If you live anywhere but Australia you might be thinking, “what is she talking about?!” But maternity clothes are SO expensive in Australia. I didn’t buy any maternity jeans while pregnant because I couldn’t justify forking out $200-plus. So I walked around in my regular hipster jeans with the top button undone, and I wore a long top.
Now, finally, a high-street brand has come out with a range of maternity jeans. THANK YOU Just Jeans, especially as they are going to retail for $89.95.
Seems like everyone I know is having a baby all of a sudden. Funny how it always happens in waves.
With “three being the new two” and “twins being the new singleton” in NYC, the maternity business is booming!When I was pregnant I was determined to remain somewhat stylish (well with the roots growing in and the adult onset acne, the least I could do was wear a semi-decent outfit.) One ofmy very favorite brands to discover along the way was Nom de Naissance, which is based out of LA and is carried at my very favorite maternity store in NYC, Belly Dance Maternity. This adorable West Village shop carries a well edited selection of labels like Splendid, Diane Von Furstenburg and Ripe with the premise being that you can still dress like you did before you got prego.Two other amazing stores that I discovered along the way were Cappucine in Tribeca which does not have an on-line website but is definitely worth the visit. The owner carries both maternity wear and adorable regular clothes in larger sizes (and the owner is French so you know it’s cool). The other place that I found was Bump in Brooklyn which opened after I had the girls but it looks ultra, ultra swank. For the gals that are not into “Pea in a Pod” and “Liz Lange” – these stores are for you.
Good news! I had my 20-week scan, and the little girl (!) in my belly seems to be happy and healthy, at least as far as the echoscopist could tell at this stage. Hurray!! It was of course a major relief, especially given the doubtful scan I had had at 12 weeks… And I’m super excited!
I’m also feeling the baby really well now — of course I had been feeling little things before twenty weeks, but nothing compared to the clear kicks even my husband can now feel on the outside! Even though we just saw our baby alive and well on the hospital screen, it is always nice to feel the baby’s movements just to prove she’s doing alright in there. I admit that in my first two pregnancies I sometimes poked my belly to make the quiet baby inside of me move, just to put my overly worried mind at ease. Poor baby!
Thankfully, I now have an AngelSounds fetal heart detector at home so I don’t have to disturb my little girl in her fetal sleeps. I can hear her heartbeat at every moment I please, no hospital or midwife needed!
The device is easy to hold in one hand, and comes with a headphone (more fancy models are available with a built-in speaker). There’s also a second socket so another headphone can be attached (nice for your husband, parents or older children), or, very cool, a recording cable so you can record your baby’s heartbeat on the computer. No kidding, listen to my baby’s heartbeat here. Sweet, don’t you think??
So if you’re an overly worried pregnant mama like me, or know one, do yourself a favour and get an AngelSounds doppler. Mine comes from Dutch web-shop ZoZwanger, but they are available more places worldwide. Money well spent; you can hear the heartbeat from 12 weeks onwards!
The moment I found out I was pregnant, my boobs grew a full size. Crazy! (But very attractive, according to my husband…).
So my usual selection of bras was not only too tight, but since they’re all under-wired they’re not recommended for pregnancy. Under-wired bras are not advised during pregnancy because they put too much pressure on your breasts, which can result in blocked milk ducts or mastitis. They also aren’t flexible enough — apparently our boobs live their own life during pregnancy and can change shape during the day.
Good maternity bras accommodate all of these needs, but are sadly not always the most attractive ones around…
Now take a look at the selection of Ma Mère! Hello, mama! These bras are seriously super stylish and sexy!!
When pregnant with her son, Khali Whatley was so frustrated by the lack of wonderful maternity lingerie available to pregnant and nursing women, that she decided to start an online boutique dedicated to providing designer lingerie to expectant and new mothers around the world. She found the best lingerie from everywhere, and it resulted in a collection that my non-pregnant friends may very well be jealous about.
My favourite maternity bras at the moment are from Blossom and Amoralia, both available from Ma Mère.
My first two babies were born in London. Even though I had both of them through the National Health Service system, I went to the Fetal Medicine Centre (FMC), a private clinic on Harley Street in London, for the 11-13 week scans. Reason is, the founder of the FMC is Professor Kypros Nicolaides, the world’s authority on fetal medicine and the person who discovered the relationship between Down Sydrome and the measurement of the nuchal translucency!
Since I was exactly 12 weeks pregnant when we met with the girls in London a few weeks ago, I decided that this little baby also had to receive the test of all tests at the place of all places. And it was fabulous to see that little person happily moving around inside of me!
