Pregnancy & Maternity | Mommies With Style

Shop with Zulily

January 1, 2011 By nancy Leave a Comment

As a busy mom of 3 (including an infant), I do most of my shopping online. I’m always looking for a bargain and LOVE those members only daily deal sites — and one of my favorite ones is zulily.

If you don’t know what zulily is, it gives parents daily deals on unique and hot brands at up to 70% off retail prices. I’ve already bought a lot of things for my kids, myself and as gifts on the site.

So when I was invited to meet the staff at an event in NYC last month, I had to go! I spoke to President and CEO Darrell Cavens, who used to be an executive for Blue Nile. I was very impressed when he told me he wouldn’t put anything on zulily that he wouldn’t buy for his own family. He co-founded zulily to introduce parents to high quality boutique brands at significant discounts.
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Filed Under: Babies, Baby Bedding, Bath & Body, Clothes, Clothing, Diaper Bags & Totes, Feeding & Mealtime, Kids, Mommy Time, Play Time, Pregnancy & Maternity, Room Decor, Shoes, Toys, Women’s Fashion Tagged With: deal a day, moms, shopping, zulily

Mama Mio Bump It Up Pregnancy Style Kit

December 27, 2010 By nancy Leave a Comment

Image and video hosting by TinyPic One of our favorite pregnancy style experts, Amy Tara Koch, just teamed up with Mama Mio to create a pampering kit which includes her wildly popular book, Bump It Up. The Mama Mio Bump It Up Pregnancy Style Kit. The Kit retails for $60 (an $83 value) and includes:

Tummy Rub Butter (for award-winning stretch mark protection)

Boob Tube (because those great pregnancy boobs are temporary)

Bump It Up: TRANSFORMING YOUR PREGNANCY INTO THE ULTIMATE STYLE STATEMENT by Amy Tara Koch (Ballantine Books)

Expecting mamas will thank you as they slather on the wonderful products and curl up with Amy’s book.

Get it here (shipping is free right now).

Filed Under: Mommy Time, Pregnancy & Maternity Tagged With: Amy Tara Koch, pregnancy, Pregnancy & Maternity, pregnancy style

Getting My Fourth Trimester Glam On with Bellydance Maternity

December 1, 2010 By nancy 1 Comment

Image and video hosting by TinyPic At 3 months postpartum and nursing, I’m always on the lookout for clothes that will let me make me look good and are great for nursing. While I’m not really wearing maternity clothes, I’m still not back down weight-wise where I want to be …yet. I’m in that transition (fourth trimester phase). That’s where Bellydance Maternity comes in.

They were kind enough to send me some samples recently, while I was feeling very yucky. And I loved what they sent! Their NOM Plus Bree Beaded Dress($69) is a short sleeved dress with a crossover v neckline with a beaded detail on the tie. I loved the way the dress fit in everywhere but the bust, it was a tad too lose. So I put a Glamourmom tank underneath and problem solved! The dress looked incredible. This is now my go-to dress (even wore it on Thanksgiving) and I feel great in it.
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The Noppies Plus Lely Long Sleeve Top ($69) is also perfect for nursing. The crossover long sleeved shirt is stylish and comfortable. Available in blue and black, I like to pair it with black pants for a more dressed up look or jeans for a more casual look.

My date night pick is the Cotton Glam Plus Kimono Babydoll ($64). This top (all cotton) has a ruched shoulder. It looks cute with leggings and can also be dressed own for daytime activities. While it’s not for nursing (no openings), it’s perfect for maternity or transition wear.

Thank you to Bellydance Maternity for sending me samples for review purposes. All opinions expressed are uniquely my own.

Filed Under: Mommy Time, Pregnancy & Maternity, Women’s Fashion

Utterly Yours Pregnancy Pillow: Making Pregnant Women Comfortable!

November 20, 2010 By afterthealter Leave a Comment

Being pregnant leaves your body aching in places you never thought you’d ache in, and although people tell you to sleep as much as possible you are left tossing and turning each night all because you are uncomfortable. If you’ve seen most of the body pillows out there you’ll know that they take up most of the bed, and sometimes that just doesn’t work. That’s when I saw the Utterly Yours Pregnancy Pillow , and it’s compact structure, and thought it looked extremely convenient!

