Forget world stock markets and the fact our family finances are looking severely credit crunched, this week my main concern was on more weighty matters; literally because I've put on nearly 2 stone. It's obvious where it's all gone of course and I'm still being told '7 months really?' but still two stone is two stone! My BMI is now the wrong side of 25 for my height.

And with weight gain comes purple veins (although stretch marks have yet to make their appearance), and strange swellings. I'm sure my friends will see this as comeuppance for my attempts to get them working out and practising yoga over the years. If I was hoping that all these years of exercise would make me immune from lumps and bumps - I was wrong!

I'm starting to enjoy the attention bump and I are getting though, especially the TLC from loved ones. We're moving this week and I've been spared the packing bit.

My only extravagance has been a Clarins shower gel which I happened to buy at the same time as Boots were offering as not one but four pick-your-own sample size Clarins freebies. So I've now got four mini sizes ready to take to the hospital.

Buggy hunting has also started, well I've actually been eyeing up potential baby transporters since I was 12 weeks pregnant. It's just that this week I've started stopping women with buggies and asking them where they bought theirs from! So far the Mamas and Papas Pramette is looking the winning contender. The Quinny and Bugaboo look good but for practicality most parents seem to be liking this one.

Read(s) of the week:
Winnie-the Pooh Baby Days - a really sweet write-your-own countdown to baby's birth and first year - which I can see will also come in handy when I want my child to be grateful I didn't call him/her Paddington. He's reading What to Expect in the First Year (Simon & Schuster) and Gina Ford's The New Contented Little Baby book (both from amazon.co.uk) Me? I've also dug out the classic Dr Spock book Baby Child Care which says things like 'loving your baby is more important than doing things right'. I'm going to stick to this one, after all it's the one my parents used

Freebie(s) of the week:
Clarins freebies, said sample freebies given when it was something I was going to buy anyway, oh and a pair of Kurt Geiger patent black pumps from my friend and boss Ruth.

What I'm doing this week:
Getting into some stretching again. I've borrowed the Buddah Bellies yoga DVD from Amazon. Not as instructional as the Shiva Rea one (see last week) and the woman demonstrationg the advanced section for heavily pregnant women appears to be a bit too stretchy for my liking. I'm going to try some of the other programmes on the DVD this week.
I'm also glugging back peppermint flavoured Gaviscon. That and ice cubes are helping to ease heatburn.

What I'm not doing?
Packing! and listening to loud music.

Quotes of the week:
"Are you sure that size fits you?" - shop assistant in a City branch of Reiss - which does not do maternity clothes!

"Why not just call him Waterloo and be done with it," my mum's reaction to her being told I was considering calling the baby Paddington.

Clothes of the week:
A gorgeous black tunic from Isabella Oliver, which looks really cool. I'll be wearing this long after the baby is born. It doesn't look maternity and I've had loads of compliments at work.
It's a bit too warm for coats but not too warm to snuggle up in a woolly in the evening, Seraphine's poncho and my brown combats from Peacocks' Evie maternity range are keeping me comfy and cosy.

Find of the week
Sainsbury's support knickers - just £5. Searched high and low for something that was supportive and I found it while looking for a tin of baked beans. Maybe if I laid off the latter and I might not have needed the former!

www.samanthadownes.com

Do you have any pregnancy must haves? I'm going to be compiling a list for a feature I'm writing for one of the glossy magazines, if you have any suggestions - from heartburn cures to brilliant buggies put your suggestions below.

I'm now about to enter my third trimester, and am feeling 'all bump' this week. Suddenly things have got serious in other ways too, I had to make an unexpected visit to hospital, all was okay but it's a warning for me to take it easy.

Read of the week:
The Bloke's Guide to Pregnancy by Jon Smith (Hay House £8.99 www.amazon.co.uk).
My other half did indulge me by reading bits of the Miriam Stoppard Pregnancy 'bible' (have renewed this from the libaray no less than six times so far) but he's finding this one a more entertaining and enjoyable read - if anything about pregnancy can be enjoyable for a bloke. As Smith points out, even the most enlightened men are likely to find the pregnant state of their partners a bit weird. I ended up dipping into bits myself and particularly liked his take on his partner's monopolisation of the marital bed - all pillows and no sex!

