Checking in with...Bundles & Bumps:

Gabrielle McKnight, 27, was roundly pregnant when Bundles & Bumps opened for business in June 2008 at the Camp, 2937 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. McKnight manages the store that specializes in maternity and toddler wear. Back then she modeled some of the dresses sold there. The store also sells cuddly toys, such as the “Ugly Dolls” that dangle in a cluster overhead.

How did the store get its name?

The owners wanted to make sure they were trying to say what the store was about in the name. So we wanted to incorporate something that told you that it was about moms and babies. So, hence, Bundles and Bumps.

How is this store different from other stores or retail chains specializing in maternal and toddler wear?

From personal experience, I had a baby a little over a year ago, so I was in a lot of maternity boutiques and children’s boutiques. Most ... maybe will carry three or four lines of maternity wear and they have a couple of pieces of maternity from each. We try to be different in the aspect of carrying the higher end lines, but carrying more of a selection of it.

What’s the largest maternity dress you sell here?

Extra large.

What’s the most popular dress that you sell?

It changes by season, but I would say Maternal America, which is one of the nice, high-end, maternity lines, just because of its fit. It fits really, really well. And Momzee. They’ve done a dress that they keep bringing back and it’s amazing. I wore it when I was pregnant.

How many dress sizes can a woman grow during pregnancy?

It varies. From personal experience, because I was buying maternity, I didn’t really notice that I went up a size. I always normally wear a medium, and I bought mediums for most of my clothes because maternity is made for the belly. I’ve heard other cases where they’ve gone up maybe one to two sizes. I haven’t heard of anything greater than that because maternity is already made roomier. So, in regular clothes, you might jump up a lot more than that.

Do maternity dresses have any special features that you wouldn’t find in normal dresses?

Extra room for baby. Extra room for your belly, so the material always kind of bunches or has extra material just for your stomach. And, a lot of times they’ll put ruching — side stitching — so it helps you not look so huge.

And do you sell maternity dresses that are tighter and more sexy than the usual ones?

Yes, we do. Right now, we have a really cute one that’s kind of like a cocktail dress. It’s spaghetti-strapped … and it’s mid-thigh length.

Does maternity wear follow seasonal trends?

The (women) that get pregnant think, ‘Oh, gosh, I have to wear these God-awful clothes because now I’m pregnant.’ We keep up with the fashion that you would normally be wearing not being pregnant. Seasonally, we change, so we go spring, summer, fall, winter.

What are the “Ugly Dolls” all about?

They’re very ugly little animals. Like this one is a worm. They also have one called Ice Bat. It looks similar to a bat, but maybe it will have one eye.

And some of them have three eyes, and they’re very soft and very colorful, which is what, I’m assuming, appeals to the children.