Everything looked absolutely perfect at the scan, BUT (and here’s the but!) I was told that the nasal bone of this little 12-week-old creature was on the small side. Not non-existent, but small. And, I was told, a non-existent, or very small nasal bone is one of the soft markers for Down syndrome. However, since the rest of the rest of the test was good, and the results of the blood test were fine, the overall chance of a chromosomal disorder was still considered small.
For my first two babies the test results were excellent. Of course, we’re still talking percentages, so it doesn’t give any real security, but the chance of something being wrong was so absolutely marginal, there was no need to worry. For this baby, the results are still very good, but there was a but. And the but made me worry.
At 15 weeks, I asked for an extensive scan here in Amsterdam, to look for any symptons of a chromosomal disorder, as far as detectable at this stage of the pregnancy. The doctor found nothing. She measured the nasal bone, and however on the small side, it was within the normal range.
At 15 weeks you can choose to have amniocentesis. The chance of miscarrying after an amnio is somewhere between 1 in 100 and 1 in 300. The chance that my baby has a disorder is 1 in 700, as they told me after the test in the FMC in London. I’m 36 years old. I decided not to have an amnio.
Did you have a decision to make? Did you have an amnio??
xxx Esther
P.S. Picture of my scan in Amsterdam. Baby is beautiful, isn’t he/she??
I knew being pregnant with twins was not going to be a walk in the park but when I went into pre-term labor at 27 weeks I was shocked and terrified. After a short stint in the hospital I spent the next ten weeks on an IV drip at home, in bed, on my side, exactly 23 hours and 55 minutes a day.
You would be surprised how much of a routine you can make for yourself from bed and I must say, as the days wore on I did fall into a rhythm that made the time pass. While I did purchase a few books offering ideas on what to do while on bed rest, most suggested things that were not up my alley, like scrap-booking or knitting. I turned to Plan B which was to just suck it up and deal the best I could. I watched A LOT of television. I read all of the books that I have been meaning to read for years. I made special appointments with family and friends to come visit and bring me food. And most importantly I leaned on my husband a lot and would call him at work to just cry for a few minutes every day.
One of the best finds that come out of the whole experience was the gigantic U-shapped pillow which I would recommend to anyone who is pregnant. We found it on-line and it was life changing. I lived in that U. We still laugh about “the U”. We would joke about me being in U-niversity during the day and would sing all sorts of songs about it. Corny, yes….but your mind goes to mush when you are pregnant as you know.
Now that I’m ‘officially pregnant’ I can officially start talking about all things maternity. (A prelude to discussing all things baby — even better!) Like maternity jeans…
The one thing I learned from my previous pregnancies is that a good maternity jeans is a necessary investment. Previously I made my own pregnancy jeans (replacing the waistband from a ‘normal’ pair with an elastic band), and they worked quite well for the first few months. But they soon started to hurt at my tummy and I was longing for a well cut, comfy pair of maternity jeans. I guess you just forget how uncomfortable things can get!
These great jeans by Blossom Mother and Child are nice and long (too long for me even), make me look even taller, are a great colour, are just about the right mix between skinny and straight, make my bum look sexy and provide plenty of room for a growing tummy. Just perfect.
The only thing I’m sorry about? That I didn’t get them for my previous pregnancies!
xxx Esther
NOTE: Blossom is now kindly offering a 25% discount on all Blossom jeans (which never go on sale) exclusively to Babyccino readers: just enter promo code EC0068 at check out!
I have been trying to travel a bit further a field, leaving my usual habitat of North-Eastern Paris, to try and discover new places for Babyccino. On one of my trips I met up with Estelle from the lovely e-shop Nordinary and she took me on a whistle-stop tour of the 17th arrondissement.
One particular shop deserves its very own Babyccino post: the fabulous maternity shop Firmaman, Paris’ first concept store for pregnant ladies.
I had been looking for a place just like this during my pregnancy in Paris and never found one. It is a lovely boutique, full of great clothes — some of which are maternity clothes, some of which are not, but all of which will look great on a pregnant woman. You can find great coats, jeans and dresses. There is also a great newborn baby section, a gift section and a lingerie section with some beautiful nursing bras.
If you are feeling to tired and bloated to travel to the 17th, check out the website, though I highly recommend popping into the shop as it has a lot more choices, and makes you realise that it is actually not impossible to be 9 months pregnant and chic at the same time….