What I'm not reading:

The Rough Guide to Pregnancy by Kaz Cooke (£9.99). This book has done the round of my friends who all swore it was really funny. I found her warts and all style a bit inappropriate, but then I am feeling a bit squeamish. For example under her week 26 (my current stage) entry she writes that the baby is now living in what amounts to a swamp. Try as I might I still can't get the image of my unborn child lying in a smelly bubble of amniotic fluid out of my head. I now can't wait to give poor mite a nice bath and a nice towel dry.

What I'm doing this week:

Trying to take it easy, I had to go into hospital last week with suspected Braxton Hicks. I was starting to get into the Pre Natal yoga workout with Shiva Rea (Gaiam, available at Amazon), great for yoga newbies and advanced practioners (as we are known). However, on the advice of my midwife I'm taking it easy, no yoga, no cross trainer no weights.

Quote of the week:
(My dad, when asked if he'd kept any of the toys used to entertain my two nieces - now 4 and 6 - when they were babies.)
"We gave them away ages ago, to be honest we're still coming round to the idea of you having a baby."
(In his defence he is now making a crib )

Clothes of the week:
Seraphine's over-the-bump invisible band jeans and seamless leggings. I now have three pairs of leggings Mothercare, Isabella Oliver, and two pairs of the Seraphine ones. The Seraphine jeans are great, the clever skin coloured band means you can wear 'low cut' tops without worrying about exposing your real bump, however as with all my button-up maternity jeans I am finding that by the end of the day all I want to do -slip into is my oversized leggings.
I'm also into maternity tights, Spanx Mama (www.figleaves.com - £20) have a support panel and built in knickers. I made the mistake of going for the next size up though, so I'm going to be buying another pair of these in my pre-pregnancy size.

What I'm not doing:
I'm not wearing my maternity band, bought this from our local maternity shop Mumps for £11.99. It's like a bra for your bump and it did ease my sore tum, but it did make me want to wee more.

This week i've presenting my findings on the best, and worst maternity jeans I've worn. And, as a new extra to my blog I'm going to be bringing you my 'mummy to be's little helpers' - things I've found that make pregnancy that little bit more bearable.

A comfy, well-fitted pair of jeans, is a clothing essential whether you're a mum-to-be or not. But in the last few months I've gone through several pairs alone. As you may be able to gather I'm still looking for the holy grail of maternity jeans, ones that are trendy, yet comfortable and will take me right through to early Jan when I'm due.

All my jeans apart from the Gap ones have been 'under the bump style in that they have two elasticated panels on either side of the waist rather than one panel running across the front.

New Look - £25 (white bootleg)

These were my first pair of maternity jeans. Out of all my jeans I've worn these the most because they have so much stretch in them - they fitted just right and gave me lots of precious leg room which is important if you're going to be having a fairly active pregnancy. Sadly at just over six months pregnant I can see the end in sight for these with the elasticated sides struggling to keep my bump in check. A great pair to dress up with heels as well as out to lunch with friends. The length was good too.

www.newlook.co.uk

Next

I've just this week got hold of a pair of dark blue skinny jeans £25 from the Winter collection which came out last week. Already I've worn these as smart, with a Seraphine dress over the top for work; with a vest and jacket to see an art exhibition (Francis Bacon in case you're asking) and as casual to go out blackberry picking on Sunday morning. They are almost as comfortable as the New Look jeans but a bit baggy in the bum area (that of course may change!). In the summer also I bought a boyfriend version (£35 mid blue denim). I ordered these a size larger than my usual, 12, but yesterday when driving the waistband cut right into my bump- not comfortable. A shame as these look really stylish and have an unusual 'wrinkled' texture.

www.next.co.uk

Top Shop - skinny 'Baxter' £40

I bought these in late July when I realised I would at some point have to wash my New Look ones. I bought these to feel fashionable but the reality is that they are too big around my waist (bump) and too tight around the top of my legs. They could do with a bit more stretch around the bottom of my legs too and I'm definitely not big down there. Also, as I've worn these more I 've noticed the bum's started to sag. The wash is great and hasn't faded though. I was warned that Top Shop's maternity jeans were not the best. if you've got normal sized legs that is.

www.topshop.com

Gap - (store only - medium denim wash approx £35 - these were leant to me by my friend Marianne!)

My only 'over the bump' pair and now my current favourite. These are a pull-up pull-off no-nonsense pair of jeans which don't look too bad. Sadly my vanity means I only wear them around the house and during my early-morning walk to the gym. This of course may change!

Seraphine - invisible bump jeans.

I ordered these week before last and am still waiting for them, but will update you when I get them. The invisible bump style means you get all the support and none of the pregnancy look, apparently.

