I had no idea when making my 2 pregnancy surcotes how big I would get.  Also, I think I did it with my glasses on instead of my contacts which made everything appear smaller than it was.  I wish I hadn't made them so low below the hip.  The top is gray raw silk with ermine spots embroidered on it and the pleated bottom is a fine black linen.  The cote-hardie underneath is blue linen with 1/2 as many gores built in and the front one is angled for an expanding belly.  The gown itself is pullover.  The sleeves are just tacked closed as I didn't have time or inclination to finish them properly.  There's a 10 inch slit down the front with lacing for crude nursing access.  Very difficult to nurse in!  It's a pain to mess with laces after nursing, especially since you only have one hand to deal with it.  Buttons are much quicker.  Hooks and eyes could work too, especially if concealing them with a surcote.

See Motherwear.com's site for ideas on how to conceal nursing access.