UrbanMommies » The Belly

Oru’s Blueberry Blitz

Jill — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:26:31 +0000

1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
6 Blueberries
6 Lime Leaves

Muddle Blueberries and mint with lime juice and simple syrup. Shake over ice. Top with soda or sprite if you want it sweeter. Garnish with extra blueberries.

Recipe created for UrbanMommies by Oru Restaurant at the Fairmont Pacific Rim.

Photo: Bopomo Pictures.

Inexpensive Maternity Clothes

Lauren — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:23:49 +0000

Pregnancy is meant to be an exciting, blissful time. For some, morning sickness gets in the way of that. For others, the stress of covering an ever-growing belly can be overwhelming. Maternity clothes don’t have to blow your Budget. You need to sprinkle the wardrobe with inexpensive maternity clothes. Here are some tips on how to look your best without spending a fortune.

1) Beg, Borrow and Steal! Ok, maybe don’t steal but come as close as is legally possible. Ask friends, family and even friends of family if they have any maternity clothes they would like to donate to your cause. You’d be surprised how many people have stellar finds stashed away in their closets!

2) Thrift stores and consignment stores carry maternity clothes, too! Since most women only wear maternity clothes for a short period of time, they’ll not only be cheap, but they’ll likely be in great condition!

3) Look online. Sites like craigslist, ebay, and freecycle are a great place to start.

4) Never underestimate the value of an elastic band. A tiny elastic band can extend the longevity of your favorite pants. Simply loop it through the button hole, attach to the button, cover with a long shirt and voila! You’re ready to take on the day!

5) Invest in one or two good pairs of yoga pants. Trust me, you’ll want to wear these every. single. day. of your pregnancy. They’ll be worth the expense in the long run. Some yoga pants are even dressy looking enough to take you through a semi-formal workday.

6) Take advantage of current fashion trends. Luckily, a lot of the current trends are leaning towards long shirts and a layered look. Purchase a couple neutral colored tank tops or shirts and wear them underneath any other shirts you already own. Buy bigger than you think you’ll need because you’ll likely outgrow it sooner than expected.

7) Avoid maternity stores as long as possible. As soon as you step foot into a maternity clothing store, you’ll be inundated with cute clothes. Resist the urge to buy things until you are absolutely desperate for them. You have no way of predicting how big your belly will get so buying ahead of time will likely leave you with a bunch of clothes you’ll never wear. Also, remember that anything from a maternity store will cost more than clothes from a regular store, simply because they are “maternity clothes”. Better to buy regular clothes just in a few sizes bigger than usual.

8) Sweatshirts rock!! Big, baggy ones in particular! Since they’re already oversized, they can cover your growing belly for an extended period of time. Cardigans can also do the trick, just don’t zip them up.

9) Don’t buy a maternity / nursing bra until after you give birth. Your breasts will continue to grow throughout your pregnancy. Maternity bras are typically expensive so buying one in the wrong size would be wasteful. Stick to cheaper regular bras in a bigger size until you’re sure your breasts have adjusted to the milk production.

10) If you’re going to splurge, splurge on an outfit that makes you feel particularly pretty (and hit the sales). You’ll need a pick-me-up at some point during your pregnancy and nothing boosts your confidence more than a cute little outfit that makes you feel good about yourself.

- Lauren

Photo: Lavish by Heidi Klum for A Pea in the Pod (sale item).

Things to Do When You Become a Mom

Jill — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:05:02 +0000

Ok, ladies. There are times when life gives you the opportunity to begin afresh. Becoming a Mom is definitely one of them. We’re not advocating huge changes like becoming Vegan or moving to Mauritius, but there are a few things you might want to consider to ward off the blues, make yourself feel great and ensure you’re getting the respect that you deserve.

