20 things you can get away with when pregnant

1 Eating a whole tub of ice cream without feeling greedy.

2 Wearing flat shoes even when you’re meant to be dressing up for a night out.

3 Playing with every new toy in Hamley’s – it’s research!

4 Keeping secrets – even your best friends and family don’t have to know your baby-to-be’s sex/name/existence until you want them to.

5 Splurging far too much money on a pedicure at lunchtime – you may not be able to see your feet any more but other people can!

7 Letting people give you their seats on the bus, even if you’re only going one stop – after all, you don’t know when your next chance to sit down will come along.

8 Spending a fortune on your Saturday shopping trip – well, pushchairs, car seats, cots and, er, handmade, hand-embroidered cashmere baby blankets aren’t cheap, you know!

9 Not cooking your partner his favourite breakfast, or lunch, or dinner… It seems constant nausea does have an upside.

10 Bursting into tears during The X-Factor – the judges are so cruel (the fact that you’ve always cried at The X-Factor is irrelevant).

11 Obsessing over baby names – and feeling very cross indeed when a celebrity nabs ‘your’ name.

12 Being very fussy over the colour scheme for the nursery then refusing to paint it yourself – you can’t be too careful about what’s in all those decorating products.

13 Buying a whole new wardrobe for just nine months - well, you need to feel good about yourself so your baby picks up on your positive vibes.

14 Lying in until lunchtime at the weekend…

15 … and going to bed at 9pm every night – well, growing a whole other person is a tiring business, you know.

16 Skipping rounds in the pub – why pay for their wine when you’re on orange juice?

17 Indulging in a regular massage – for the good of the baby, of course.

18 Flipping out because your partner bought you a blueberry muffin, when you were craving a triple chocolate one…

19 … and moments later laughing hysterically when after three attempts you need help to get up from the sofa. Hormones, eh?!
 
20 Secretly feeling a bit smug – yes, all this pregnancy business is really rather clever of you.