FULFILLING THOSE EXPECTATIONS!

OK so you have read our great article on what type of clothing you should be wearing when you are pregnant...so let's take a look at some of the places that can fulfill your expectations this summer...

An old favourite of every expectant mother (well definitely your own mother(!)) is of course Mothercare - but have they moved with the times? Well to say 'no' would be a little unfair, but at the same time their range is very typically 'maternity looking' with traditional styles and colours. After saying that Mothercare is always a safe bet for quality, and although not the cheapest place at which to buy maternity clothing you can always guarantee a good fit that will last throughout your pregnancy. Sizes range from 8 - 20 so not too bad in terms of an across the board range. Our favourites from the Mothercare range were a beautiful and bold red pintuck layer dress ideal for those long summer nights and not badly priced at just £25.00. For every day wear their cropped jeans are a great basic, perfect to see you through until early autumn with discrete adjustable tabs in the side waist.

Next is fast becoming the new first point of call for maternity - especially for those women who want to carry on shopping at their favourite high street clothing store and wearing similar styles once they find out they are pregnant. As predicted Next come up trumps in terms of style and quality, although we have to say that looking at the ranges over the past few seasons, their maternity clothes are starting to become a little predictable. After saying that you are not pregnant forever and with that in mind it is worth investing in a couple of items from Next as they won't break the bank. As ever we were particularly impressed with the maternity basics offered by Next. Next are great at selling maternity t-shirts in multipacks - offering good quality, style and value all in one go. The advantage of this is that you can then afford to splash out on something a little more formal to complete your outfit. Our top tip is their black pull on trousers - good value at £24.99. The beauty of these is that they are available in a series of different lengths so that they accommodate your height as well as your growing bump with their elasticated stretch panel which is discretely incorporated in to the front of the trousers.

We were a little hesitant in looking at Top Shop's maternity range, 'the b collection' - the image of Top Shop catering for tall slender women is still in the minds of many women, in addition to the idea that Top Shop mainly caters for the younger end of the market. Nevertheless, we gave it a whirl, and we were pleasantly surprised by the range they had to offer. They seem to have created a good balance of maintaining that younger look with a wide range of styles. This can only be a good thing at a time when many women feel frumpish as they adjust to the ever changing shape of their bodies. The best thing about the maternity range at Top Shop is that it wasn't as traditional as many of the other places that are typically associated with maternity wear. Therefore no 'Laura Ashley type' maternity frocks to be found here which is excellent if you don't want everybody to immediately look at you as an expectant mother! Many of the summer dresses are cut in such a way that it is hard to tell you are pregnant at all. The only criticism we had with Top Shop was, as expected, some of the bottoms were a little tight around the thigh and leg area, so although they catered very well for the expanding bump, our old idea that Top Shop really do cater for more slender woman came back in to mind. Our pick of the range at Top Shop was a trendy cool puff sleeve t-shirt with a pretty knotted bust. Available in cream for those hot summer days, and a snip at just £16.

Finally, for something a little less mainstream, we looked at Manchester based 'One Cool Chick'. In terms of range we were suitably impressed. The store caters possibly for the more adventurous amongst you mothers to be and what you don't find in your local Top Shop you will probably find in abundance here. We adored their range of tummy huggers and although not inexpensive the range of colours and styles is sure to provide you with something a little different from your standard maternity styles found at the likes of Mothercare or Next. The store also offers a great range of maternity dresses - again very different from anywhere else we have seen on the high street or indeed online. Possibly not every expectant mother's cup of tea but if you are looking for that something a little different then we suggest you browse their website www.eider.org

But don't just take our advice... we are keen to hear your views on the best places you have found maternity wear. Keep your suggestions coming in by e-mailing us at: suggestions@uniquelywoman.co.uk, and we will pass on your ideas to other mothers-to-be with great expectations!