10 Years Younger - from channel4.com

YUMMY MUMMY HANDBOOK

Being a Yummy Mummy demands a few prerequisites. If you manage through luck or genes to avoid falling foul of morning sickness, backache, piles, stretch marks and varicose veins; if you possess a naturally radiant skin and glossy tresses whatever mood your hormones are in; if you transform back to your usual size ten with ease after the birth, then well done - you're already well on your way.

Others rely on access to cash, professional assistance, and the presence of staff. But for those of us who can't afford that ultra-stylish 4x4 lifestyle, with a bit of savvy it is possible to stay looking and feeling great while pregnant or rushed off your feet with a newborn.

YUMMY MUMMY ATTITUDE

Being a YM involves not giving in to nature. Yes, you're building up to the most significant biological event known to humanity, you won’t be able to see your toes for a few months and having a waistline will become a distant memory, but with the help of modern technology (medical and otherwise), it needn't throw your career or social diary too far out of whack. They may even improve - think of those baby shower parties and christenings.

YUMMY MUMMY BODY

A well-known cache of celebrity YMs have made astonishing returns to physical form in the blink of an eye and whether it's down to genes, a crash diet, exercise, spa-treatment thingies, luck, surgery, or all of the above is not our place to guess. But for YMs this is the aim, whichever method is chosen.

Know what to expect and you're halfway there. Hormonal imbalance in the first three months of pregnancy can often lead to an outbreak of spots - calling for extra foundation - but your body should resolve the problem itself after 13 weeks, when blood flow increases to your face. Lines and wrinkles are ironed out and spots should disappear, leaving you with that natural healthy glow.

But remember, when the bulge really starts to show you won't be able to reach your legs, making assistance necessary when shaving them. And rubbing baby oil into your tummy every night during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of severe stretch marks.

YUMMY MUMMY LOOKS

Just like any other fad, scratch the surface of the YM phenomenon and you won't find anything beyond. But then surface, or how you look, is what it’s all about. Remember, you're trying to make pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood look like a breeze and there are no excuses for letting yourself go. Hair, skin and nails must all be in perfect condition, with make up or au naturelle (a look that can require even more make up).

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Realistically, something simple like getting re-fitted for a bra every three months can make sure you stay comfortable and stylish as you grow. Avoid under-wired bras - you won't need them. Any kind of dramatic heel will play havoc with your back, so after 4-5 months flat shoes start working their way into your wardrobe. You can get away with a slight heel though - there's no sense sacrificing all sense of style.

TEAM YUMMY MUMMY

Then there's the staff. Both before and after the birth, there are a whole gaggle of professionals on whose help the YM commonly relies. Regular facials, waxes and hair appointments may have been a fixture in the diary anyway. Now they just become a little more specialist - more maternally-focused dietary advice, for example, which is unlikely to regard stuffing your face because you're eating for two as an acceptable plan. You'll begin to realise why even celebrities without children travel with their own mini-community of image-enhancing professionals.

Hiring a 'mobile beauty therapist' may sound like a gross extravagance reserved for the upper echelons of celebdom, but really they're just freelancers happy to come to your home. When waddling anywhere is a struggle or kids are scuttling underfoot, a manicure, pedicure - you can't reach your legs remember, never mind your feet - or back massage to soothe the strain in the comfort of your own home can relax you both outside and in.

YUMMY MUMMY KIT

Being a mummy involves buying bank-account-draining levels of accessorises but being a Yummy Mummy takes this to stratospheric levels. Not just the right (and by definition eye-wateringly expensive) brand of buggy and clothing, either - what YM would be seen without a 4x4? Even DVT tights and elasticised trousers can be accessorised.

YUMMY MUMMY WARDROBE

Clothing is equally important; more so, since as well as keeping their traditional position ahead of the high-street (either by being effortlessly stylish or a fashion slave), there are now maternity trends to think of too - and for the little tot as well as yourself, don't forget.

However, we should all be grateful that maternity wear now comes in more than one shape and size (tent), though be warned that YM couture does not extend to the presence of baby vomit or lactation marks, so make sure you carry an alternative outfit at all times. Even maternity underwear is a stylish, glamorous and sexy affair for the YM: if boutiques are out of your price range try Vertbaudet or Red Herring at Debenhams to look good on a budget.

AND FINALLY

Hone those organisation skills. As well as having the time to effortlessly (we can't stress the word enough) get through all of the above, it can be easy to forget that you have a birth to fit in! And remember that you're not a yummy mummy by your own proclamation. This is a title bestowed by others, and doesn't include anything written on a t-shirt that you dressed your own child in.

Words: Liz Brown

Yummy Mummy: video credits
Recreate the outfits in the Yummy Mummy video. Outfit 1