So as I mentioned in my latest bump update, I’m feeling a little on the gargantuan side now. An educated guess tells me this baby is long as her feet are already (at 27 weeks) regularly finding their way into my ribcage, and my super-sized bump is rock solid. With the best will in the world, you can’t buy up the entire range of maternity underwear from Mothercare for these few short months (well actually you could… I bet Simon Calver would kiss your swollen feet in gratitude too given their current financial difficulties) so at times you’ll often find yourself squeezing into your regular knickers. The result is definitely not the sexy feminine look you’ve working hard to cultivate whilst your tummy morphs beyond all recognition.

So when Cantaloop got in touch and asked me to take a look at their maternity and nursing ranges, I was looking forward to popping on something a little slinkier for bedtime. Until that point I’d been wearing a non-maternity vest top and a pair of Calvin Klein PJ bottoms which gave me the silhouette of a beer barrel.

I opted for the Cantaloop Pregnancy / Nursing Tank Top (£28.49) to finally give baby the freedom to move around without a waistband cutting into her wriggle room. As I was a size 14/16 dress size and took a 36G bra before becoming pregnant, I opted for the biggest size possible (size 5) so my boobs have plenty of room. I’m really glad I did as it fits perfectly. An integrated nursing bra under the vest section gives greater support and lifts the breast slightly so you can go without a bra whilst you’re lounging around at home. Despite my boobs being incredibly heavy, the tank top makes them appear surprisingly perky.

The tummy section is lovely and loose so baby has plenty of room to grow even bigger (please… not much more baby!). Even more impressive, the soft and stretchy material (91% Polymide and 9% Elastane) also snaps back into its original shape when you’re no longer pregnant so you aren’t left with a baggy mass around your midriff after baby has vacated. The material is supremely soft and breathable so it’s a perfect choice for winter or summer. I’ve dozens of nightdresses in a similar material and it’s really light and comfortable for wearing at night.

For nursing, the Cantaloop tank top has drop cups to gain access to your breasts. I must admit these aren’t as easy as some of my nursing bras to unclasp but then I’m very out of practice! For ease of feeding though, it seems to be a genius little design but I’ll have to report further on that when Mini Madam is here.

The top washes like a dream on a 40 degree cycle and the fact that it’s seam-free means you can bung it in with the rest of the family’s clothes without compromising its shape. From experience of washing things with a similar material mix, I’m also confident it won’t bobble over time. If their bras are anywhere near as comfy, I’m in for a treat when I’m nursing Mini Madam. I’ve also gone ahead and ordered the over-the-bump pregnancy panties as my regular knickers are now gathering slightly under my bump, and have been chaffing my c-section scar.

I also opted to try the Cantaloop Pregnancy Support Belt (a staggeringly cheap £13.30) out to see how it compares to my current 3M Nexcare one. The 3M Nexcare one is fine over clothes, but not designed to be worn against the skin. For anything other than wearing in the house, it’s therefore impractical. The Cantaloop one promises to be a different proposition as it’s much like the gusset of maternity tights without any fastenings to secure it. Despite this, it’s surprisingly easy to pop on and slips easily over my legs and up over the bump. As it’s super-stretchy. I plumped for a 3L as my actual frame isn’t quite as large as my boobs suggest.

So do I like it? YES, YES, YES and YES. This bad boy is incredibly supportive and easy to wear. Despite no fastenings, it doesn’t roll up and gather around my back or under my bump, and I still have more than enough to room to accommodate an ever-expanding bump. It stretches up right over my belly and ends just underneath my breasts. These generous proportions are really impressive and I’m convinced the bigger sizes could accommodate a much larger woman.

Given I’ve already modeled the tank top, I won’t embarrass myself by striping down to my knickers like something out of reader’s wives! But I can tell you the silhouette of my bump wearing this is much softer and I feel far more confident.

Finally I give Cantaloop’s packaging a big thumbs up. There’s something very cute about these tubs and they’re really useful for storing things. It certainly feels more special than receiving your order in a plain bag!

If you’d like to know more about these (and other) maternity & nursing solutions from Cantaloop, you can visit the website, and follow Cantaloop on Twitter and Facebook. There are also tons of reviews by other mummy bloggers if you do a quick Google search. In short, I’m very happy to recommend these products to other baby-carrying mamas!

DISCLAIMER: I was sent these products in return for an honest review. Thanks Cantaloop, I’m really pleased with them.