1. Make sure you get dressed and put on lip gloss every day. It’s a slippery slope.
2. Evaluate your email address. Recently we’ve gotten job applications from ‘sexyfox’, ‘jennluvs69’, and maria1977. Do you think your private life and your age should really be out there for all to see? You are a mom now, woman.
3. Get a sexy pair of flat, rubber-soled shoes or boots.
4. Make sure your bra fits.
5. Ensure your wardrobe includes a killer black dress, a white blouse, and a nice belt.
6. Throw away all socks with holes, hose with runs, dead lipsticks, pilled sweaters and stained t-shirts. Oh, college sweats too. I bet Stacy London’s list would be even longer but we can start with these.
7. Find out what your husband/partner finds attractive as sleepwear, and make sure you have some.
8. Don’t put on something that has spit-up on it. EVEN TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE.
9. Keep a few garbage bags in the car so you can toss the trash each time you think of it. Someone tweeted us recently that sprouts were growing in their car. Ick.
10. Get a good diaper bag/purse that makes you smile and shows your style. It will be with you for longer than you can imagine.

- Jill Amery is a grownup.

Bravado Nursing Bra

Jill — Sun, 16 May 2010 04:41:29 +0000

Their slogan? “Bras fit for Breastfeeding“ We agree. These fabulous nursing bras don’t stretch, fit well, and the one-handed-clasp-release is quite well facilitated. Bravado Designs‘ products are worn and loved by moms worldwide, including celebrity moms like Angelina Jolie, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Garner and Jessica Alba. Started by two moms (one is a lactation consultant), their website is also a wealth of breastfeeding info. Oh, and they only use real moms in their photographs, because they “don’t think they need models to make breastfeeding beautiful”. It’s a like. www.bravadodesigns.com

Morning Sickness Remedies

Jill — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:59:28 +0000

If you are not one of the lucky few who feels great during the first trimester, read on. As hormones shift in early pregnancy, morning sickness, nausea and vomiting can wreak havoc on daily life. You can try the preggo pops, tums and dry crackers, but there are a few other options as well. Motherisk is run through Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and provides excellent support for pregnancy and parenting. The phenomenal Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP) forum is great. A few select tips:

Ice cold drinks can calm the stomach.
Complex carbohydrates are best.
Eat every 2 hours.
Limit straight milk.
Talk to a health provider about Diclectin, a drug that can help.
Ginger settles the stomach.

And if that doesn’t work, go buy yourself a comfy Juicy tracksuit, get a massage and get some firefighters to fan you with palm leaves. It’s worth a try.

Motherisk Nausea Hotline: 1-800-436-8477

Pregnancy Tests

Jill — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:41:51 +0000

Pregnancy tests, accuracy, confusion and taking them early. AAAgh. I spent 15 minutes in the shower wondering how I was going to tell my husband that we had just conceived a third child accidentally. Until I realized that although there was a line on the pregnancy test, it wasn’t a plus sign and said line was going the wrong way. I had thrown away the instructions, you see, and there were no markings on the test with which to search for directions. Why aren’t these tests standardized? The new (expensive) ones say ‘not pregnant” or ‘pregnant‘. How long did it take to come up with that brilliant plan? Most have a plus sign and a control window, a single parallel line and a control window, or a parallel line and a control window (The control makes sure that your urine has been plentiful enough to reach all the way to the back.)

How Pregnancy Tests Work

Most pregnancy tests are accurate after the first day of a missed period. Many women’s cycles are not regular, and the earliest a test can be taken varies depending on the cycle as well as the timing of implantation (between 1 and 6 days after fertilization). Pregnancy tests rely on the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), secreted by the placenta shortly after fertilization. hCG levels double about every two days in a pregnant woman, so the test is much more reliable two weeks after conception than one week later.

Basically, you can wait a while and then do a test, or drive yourself (and your bank account) crazy by trying them early and often. Just don’t throw away the instructions.

You might also want to read about early pregnancy signs and reasons for late periods.

Drinking Alcohol During Conception

Jill — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:00:30 +0000

Many a baby has been conceived during a fun night of drinking alcohol-infused margaritas that may not be remembered by the parties involved. Will the alcohol in your bloodstream during intercourse ultimately harm the pregnancy? Experts suggest that alcohol from the night of sexual relations is more prone to adversely affect the chances of conception rather than affect the health of the egg or sperm. Because actual conception occurs between 1 and 4 days following intercourse, the alcohol from the night you had intercourse will have left the bloodstream by the time sperm and egg meet.