The Utterly Your Pregnancy Pillow ($44.95) alleviates two major issues pregnant women face – severe lower back pain and lack of sleep. The pillow delivers optimal prenatal sleep positioning by simultaneously supporting the lower back and pregnant abdomen. The two places that ache the most when you are trying to sleep! When opened, it forms two triangles. Memory foam on one half of the pillow conforms to the mother’s belly. The other half of the pillow is made of higher density foam to support the back while keeping the body positioned to one side comfortably. One of the best parts is that this little pillow can do all of that, but still be compact. It’s even great for travel!

The Utterly Yours pregnancy pillow also has some really great patterns…6 to be exact! The pregnancy pillow retails for $44.95 and you can purchase them off their website.

I was thinking this little pillow could be good to bring the the hospital when I go into labor. Maybe it will help me stay comfortable while waiting for our little one to arrive! Anything to make me more comfortable will be good right?

Filed Under: Pregnancy & Maternity Tagged With: Pregnancy & Maternity, pregnancy pillow

Big City Moms’ Biggest Baby Shower

November 16, 2010 By nancy Leave a Comment

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Big City Moms recently partnered with TheBump.com, to throw their Biggest Baby Shower on November 2nd in NYC. Over 400 expecting attendees had access to new products, gear, fashion and must-haves for babies, children and parenting. Â Over 80 featured brands were there, including Delta Juvenile Products, Bugaboo, Duane Reade, BornFree, Skip*Hop and more.

The event also showcased a Dream Nursery exhibition, a Spa corner, and seminars led by Carley Roney, editor-in-chief of TheBump.com on surviving NYC mommyhood, and Dr. Alan Greene, author of Feeding Baby Green, as well as from Cord Blood Registry. A percentage of sales was donated KIDS, and Healthy Child, Healthy World, and the Max Cure Foundation.

Standouts included Lansinoh’s electric Affinity Breast Pump (the milk NEVER will back up into the tubing), Britax ‘s Image and video hosting by TinyPic fabulous B Ready Stroller (that can take a second seat) and Next Generation Convertible Car Seats, phil and teds’ Nest Baby Bed, Delta Juvenile’s Products’ new eco friendly storage line, Belabumbum Maternity’s delicious maternity and nursing pajamas, and Glamourmom’s gorgeous nursing and maternity tanks.

Magnificent Baby showed off their fabulous magnetic baby clothes, we’re huge fans of their new Whales pattern, which comes in boy, girl and unisex versions. We loved iCandy’s Peach Blossom Stroller — You can have two seats and it folds up so compactly – take off the seats and you can even swing the chassis over your shoulder Companies also represented were UppaBaby, Dapple Baby, Plum Organics, BabyJogger, Think King, Simplesse, Buy Buy Baby, Babies R Us and many more.

Click here to see more photos from the event.

Writer received complimentary admission and a media gift bag. Photos supplied by Big City Moms and Magnificent Baby.

Filed Under: Babies, Baby Bedding, Breastfeeding, Diapering, Feeding Baby, Mommy Time, Nursery, Pregnancy & Maternity

Feeling Pretty in an Isabella Oliver Maternity Dress

November 13, 2010 By afterthealter Leave a Comment

As I am sure you can imagine, it’s pretty hard to feel pretty and get dressed up when you are just about 9 months pregnant. Other than feeling huge, my wardrobe is rather limited, and my options are very scarce. So I was extremely happy that I had this Isabella Oliver wrap dress to wear to dinner to celebrate my my husbands birthday. It felt really nice to get out of my sweatpants and into this dress…even if it did require wearing panty hose!

I was extremely impressed with the Isabella Oliver maternity line. The clothes are extremely chic, and wearable. Certainly not your usual line of maternity of clothes. The only downside may be the price tag on some of the items, but if that doesn’t scare you, then this company gives you a lot of beautiful options.

The wrap dress I wore was black and retails for $159. (I wish I could’ve worn some sexy boots with it like in the picture, but my fat feet would hear NONE of it!) The good thing about this particular dress is that it has a great stretchy material and could be worn throughout different stages of your pregnancy. It also can be transformed for many different occasions. You can dress it up, or down, and I think every pregnant woman needs at least one dress that can do that! As a matter of fact I think I will be able to wear this dress even post pregnancy.

