Being glamourous and being a mum can be hard, and after piling on the pounds from baby weight, my glamour levels were pretty low. My favourite dress no longer fitted me and I didn’t have time to do my hair in the mornings, meaning the scruffy bun became my friend. However, being a fashion journalist, you can’t take too much fashion time-out lapsing, so I have devised ways to still maintain an elegant style, while also maintaining a level of practicality; after all, carrying around a baby in heels isn’t always the safest of options. The path to finding how to be a yummy mummy wasn’t easy, of course, as I soon discovered when my daughter spilt her food on my silk Galliano skirt, or when she tugged at my sparkly dangly earrings. But this doesn’t mean it can’t be done, if anything, a baby leads you to a far more organised wardrobe.

Here are my comprehensive tips to becoming a stylish new mum:

1. Plan ahead: you may not have time to put together the perfect outfit in the morning, but choosing your outfit the night before helps enormously. I find I have more time to do my hair in the morning if I wash it at night, allowing me the time I would spend drying my hair in the morning to spend it styling my hair.

2. Work with your new figure: You may no longer fit in your favourite pair of Armani jeans, but don’t let this get you down. Sell items that no longer fit you, and with the money earnt, splash out on an ultra-flattering new dress that makes you feel a million dollars, for the times when you get to have some me-time. If you haven’t quite got back to your pre-baby figure yet, opting for floaty dresses are a fashionable alternative. Never be afraid to wear anything other than black!

3. Be comfortable, but be chic: With babies you always have to be prepared for messy incidents, but this shouldn’t lead to wearing clothes that don’t make you look or feel fabulous. After all, a stunning top takes no longer to put in the washing machine than an old top that makes you feel more frumpy than hot mummy does.

4. Accessorise carefully: Replace dangly earrings with studs to avoid any painful tugging incidents. Also, if you need to carry around all the baby bits, Gucci have a stylish baby changing range, and Pink Lining bags feature lipstick and phone holders, and even mirrors inside, for a glamourpuss mum on the go.

5. Be money-wise: You may not have as much bag-fund money as you did before your baby, but fashion auction sites are always brilliant for getting a much desired designer bag for less. Luxe Win, Haute Look and JoJolie are good examples.

6. Dress for you newborn: When babies are first born, they can only see objects 8-15 inches away, so I chose to wear dresses and tops that were embellished at the top, as my daughter Sophia loved to see and feel the textures, which helped make her more aware of her senses

7. Relax: If you have always had a good eye for style, having a baby won’t change this. Look for styles that flatter your new figure yet make you feel great, as if you feel great, your baby will sense your good mood. If you don’t have time to do your hair one day, don’t panic, simply add a cute hair accessory in, and no one will know the difference (this is a tried and tested method), and if you can’t wear heels, platformed boots are a great replacement, especially in Fall.

My daughter is now 10 months and I have finally perfected the rules to becoming a stylish mum, but is there is one rule I have learnt that outdoes the rest; having a stylish coat. A beautiful coat will hide any fashion disasters and food stains, and no one will even know, because they will be more likely to be admiring your coat, or even more likely, your beautiful baby and the cute outfit you have put them in. After all, if you haven’t time to be stylish, no doubt you will find time to make your baby look amazing.

-Isabella Stockwell