Need a unique baby gift? There’s nothing like a little personalisation and embroidery to make a gift special. Izzy and Floyd’s personalised baby bundle bags come with the baby’s name and birth date embroidered on the front. You can either fill the bags with Izzy and Floyd’s selection of babywear and toys, or you can simply buy the bags to wrap a gift you already have.
I received a bag for my daughter and it’s darling. They’re handmade in Wales using a natural calico, a choice of gingham trim and a big wooden button. I’m planning on filling the bag with Ivy’s little treasures and hanging it in her room.
I’ve already mentioned being a huge fan of the uber stylish maternity boutique, Mama-La-Mode, which sells everything from maternity basics to designer dresses for the style-conscious mums-to-be. Whether it’s a pair of trendy pregnancy jeans, a winter coat, or a maternity swimsuit, Mama-La-Mode has it all.
In fact, just recently they launched their very own label of maternity staples — a collection of core essentials made from soft jersey and intended for all 9 months of pregnancy. Think skinny strap camisoles with built-in bra support, basic fold-down black trousers, and must-have black leggings.
In honor of their launch, Mama-La-Mode is offering a pair of maternity leggings to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment below by next Wednesday, September 9th, and we’ll pick one winner at random.
Good luck!
P.S. Mama-La-Mode is also offering 10% off to all first-time customers. Just use the promo code babyccino at check-out.
P.P.S. The winner of our last give-away, the Bear Feet shoes, is Claudia from Italy!
The art department at work is pregnant. When I say that, I’m talking about the deputy art director Renae, who is pregnant, and the art director, whose wife is pregnant. We all sit next to each other so there’s been lots of baby talk recently. One topic that got us distracted for, well, far too long was names. Renae knows that she’s having a boy whereas Chris and his wife have decided not to find out until the birth. Chris likes traditional names whereas Renae favours slightly more quirky choices. And so we put them all to the test on this completely addictive computer graph program set up by the NSW Government. Basically you type in the name you’re thinking about and you can see whether it’s gaining popularity or on the way out. Truly, once you start you won’t be able to stop.
I just finished this book by Christine Coppa and I loved it! The book is her memoir about how her ‘Sex and the City’ lifestyle as a journalist changed when she found herself unexpectedly pregnant three months into a relationship. At 26 this is a big change in one’s life but she declares from the start that although the pregnancy was not wanted, the baby always was!
The father disappears from the picture quite soon and Christine keeps playing solo with the help of her loving family (of Italian origin) and her super cool friends. She moves out of Manhattan back to the New Jersey suburbs and sets up her nest to welcome her baby, Jack Domenec.
The book is a funny and empowering story about a girl who is about to become a mother, her fears and her doubts, and also her few certainties. I think that any mum would relate to her immediately because of the way she dissects and describes the joys and pains of motherhood.
It may be a weird analogy but you know how when you are traveling alone you seem to observe and absorb more of the new surroundings? That’s the feeling I have had when reading Christine’s book — it may just be her powerful writing style but it seemed to me that by being alone she had more time to think about the changes motherhood brings to a woman’s life. Personally I was really moved by her birth story because it brought back the nice memories of my first c-section; I was reading the book while sharing the couch with my son and I was afraid he could see the tears streaking my cheeks!
Christine is still living in New Jersey, full time freelancing and has a successful blog on Glamour called Storked! You can also read one of her essays here to get a feeling of her style and story.
The book is available from Amazon (US or UK).
Akua-Ba is a well fitting pregnancy top made out of thick and stretchy, fair trade cotton. Which is nice to start with.
To make it special, it is complemented with an original, small wooden Akua-Ba doll that you can attach to the strings at the back of the shirt. An old African legend says that ‘the doll brings luck and helps the mother to give birth to a beautiful child, not only in appearance but also in character’.
To make it extra special (and I love this part), for each top sold Akua-Ba gives a mosquito net to a pregnant woman in Burkina Faso (West-Africa).
A pregnant woman is 4 times more likely to get malaria. In Africa 3,000 children die of this disease every day… A mosquito net protects the mother and her child against malaria, both during her pregnancy and after.
Check the Akua-Ba website for retailers (Shak-shuka ships internationally).
I gave birth to my son in a very posh London hospital and they foot-printed my baby, for security and identification purposes. This might be common in the US but it was definitely not common in London in 2005 and it is still unheard of in Italy in 2009. It is done with an ink-less wipe that will print on special paper, so you do not really stain the baby’s feet–and it’s safe.
I thought it was a great idea — that piece of paper with those sweet tiny feet on it was one of my most treasured possessions. After a couple of months I cut out the footprints and framed it in a very simple Ram frame from Ikea. I thought it was sweet, without being too cheesy.