I don’t normally think twice about packaging, but the dress arrived in a great box, and nicely wrapped. You just felt like you were getting a quality product just by looking at the packaging.I guess there is something to say about first impressions when ordering things online.

Here is some of my Isabella Oliver wish list..

I love the nursing tops! They are great for before and after baby!

As you can tell I was a big fan of the wrap dress, and a big fan of the site. I give Isabella Oliver two thumbs up!

Isabella Oliver provided me with a wrap dress for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Pregnancy & Maternity, Women’s Fashion Tagged With: Pregnancy & Maternity, women's fashion

35 Weeks: Looking Stylish at the Hospital in a dearjohnnies Hospital Gown

November 12, 2010 By afterthealter Leave a Comment

The time has come for me to really start getting serious about packing my hospital bag. Although I doubt I will go early, technically this baby could decide to come at any time. So I might as well be prepared right? I started to think about what to wear at the hospital and at first I only thought about pajamas (I decided to go with this Japanese Weekend set which I reviewed on my personal blog), but after more thought I decided it would be fun to bring in my own hospital gown! That’s when I came across dearjohnnies hospital gowns.

dearjohnnies hospital gowns allow you a stylish yet practical option while you are in the hospital. They can be worn during labor, surgery or outpatient treatment, as well as the days following your recovery and at home during the weeks to follow. Not only will the doctors be pleased with the gown, so will you. Wouldn’t it be nice to take the first pictures with your baby in your own pretty gown of your choosing?

There are three collections of dearjohnnies gowns. The first is the Wellesley Collection . The gown I will be wearing is the Lucy ($68 pictured above). As a matter of fact this particular gown was worn by Bethenny in the BRAVO show “Bethenny Getting married”. This collection is preppy and traditional. Next, there is the Gramercy Collection which has fashion- forward prints. and finally, there is the Hanalei Collection which has more whimsical, bright prints. No matter which collection you go with all gowns are made of 100% cotton, and trimmed with grosgrain ribbon. You can even have them monogrammed.

dearjohnnies also make a great shower gift. You can buy a delivery set ($152) which includes a gown and robe for mom, as well as a swaddle blanket for baby! Even if the mom to be doesn’t think to buy something like this for herself, who wouldn’t love a gift like this? Definitely a memorable keepsake.

Celebrities also love the dearjohnnies gowns. The most recent celebrity to get one is Nina Garcia from “Project Runway”. She has the “lola” gown with matching robe and had it monogrammed with an N on it. She is expecting her second boy in December. Some other celebrity fans? Angela Bassett, Tori Spelling and Samantha Harris are just a few.

I am excited to wear my gown at the hospital. My plan is to put it on right after delivery so that I don’t make a total mess of it during labor. I’d rather be able to wear it when people are coming in to see me and the baby. The gown fits great, is comfortable, and even has easy access for breastfeeding. All necessary qualities of a hospital gown.

If you order a “Lucy” gown dearjohnnies will donate 10% of the proceeds to breast cancer research. So not only are you getting a great product, you also are helping out an amazing cause.

I was provided with a dearjohnnies gown for the purposes of this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Pregnancy & Maternity Tagged With: Pregnancy & Maternity

34 Weeks: Organizing with the PishPosh Carryall

November 9, 2010 By afterthealter 1 Comment

I have a sinking suspicion that staying organized is difficult when you are a mom. There is just to much to think about and prepare for. But while organizing all your babies things, a mom should not also have to give up her style. That’s where the Pishposh Carryall comes in! Pishposh provides organizational purse inserts, so that you can use your purse as your diaper bag! Neat!

Co Creators Jenny Hong and Kopal Goonetileke created the caryall out of necessity to add organization when scrambling to gather their kids to get out the door. They felt like they were always forgetting something because there wasn’t a place for it. At the same time, they still wanted to use their designer handbags rather than a bulky diaper bag. So instead of throwing everything into a ziplock, they came up with a solution that would compartmentalize all their needs…the PishPosh Carryall ($44.99).

