Due Maternity Blog | Designer Maternity Clothes Blog

When I was expecting my daughter, I was overwhelmed with all there was to buy for a baby. My husband and I could afford it at the time but did I seriously want to spend thousands of dollars on one baby? What was really necessary and what was not?

I had one lady tell me that all my daughter needed to grow and develop properly was a book, a ball, and a body. This generally held true but we sure did buy more than a book and a ball for her. We did not buy a lot of extra things but we still had them. We shopped frugally and looked for the best. While we spent more money on the items that we did buy her, we bought quality items. We knew that buying a high quality crib not only would it last through most of our children but it would also be something we were pleased with longer. We did the same with our stroller and our car seat.

A baby carrier is another item that I recommend going with high quality. I have used one every single day with my 10 week old son and it has been the most practical thing that I could have invested in. I am a huge fan of slings because of the many ways that you can wear your baby. You can also nurse while grocery shopping and still have both hands to keep going. When buying a sling, look for high quality and the right size. Make sure you also pick a color that you wouldn’t mind wearing every day. I personally purchased a blue Hotslings sling when I had my daughter and have continued to use with my son.

As a mom, do not be overwhelmed with all the baby purchases out there. Ask other moms and read forums and blogs to find out the things that other moms love the most. You will save money and get the best items for your baby (and money) this way.

About the Author: Rachael Coe “This began as a very small site dedicated to share the money saving tips that I had discovered in purchasing items for my family. I had the desire to share this with all of those that I love so that they also could make their money stretch a little further.” Visit her blog, Money Saving Tips for the Keeper at Home

As a Physical Therapist, Prenatal Massage Instructor and a Certified Educator of Infant Massage, I’d like to show you how you can massage your pregnant belly. I’m 22 weeks pregnant with twins, so it’s a perfect time. After reviewing a few basic tips and the benefits, I’ll demonstrate a few belly massage techniques. Put on some relaxing music and follow along with this video for a therapeutic bonding time with your baby!

by Zen Mommy

Due Recommends: Baby Bump or other organic pregnancy massage oil or cream.

As the consumers of the world start to move in a more green direction, one thing I notice becoming more available is organic clothing. However, I think a lot of people are wondering what is the need for organic cotton and organic clothing? Sure it makes sense to try and eat organic foods since they are going directly into our body but it is hard to see that same correlation when it comes to t-shirts and pants.

Something I learned early on in my green journey is that things like lotions, soaps, etc. that we put on our skin are then absorbed through our pores directly into our bloodstream. So even though we aren’t ingesting them, the chemicals still get right into our bodies and harm us. I have to wonder if a cotton shirt that was grown with pesticides would have that same effect. Can the chemical used to grow that cotton be absorbed by my body? Here is a little food for thought on how conventional cotton is grown courtesy of the Organic Trade Association:

• Cotton uses approximately 25% of the world’s insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides.
• Fifty-five million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on the 12.8 million acres of conventional cotton grown in the U.S. in 2003 ranking cotton third behind corn and soybeans in total amount of pesticides sprayed.
• The Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton in 2000 in the United States as “possible,” “likely,” “probable,” or “known” human carcinogens.

The fact that some of these pesticides are known to be possible carcinogens yet they are still being spayed on our crops and land just scares me. What kind of damage are we causing to our bodies and planet? On the flip side, organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and genetically engineered seed. While organic clothes do tend to be more expensive, I feel that the more we continue to buy, the more will become available and in turn the prices should start to go down. In 2007-2008 there was a 152% growth in organic cotton production worldwide – so it would seem we are heading in the right direction!

Now I honestly didn’t think anyone made organic maternity clothes until I checked out Due Maternity. Much to my surprise, they do offer some! You can start with an Organic Bella Band – I love mine and I honestly think that every pregnant woman needs a Bella Band. For a cute outfit, I would go with Japanese Weekend’s During & After Luck Top and Flare Maternity Pants. In fact, if you go to Due Maternity and do a search for “organic” you will find lots of cool stuff – even organic nursing bras!

Marianna Nichols is the Owner & Editor of Green Mama’s Pad.

So, your expecting a baby…yeah! If you are like me, chances are you have been on the internet searching for ways to determine the sex of your unborn child. There are the classic old wives tales, the Chinese calendar and funky signs like hair growing faster if it’s a boy.

Thanks to fabulous technology you can know with more confidence than ever what you are having as early as your 2nd trimester!

This is both a pregnancy test kit with the lab sample collection kit. There are less expensive tests but none are as accurate and none can tell you any earlier than Pink or Blue.

GIRL or BOY? This is the #1 question asked right after a positive pregnancy test. Pink or Blue® will share this exciting news to with you as early as 10 weeks after the first days of your last menstrual period… which is 7 weeks post-conception.

“The Pink or Blue® Early DNA Gender Test is the most accurate home collected early gender tests on the market to date. With real customer accuracies measuring greater than 95%, this product far exceeds the accuracies of urine testing and early ultrasound in predicting gender. Consumer Genetics stands by its test, and its results.

Some people do get wrong results; in fact, 5 of every 100 results are incorrect. Because of this, Consumer Genetics has always offered a money back guarantee to those who have received wrong results.

Just watch the video below to learn more about this fascinating technology! I sent my lab work in today–I will find out next Friday if I need to buy PINK or BLUE!

All I can say is Thank you!!! As a vegetarian, I bring up my children the same way until they are old enough to make their own decisions. My biggest challenge has been finding baby food that meets that need – that is healthy, organic and flavorful! Sadly our choices have been diminished to a select few products and as a busy working family, time to make our own baby food is rare! So I was excited to suddenly notice Sprout Baby in my grocery store this week…we snapped up a variety of flavors that our baby loves, unlike Gerber organics which are packaged in the BPA plastic, this has my confidence, and it is exciting to be able to introduce more complex flavors that are meat free!! Thanks so much!!

