You know the point in your pregnancy where your regular pants don’t fit but you feel goofy in your huge mat pants? You know the point at the end of your pregnancy when even your maternity pants don’t fit anymore and you start shopping for flattering tents? You know the first time you want to leave the house with your new baby and you feel goofy in your maternity pants (since it’s kind of obvious that you’ve already had your baby) but they’re the only things you can get done up? (Man, we put our bodies through a lot for those little people, don’t we?)

Enter Ingrid & Isabel, the company behind the BellaBand. Worn at the waistline, it’s a stretchy, seamless band that helps mamas wear their pre-pregnancy favorites longer and fit into cute maternity styles sooner. For those of us who take more than a week to get back into our skinny jeans, the BellaBand can also be used post-partum to transition back into our old favorites. Once you own one, you’ll see that it’s an essential maternity accessory. One of those things you didn’t know you needed until you had it. The BellaBand is available in everyday, everyday lace and seasonal colours and is worth every cent of the $35 – $50 they retail for. During my first pregnancy I had something similar custom made by a talented local seamstress for about 1/3 that price, and I can tell you now that I’ve tried both that I’d rather have one BellaBand than the 4 others I had. It’s seam free and I have no idea how it can be so supportive while being so soft.

If you’re like me and need a little, um, extra support in the boobage, the Ingrid & Isabel Everyday Cami is utterly (and ‘udderly’ – heh) awesome. The Everyday Cami is a seamless-knit camisole with a crêpe finish that’s perfect for wearing with absolutely everything. Like the BellaBand, it’s ultra soft and is cut long to keep your belly covered throughout your entire pregnancy. They were tested to ensure the fabric would resist pilling, fading and losing its elasticity with frequent washing and wearing and it passed with flying colours. My “real mom test” was equally successful. I love this thing! You will too, because it will hug your growing belly, create a smooth silhouette under your cute new maternity tops, and cover your belly under your favorite pre-pregnancy tops. Even if your youngest baby is a year old. ‘Not that I’d know.

Win it! We’ve got a size 2 BellaBand and a size 2 Everyday Cami in white to give away to one randomly selected reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on March 6, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

While fashion certainly wasn’t at the top of my mind, I’ll never forget the ‘outfit’ that I was forced to wear when I had my first baby simply because I didn’t know there were other options. I am absolutely in love with the gorgeous labor gowns from Labor Looks. The 100% cotton and fully machine washable gowns have adjustable ties for full coverage in the back whether you’re walking, sitting or lying down in a compromising position, and there’s even a pocket for your camera or cell phone…for the early stages of labour, of course. The sleeve unsnap for easy nursing and IV access.
There are two sizes, S/M for pre-pregnant 0-6 and L/XL for pre-pregnant 8-12) and there are more sizes coming soon.

Labor Looks is the brain child of sisters Ashley and Brittani, a L&D nurse and certified nurse midwife. And moms. Obviously they know what they’re talking about. I tried one of their gowns – the Erin Blush – during my most recent labour, and especially appreciate the side ties. Nobody saw my butt that didn’t have my express permission, and that was a nice change!

The Labor Looks gowns are perfect for those first post-birth photos, and are affordable for most moms at less than $50. Shipping is only $5 to the US and $10 to Canada, AK and HI. Check out their blog, too.

Save 20% with the code opinionatedparent

Win it! We’re giving away your choice of Labor Looks gown to one randomly selected reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on February 9, 2009 letting us know which style and size to send if you win.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED – Congrats Chelle!

If you’ve had a baby, you’ve experienced the post-birth look my friend likes to call the Grimace. It feels gross and it looks gross. Of course, it’s all worth it, but it never hurts to try a little something – anything, really – that is purported to make you both feel and look better. Belly wrapping has been around for centuries, practiced by many cultures around the world. Belly Bandit™ has put a modern spin to it by creating a soft, seamless and tagless wrap that helps new mamas by shrinking the uterus, reduce bloating caused by water retention and providing the back support and confidence you need to walk upright like the human you used to feel like.