Along with the carryall I tried the Diaper clutch with pad ($24.99). This is designed for those quick outings when all you need are some diapers and wipes. The clutch holds a changing pad, diapers and wipes case. The carryall may be a little big to fin in some purses, but the clutch definitely will. I also think the clutch could be used along with your diaper bag to hold some of your “mom” essentials.

With a baby on the way I am trying to start to get organized as early as possible. Better safe than sorry right? Whether you use these bags in your current purse, on it’s own or as a emergency bag that goes in your car, I think they definitely offer you an organizational solution.

The bags come in great patterns, whose names represent the founders inspiration…San Fransisco. The pattern shown above is the one that I tried and is called Noe Blooms. You can get the PishPosh Swanky Set: which includes the Carryall and the clutch for $64.99. All definitely very fashionable and functional options!

For the purposes of this review I was provided with the Carryall as well as the clutch. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Diaper Bags & Totes, Pregnancy & Maternity Tagged With: Diaper Bag, Pregnancy & Maternity

PregnancyPool.com: Guess Your Baby’s Birthdate!

November 2, 2010 By afterthealter 1 Comment

When a good friend of ours was pregnant, my husband decided to search for a great site so that we could start up a baby pool for her. We thought it would be fun for our group of friends to guess when she would actually deliver her baby. During the search he found that there really weren’t any sites that he really liked, and therefore began his quest to make his own. From that Pregnancy Pool began. So what exactly is it? AÂ Pregnancy Pool is a FREE and fun way for family and friends to get involved in guessing when your little one will arrive. We all know a baby comes when he/she is ready…but why not have a little fun in the mean time?

One of the greatest parts about the site is that it’s totally free. All you do is create an account on the homepage, then send the link for your pool to all your family and friends. They then come to the site and make their guess. You can have them guess the date, gender and weight. They can even leave comments and well wishes!

For our friend we used the weight as a tie breaker if two people guessed the same date. It’s fun to see what people think. I’m always amazed at the weights people come up with!

How to sell it to the dads? Tell them it’s like gambling! Men love to bet on anything don’t they? I know my husband certainly does. Best of all it allows other people to get involved in this big and important time in your life.

I can’t wait to set up my pool. Since we already know we are having a boy, the weight will have to be our tie breaker. I am extremely curious what people are going to have to say. Let’s hope they don’t think I’m having a big baby because I’m terrified of that! Let’s keep him small people!

Filed Under: Pregnancy & Maternity

Bellybuds: Music To Your Baby’s Ears

October 26, 2010 By afterthealter Leave a Comment

I have had many people tell me about the importance of stimulating my baby even while he is in the womb. They say read to him, play music…anything that can help with prenatal bonding. Although I am not sure I totally believe it, some articles even say playing music to your child in the womb could raise their IQ! Who am I to deny my child this opportunity?? So when I got the chance to give Belly Buds a try, I was ready to give the product my full attention.

Bellybuds are a safe and convenient option for sharing music, voices and/or sounds with your baby-to- be. The set comes with 1 set of Bellybuds belly phones that attach to your belly using reusable and skin safe hydrogel adhesive rings. The cord can then attach to any musical device such as an MP3 player, but I chose to plug it into my computer so I could use them while I was working. I chose to play classical music since I heard that is very peaceful for the baby, but just for fun I did play him some Michael Jackson to see if he’d get into the groove… and I think he liked it!

The newest feature for Bellybuds is their Voice Share recording. The feature is currently being Beta tested, but you can still use it. Voice Share allows Parents-to be, friends and relatives to share loving messages with baby. It’s great because you can even send e mails to loved ones asking them to record messages that can then be downloaded to your musical player. It’s always nice to give Grandma and Grandpa the opportunity to say hi to baby too!

The Bellybuds Deluxe Package ($49.99) comes with..

1 set of Bellybuds bellyphones
2 sets of medical grade, reusable and skin safe hydrogel adhesive rings
1 set of Bellybuds buddons that dampen the external sound, allowing you to wear your bellyphones anywhere anytime
1 neoprene storage pouch with clip
2 bellyphones docks (to keep rings clean between uses)
1 audio splitter that allows you to hear the same audio as your baby

I have enjoyed using Bellybuds and I think it would be a great gift to any expectant mother. Any product that helps me bond with my child even before he is here gets thumbs up from me!

