An Impossible Postnatal Brisdesmaid Dress Challenge - PLEASE HELP

[SpawnChorus]

My sister is getting married on 19th Sept...a week or so after my due date. She wants me to be the only bridesmaid. She knows that there's a very high likelihood I won't be able to make it (I live 400 miles away, and have two young children, and a track record of late births!), but I think I should really start considering what I might wear.

There's no "theme" to the wedding. Sister has said I can wear whatever I like. Her dress is a sort of pale gold satin slightly 1930s looking number.

I won't be going if I'm overdure, so I'm trying to find something that will disguise the horrors of an immediately postnatal body.

I'm 33 and 5'6" and usually size 10. My tummy is HUGE for ages after giving birth, as are my bosoms.

Does anyone have any ideas???

Oh, budget would be less than £150. In fact the cheaper the better as I prob would only wear it once!

you need a combination maternity/bf dress

have work to do now but will rummage and get back tyo you

Thanks MrsB.

I'm feeling very downcast at the frumpiness potential of any maternity/BF ensemble.

I want to look HOT.

hot!

outrageously hot
sam eon ebut knee length

bit mroe demure and bridesmaidy, also pricey

fabulous but over budget
minimal, just iver budget

much cheaper but still hot
possibly a bit too hot

you have fab legs, don;t you?

The alternative is a non-mat empirey dress from Monsoon or somewhere that will skim bulges - hang on

Great work MrsB!

I REALLY like the one from MumpsMaternity (WTF kind of a name is that??) but I wonder if the mocha colour might be a bit too close to (and therefore clashing with) my sister's dress? And the black might be a bit too funereal? But on the other hand a dark colour might be a wise idea just in case of lochia disasters (ew!).

Breastfeeding might be tricky though...can't see an obvious way of feeding other than hoiking the whole bap out of the top. Hmm...a stole might preserve my modesty.

Am also concerned that most of the styles kind of accentuate the bump...I want my bump to be as invisible as poss. I think this really is unrealistic though isn't it? Do you think a waist cincher / tummy taming contraption is just going to be too uncomfy so soon after the birth?

Legs are still in fairly good nick, but I think I'd feel happier in a long dress.

I was inspired by the fancy-dress thread yesterday where we ended up making a hugely pg MNer get the backless dress to go to a 'Hollywood and Films' themed party as a pg Angelina Jolie...

Nb whatever you buy leave the tags on and if you don't go send it back

blue
this
black maxi
black

actually I was wondering with a history of late births whether you might not have given birth by the wedding...
Because most of them are either empire or jersey I think you'd get away with them with a smaller / lesser bump, but you are right they do seem to show it off. I think a spanx-type waist squeezer would be the height of agony a week after birth.

I think bf is going to be a pain- the only one that'd allow for it is the IO £175 one with the long ties that you could use as a stole, but all the nursing dresses I found were very much jersey daywear type things.

will keep thinking

Spawn take some type of wrap for BF

I do think a tummy clincher thing (areyou thinking Spanx pants or similar?) would be v uncomfortable so soon after giving birth but perhaps you could wear one for the ceremony and then change for the reception if its uncomfy? Not ideal but a possibility

I don't really know, medically, if it would be recommended though!

THink you ahve to go for black (or dark) for poss lochia disaster and leaking breast disasters!

that satin one you liked in pink

Perhasp if you went for black you could go for pale gold shoes/accessories too to tie in with your sister's dress?

aha - cheaper version of the IO column dress with ties

Oh I'm feeling so much more cheerful aout this!

That Ripe dress is The One, I think. The pink is gorgeous but I think black (with pale gold accesssories as per WAP's advice) would be wiser.

Thank you all!

OK, I've conferred with my Mum and we think the black long satin Ripe dress is good. Can anyone help me with accessories now? Shoes, stole and bag

crepey bump!

Come on!

sorry spawny, am all searched out [wipes brow]

will ahev another go after bathtime

Badge - stand at ease...your work is done. I will press-gang other MNers into my accessory quest

bump

Another bump!