One for fellow mums-to-be everywhere - I was recently given the opportunity to try out French maternity brand Envie de Fraises as they bring their label to the UK. I am so eternally grateful these guys approached me or I’d still be forking out a few hundred a month on clothes to drape over my swollen bump. When they first contacted me, they pitched the brand to me as follows

“We want to help expectant mums look and feel good during and after pregnancy without spending a fortune on maternity clothes”

There’s definitely something to said for this. There are so many costs involved in having a baby - from nursery furniture, to travel systems, to car seats, to bedding…. it quickly mounts up and before you know it you’ve put a fortune on the credit cards. When I first feel pregnant for the second time I laid down a bit of a challenge on Twitter to find the best value maternity brand and I’ve put dozens of online boutiques through their paces.

Well, Envie de Fraises sent me a very generous bundle of maternity clothes to try, and tellingly they’ve been the ONLY maternity clothes I’ve worn for the last few weeks. They are so supremely comfortable, impressively made and flattering, When you’re really struggling with even the most basic of daily tasks, and even sitting upright for long stretches leaves you screaming in agony, you want something that makes you feel good, but doesn’t need hoisting up over your boobs every five minutes. I can safely say that everything they’ve sent me fits the bill.

First up, I received a maternity and nursing dress with wrap-over neckline. This is fabulously comfortable. The fabric stretches over my not insignificant bump with ease, and there’s plenty of ‘wrap’ material across the breast section to prevent over-exposure. The wrap style frontage ends just under your boobs which nips you in before your bump begins. This gives a flattering silhouette and draws attention to your bump without ramming it in people’s faces. The dress also ends just above the knee which is fabulous if you feeling conscious about any water retention or swelling in your calf’s or ankles.

Best of all, it’s a tiny £45.99. For similar dresses from Isabella Oliver or even Tiffany Rose, you’d paying double. I’m not saying these rival boutiques shouldn’t feature in your maternity wardrobe - for occasion wear, I still love my Tiffany Rose dress, but for day-today comfort and work wear, I’d rather be in this little number.

I also received a maternity top with blouson sleeves in a very similar style. It features the same generously proportioned wrap over neckline, with an integrated material belt to cinch you in under the breast. This belt is huge - you wrap it under yourself several times to perfect the look (which is a little fiddly but an easy job for the man in your life). As I’ve always been shy about my cleavage, I choose to wear this with a little vest top underneath but you can see from the model shot that this isn’t strictly necessarily..

The blouson sleeves help give this top added interest and help detract some of the attention away from your belly. The colour is also lovely and looks fabulous with a pair of maternity leggings and heels or jeans and cowboy boots.

For £40.24 it’s a long-lasting, versatile and stylish top that will last you the duration of your pregnancy (and beyond) for a tiny price tag. This has become my most worn maternity top and I can testify it washes beautifully.

For hanging around the house, the Nursing and Maternity Set (nursing vest, yoga pants with over-the-belly band, and waterfall cardigan) is ridiculously great value at £57.49. It means you’re paying out less than £20 per item which is unbeatable as far as I’m concerned.

The yoga pants are lovely and loose with (again) a very generous over-the-bump band. The material is really breathable too which makes them ideal for a variety of activities - from lounging, to sleeping, to yoga. I’m planning on wearing mine in the hospital after I’ve given birth (c-section or no c-section - I know they won’t irritate my tummy).

The vest looks really attractive and features a cross over breast section for nursing post-birth. This does come up a little small on me but then I have 36GG boobs to contend with. I feel more comfy with a little vest top underneath but for smaller breasted women I can’t see why you’d need to. The tummy panel is nice and long so fits over your belly with ease.

The ensemble is topped off with a cute cardigan which I’ve virtually lived in everyday since it arrived. Swathes of fabric to the front mean you can wrap it over bump to keep it nice and warm. The whole set is available in tons of different colourways too so well worth investing in a few of these.

As you might expect, the jackets and coats are more expensive, but not over the top. My belted maternity trench with front pockets is comfy and easy to wear, and still incredible value at £91.99. There’s no fussy buttons to worry about here - you simply wrap the jacket around yourself and secure using the huge belt provided. The sheer length of this belt means you can opt for a bow rather than a knot if you prefer.

The pockets are lovely and deep which is fabulous for short journeys as it means you can ditch your heavy handbag, and the material is really snuggly and warm so ideal for this terrible weather we’ve been experiencing. My only tiny niggle is that I wore this coat to town the other day and was continually getting electric shocks in HMV when I came into contact with metal!

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So there you have it. I can honestly say I love every item and I can’t recommend highly enough to other mums-to-be - both for value and quality. It’s not often you come across a website where you would literally wear every item - but I think this is one of those rarities. With really pretty nightdresses and lingerie also available, it’s your one-stop shop to deck out your maternity and nursing wardrobe. The site offers free delivery and returns so you can order a couple of sizes and try on at home. You can find the full clothing range online at www.enviedefraises.co.uk or check them out on Twitter, FB or Pinterest if you’d like to know more.

I was sent these clothes free of charge for review purposes but all views and opinions are my own.