“While there is plenty of evidence that a mom’s drinking during pregnancy can cause problems for the baby, there is no evidence that the father’s drinking at the time of conception poses any direct risk. Even if you were drinking just on the night of conception, problems would be unlikely.” Dr. Marjorie Greenfield www.drspock.com

Experts agree that worrying about alcohol consumption prior to learning of a pregnancy is not productive, and attention should be focused on ensuring a healthy pregnancy now and in the future.

Please also see our articles on breastfeeding and alcohol, prenatal vitamins and conception preparation.

Photo: Waterford

Reasons Your Period Might Be Late

Jill — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:23:12 +0000

We’re quite sure that every woman who has ever had sex has wondered why her period may be late. The most obvious reason, of course, is that you are pregnant. But before you start shopping for strollers, remember that a woman’s body is affected by many things. A few of these (in no particular order) are included below. Have you had regular cycles or are you worried every month? Tell us your stories in the comments section – sharing helps all of our readers.
Reasons Your Period Might Be Late:

1. Stress
2. Dietary changes
3. Changes in exercise levels
4. Lack of sleep
5. Resumption of menstruation after a time without
6. Inconsistency or a change in birth control
7. Intense emotion – death in the family, or falling in love
8. Jetlag, time changes or a change in schedule
9. Illness
10. Changes in medications
11. Being under or overweight
12. Peri-menopause
13. Menopause
14. Pregnancy, baby.

In case you are still unsure, you can see also our very early signs of pregnancy and take a test. Trust your body. You know it better than anyone. Our ovulation predictor may also be helpful. Good luck, and you’d better take some folic acid, just in case.

- Jill Amery just loves it when her period is late. It sets the imagination aflutter.

Wrap Dresses

Jill — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:25:50 +0000

What better garment could there be than a wrap dress? At your slimmest, it looks great and accentuates the waist as you grow.. or shrink. Cleavage is accentuated (even if there is a lack of it), and you look like a lady – at her sexiest. Diane von Furstenburg is, of course, the queen of the wrap dress. Holt Renfrew and Wear Else carry her designs. If you happen to be at Superstore and see one designed by Joe Mimran, snatch them up in every colour. You never know when you will need a no-brainer, fab outfit. Check our Inexpensive Maternity Clothes article too.

Photo: Diane von Furstenberg’s Samara Wrap and a less expensive option from Stylestoop

Stephanie’s Exercise of the Week

Jill — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:20:41 +0000

Exercise of the week: Plank

Trying to squeeze back in your pre pregnancy jeans can be a struggle for some. I have found the Plank exercise to be very helpful in getting me back into those Jeans this week!

The plank position will also do wonders for your core muscles which in turn will help protect your back from injuries when hauling your groceries into the house.

I love this exercise because you don’t get sweaty, you can do it in your pajamas, you don’t need any special equipment and most of all you can see results in your abdominal strength within a few days.

Basic Plank position

Step 1: Start by lying face down on the ground. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest

Step 2: Lift your hips to form a bridge using your toes and forearms to support yourself.

Step 3: Hold your hips up but keep your back flat. Engage your abdominal muscles. It should feel like someone is pulling your belly button inwards with a string. Hold this position for up to a minute. When I started I could only hold this pose for about 15 seconds until I needed a break. Take a break when you need to and then try again.

Plank with Butt raise

Not as sexy as it sounds.

Step 1: Follow above steps to hold basic plank position

Step 2: Keeping your back flat and legs straight lift your hips into the air.

Step 3: Return to start position and repeat for up to a minute.

I like to use M underneath me as motivation to hold this position longer. I mean you wouldn’t want to squish that much cuteness. L loves to workout with me. She is quite concerned about me wearing my shoes inside and I think I might have to buy an extra workout mat for her to cut down on the tantrums but I still love the company.

I will be doing the plank this week during commercial breaks or when I reheat food in the microwave. How are you going to incorporate exercise in your life this week?

- Stephanie Raposo