I had my baby a couple of weeks before my Belly Bandit arrived in the mail but have been wearing it since I got it and it certainly seems to be helping. Not only does it make me feel better and more secure with walking post-cesarean but my tummy seems a little tighter each day than it did at the same time with my previous births. It also helps me feel more confident and to remember to sit upright when I’m nursing or rocking my little one.

The compression wrap can be used a day after delivery to help reduce swelling of the uterus and bloating from water retention. The stretchy Velcro bound wrap is available in three different styles, Original ($40), Couture ($50), and Bamboo ($60) and can be worn for six to eight weeks post-birth. Buy it online. – by Shannon

Win it! We’re giving away a Belly Bandit! To enter, go choose your favourite Belly Bandit style and leave a comment here letting us know which one you’d like to have. Once the draw is complete, you’ll be able to send an exact measurement to ensure it fits. Contest closes at noon mst on January 29, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

As a two time unplanned cesarean mama, I’m the queen of numb belly skin & scar tissue – the mark of a C-Mama. I know – you’re jealous of my hottness.

One of our favourite Canadian online shops, Ecobaby Canada, has post-surgical mamas like me in mind with their C-Mama Healing Salve from Earth Mama Angel Baby. The clinically tested healing salve was created with 100% natural ingredients rich in Vitamin C, essential fatty acids and amino acids — all nutrients necessary for proper cell regeneration and wound repair. Formulated especially for cesarean section and other surgical wounds, old c-section scars and stretch marks, and inflamed rashes and burns, the C-Mama Healing Salve is toxin-free, cruelty-free & certified vegan.

I’ve been using this salve on my well-worth-it-war-wounds and it’s absolutely lovely. It keeps the scar soft & supple and if I could see past the flab I’m sure I’d see it looking better too.

Ecobaby Canada was also featured on T.O.P. here and here.

Win it! EcoBaby Canada is giving one randomly selected T.O.P. reader their own C-Mama Healing Salve valued at $44.99! To enter, leave a comment on this post with your favourite product(s) available from EcoBaby that are not mentioned in this post. Contest closes on September 2, 2008.

Canadian residents can receive an additional entry for this giveaway by voting for Andrea in the SavvyMom Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Go vote (you’ll need to confirm your Canadian citizenship) and leave an extra comment letting us know you did.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

2Chix (previously reviewed here) has added some sizzling hot burnout tees to their already smokin’ collection. The thin, super-soft, weathered tees, which are all the rage this season whether you’re expecting or not, look equally fab paired with a skirt and strappy heels or designer jeans and your most comfortable flats. (Or, in my humble non-metro opinion, yoga capris and Birks…but whatever.)

This tee, which comes in both v-neck and crew neck, is form-fitting, long enough to cover a full-term belly, super-soft and generally just perfect for forty-two weeks of sexy comfort. If, like me, even your arms get pregnant, you’ll love the sleeves on this tee that accentuate the best and hide the rest. At $44, it’s a little more than the tee you’ll pick up at Old Navy but after the initial pinch you won’t regret it. These tees are incredibly comfy and aren’t so ‘maternity’ that you couldn’t get away with wearing them for a long time after that cute bebe is in your arms instead of your belly.

Save 10% on anything from 2Chix with the code TOP10 through September 30, 2008.

I am often asked what inspired me to start The Opinionated Parent (mostly by people who don’t know what a blog is) and here’s the answer:

I am opinionated. Very, very opinionated. I always have been. When my firstborn arrived, I realized that I also had strong opinions about all of the “stuff” that comes along with parenthood. When I received the nursing pillow to end all nursing pillows (after having tried every one that’s available in local stores, so I do know what I’m talking about) I told everyone who would listen about how great it was. When I couldn’t find anyone else to listen, I started a blog.

And there you have it.

If you won’t listen, somebody else will. I will be heard.

(And I’m always right. Just ask my husband.)