Verdict: I can't afford to shell out £100 on designer jeans so I've only gone for the cheap(er) brands here. To be honest I'm already looking forward to being able to wear normal jeans again. When I first found out I was pregnant I had thought nothing of spending £40 on maternity jeans, but now I'm already looking jealously at the new autumn collections. I'll be selling these jeans off as soon as I can!

Mother to be's little helpers - things that made my week a little bit more special

Mothercare's sleep body pillow - £27.99. I am no longer able to sleep on my back as not only is it uncomfortable but - as my midwife told me - it also compresses a major blood vessle called the vena cava (yikes!) In my desperation for a good night's sleep I dared to venture into Mothercare for the first time since I was a nipper myself. After umming and ahhing over whether to buy this or the wedge pillow (which you slide under your bump) I settled for this huge thing of a pillow. It can be used at night to support your whole body and bump and also when breastfeeding. i never ever thought I'd get excited over a pillow, but now I just have - pregnancy eh?

www.mothercare.com

Mama Mio boob tube cream (£29)

This wonderful smelly also promises to help your bits defy gravity. I'm putting it on day and night but mainly because it smells so great, and it can't hurt to try it, can it?

www.seraphine.com

www.seraphine.com

Sam x www.samanthadownes.com

In the last year I've gone from paying off debts, to road-testing hair cuts to... getting pregnant. But rest assured now I'm a mum to be I'm more conscious of making sure every penny of my hard-earned money is well spent.

The last couple of weeks I've been testing stretch-mark lotions and maternity bras. At 24 weeks pregnant (as I am) the skin around the baby bump can get particularly dry and tight, so a good cream or oil should not only moisturise but act as a wonderful soother for those times when your tummy feels like a drum (i.e most of the time at the moment).

As I'm still in my second trimester I'm not testing any of the lotions for their ability to prevent stretch marks. I'll be doing that in a later blog, I'll also be continuing to test mum-to-be lotions and potions as my pregnancy progresses so. I've also been trying out various maternity bras too, a really comfy (ideally not underwired) bra is another total must have when you are expecting. Because of supply problems a couple of my maternity underwear orders hadn't arrived, so I'll be updating my findings next month.

Body lotions

Heaven - firming and stretchmark oil and cream (£35 each)
This smelt totally gorgeous, orange and other yummy things. In fact the texture of the cream reminded me of the topping you get on a carrot cake (but then everything looks edible to me at the moment). The oil is a richer version of the cream and really soothed my skin, I could literally feel my skin being hydrated (but this was after a very long day at work in an air-conditioned office) from the outside in.
My only bugbear was the packaging, the cream comes in a glass jar which, as I'm still going to the gym five times a week, is not so portable. This is a wonderful treat, and if it weren't for the price I'd be buying another!
www.heavenskincare.com

Burt's Bees- Mama Bee nourishing body oil with vitamin B (£10.95 from www.hqhair.com)

I loved the smell of this, fresh lemon, so a great pick me up in the morning. It was incredibly rich so best used at night, or after showering/bathing - but before drying.

Palmers Cocoa Butter massage lotion for stretch marks (around £4 from major chemists including Boots and Superdrug)

A favourite with mums-to-be because of its price and smell. I didn't find as moisturising as the s rich as the other lotions, for that reason I used it as all over body lotion. As it promises to reduce stretch marks it may well come into its own as the weeks go by, I'll keep you updated.

Clarins - tonic body treatment oil (£32 from department stores and large branches of Boots)

This was bought for me by my friends as a treat. Everytime I used it at the gym one of the other women in the changing rooms would comment on how lovely it was (a very similar to smell to the Clarins tinted face moisturising, energising and fresh). If I hadn't tried the Heaven cream this would have been my favourite. Again because it's an oil it's too rich to use on dry skin, which again I found a bit of a faff when at the gym and in a rush to get ready for work in the morning.

Wilko baby oil - (99p Wilkinsons - www.wilkinsonplus.co.uk)

Not as fragranced or as fancy as the other lotions but it still managed to soothe my poor itchy bump on a couple of evenings. Not as rich as the Clarins oil but you can used it on dry skin, although best results on damp skin. The smell was inoffensive and of course I can use this on baby in a few months time.

Maternity bras

HOTMilk - sinfully sweet seductress maternity and nursing bra (£31) with briefs (£13.50) and french knickers (£15) - comes in teal and cream.

