Competition: Win a dream baby shower with Blossom Mother and Child

Baby showers are becoming increasingly popular in the UK with many mums-to-be opting for one of these.

Not only are these events a great way to get the girls together before your bundle of joy, but also good means of getting a few bits you need for your little one.

And now you have a chance to win every mum-to-be's perfect shower because Blossom Mother and Child are giving you the chance to win a baby shower with gifts worth £1000s.

The lucky yummy mummy competition winner and 10 friends will be hosted at Blossom’s Walton Street boutique for pampering, afternoon tea and gifts from maternity and baby brands - and if you don't live in London then Blossom will ship the gifts to you.

To enter all you have to do is like the Blossom Facebook Page, click into the company's photos tab and then share its competition photo (pictured above) on your own Facebook Page.

When Blossom reaches 5,000 likes it will pick a lucky winner who can claim the prize themselves or nominate a pregnant friend.

See Blossom's page for all the legal deets, and good luck!

Maternity maxi dresses for Spring/Summer 2013

Despite the icy weather making us think its our winter wardrobes that should be updated, Spring/Summer 2013 style is truly here, waiting patiently in the wings for the warmer sun to show its face.

And nothing says summer and lets you show off your  bump more than a maxi dress.

The maternity and mainstream shelves are full of these long frocks in a range of patterns to channel this season's trend.

Choose from fun florals for a simple daytime look, go for bold geometric monochrome prints to make a stand or take a simple black frock and jazz it up with accessories for that night out with the girls.

See the gallery below for just a few available on the maternity scene.

Maternity V Back Maxi Dress £18, Topshop

Alice maxi dress, £110, Rock A Bye Rosie

Stripe maxi dress, £35 Asos

Although this is technically not a maternity dress, we think the rouched waist is great for showing off that bump. River Island, £40

Yolanda Maxi dress, £249, Blossom Mother and Child

Top five Oriental inspired pieces for your maternity AW 2012 wardrobe

The Far East made an appearance on a range on AW 2012 catwalks, with intricate floral prints, kimono styles and silks all giving a nod to the Oriental trend.

And this look, showcased by the likes of Balmain, Zac Posen and Dries Van Noten, lends itself perfectly to the maternity world thanks to the silhouettes it channels.

Wrap style kimonos, billowing sleeves and loose silk numbers are perfect for dressing that bump.

And you can be as creative as you like here. Keep it simple with a printed tee teamed with jeans or vamp it up on a night out with a silk maxi number, which will give a subtle nod to the trend.

See the gallery below for some of our virtual highstreet takes of this trend.

The AW 2012 catwalks were awash with nods to the Oriental trend

Maternity Hyacinth Tee,  £36.00, Topshop

Tree of Life dress by Paulina, Blossom Mother and Child.

Print silk maxi dress, Print Silk Maxi Dress, £254.15, Isabella Oliver

Think out of the Oriental box with this Navy Kimono Labour Wrap, which can also be worn as nightwear. Jojo Maman Bebe, £35

Black flower print maxi dress, £37, Dorothy Perkins

Shirts and blouses for your maternity work wardrobe

A shirt or blouse is an essential part of any expectant mums work wardrobe, especially as you move into the second stage of your pregnancy.

Bumps are beginning to show, while you may also find have a new cleavage that prevents those last few buttons on your normal shirt doing up.

Thankfully there are are a great range of maternity shirts and blouse on the virtual highstreet with styles to suit every shape. A wrap shirt is perfect for the more curvy mum-to-be, while ruched detailing in the bra area is great for showing off that new cleavage - appropriately. 

Teamed with a simple pencil skirt, trousers or under a tunic, this item is a must for any working mums' capsule work wardrobe.

See below for some of our faves.

Maternity Classic Shirt £18, ASOS

Sleeveless stripe blouse, £20, Topshop

Stripe shirt, Marks and Spencer

Tie Front Blouse, £75, Isabella Oliver

Wrap Maternity Shirt £29, Jojo Maman Bebe

Blossom cotton fitted maternity shirt Sabrina
£135, Blossom Mother and Child

Blossom Mother and Child launches catwalk video tool

Dressing your baby bump can be hard work, especially if you want to work the latest styles into your wardrobe.

That's why we heart the new tool on Blossom Mother & Child’s website, which lets you see what its AW 2012 collection looks like on the catwalk, and more importantly, your bump.

Although this isn't a new thing- highstreet stores have been offering this online for a while now-  this video service is one of the first for maternity.

Simply click on the ‘view catwalk’ icon on the bottom right corner of a selection of  the company's maternity jeans, dresses, tops and jackets and you’ll see your garment of choice modelled on the runway and how they work with a bump.

Shopping for that perfect maternity outfit has never been so much fun.