Bellybuds provided me with a set of Bellyphones for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Pregnancy & Maternity Tagged With: belly buds, pregnancy, Pregnancy & Maternity

Motherhood Maternity/A Pea In A Pod Spring Preview

October 21, 2010 By afterthealter Leave a Comment

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a Motherhood Maternity/Pea In A Pod 2011 Spring Preview event. Since I am currently on the look out for great maternity clothes that make my belly look less big, I was really excited to see what these brands had to offer. I have never been shy in saying that I am not always happy with the maternity clothes out there, but I can honestly admit that the new line for both of these lines are AMAZING! I think that they offer great clothes at all different price points. Even the Motherhood line, which I normally am not always pleased with, had tons of great new things to show. I honestly could’ve bought every piece that they showed me. Luckily for my husband there were only samples and I couldn’t.

Spring 2011 Motherhood Maternity Collection

The theme of the Spring Motherhood line is mixing girly with menswear, destructed with refined, and vintage with modern. Here are some of my favorites!

I was amazed when I saw that they were showing sequins for pregnant women, but when I thought more about it I thought…why not?? Pregnant women deserve to wear seasonal trends right? That’s why I loved this outfit.

A Camo print sequin tunic tank ($29.98) with an army green skinny cargo pant (39.98).

A red cascade cardigan sweater ($34.98) over blue multi-print charmeuse tunic top (29.98), with medium wash skinny jeans ($29.98). This outfit is perfect for spring and all the pieces could even be worn into the summer!

This dress just screams baby shower to me! It’s a blue watercolor one shoulder dress ($34.98)

I found all of the material on all of these outfits to be of great quality, and I loved the prices even more. If other women are like me, they don’t want to be spending a fortune on maternity clothes.

Spring 2011 A Pea in the Pod Collection

The collection this Spring is all about romantic, ethereal designs. Embracing the boudoir, the collection offers washed silk tops and dreamy knits in cosmetic pink, dusty lilac and heather oatmeal and grey. Here are a few of my favorites!

I am very pro “embracing the bump” and this snake skin print drape neck dress ($89) does just that.

This outfit is just me! Oatmeal linen tank with chiffon ruffles ($69). Oatmeal linen cascade cardigan ($79). Rolled cuff camo short ($59). Last summer I was looking for shorter shorts, when all I could find were longer ones. I have little legs so I thought if I was going to have a round belly at least I could show off my legs. These would’ve been the perfect shorts for me!

The Motherhood Maternity items will be available at www.motherhood.com, the A Pea in the Pod items will be available at www.apeainthepod.com, and everything will be available at www.destinationmaternity.com. I was told they will be available come January, so get ready!

Filed Under: Pregnancy & Maternity Tagged With: maternity clothes, Pregnancy & Maternity, women's fashion

Love My Belly Maternity Brands, plus 30% off & Free Shipping Coupon Code

October 7, 2010 By afterthealter 2 Comments

When it comes to maternity clothes I am not always impressed. Sometimes I feel that I have to sacrifice comfort in order to not pay a fortune. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I tried Love My Belly Maternity Brands. The clothes were soft and comfortable, and I have a feeling that I will be lounging in the outfit they sent me for the next 2 months, not to mention afterward.

One thing I found extremely interesting about the Layered Long Sleeve Tee that I tried is that it is one of a kind. The tag states:

This piece has undergone a vintage printing process that makes it one of it’s kind. Every piece has a distinctive look because it is individually printed and the markings that may occur in the process is what makes each piece very unique. No two shirts will be identical.

I find that to be extremely interesting and fun! So many clothes these days are mass produced, it’s nice to get the individual feel. The shirt was nice and long (no pregnant woman wants a belly shirt), and also was soft and stretchy. Stretchy is key, because you want the clothes to grow with you. I know I certainly will be needing stretchy clothes in the coming months. They say one inch a week right?

The support pant looked huge when I first took them out, but once I put them on I found they fit great! They were so soft and cozy. Definitely a great lounge pant. Together, the shirt and pants make one great outfit, but I also think each piece can work on it’s own. That’s great because when it comes to maternity clothes you need versatility.

Love My Belly is also offering you, our readers some great deals! You can choose either 30% off their new styles, or free shipping with a purchase of $49 or or more. How great is that?

