Due Maternity Blog | Designer Maternity Clothes Blog

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.

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 .

My name is Rachael Coe. I am a stay at home mom to an almost 2 year old little girl, Gracie, and a little boy, Gabriel, born July 25th of this year. My journey of saving money in every area when my husband was laid off for 9 months. It was a tough time that we do not regret in anyway. We learned to live frugally in order that I continue to stay at home. My husband is now the Assistant Pastor in our local church and living frugally is still something that we must practice.

My husband calls me “Queen of Cheap”, I like to think of myself as frugal.  He says I am a crazy woman when a good deal comes along, I like to think that I am a perfectly sane woman just taking advantage of a price too good to resist. 

In my quest to find the greatest deals and to save my family money on everything we buy, I have learned an important truth – sometimes what looks like a “good deal” isn’t always a good deal.  I’m not talking about the many scams that are out there or the products that you buy that you shouldn’t accept if they were free instead what I am talking about is the concept of you get what you pay for. 

I have learned that I can save money in my groceries and little everyday items but when it comes to bigger items and clothing, I get what I pay for.  Not all things are made alike especially items that you will use every day.  I have learned to look for quality over price on the items that I want to last a long time.  For instance, when buying nursing wear, I want something that will last through all kinds of stains, hold up to my baby’s tugging on the material while I nurse, and be comfortable for all the time wear.  The cheaper the fabric on a piece of clothing the less likely it will last through these times. 

I have learned many things by purchasing items based on price rather than quality:

1) Item was hard to use so I stopped using it. 

2) It stained, fell apart or broke quickly so I had to replace it.

3) Did not fulfill its purpose very well.

4) Disliked the look and quality quickly.

All of the things showed me that rather than saving money, I had wasted money.  I quickly learned to use a series of questions when determining whether to buy quality over price.

1)  How long do I want it to last?  If it is a baby item, do I want it to last through more than one child? 

2)  Will I use it every day? 

3)  Is it a practical item and will it make my life easier if I go with better quality?

4) If this item breaks, will I be apt to replace it?  

If I want the item to last a while and answer yes to any of the other questions, then I begin reading reviews and talking on forums and communities what others have to say about that product.  I head to online stores that carry good quality brands like Due Maternity, and begin to look around.  I look for quality, durability, appearance, and price.  Once I have determined the product that I want, I often wait for a sale or look for a coupon code.  If I can, I combine the coupon code with a sale for the best deal. 

At Due Maternity  you can be sure that brands like Mayreau Mia Maternity are priced reasonably and also that the quality is worth it! Stylish and affordable are staples of a true frugalista.

Next time, you go to purchase an item that you would like to last a long time – reevaluate the product you are about to buy.  Are being the Queen of Cheap or are you being frugal? 

This isn’t my 1^st trip to the rodeo. I am Victoria Arya, the head honcho and mommy behind Life Starring the Kids & Me.  I am a married stay at home mom to two little girls: Ellie, who is 2, turning 3 in September, and Eve who turns 1 in June.  I am also expecting my third child, yes another girl, sometime in late October. 

I don’t know how many times I have heard all about how I have “easy” pregnancies and that everything has been so “easy” for me, and each and every time it seems like the person saying that is some how lessening my 9 month commitment.  Now, I admit to the fact that I happen to not have any issues with being pregnant; no morning sickness, no huge problems, no premature labor…I am healthy as a horse while pregnant.  But, even though I may have an “easy” pregnancy, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a physical, emotional, and mental toll. 

According to me, growing a plant is hard, so imagine how hard it is to grow a human…you basically give up your body for 9 months, your hormones go wacky and you deal with the emotions that come up, and then you torment yourself with the mental thoughts about the next 18 years of your life and how you are going to be responsible for a kid…a real honest to goodness kid.

So, since I have been through this a couple of times (even though those times were “easy”) I have a few tips on how to deal with even the “easiest” pregnancy when it gets hard.  First of all physically there are going to be a lot of changes: your feet and other areas are going to swell, it’s going to be harder to get around and your skin is going to go a little wacky. 

* Swelling: Face it, you are going to swell, the real question comes in how much are you going to swell?  Keep your salt intake down to a minimum and drink water…yes I know you will have to use the bathroom a lot if you do, but it’s worth it.

* Getting Around: While it’s a good thing to be as active as your doctor allows, remember to take it easy and rest when you feel the need; you’re growing a baby and you need to keep your body happy.

* Your Skin: Alright so some pregnant women get glowing skin, but for the rest of us mere mortals we get skin issues because our hormones are going crazy.  If you are like me your skin will get dry, so invest in a couple good lotions to lock in moisture and keep everything feeling smooth.  If your skin gets oily try switching to a stronger face/body wash and a lighter moisturizer.

Not only will pregnancy effect your physically, but you will also have to deal with it emotionally and mentally.  You’re hormones are going to be wacky which means that you could potentially go from swinging on the rafters to getting annoyed because your hubby/partner ate the last donut.  This may sound weird, but don’t control the wackiness; if you keep everything bottled inside you are more likely to become stressed and unhappy, neither of which is good for you or the baby. 

Mentally you are going to have to deal with the fact that you will have 9 months in order to prep yourself into becoming a parent…and actual guide to another human being (heck I have 2 right now and there are times when I look at them and think “I am in charge of making them decent human beings?”).  In order to mentally prepare yourself read parenting books if that is what works for you, talk to people who have been there.  And just because you get all of this advice, it doesn’t mean you need to do what they tell you: your kiddo-your rules.

So, overall while people may tell you that you have an ”easy” pregnancy, that doesn’t diminish the fact that you are not only growing a human (think about it, that’s amazing), but you are also mentally and emotionally preparing yourself to put a child first…forever.  That’s big.