If only all underwear was like this, not only was this the most comfy underwear I've ever worn, it's also the sexiest. The bra felt really supportive, with a deep band, and I almost forget I was were wearing a bra. Thankfully it comes with six hooks so it will take you from pregnancy to nursing and beyond. Definately one to persuade your other half to buy. The french knickers were really comfy too. I've also got the seductress chemise, which I haven't yet tried out, I can't wait!

www.hotmilklingerie.com or www.figleaves.com

Marks & Spencer - cotton rich non-wired maternity (£20 for pack of two)

Admittedly this was my first experience of maternity underwear. I basically picked the first thing I saw, there was a surprising lack of choice for mums-to-be needing underwear when I visited the Brighton store in July (I've since gone online and seen more at marksandspencer.com. The band wasn't really supportive enough, so unless you are flat chested, or extremely small you'd be better off going for something more supportive. The cup sizing wasn't great, I gaped at the front while the side seams felt too tight.

Sports bras.

(bought at Marks and Spencer and Sweaty Betty before I was pregnant)

During my early pregnancy weeks I found my sports bras made a really comfy and supportive alternative to the underwired, push up staples I normally wear, or should I say used to wear. I've got several of the Shock Absorbers (www.sweatybetty.com) for around £22. Marks and Spencer's underwired version (between £12 and £18) were also great. If you can't see the point of buying specific maternity wear, and know you'll be back in the gym/playing sport after baby, then these are probably just as good (and cheap) an option.

Tips when buying

• I've been told to avoid lavender oil most specific maternity lotions will avoid it, but it's still worth checking. Most of the lotions I tried I had lemon oil in them, which I'm told is something to do with toning up the skin.
• Bras that double up as maternity and nursing are a better bet than just nursing or maternity, it means you'll get a least a year's wear out to them.
• You can wear underwirerd bras, just make sure you get fitted properly. I have to thank my local lingerie shop (Carols) of GMTV fame for making sure I am wearing the right size bra.

In the last year I've gone from paying off debts, to road-testing hair cuts to... getting pregnant. But rest assured now I'm a mum to be I'm more conscious of family budgeting than ever.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I got really excited about the possibility of buying new clothes. After all every mum-to-be wants her bump to be well dressed. Thankfully now so more than ever, being pregnant doesn't mean you don't have to sacrifice style or fork out hundreds of pounds, nearly all the high-street stores have really good maternity clothing ranges.

This week I'm starting from the top and road-testing maternity vests and t-shirts. All the tops I've featured are relatively inexpensive (under £30) and aside from the two Marks & Spencer vests (which had to be sent to me as my local store doesn't stock maternity wear) were bought by me, and worn ('out' in some cases) by me.

The 'fashionable' one: Next Maternity star print maternity top (£22)
Wearability; The star pattern makes it almost 'on-trend'. The cotton makes it really cool and the styling means it can be worn to work (although a cardie is a good idea - see 'cons') as well as to the pub with jeans. It washed well without fading, although to be on the safe side I stuck to the recommended wool cycle.

Pros: The top is very fine and the see through nature of the cotton means you need to wear some good underwear to avoid embarrassment. It also gapes at the neckline, hence wearing a cardie, or even a vest underneath is essential for more formal wear.
Although the label says the top can be adjusted to see a mum-to-be through her nine months I wasn't so sure, it's already a bit tight and my bump isn't that big.

Where to buy it: My only bugbear with Next is that its maternity line is only available in all but the biggest stores, so if you don't live in a city you have to order online. I don't have an account with Next so I had to ring up and pay in advance on my Visa debit card which wasn't ideal, if I hadn't liked it it would have been a faff to get the refund.

The pretty one: Top Shop rose ruffle neck vest top (£28)

Wearability: One of the reasons i like this top is because I get so many appreciative comments when I wear it, men and women by the way. It's really pretty and I've worn it with a black skirt, skinny blue jeans, black trousers and my white jeans.

Pros: After a few washes it did go a bit bobbly, and it really does emphasize my bump, it's so fine you can see the outline of my belly button, and I one of those pregnant women who isn't keen on showing her belly too much.
Where to buy: As with Next, Top Shop only stocks the maternity range in its larger stores. I bought this from the large branch at Thurrock Lakeside. As with the Next top i'm not quite sure how much longer it will manage to contain my bump.