My first ever post at the site now known as The Opinionated Parent was about The Baby Buddy Nursing Pillow. I encourage you to go back and read this post about just how fantastic it is and all of the reasons why I love it. Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding, holding a baby, are pregnant (in my second pregnancy my Baby Buddy was a lifesaver and the only reason I was comfortable enough to sleep many nights!) or are simply cuddled up with a good book, I have no doubt that you will love The Baby Buddy too.

TOP readers always save 10% on their orders from TheBabyBuddy.ca with the code top10.

Win it! As the newest addition to our premium sponsors in the right sidebar and an exclusive “TOP Pick” of The Opinionated Parent, The Baby Buddy Nursing Pillow is giving away one of these great pillows with the flannel or cotton pillowcase of the winner’s choice! To enter, visit TheBabyBuddy.ca to choose your favourite pillowcase fabric. Then come back and leave a comment on this post letting us know which one you’d choose if you’re the lucky winner. Contest closes at noon MST on June 26/08.

Additional entries available – up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

If you’ve ever given birth in a hospital then you’re familiar with the maternity gowns you’re given to wear…and in my experience they are, to put it nicely…well-worn.

I just had a baby 6 weeks ago and the first gown they gave me was missing a snap so I couldn’t even secure it on my shoulder; they had to go find me another one. I remember when I had my daughter I noticed some of the seam was coming apart and a small hole in the side of the gown. [Ed: If they've been worn by enough people to look like that, I don't even want to think about how many people have bled on them.] I don’t know if all maternity gowns are like this, but the ones that I wore have two slits in the front for breastfeeding. That’s convenient and all, but they don’t have any way to secure those slits. I know the gown has extra material on the front so it “gathers” and the slits are supposed to be “hidden” but it doesn’t work that way. My gown would gape open if I moved or sat a certain way. This made me self-conscious when I had visitors – I kept my arms crossed, or stayed under the
blankets, just in case my gown gaped open at the wrong time!

One mom has come up with her own solution to the hospital maternity gown – Girlie Gowns – they are a line of maternity hospital gowns for stylish mommies to be. After her first experience using a hospital maternity gown (much like what I’ve described) Kimberly Budd decided she was going to make her own gown for her next delivery.

I didn’t get a chance to wear one of these gowns as it was too large for me (they’ve since added a smaller size) but I did get to try it on and see how much nicer it would have been if that was in my hospital bag! For starters it would be nice to have a gown that no one else has worn [Ed: Or bled on] before! They come in 5 stylish prints (I like Sweet Swirls), the back is only open half way so there is easy access if you’re getting an epidural and the wrap around design in the front is secured with Velcro and ribbon ties. The material is thick cotton so it’s very comfortable to wear…a nice way to pamper yourself while you’re having a baby! [Ed: Remember, it's not all about baby. Mom's important too! A luxurious personalized gown would make a great pre-birth shower gift!]

By Michelle

Enter the code OP15 for 15% off your Girlie Gown!
You’ll find Girlie Gowns in the TOP Shops, where we feature exclusive and permanent discount just for opinionated parents like you!

Win it! We’re giving away a Girlie Gown in the winner’s choice of style (value $50). To enter, leave a comment on this post before April 15 telling us which of the five available prints you’d choose if you win.

Get up to two additional entries into this contest!

1. Blog about this contest using one of the top three images found here.

2. Leave a comment with the direct link to your post (not to your main page, and in a separate comment from your other entry).

AND/OR

Subscribe to our RSS feed. Leave an additional comment to let us know that you did this for your extra entry. Be sure to leave a valid email address so we can confirm your new subscription.

Maximum three entries total per person.

CONTEST CLOSED – Congrats Brit!

As a momma of prime breeding age (heh), my friends are popping out kids like there’s no tomorrow and I love buying baby gifts. I refuse to buy gifts at the local big box store so am always looking for new & unique parent-made items to have on hand in case of a new baby emergency.