You can use mws30new as the code for 30% off and freeship49 for the free shipping. Only one code per order can be used.

Love My Belly provided me with products in order for me to do this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Pregnancy & Maternity Tagged With: Love my belly, Love my belly maternity brands, maternity clothes

Motherlove Herbal Company: Preventing Pregnancy Stretch Marks Plus a Giveaway!

September 27, 2010 By afterthealter 2 Comments

Being 29 weeks pregnant, my belly is certainly growing at a very steady rate. Since the beginning I have been trying to preemptively keep stretch marks away by slathering my stomach, sides, back, and breasts with lotion.Â So far so good, but as we enter the home stretch I have a feeling that my belly has a lot more stretching to do. That’s why I was excited to try Motherlove Herbal Company’s Pregnant Belly Salve. A certified organic oil based salve that keeps skin soft and elastic.

The Belly Salve is made up of apricot oil, beeswax, shea butter, marshmallow root, rose hips, lavender, chamomile, calendula, and lavender essential oil. I am sure you can imagine how soothing it smells just based on those ingredients alone. It is a thick, waxy type lotion, which allows you to feel like you are putting something significant onto your skin. Not like some of those light lotions that seem to disappear immediately. It’s a perfect lotion for after my evening shower.

Motherlove also supplied me with their Rhoid Balm which I am sure is also an amazing product, but so far I have been lucky enough not to suffer from hemorrhoids. I didn’t want to jinx myself by using a pregnancy product to sooth an ailment I didn’t have (yet!).

Since I plan to breastfeed, Motherlove gave me the More Milk Plus Capsules that Nancy reviewed earlier this month. I can’t ‘wait to give those a try once the little guy is here!

Motherlove is a great company that caters to both mother and baby. It also helps the expectant mother which sometimes seems to be a group that many companies forget. Anything that can help me during my pregnancy sounds good in my book!

Now for some fun! Motherlove also will be providing one lucky winner with their choice of one of these three products! Just leave a comment here letting me know which one you would like and why!

On top of that, they are offering an online coupon code for 20% off any of the three Sitz Bath Products through the end of October! Just use the code birth2010!

Motherlove Herbal Company supplied me with these products for the purposes of the review. As always, the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Babies, Breastfeeding, Pregnancy & Maternity

Motherlove Herbal – Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Products

September 13, 2010 By nancy Leave a Comment

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Motherlove Herbal is ideal for anyone who’s pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, as well as babies. This company uses certified organic ingredients that are certified cruelty free and without preservatives, artificial fragrances and petroleum-based additives (such as mineral oil). All of their products are safe for baby’s skin. As a mama who’s now 4 weeks postpartum, I have been testing out their More Milk Plus capsules and their nipple cream.

While I was familiar with their products, I had a very positive experience testing out their More Milk Plus capsules ($23.95) — which contains their more milk plus alcohol free liquid concentrate in vegetarian capsules. This herbal formula is designed to quickly increase breast milk production (don’t use if pregnant). It contains fenugreek seed, blessed thistle, nettle, fennel seed, non-GMO soy lecithin, modified vegetable cellulose, and coconut oil. All of the herbs are Certified Organic. The capsules does not contain any milk, dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or gluten.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Next, I tested out their Nipple Cream ($9.95).Â This soothing salve does not contain lanolin or vitamin E and really relieves sore, cracked nipples. The ingredients are extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, shea butter, marshmallow root, and calendula.Â All the ingredients are safe for baby and it doesn’t need to washed off before nursing.

Also notable is their Diaper Rash and Thrush Cream ($9.95), which is an all-natural salve for diaper rash. Contains extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, oregon grape root, myrrh, yarrow and calendula.

Thank you to Motherlove Herbal for providing product samples for review purposes.

Filed Under: Babies, Bath & Body, Bath & Body, Breastfeeding, Diapering, Mommy Time, Pregnancy & Maternity Tagged With: Breastfeeding

Belly Pooch Beware: The Belly Bandit Is In Town!

August 18, 2010 By kate 2 Comments

Pregnancy never fails to remind me what an amazing thing the female body is – it stretches and grows, produces life and food, and then can return back to its original size and shape.

That was a joke.