Practical ones:
An M&S Limited grey top (£12) from the Limited Collection and the New Look's gunmetal blue vest (£8 from summer collection) were the best wear-anywhere vests. The New Look top was the first maternity vest I bought and it's washed well, no bobbles and the material is thick enough not to cling too much. However I have a feeling I have only a few more weeks wear out of it, as my bump is starting to strain it a bit.
The M&S top is probably better for later stages of pregnancy, it's a smock style but not too mumsy and it can be worn under a jacket as part of suit. The quality of the material is superior to the other tops, so I've got a feeling I'll be wearing this when the baby is due.

Others I tried
Marks & Spencer limited collection. This had an unsual beading pattern on the front, it looked great and I can see I'll get more wear out of this. It does feel a bit too revealing on the boob front though.
Dorothy Perkins - white butterfly detail t-shirt with leg-o-mutton sleeves (£10 in sale) This was a hit among the younger members of my family who loved the pretty beading, only problem is that after a couple of washes (on a hand wash cycle) the beading started to come off. I'm still wearing it though, again I feel it might be too small soon.
Isabella Oliver - bought on ebay for £25. This turtle neck top normally retails at £55. As it was made from nylon and wasn't really that detailed I couldn't see the point of spending so much on a top I'd only wear a few months. I've had a look at some of the other Isabella Oliver stuff on ebay and notice people are often paying more for things there than they can on the IO site itself - madness!!

Tips for maternity clothes buying

* On the whole stick to your pre-pregnancy size, unless you've been seriously watching what you eat before you got pregnant, most of the weight you put on during your first few months of pregnancy will be round your belly. Some women put a lot of weight on their boobs, I'm normal 8/10 on top and have found some of the size 10s a bit too big (even at five months).

* Don't go mad. I nearly blew money on an Isabella oliver top but found a much cheaper version of the same on eBay.

* If you're really brassic try websites like budget-bumps.co.uk which has good as new and discounted brand names.

This week I'm road-testing undies. Are the more expensive brands worth it or are our favourite cheapie brands still the best buys?

Firstly I apologise for the rather large gap between blogs.  I'm 14 weeks pregnant and (cross fingers) am now through the dreaded morning sickness phase. Which makes me an ideal candidate for this week's blog - comfy underwear.

I won't confess to having a large bump yet but it's big enough to render all my underwear a bit uncomfortable, particularly knickers!

Top value: Wonderbra - £14 (boy-short style)

These were bought from a specialist underwear shop and are the most comfortable, flattering pair ever, without a huge designer price tag. They came in bright pink and black with a pretty bow. They can be worn under anything without fear of VPL and I'm desperately trying to find if they are still available as I bought them in the sale last summer. Not only are they pretty they are cool too.

I also bought a thong style pair last summer, which kept their colour (white) and were perfect, but I can't wear them now.

www.figleaves.com

Spanx - £30 for two (QVC)

These are the modern women's corset. They are like thick tights which  hold you in but without the risk of fainting and boy and they are very, very comfortable. The power knickers (they come in also come in tights, leggings and high waisted versions) are great because they are light and airy, they come with a very handy hole in them, and I'll say no more. I bought these last summer from QVC, the shopping channel. I don't often watch it, honest, but I just so happened to tune in one evening when there was a Spanx special. I'm going to buying more as the months roll on, apparently pregnant celebs love them.

www.qvcuk.com

Marks & Spencer - £6

Everyone owns M&S underwear but there have been whisperings (or if you are Jeremy Paxman a very well-reported comment) that the quality of the high street favourite's undies are not what they once were.

I've always bought M&S knickers in the multi-pack versions. Two weeks ago I bought full briefs which are perfect for a pregnant tummy to replace the boy-style shorts bought in December.

The material is more flimsy than the stand alone knickers, which cost around £4 a pair.

For me they are perfect but I will think again before buying another pack, if you are going to buy long-lasting underwear from M&S - and you can afford it - go for individual pairs - not the multi packs.

www.marksandspencer.co.uk

Top Shop - £4

I bought three pairs of Top Shop's finest high leg stype and have been impressed. Again I went for the boy shorts, in a very bright pink, one in black and one in white. They are six months old and still going strong.

www.topshop.com

New Look - £2

These actually ripped after a week, but they had felt more substantial than the Marks & Sparks. Was a bit disappointed.

www.newlook.co.uk

And lastly...

Agent Provocateur - £45

I bought these as a treat. A sort of pre-baby present. They are very comfortable and tie up at the sides but really are for special occasions only because of the price, if only i could afford these!

www.agentprovocateur.com