So when my daughter’s birth was imminent I searched the web for an ink-less wipe that would allow me to footprint her too. They can be found, together with more sophisticated (sometimes over the top) kits on many websites (like this and this) but I bought just the wipes and the magic paper on ebay, saving some money and keeping the freedom of choosing the frame.
Giving birth is exhausting, physically and emotionally, and once the baby is born the mother is typically not that free or in the mood to go to a spa. A new business in the Minneapolis area, which is expanding in other cities, has decided to bring the mountain to Mohammed! Go Home Gorgeous will send a massage specialist to the hospital room to give the new mother the pampering she deserves. Apparently the massage therapists are also doulas so they’re quite trained in post-partum care. Their packages, not surprisingly, have proved to be excellent baby shower gifts.
A new business run by women to cater for women during an economic downturn — this is excellent news!
I have to admit that I am not the most modest breast-feeder. I normally don’t think twice about breastfeeding in public — it’s perfectly natural and normal, right? And I don’t think there’s anything to hide, or to be ashamed about. BUT… I’ll admit there are circumstances where a little modesty is necessary… moments where a Mamascarf comes in really handy!
Mamascarf is a breastfeeding scarf designed specifically for feeding in public. It allows you to breastfeed discretely while also providing a bit of extra support as it cradles your baby in place. My favorite part about it is that it’s actually a stylish scarf you might wear even if you weren’t breastfeeding. It’s simple, lightweight and easy to wear. Perfect for the summer weather!
Imagine arriving at a hospital in full labour and being greeted by nurses and doctors dressed in Hello Kitty gear, not to mention the rooms being completely decorated with Hello Kitty accessories. I think I would be so shocked that I would forget about the pain!
Whatever works to make birth a pleasurable experience for other people is fine by me. But I think there is a fair chance that I would feel like bopping a ‘Hello Kitty’-dressed doctor on the head while he was trying to give me an epidural.
I also would love to know if kids born in this hospital are going to have a secret Hello Kitty addiction…
To celebrate the arrival of Courtney’s new little bundle of joy we are giving away a fabulous maternity bag by the great French Company Eva and Oli!
I have written about Eva & Oli before — they make great clothes for kids and the maternity bag is great — big enough to stick everything you could ever need into it, easy access side pockets, and it turns into a laptop bag once you’re finished with nappies (trust me, the day will come). But what I really like about it is that it looks fab, it is funky and does not look out of place in a chic Parisian café, which is more than you can say for a lot of maternity bags!
Here’s your chance to win the bag! Just leave a comment below by Sunday, May 31st with your top tips for dealing with a newborn and the best tip will win!
I adore shopping for my kids—and now that I have two girls, I feel a little less guilty about buying for my older one, knowing that later on the baby might wear it again. But at some point, you have to start getting rid of stuff! I know my girls have things that they have only worn once before outgrowing it… which is why I plan to make a stop at Monkey’s Uncle with a bag full of stuff to consign! The cool owners, aka the “Uncles,” take gently used baby, kid’s, and maternity clothing for consignment in an effort to “reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink” what we already have. They have even outfitted the store in used fixtures, print receipts on recycled paper, and give a percentage of profits to charity, all while outfitting Capitol Hill’s tots in cute duds. Guilt-free shopping for my “monkeys,” at last!
Unfortunately for me, there was just no avoiding stretch marks. I inherited the gene from my mom, and despite all the lotions and potions I tried, I ended up with a tummy that looked like a road map after my first pregnancy. I think you’re either going to get them, or you’re not. But I do think there’s still something nice about rubbing oils on your pregnant belly. Whether it makes your skin less dry and itchy, or it just encourages you to take a few minutes out of your busy day to pamper yourself, pregnancy oils definitely serve a purpose.
My favorite one by far, both for the smell and for the consistency, is the Mama Mio Tummy Rub Oil. My friend Britta gave it to me, raving about the lovely smell, and I couldn’t agree more. The smell is divine, and the oil is perfectly balanced to make your tummy soft without leaving your hands all oily. I really, really recommend it!
If you live anywhere but Australia you might be thinking, “what is she talking about?!” But maternity clothes are SO expensive in Australia. I didn’t buy any maternity jeans while pregnant because I couldn’t justify forking out $200-plus. So I walked around in my regular hipster jeans with the top button undone, and I wore a long top.
Natalie in Sydney
March 8th, 2010
4 comments
Akua-Ba
