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Baby boom bloom

Victoria Holman
2/ 6/2008

A SWOLLEN stomach, weight-gain that is impossible to fix by skipping lunch, stretch marks and not being able to wear anything in your wardrobe.

Most women agree that pregnancy doesn't make you feel your siren-like best.

Nightmare

And chief among the problems - according to 30-something mums Jo Barritt and Louise Hoggarth - is the absence of glamorous clothes that can enhance and show-off your body or, when you feel less confident, skim over your baby bump.

Both women say finding flattering - and fashionable - maternitywear proved a nightmare when they were pregnant. But the eager entrepreneurs have turned their pregnancy nightmares into the perfect business opportunity.

Opening Bumps 'N' Daisy, a new maternity boutique in Culcheth, Warrington, the women have sourced stylish brands from Australia to London in the quest to fill the gaps in the market as well as in pregnant ladies' wardrobes.

Choice

"It's a myth that pregnant women don't care what they look like. If anything, you become more bothered," said mum-of-two Jo. "From our experience, the lack of choice of maternitywear was dreadful. It was so hard to find clothes that actually looked nice.

"So, when we were looking for clothes for our shop we were looking for the sort of clothes that we would actually like to wear, clothes that would suit you whether you were pregnant or not." By that they didn't mean the smock, that most traditional of pregnancy dresses that had a bizarre resurgence last year - chiefly among the flat-chested and super-skinny.

"Instead, we've got lots of nice dresses in materials that stretch over your body so you can wear them when you aren't pregnant any more," says Jo.

Balance

But, as well as filling a gap in the market, the duo decided their dream store would also solve that other dilemma common to every working mum - how to get that dreaded work-life balance right.

Both former teachers, Jo, 32, and Louise, 34, became friends after twice attending the same ante-natal classes and wanted a job that would allow them to see their kids.

"We are both professional women, with quite a few qualifications, and we were both working part-time in menial jobs and thought we would like to do more with our lives but still have work-life balance," says Jo.

When they saw a shop become available in their home town, it seemed it was meant to be, but both worked hard researching the maternitywear market before making a scary leap into the unknown.

Says Jo: "We went out to discover how much people would be willing to spend, and whether there was a demand for petite maternitywear or large maternitywear. People said they would be happy to spend a bit more for a better choice."

Friendly

With items ranging from £14 to £160 for rather seductive-looking handbags, Jo hopes the shop strikes that missing balance between the H&Ms of this world and places that stock devastatingly-expensive designer dresses.

As well as high-quality classic looks from Amsterdam-based label Noppies, the store also sells fun, funky looks from Italian label Atessa, which specialises in gorgeous silky fabrics, in deep purples and bright blues.

For ethically-aware mums-to-be, there's a range designed exclusively for their young children - Organics For Kids.

With a friendly chat - and the voices of experience as a bonus. "Pregnancy is a lovely and exciting time but it can be an isolating experience as well, and it really helps to have people around who have been through it, too," says Louise.