EDITOR’S PICKS

2 Chix T-Shirts

If you haven’t realized it yet, once you get pregnant, comfort becomes so unbelievably important, you can’t really remember a time when fashion came first. Let’s face it, hormones raging, swollen feet, nausea up the wazoo—what’s a girl to do but wrap herself in comfort? 2 Chix T-shirts are so deliciously stretchy, it almost feels like you’re not wearing anything—which, truth be told, we probably wouldn’t mind except that other people might think we’re weird. With sayings like “Waistlines are Overrated,” “Does This Baby Make My Butt Look Big?” and “With Bump, Not Plump,” preggers everywhere can add a little humor into their ever-expanding waistlines. Love these! Check out even more great tees at www.2chix.com.

Patemm Changing Pads

How many of you have found yourselves in this situation? You’re at a restaurant with your little one when suddenly you smell an all-too-familiar scent. You excuse yourself from the table and trek quickly to find the restroom, praying along the way that there is a changing table. Oh, goodie—there is one! You fumble through your diaper bag for the changing pad that came with the set. When you finally find it, lay it down, and lay Baby down, Baby stretches far beyond the meager pad. You cringe as you rest his or her head on the cruddy table. Oh, the germs!

For public restrooms and far beyond, we’ve discovered Patemm changing pads. For new moms and not-so-new moms, these changing pads are a must—these pads are such great gifts, I want to shout it from the rooftops! The round shape is so big when laid out that you don’t need to worry about which direction to lay down your little squirmer—just plop, change and go. With several inside pockets for diapers, wipes, an ensemble change, makeup(!) and what have you, it folds so compactly, it’s an on-the-go mom’s dream. With a variety of modern and patterned styles, it’s a chic idea for easy toting. Leave it to moms to invent such great pads! Check out their site to see the different styles: www.patemm.com.

Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy and The SleepEasy Solution

Among the zillions of great books out there for moms-to-be and moms-that-are, my two faves are the Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine and The SleepEasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep—from Birth to Age 5 by Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack, co-founders of Sleepy Planet.

The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy is an honest, no-holds-barred description of what it’s really like to be pregnant, what will happen at doctor’s visits, what to take to the hospital and what you can expect during the postpartum days, along with a host of other relevant topics. Moms-to-be will no doubt find support and comfort in this hilarious book. Vicki Iovine includes anecdotes from her own girlfriends to describe the spectrum of symptoms preggers face on the road to baby—some are funny, some sad and some profoundly gross, but all are sure to make you feel like you are so completely and totally NOT alone! Check out this and other books in the Girlfriends’ series at www.girlfriendsguide.com.

The SleepEasy Solution is a confused, exhausted, delirious parents’ handbook for how to deal with so many of the issues we face raising well-rested kids. Waldburger and Spivack’s insight just simply makes sense. They hold your hand as you wade through sleep challenges by offering their sympathy and supportive words. They even provide sample schedules to maximize sleep opportunities, clue parents in to sleep cues and answer many of the questions you’re no doubt thinking along the way. Check out their website for more information on sleep issues at www.sleepyplanet.com.

Trumpette Socks

Trumpette socks are my new favorite gift for newborns. You’ll do a double take when you see tiny feet decked in these little socks—they look just like mini shoes! The best part is that they will probably stay clean most of the day. You will have so much fun dressing up your little lady in her Mary Janes or ballerina lace-ups. For the little men in your life, try their cowboy boot or camouflage socks to add a little flair to an otherwise basic outfit. These little socks are super cute for parties or just a day out on the town with Mommy. Trumpette socks get a big thumbs-up from TFG! Check out their collection at www.trumpette.com.