The Bottom Blues, by Marina Fogle

I’ve started knocking things over with my bum. Yes, bum not even bump. Yesterday I nearly broke the franking machine in my office, and that would have been expensive… Of course I’ve put on a bit of weight, but the potential franking machine disaster has made me aware that my body could be changing more than I wanted.

I have been keeping an eye on my figure. My bum doesn’t look too bad when I look in the mirror but I was wearing a super flattering pair of Paige jeans. I’m hoping that the clumsiness is all to do with my changing body proportions, but I guess you do have to watch your weight slightly when you’re pregnant.

So what to do? Firstly I’ve started pregnancy yoga to try and keep me relatively toned but also to stretch out those increasingly painful muscles. I signed up for Lolly Stirk’s classes in Notting Hill. Once a week we do 1 ½ hours of yoga followed by tea, biscuits and chat. During the course, Lolly teaches us how to cope with our changing bodies, suggests various ways to cope with aches and pains, as well as preparing us for labour through relaxation and breathing techniques.

It’s a great way of spending a couple of hours. Not only do I feel physically great, – the yoga really stretches you out and relaxes you - but it’s lovely to get to know other girls in the class who are all due around the same time as me. There are plenty of ante-natal yoga classes around the country and having been very much a cardio girl pre-pregnancy, I’m a true convert.

For yoga I’m loving my MLM Fold Down Trousers and By Malene Birger Flossie Tank – they’re smart enough for me to wear to work no need to change for yoga. I did discover the most adorable t-shirt though which makes me chuckle every time I look in the mirror – the Snoopy “It started with a kiss” t-shirt – it brings back all the innocence into pregnancy….

But you can’t be a complete saint during your pregnancy; you do have to indulge, a little. Quite frankly, you can’t drink, can’t eat half the delicious things in the world, can’t sleep, party, ski, flirt with boys on the tube – you HAVE to have a little indulgence. My sister, Olivia, introduced me to a great book called Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache. Billed as ‘the ultimate feel-good book of natural cakes that taste naughty’, it does exactly what it says on the cover.

Harry Eastwood’s recipes are full of surprises. I was looking at making the Heartache Chocolate Cake last week and first on the list of ingredients is beetroot! I thought I was going crazy but I trusted her and it rocked. I’m making the Cinnamon Banana Bread for Ben as a wedding anniversary treat this weekend. I’ll probably have polished it off by the time he gets home. Oh well, blame it on the baby. His fault, he knocked me up!