Parentdish was lucky enough to catch up with pregnant Holly Willoughby at a party to celebrate 30 years of high street nursery specialists Mamas and Papas this week.
We were thrilled to see Holly looking so gorgeous and well after her recent health scares, and as she checked out Mamas and Papas range of spring maternity dresses, we couldn't resist homing in for a quick chat about how to do baby-on-board chic, pregnancy second time round, and (shush!) baby names...
'There's so much more choice, now,' Holly tells me, as she eyed up a gorgeous duck-egg blue polka dot dress, 'When I was expecting Harry, there was just not a lot out there, although I did design my own range then. But now it's even easier – and the fact everyone is pregnant helps!'
Holly's bump was looking neat and fashionable in a ditsy print summer dress, accessorised with teal blue tights and quirky lace up heels - a much funkier and younger look than her smart and business-like This Morning outfits, and the old-fashioned glamour of her Dancing on Ice gowns.
I asked her if pregnancy gave her a fantastic excuse to add to her wardrobe. 'I'm a sucker for shopping,' she admitted, but added she has re-cycled a lot of her maternity clothes from last time too. 'I don't think my style has changed really with this pregnancy – there's just a lot more choice.'
I asked her if there was one item from her pregnancy wardrobe that had real sentimental value - perhaps the very first maternity frock from when she was expecting Harry, or a particular dress she has worn for This Morning of Dancing on Ice whilst pregnant.
'Not so much sentimental value,' she says, 'And it has only been two years since I was last pregnant, but there is one thing I'll never part with, and that's my hospital robe from when I had Harry – though I don't know that I'll be wearing it this time round!'
I couldn't let Holly go without try to get a heads-up on baby names that she and husband Dan Baldwin might have been discussing ahead of their daughter's birth in May. She smiled broadly but was not giving anything away:
'I am not going there!,' she laughed, 'But thank you for asking, anyway!'
The star-studded event was also attended by EastEnders' actress Jo Joyner, who told us that it was a special night out for her and husband Neil Madden:
'Neil is sharing his birthday with Mamas and Papas, so we've come out for this, then we're going out for dinner, just the two of us!'
'Though we will undoubtedly start talking about the twins after about twenty minutes,' joked Neil, referring to their fifteen-month-old twins Freddie and Edie.
'But it is important to make time for each other as a couple," Jo chipped in.
Jo told us Freddie and Edie were very good babies enjoyed each other's company:
'Some of my friends' babies only ever want their mum,' she said, 'but the twins have each other. Although Freddie does like to have a cuddle from bosomy women!'
We also caught up with footballer Jamie O'Hara, who told us how no one warns you about those first nappies, and Daybreak's weather-girl Kirsty McCabe who introduced us not only to her Christmas Day baby, Ethan, but also her lovely mum who was on Granny duty for the evening!
Natasha Kaplinksy was also in attendance, looking trim and toned eleven months after the birth of her second baby, Angelica Pearl. We overheard her telling friends that mornings were like a 'disaster, emergency...just getting everyone dressed - and then I have to get dressed!'
We also spotted super-slim Clare Nasir racing about after her polka-dot clad daughter Sienna, and Jill Halfpenny playing on the floor with her gorgeous curly-haired baby boy, Harvey, whilst mum-of-two Sophie Ellis Bextor manned the decks keeping the sounds going for the evening.
All in all, a great night for celeb-mum spotting!
What do you think about this story?
Do you agree with Holly that there is more fashion choice for mums-to-be?
Or have you struggled to dress your bump?
And is Jo right about how important it is for couple's to make time for each other?
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