I am a silly shape this summer and am really struggling with clothes. Please be kind and help me.

[BroccoliSpears]

What is the most flattering thing to wear to disguise my dreadful post-baby belly? It's completely out of proportion and I can't do any of my trousers up.

Ds now nearly 3 weeks old, and I'm sure I had squeezed back into real clothes by this stage with dd.

Do I need to buy flattering trousers / skirts? I have Spanx.

Or am I better off focusing on flattering tops? But nothing too BF unfriendly.

I need something to wear when highly critical, outspoken, harsh, teeny tiny, perfectly groomed French MIL comes to stay. Something for family lunch, and something for cricket (watching, not playing!)

Long term I know how to fix this. Short term I'm struggling and feeling a bit crappy about it.

do you think your tum will go back to its normal shape soon? 3 weeks is not a very long time and it would probably go down alot moe with a bit more time. when is your MIL coming to stay?

you're only three weeks!

get along to h&m for some stop gap clothes - tunic type tops & trousers/skirts that fit. Lots of scarves, nice shoes & hair clips will distract your french mil

I don't think 3 weeks is anywhere near long enough to expect to be back in shape - try for 3 months? in the meantime get some sloggi knickers [bridget jones only beter?] they cover an absolute multitude

yes agree with cupsofea - there are lots of lovely long floaty tops around, esp H&M and asda at great prices. they have some good stretchy trousers and stuff there too.
And worry not, get your nails and hair done if you can grab the time (otherwise do them yourself or get a mate round!) and start to feel good about having some new gear!

the french can be obsessed with diets & regaining the figure after childbirth - ignore this if your mil is like this!

Good advice to get hair and nails sorted! Good thinking. Yes, accessories. Jewelery and some beauty flash balm will help.

But won't floaty, tunic-y tops make me look still pregnant?

And WHERE can I get elasticated waist things??

bon marche have elastic waist things. i know its an old lady shop, but they do have some good stuff if you look hard enough
i got quite a bit from there when i was pregnant as it was comfy and fairly cheap.

you'll have a BABY with you, just carry her in front of your tummy like soap actresses and their enormous handbags.
it's only been three weeks, why aren't you still in maternity stuff anyway?

Lol Aitch - am now imagining one of those silly nudist comedy sketches where there's always some object blocking the view of the rude bits, no matter where the camera is. Could I keep that up for a whole weekend, always carrying some vitally important thing to hide my belly from MIL?

you absolutely could. i absolutely did.

don't get elastic waist trousers, there are decent drawstring linen ones from M&S etc etc

Bloody hell, I still have this problem, and DS is 11 mnths old.
Ahem, anyway, interesting necklaces are good.

Def. flattering tops esp in colours that really suit you with jewellry to match. I found small prints were good as they disguised belly but not too floaty. Wrap tops not v.fogiving at this point I found. Are any of the maternity trousers rollover top style as they were great for 1st (um) 3 months for me, or drawstring waist. M&S often do jersey style ones with panel top which are comfy and flattering, skimming the body style with a bit of stretch.

3 weeks with 2nd baby and squeezing back into clothes - only happens to celebs! Focus on the good bits in the meantime, you're only going to feel worse about your body trying to squeeze into 'real clothes'.

Hi Broc
7 months on I am still all stomach

I seem to recall you like skirts, this is longish and elasticated - fat face

Ooh I like that skirt MM.

And I shall get to M&S and explore.

If an interesting necklace draws the eye from the stomach, maybe a stunning hat would do the job twice as effectively? "Oh hello MIL, can I get you a cuppa?"

Three weeks is absolutely no time at all! Give yourself a break.

Please don't let your MIL intimidate you. You're a grown woman who produced her grandchild. Just coo to the baby "Granny's here to see you!"

Broccoli, I am still very much in my Maternity clothes atm, ds4 is 18 days old, and I am apologising to no-one over it!