Baby Mama Wear

The world of maternity clothes is a scary world to be thrown into. You spend the first months feeling smug that you still fit into your pre pregnant skinnies, the next couple months laughing at how you only have to add a rubber band to extend your waist band, and the final months desperately trying to find clothes with the right amount of elastic to hold everything in and up without looking like you're wearing a trash bag.

I hated the idea of spending a ton of money on clothes I would only wear for a few months but didn't want to fall down the slippery slope of yoga pants and over sized t-shirts. I searched the internet for my mama wardrobe and mostly found 1. they all looked like soccer mom wear from 1996 or 2. they were really really expensive. I lusted after the gorgeous line at Hatch but I just wasn't ready to pay that much on temporary clothing.

I did buy the occasional basic piece from Target, but didn't have much luck. Although their cotton tees are nice, I've found their nursing bras and tank tops to be really uncomfortable and the elastic/wire is always in just the wrong place.

After a lot of research- by research I mean dragging my coworkers around on our lunch break to stores with a maternity section and reading blogs- here's my top 3 picks for your mama wardrobe.

 

TOPSHOP. I love Topshop for normal shopping and couldn't believe they had a maternity section. I purchased my absolute FAVORITE nursing bras from there (see picture). I refused to buy bras that looked like they belong to your grandmother (assuming you don't have a super hot grandma) and these are lovely. They are feminine and still functional and most importantly, very very comfortable. Topshop is also great for trendy pieces for reasonable prices. I'm still wearing most of the maternity clothes I bought there, post pregnancy because I love them so much.

H&M. While they don't offer anything cutting edge or even really trendy, it's a great place for basics AND jeans. I had a tough time finding jeans that fit me right- Topshop jeans just didn't cut it- but I wore the same pair from H&M from month 3 to month 9 (and post preggo too). The best part about this place is it's really inexpensive but the quality (at least for the jeans) is good.

ASOS.  ASOS has always been hit and miss because a good 80% of their stuff is just a little too trendy (ok fine, too YOUNG) for me BUT they have a fantastic maternity section. I was on their website at least once a week as they are constantly adding new stuff. The price range varies and sometimes the quality isn't amazing- but you won't need the clothes for too terribly long anyway. If you have any qualms about ordering online, they have a pretty solid return policy, you just have to deal with the hassle of sending it back. Their skinny jeans are pretty great and they have a huge selection of nice dresses for all those baby showers you'll be having.

In addition to these I've heard from friends that Old Navy and Gap have a pretty good selection too, I just never tried it out and instead just bought bigger sizes, which worked fine for me.

Do you have any fav shops to share with mamas to be?

H xx

Leo's Newborn Session

One of the things I have been looking forward to since Leo was born was his newborn session. I already knew exactly who I wanted to shoot them and what I hoped they would look like and I almost always get what I want. She nailed it.

We asked Karlin to be our photographer after she blew us away for our wedding. After scouring the internet for ideas I saw a newborn session that was done in natural lighting with no props (except the baby) and it was beautiful. I wanted photographs to remember him exactly how he was, without any silly hats or costumes. (That's not a judgment, just a personal choice)

For those of you who don't know Karlin, she's lovely. My son clearly has a thing for red heads because he never stopped looking at her, which you can see in the photos (with the exception of a quick nap that couldn't be helped). She did such a great job and we are really really really really happy with her work. Again. We really can't thank her enough.

Here are a few of my favorites:

You can find more of Karlins work here.


H x

Lotions and Potions:Part 2-Stretch Marks

I may have mentioned once or twice before that I packed on a few pounds during the last few months of my pregnancy. I know, I know, 'you were pregnant, you're allowed to gain some weight'. Of course you are, but I may have abused that excuse as I stuffed just about everything made of chocolate, pizza, bread or sugar into my mouth. My appetite, which would have made a sumo wrestler a little nauseous, combined with the fact that I wasn't walking everywhere like I had in London, made for a pudgy Heather (and I'm one of those lucky ladies that gains most of her weight in her face so I looked a bit like a pregnant chipmunk).

It's ok though, a very important lesson has been learned for next time, if there is a next time. Unfortunately, the lesson has some lasting effects that I am now working very hard to diminish.

While I've tried really really hard to jump on that empowered mama bandwagon, the one that has the women wearing their stretch marks with pride, I just can't. Of course, I would take a million of them all over again because the outcome was my bouncing baby boy, but I hate them and I want them to go away, damn it. Also, if it could happen before bathing suit season that would be great, thanks.

So here's what I've been using so far and it's really been helping.

One. Bio Oil (between $15-$25, £12-£20). I purchased Bio Oil for the first time years ago for some other scars but never really had the discipline to apply it as often as I should so I didn't get results. This time I've put it on every single day and have seen a difference. It doesn't work overnight and I'm now 3 months postpartum and still only seeing minor changes but that's ok. Even though it's an oil it rubs in really nicely and doesn't leave you feeling greasy. It also doesn't have a really noticeable smell.

Two. Palmer's Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks. ($6, £4.50). Like I said, Palmer's Cocoa Butter is an old favorite but this version is specifically made for stretch marks. I've read A LOT of information on what works best for marks and this always seems to come up. I put this on after every shower. It smells just like regular cocoa butter, which isn't overpowering, and while it's a thicker cream it rubs in pretty well.

Every woman is different and everyone's bodies react differently to products but from what I've read, both of these are working for a lot of people. They won't ever go away completely but they are starting to fade considerably. I have also been going to the tanning bed, which I obviously can't recommend, (I'm using it for another skin issue..) and the sun seems to help them at least blend in to the rest of my skin. Also, losing weight seems to be helping them too, which I guess makes sense...

If you have a magic remedy please let us know! Or bottle it up and sell it, I'll totally buy some!

H xx