You can now show you’re partner what’s in store using the hilarious Look Who’s Prego website.  Upload your face and watch your boobs and belly grow. Then share your new “you” with your friends and family to be automatically entered into our weekly giveaway contest from our sponsor Bump Baby.

Baby Bump’s new line of yummie skin care treatments are pure and natural with a delicious light and fresh citrus fragrances so sweet you’ll want to eat them!

Baby Bump

When I was newly pregnant, I couldn’t fathom the thought of eating anything. I wanted to snack on something and couldn’t put my finger on what it was…I tried everything! Nothing was satisfying the baby bump and it was awful! On top of that icky feeling I had to travel on a plane from New York to Chicago. I was stuck on a 4 hour flight on a small plane crammed with people.

I tweeted out that I couldn’t eat a thing and felt nauseous all the time. One of the first people to come to my aide was Belly Bar. They sent me the cutest little package of snacks for the plane ride. I had a chocolate shake, some chews and 3 bars. Can I tell you that I ate all 3 bars during the flight? Yummy! It was the start of my tummy turning over to the good side again.

What was one of your first cravings that was satisfied while pregnant? Tell us and you can win!

Belly Bar has generously offered up 2 baskets for 2 lucky readers! The baskets include:

- 2 bars of each flavor (Baby Needs Chocolate, Berry Nutty Cravings, Mellow Oat and Burstin’ Chocolate)
- 1 pouch of each chews flavor (Chocolate Cuddles and Citrus on Board)
- 2 shakes of Due for Chocolate Bellybar Shakes

Contest ENDS Sunday, October 11th, 2009 at Midnight EST

Celebrities are always the go-to source for all that is chic and stylish. While pregnant, they never fail to disappoint. Heidi Klum, who is expecting her 4th child {and finally, a GIRL!} this October is one of my favorites to watch while expecting.  What is her favorite maternity piece of clothing? Balenciaga’s black jeans! While not exactly “maternity wear” she wears them under her belly. Not exactly a look everyone can pull off.

Want to get the celebrity fashion status for less? Try these jeans from Maternal America! The perfect skinny jean to get you through your pregnancy in style!

Super comfy underbelly fit waistband that can be worn from the beginning to the end of your pregnancy and beyond. Pair with heels, boots, flats and your favorite tee or sweater for a fantastic look. We love the new dark black wash. Perfect for any season.

To get the “Heid” look pair these jeans with a ultra comfy cami from Fit 2b

and this versitile lightweight maternity jacket from Momzee Coco

Smartphones are a mother’s best friend. From taking notes on the go, keeping track of appointments, or finding the nearest bathroom, there is little our fancy phones can’t do for us. They can even keep tabs on baby’s feeding habits. The Baby Tracker: Nursing app (available for download on iPhone or iPod for $8) tracks nursing sessions so you don’t have to carry a pen and paper and worry about frequency.

The app allows you to record the length of your baby’s nursing session and side you nursed on to generate a detailed history and log. You can also record bottle feedings by time (for example milk or formula) and the amount your hungry infant consumed.

Love the idea of using the iPod for parental support? Check out some favorite iPhone applications for parents and mommies-to-be.

I’m Clarissa, a.k.a. the POSHpreneur and also the Owner of The Posh Parent. I love all things fabulous and frilly. I am a real girl’s girl. I’m a wife and mother of 2, soon to be 3 children. This pregnancy is our last and with that, I am determined to make this my finest! I have been so eager for my baby bump to start to show and now, at 4 months pregnant, it is finally popping out a bit. I’m wanted to share with you how to rock your bump with style from [bump] tees!

First of all, I have to say that in all honesty, being pregnant was not when I felt my best. Once the belly popped though, I felt like I could rule the world. The way that people smile at you when you are pregnant makes me happy. I love how there are so many fashionable maternity clothes that you can wear now that accentuate the bump. Better yet, brands like [bump] tees make fun sayings to go on these tees making this time in your life fun.

One of my personal favs is this shirt for Daddy”without me there would be no [bump]” Classic!

So, who IS [bump]? That was the question on my mind when I saw these tees. I love a good story about how brands came to be and this one is one of my all-time inspirational ones. Renae is a 3G gal– gifted, generous & gorgeous!

A little tidbit from her site: ”

Renae was incredibly excited about her [bump], but like most moms-to-be, she was concerned that most people just thought she was letting herself go. She wanted to scream, “I’m not fat–[bump] on board!”

Disappointed to find that nothing catered to the first four to five months of pregnancy before the [bump] finally “pops,” Renae decided to create and wear her own maternity designs on her growing belly that reflected her sense of style and humor.  That’s when [bump] was born!

Renae’s [bump] designs quickly garnered such an amazing response from friends and strangers alike that she realized she was onto something good. Pregnant again within a year of her first child’s birth, Renae refined and expanded her [bump] line and for the next several months, the world at large became her focus group.  Since then she has had her [bump] tees worn by celebrities like Jenna Elfman, Matt Damon’s wife Luciana Barroso, Gillian Anderson, Brooke Burke, Jennifer Meyer, Sarah Wayne Callies, Nancy O’Dell, Poppy Montgomery, Jaime Lynne Spears, Jason Preistly & Ali Landry.

Currently, Renae juggles three young children, her husband and soul mate, her talent management company and [bump] babies. Oh, and she most recently saved her kids local preschool Camelot Kids – so now she runs that as well.  www.camelotkids.org! ”

You can read more about her here and be sure to check out Due Maternity’s collection of [bump] tees .