My newest find? Reader recommended Tiny Tales. Developed by par.entrepreneur Lara Frankovitch, Tiny Tales are a set of specialized cards on which to record both the large and not so large milestones and the every day occurrences that we think we’ll always remember but soon realize that, sadly, that’s not the case.

It comes with two 4X6 notepads (more are available for a small cost) and themed dividers to keep the memories organized. It’s a baby book alternative for the mom who wants to record everything in style but doesn’t have the time or perhaps the inclination to scrapbook for hours on end. The sets come in a sturdy transparent box beautifully packaged and ready for gift giving.

Tiny Tales come in baby, toddler, personalized and expecting themes and start at $32.

Use the code OPINION for 20% off until April 15, 2008.

I can think of a lot of words to describe how I feel at this time in my life…nursing a newborn, recovering from a second unplanned c-section, mothering a teething toddler that still doesn’t sleep through the night. Frumpy and flabby come to mind. Sexy does not.

However, the nursing bra I’ve been wearing from Passion Spice is sure helping!

Passion Spice offers both Sexy (but still comfy and practical) Nursing Bras and Maternity Lingerie. All of their products are made with luxuriously soft fabric so you can add some spice to your life without compromising the comfort that you are totally entitled to when you’re pregnant or nursing.

I can personally vouch for the comfort of these bras. I need to keep ‘the girls’ hoisted 24/7 and my Passion Spice bra is comfortable enough to do the job. The wires don’t dig in at all but do add a lovely ‘lift & separate’ that I’ve been missing.

New Passion Spice owners Wes & Katy Linda provide fast and helpful service and look forward to helping you feel sexy during the most wonderful times of your life.

Win it! Passion Spice is giving away a sexy nursing bra and the matching bottoms of choice to one lucky TOP reader in your choice of style, colour & size. To enter, leave a comment on this post with the name of the bra style you’d choose if you win! (We don’t need you to advertise your size – we’ll contact you for that – just the style name will suffice!). Contest closes at noon MST on March 28, 2008.

Get additional entries into this contest!

1. Blog about this contest using one of the top three images found here.

2. Leave a comment on this post containing the direct link to your post (not to your main page, and in a separate comment from your other entry) or send a trackback to receive your second entry. If you don’t know how to do this, just email us for help!

AND/OR

Subscribe to our RSS feed. Leave an additional comment to let us know that you did this for your extra entry. Be sure to leave a valid email address so we can confirm your new subscription.

Maximum three entries total per person.

Contest Closed – Congrats to Chelle who said ” OOoo those are sexy!!! Meow! hehe I like the Carla Nursing Bra in Pink! Crossing my toes I win this.”

I loved wearing hip maternity tees that aren’t the same ones that everyone else is wearing from the local mall.

My newest discovery, 2 chix carries some awesome designs that sorta make me wish I was still pregnant. Like the pictured “Pregnant is the new sexy.” Totally true.

(But I’m super glad I’m not pregnant anymore! Forty two weeks was more than enough.)

But perhaps the best thing about 2 chix? They have a line of tees in size voluptuous for preggo moms kickin’ curves.

Their tees are 100% cotton and vintage-soft. So soft you might find yourself rubbing your belly to feel the fabric instead of your baby.

2 chix carries daddy tees too!

Get 15% off with the code TOP15.

This code is good through June 30, 2008.

When you have a baby everyone tells you to enjoy and record every moment because they go by so fast, and that’s so incredibly true. But nobody tells you when you get pregnant to take lots of pictures and record even the yucky moments because there will come a time when you will wish you remembered. The Happy Baby, Healthy Mom Pregnancy Journal can help you do just that but in addition to being a place to record the dirty details it also offers a week-to-week plan devised by Dr. Robert Greene for obtaining optimal health throughout pregnancy and the first 12 crazy weeks of the postpartum period. It contains indispensable tips about healthy eating for two, keeping fit, and relieving those oh so many discomforts. It also guides you through each doctor’s appointment, offers advice about prenatal testing, and includes questionnaires for tracking common and no-so-common pregnancy symptoms. I am a firm believer in “Congratulations on conceiving!” gifts and this will be yet another of my go-to-gifts for expecting mamas.

