More4Mums – Maternity, Pregnancy & New Mum Essentials.
When I was pregnant with Kieran (now 4yrs) I didn’t bother with maternity clothing, underwear or aids. I was firm in the belief that such things were unnecessary and that I would be better off saving money to spend on my beautiful child-to-be. What a fool! Certainly in the later stages of pregnancy I was pretty uncomfortable (understatement) and to my dismay there is ONE photo of me pregnant as I felt frumpy and horrible and either wore Roy’s oversized work t-shirts or just bought everything bigger.
You cannot imagine my joy when Lynn from More4Mums contacted me to ask if I’d like to review something. I think I gave my wrist whiplash answering so quickly!
I was sent two items, a Carriwell maternity bra and an Old Navy Smock top/dress and my findings on both of these are below.
Carriwell Seamless Maternity Bra – £11.99
Oh my! Comfortable isn’t the word. Gone are the four breasts, squeezed into my pre-maternity bra, that seem hell bent on visiting the area around my knees! The two girls are much happier now, back where nature intended them to be! Being ample of breast I usually wear an under-wired bra for extra support, so didn’t expect this to have quite the same result but it does. I feel (yes I am wearing it still and will shortly be ordering another one in a different colour!) so comfortable, supported and yes, womanly (which seeing as I’ve been the pregnancy “I’m a fat frump” mood for a few weeks is quite an achievement!).
This bra, much like a sports bra, only more supportive, has wider straps, is seamless therefore perfect for under t-shirts and tops and is hookless, being a slip on/over the head bra so no fiddling about. It is also suitable for sleeping in. Available in black or white, S, M, L and XL (see the size chart on the website for a more information on appropriate sizing) and for a mere £11.99 with £1.50 P&P this bra in my opinion, despite not being a “name” is an absolute pregnancy must.
I highly recommend it and rate it 5/5.
Old Navy, Loose Fit Smock dress/top £12.99.
Old Navy Embroidered Square Neck Loose Fit Fully Lined Smock Dress.
Old Navy is the American division of Gap, and this square necklined, loose fit dress, available in Pink or Chocolate brown is just £12.99 (+£1.50P&P).
The neckline is very flattering with a delicately embroidered pattern and the chocolate brown which I trialed is a gorgeous colour. I have washed this item which is 100% cotton at 40 degrees and it washes very well.
Now being American sized, these are very generous. I am size 18-22 dependant on make and clothes type so I opted for Large. Unfortunately this dress didn’t do an awful lot for me, the top and sleeves are well fitted however I found the body less so (I know it’s loose fit!) but it made me look bigger than I am (not in a good way lol). I am 24 weeks pregnant with a nice bump, but I think this would be more suitable for further on in pregnancy when you are much bigger in the front as it just hung loose on me. Had I gone for a smaller size it would have been too tight on top and on the arms. It could be that as sometimes happens with bigger sized clothing, after a certain size the cut seems to get lost in added inches, but I do think this would be more suited for either much further on in pregnancy or perhaps for the daintier of pregnant ladies who would order this in a smaller size.
That said, this is insanely comfortable and perfect for around the house, as a dress or over jeans/leggings
My rating: 2.5/5
More4Mums – The website.
I have to add a quick note about the website itself. M4M’s is very well set out and easy to navigate. There are plenty of product pictures available and a useful “enlarge” tool so you can view each item in more detail. When my items arrived (very quickly from “order” to arrival), they were very well packaged and at £1.50 P&P for an order (UK), it makes home shopping for maternity wear (etc) that much easier.
More4Mums have a comprehensive returns policy that states; “At More4mums.co.uk we want you to be 100% satisfied when you shop with us. If you are not entirely satisfied with your items or have changed your mind then please return your goods unworn within 10 days of receipt for a full refund of the item purchase price or FREE exchange – (UK customers only)” so you can be confident when purchasing items from this online store.
As for Lynn, the owner of More4Mums, she is a complete joy to deal with, nothing is too much bother and she is always on hand with advice and to answer any queries.
I will most definitely be shopping here in future and will not hesitate to recommend to friends and family.
Oh maternity wear is a must, and I am with you in the ample bosom department, and had a similar experience when putting on a correctly fitting maternity bra in my second pregnancy!! It is, apparently, not necessary to look and feel uncomfortable and mis-shapen just because you are pregnant! Never tried this lot (and won't be as never going to be pregnant again!), but sounds fantastic. The good quality maternity clothes I bought in my first pregnancy last through 3 of mine, and 2 of different friends!! They were certainly not as smart by the end as at the beginning, but they were fine for wearing in a casual environment. I totally think it's worth investing in some nice good quality matenity stuff. Even if you never use them yourself again, it makes you feel so much better which is worth four-times the price! And there are lots of nice second-hand places springing up that sell your old maternity stuff if it's still in reasonable condition.Glad to hear the "girls" are so much happier, Nicki!!
I completely agree here with Emma. Being pregnant whilst only shortlived really, is definitely a time when you need to feel comfy yes, but nice to look at also.I kept most of my maternity clothes from Andrew and used them again for Daniel, but eventually did get some more in the second pregnancy as I felt so frumpy in the old things.It is good to have nice underwear too, and I too am pleased as Emma is that the girls are happy.There are some great maternity clothes in the Next sale at the moment, and it is always easy to sell things on because you havent used them all that much probably.Although not pregnant, and never planning on it again, I looked at this website and it is good. Some lovely things and a great price on it.
Thanks both for your comments! Yes the girls are indeed most chuffed!I am generally a bit clueless with maternity wear, so I can't comment unless I've actually tried it, but this Carriwell bra is so comfy and supportive, and I can't knock the price!! There are some lovely bits and pieces on there (including a clearance sale which suits my frugal attitude these days lol!).