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THE FAMILY GROOVE is here to say that you don’t have to sacrifice style for the next nine-plus months
—and you don’t have to spend a fortune to stay stylish, either. Each month, we’ll give you the skinny
on the hippest bump styles à la mode straight from the maternity wear tastemakers of today.
Mur Anne Lawson, a veritable encyclopedia of all things maternity and nursing,
hence her aptly named online boutique MaternityandNursing.com, is back to
give you the goods on everything you need to take on your third and fourth
trimesters in style and ease.
LEADER OF THE PACK
You are now well into your third trimester, heading to the finish line, and reality is seeping in like never before: You are having a baby! Since packing your birth bag is a very good idea at 36 weeks, you should begin scooping up the necessities now. Here's what you'll need:
Quick TipWORTH THE WAIT
Purchase light-support sleep bras for your first week after the baby arrives. Don’t purchase daytime bras with hooking systems and band measurements (i.e., 34, 36, etc.) until seven to 10 days following delivery, as your rib cage will shrink one or two band sizes. Waiting will also allow any engorgement to pass and ensure that milk is fully in—saving you from throwing away money on bras that won't fit you within two weeks of delivery. Your first light-support bras will then become nighttime bras for comfort and for holding bra pads for leakage control.
SIZE DOES MATTER
Bra size is not a science; in fact, you will find many different charts on the subject. At Special Addition, we find the following system for measuring the most successful starting point.
1. Gather a pen, paper and a tape measure. If you don’t have a tape measure, use string or ribbon and a yardstick. Keep the tape level in front and back when measuring.
2. While wearing the bra that best fits, measure for the band/cup size by taking a loose measurement around the body across the fullest part of the breasts for cup size.
3. Then remove your bra and take a band measurement by taking a firm measurement under the arms, around the body. Be sure to keep the tape level i
n front and back.
4. Determine your approximate bra size by subtracting the second measurement from the first measurement. The difference in inches determines the cup size: 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, 4=D, 5=F, 6=G and so forth. And, yes,
there are H, I, J, K and L cup sizes available!
Visiting with a professional fitter in person, by phone or by e-mail will save you money and frustration. This method of measuring is only a starting point, as every bra fits a bit differently based upon stretch of different fabrics and shaping of different bra cups. An experienced, professional fitter knows the different bras offered in her store and if a bra runs especially small in the cup or the band.
NIGHT NURSE
Nursing sleepwear is another helpful item for those early days when mom and baby are learning how to breastfeed. Some sleepwear pulls to the side, has drop cups, offers lift-front access or has concealed side slit openings in the front. Mothers of multiples will find the latter three are a little more convenient for nursing two babies simultaneously. T
ws and nursing stools can make all the difference in successful Quick Tip
Secure a suitable lactation consultant to call on after the baby arrives. This means that
you'll have to do the research now. Great help is available in the hospital or from your midwife, but everything changes when the milk comes in, and knowing a consultant could save you time and frustration. Check out www.medela.com for
a list of breastfeeding specialists in your area.
YOU WEAR IT WELL
Mothers of all cultures have been wearing their babies for centuries. Slings re-create the womb environment to which your baby has been accustomed for nine months. There are many carriers on the market—the pouch sling, the wrap, the adjustable ring sling and the adjustable padded ring sling. All have their pros and cons. Soft fabric carriers allow for more versatility, can be worn longer, and offer easy breastfeeding access. They also don’t harness the baby in a parachute-style carrier that puts pressure between the baby’s legs. Be sure to get the correct size for you. Carriers that are too long or too short will not allow for easy baby wearing. You’ll find that the right size for you—not baby—is a perfect tool for calming a baby. It's also a must-have for keeping mom's hands free—which she'll definitely appreciate, especially if she's got a toddler running around. The versatility of the sling is also an important feature. Check out how many positions it allows, how much weight it can support, etc. 
WOMB WITH A VIEW
Newborns crave the womb experience: the close quarters, floating in the amniotic fluid and the 90-decibel sounds of the mother’s body. Swaddling with an effective swaddle re-creates those close quarters, and the swinging motion of a baby carrier as the parent moves about can have a very calming effect. Dr. Harvey Karp offers great advice in his books and DVDs, including his tried-and-true “Five S's” that he suggests using to calm fussy babies.
You can breastfeed conveniently and discreetly with fashionable clothing that has no hint of nursing access. Also, if you purchased during-and-after tops or dresses, there’s no need to rush out to buy a whole wardrobe right away. Some tops and dresses pull to the side, some have lift-up bodices, and some have drop cups,
like the Bravado Nursing Cami. Whatever you choose, you can 
always look chic and hip
in the current styles available. Of course, picking up a few fabulous breastfeeding wear
essentials does tend to make a new mom feel good. New baby, new life, (a few) new clothes! Why not?
You're all set now! All that's left is to wait for your beautiful bundle of joy to arrive. You've come to the end of that miraculous journey from pregnancy to motherhood. When baby is born and you gaze into those little eyes and feel that warm rush of love overtake you, you'll know the journey was worth every step.
Special Addition and MaternityandNursing.com offer personal shopping and e-mail or phone assistance. After 15 years of personally serving moms face to face, we have learned the kinds of things mothers need, and we have searched the market for products to fill those needs for both our retail store and our online store. We look forward to assisting you as you travel this special journey of pregnancy and motherhood!
For more bump-watch essentials, go to www.maternityandnursing.com.
What the heck does "Special Section" mean? Well, it means that these businesses paid a small (like, pretty darn small) fee to be included. THE FAMILY GROOVE strives to support mom and pop businesses by giving them a venue for their super cool sites, ideas and products—and, quite honestly, we strive to pay our bills, too. So we've taken seven articles a month (out of 25+) and made them fun and exciting ways to promote the next best thing, much like in the way a publicist would. We believe in the companies we feature. We research, vet, scrutinize, analyze and obsess over every single solitary company that is included in this section to bring you the grooviest of the groovy. We're all in this brave new world together, right? And so we've got to support each other in any and every way we can. We hope you dig our finds as much as we do.
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