A family from Farnborough has been invited to Downing Street next month after being nominated for a top award.

Natalie Gladman, founder of the maternity wear shop Does My Tum Look Big In This, put her family forward for recognition in the Mother at Work 2008 awards.

She entered the “best family support” category, for their “supportive and under-standing” approach to family life with working parents.

To her delight, the family was selected as one of three finalists from hundreds of entries. They have been invited to a reception at the State Room of No 11 Downing Street, official residence of the Chancellor, Alistair Darling.

The event, on Wednesday June 18, will be hosted by one of No 11’s previous occupants, as Sarah Brown, now wife of the Prime Minister, hands out the awards.

“This is recognition for my family more than anything, for their support and patience on a day-to-day level,” Mrs Gladman told Get Hampshire.

“The recognition that I have for my efforts has been great, but I would not have been able to start and run my business without the support of my family.”

Does My Tum Look Big In This is a shop based in North Camp that provides bridal and formal wear for pregnant brides and other mums-to-be.

The idea for the shop came thanks to some help from Mrs Gladman’s youngest daughter, Maddie, who was giving her mum business ideas before she was even born.

While pregnant in 2001, and unable to find any clothes to wear to a Christmas party, Mrs Gladman realised there was a niche in the market for glamorous formal clothing for women who wanted to look their best with their growing baby bumps.

Mrs Gladman says that the experience in setting up and running her business is “fantastic”.

“Getting married and having a baby are supposed to be two of the most exciting and happy things you will ever experience in your life, so it is brilliant to be able to help people like that,” she said.

Being a working mum with three children and a husband to think about brings extra challenges to starting up an untried business venture, but the Gladmans have helped every step of the way.

“It sounds boring, but it is the little things,” Mrs Gladman said. “It is practical things for the kids like keeping their rooms tidy and helping around the house.

“From an emotional perspective it helps when I am working all hours. Unfortunately, I can’t be at the school gates, but they have never had any issues with that.”

Mrs Gladman admits that being a working mother still brings certain concerns to the fore.

“Feeling guilty about going out to work is very common,” she said. “I have generally experienced all those sorts of emotions and it has been challenging.

“But there are a lot of positives in being a working mother in terms of instilling a sense of independence in your children, particularly in the knowledge and understanding that in the real world if you want something, you have to work for it."

Husband Clive, who works as a director of an engineering company in Fleet, helps wherever he can to make life easier for the family, Mrs Gladman said.

“We have always had an even partnership in our relationship,” she said. “He is not afraid to go into the kitchen.

“In fact, I think he thinks himself a bit of a chef — and he has no trouble doing the weekly shopping and things like that are a massive help for me.”

Also going to the awards ceremony is Mrs Gladman’s mum, Gwen Scaife, who at 72 is still working part-time at the shop and also helps to look after the children.

She picks up Maddie, now six, from North Farnborough Infant School most days, while 14-year-old James goes to nearby Salesian College.

Isaac, Clive’s 13-year-old son from a previous relationship, lives with his mother in Fleet.

Among the guests at the ceremony in London next month will be comedian Jo Brand and Arabella Weir — the comic actor and writer whose catchphrase on cult BBC sketch show The Fast Show was “Does my bum look big in this?”.