terms of your expectations. I thought I’d be zipping about straight away and that I’d “snap back” but I had a complicated delivery and felt very weak due to post partum haemorrhage, so I was just sitting on the sofa for 2 months. Get some nice loungewear too, whatever happens there will be a lot of sofa time!