True, there are some people who seem to melt back into their pre-pregnancy bodies, but for most women it takes a specialized concoction of exercise, diet, Spanx, padded bras, and will power. And even with those, it still usually requires a healthy dose of self-acceptance at your post-baby shape and size. As amazing as pregnancy is, it can do a number on your body.

With each pregnancy, my diastasis has gotten worse, and so with the arrival of my third child a few weeks ago, I was eager to try out any possible gizmo or gadget to help my midsection return to some semblance of a stomach.

Meet the Belly Bandit.

What is the Belly Bandit? According to their website, the Belly Bandit is “an abdominal compression binder designed to help you get your body back to its former fabulousness post childbirth.” It claims to help reduce uterine swelling and bloating, provide back support, and possibly even decrease stretch marks. Plus with Kourtney Kardashian as the spokesperson and lots of satisfied customers, it’s hard not to wonder if this wrap actually works.

You use it by wrapping it around your midsection, attaching the Velcro and going about your daily life. The website recommends wearing the Belly Bandit for 6-8 weeks, day and night.

Initially I was skeptical. All I was really looking for the Belly Bandit to do was to smooth out my midsection (even if just temporarily) and make me feel better wearing my normal clothes. But after wearing the Belly Bandit (they sent me the cute Couture version in the picture above to try out) every day for the last 2 weeks, I have to say that I’m already pretty impressed.

Here’s me two days after delivery and after wearing the Belly Bandit for just 7 days.

The compression has definitely made my midsection start to shrink quicker than my past two pregnancies without the Belly Bandit, and the back support during breastfeeding and general day-to-day activities has made my posture better and my back less sore. Plus, I haven’t been as self-conscious about that especially-loose belly bulge these last few weeks.

I wish I could say it decreased stretch marks, but well…two out of three claims isn’t bad.

The Belly Bandit is available in Original, Couture, Bamboo and Limited Edition Kourtney Kardashian print and range from $45 to $65. Plus check out their Bosom Bandit and their Mother Tucker tank top.

FREE SHIPPING FOR MWS READERS! Order anything off www.bellybandit.com for the next 48 hours and receive FREE SHIPPING on your purchase! Use the code “MWSFS” during checkout. (Good on ground freight only – no expedited freight). Code effective from 9 AM, Wednesday, August 18 to 5 PM, Friday, August 20th.

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Filed Under: Pregnancy & Maternity, Women’s Fashion Tagged With: Belly Bandit, post-pregnancy

38 Weeks Pregnant: Basq NYC Skin Care is Heavenly

August 12, 2010 By nancy 1 Comment

At 38 weeks and a few days, I’m at the “I wish this baby would come already” phase of my pregnancy. Some great products I’ve been testing from basq Skin Care have really perked up my spirits (and my skin). basq’s Energizing Body lotion ($22), which contains a blend of green tea, aloe vera, lavender, eucalyptus and cucumber has brought some sweet relief to my poor, swollen ankles. It feels utterly delicious and I like that it absorbs quickly. It’s definitely a pregnancy must-have!

I haven’t been sleeping very much, so my eyes have been puffy — I’ve been applying basq’s Cucumber Tea Eye Gel ($22) to take care of that. Cucumber is a natural coolant that fights swelling and puffiness. The company recommends keeping it in the fridge for an even more intense, cooling pop.

One thing that I’ve been applying nightly to my huge, pregnant belly is basq’s Advanced Stretch Mark Butter Intensive treatment ($34). This intense treatment is terrific for recent stretch marks throughout pregnancy, especially the ones I’ve been getting during my second and third trimesters.It contains Essential Oils (for scar prevention), rich butters like Shea and Jojoba butters (to provide rich, creamy nourishment) and Borage, Rosehip and Grapeseed Oil to hydrate the skin to “strengthen the essential fatty acids deep within the dermis layer”. It’s amazing!!

All basq products are rigorously tested for ZERO skin allergy and irritancy and is paraben, phthalate and animal-testing Free.

Exclusive for MWS Readers: Use code: MommiesWithStyle for 20% off. Shop basq,

Thank you to basq NYC for sending samples for review purposes.

Filed Under: Bath & Body, Make-up & Beauty Products, Mommy Time, Pregnancy & Maternity