Win it! Random House is giving a copy of the Happy Baby, Healthy Mom Pregnancy Journal to one opinionated parent. To enter, simply email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com before midnight MST on 2/15/08 with HAPPY & HEALTHY in the subject line, your complete name & mailing address and…that’s it!. Congratulations Kirstin G!

Pregnancy can be funny. Long, arduous, and uncomfortable? Yep. Especially at what seems like four months overdue, which is where I am right now. But funny too.

When you’re in need of a little funny, check out the new Denver-based baby&momma. Launched just this past fall, baby&momma offers a line of amusing & supersoft maternity tees that fit even through those last belly-rific weeks. (Trust me on that.) They bear expressions such as “I’m with my inner child,” “Sugarmomma” and “Who’s your mommy?”

Once baby arrives there’s no reason to ditch your sense of humour. Baby&momma has you covered in the onesie arena too with great lines like “Mom: Got Milk?” “Patent Pending” and the one that we certainly could have used around here with our firstborn – “Clone.”

We’ve got a 0-3mos “Are you really my relatives?” onesie to give away! To enter, send an email to theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with BABY & MOMMA copied and pasted into the subject line and tell us one available expression that was not mentioned in this review. Contest closes at midnight MST on January 11, 2008. Please include your full (real) name and mailing address with your entry. Incomplete entries are not eligible to win. Congratulations Bren!

Whether the pregnancy was planned or not, the Prego Planner from Braelyn Bounty Bug will help you make sure the rest of the pregnancy is a little more…organized.

The first thing to strike me when I pulled this planner from the box was the gorgeous exterior. It almost makes me wish I was 4 weeks instead of 36 weeks pregnant (I said almost – I’m not crazy) so that I could carry it around with me. At only 7.5″x9″ it would be easy to do, but it just wouldn’t make sense at this point. It really is beautiful, but what’s inside is just as good.

The first section is an undated calender perfect for noting any appointments or special things that happen throughout the pregnancy. (Dec. 19 – “Felt baby move! Or was it gas?”) (Jan. 4 – Definitely not gas!) Totally functional, yet important enough to be printed on stunningly awesome paper.

Section 2 is for all of those details that are easy to forget – OB, midwife, hospital & pharmacy info, prenatal records, and lots of room to record your questions and concerns so you don’t have to rely on your pregnant brain to be working when you show up to your appointment.

The next section helps you through interviewing and selecting a pediatrician and has lots of room to record interview responses and any concerns & questions as well as appointment information.

The fourth section is loaded with checklists – for you & for baby – as well as a place to record the gifts that you receive.

The final section deals with labour and delivery with space for birthing class notes, phone lists, your birth plan, more checklists, the birth story and post-partum information.

All that in an easy to carry little binder! The binder rings are a great feature that is often neglected. It’s so easy to remove pages you don’t need or add paper should you find yourself needing more. It retails for $38 and comes in 3 great styles including the zebra print shown above, ‘dressy’ and a classic chocolate.

Also check out the Tot Tag from Braelyn Bounty Bug – a clever diaper bag checklist that opens to reveal a customizable identification card!

You can win a Prego Planner and a Tot Tag of your very own! To enter the random draw, email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with BRAELYN BOUNTY BUG in the subject line by midnight MST on Dec. 3/07 and tell us the name of the stylin’ mom behind the company. Congratulations Gwen!

When we were asked to review the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System, we decided to cautiously accept the sample. Just because it’s not our cup of tea doesn’t mean our readers don’t want our honest opinion about it, right?

The “system” is essentially a bag you wear around your waist/belly (like a fanny pack – I love that word) that plays “A series of 16 scientifically designed sounds that resemble a mother’s heartbeat.” It’s designed to be worn starting at about 18 weeks, when baby’s hearing is functional, until 32 weeks. My first thought was that it’s similar to playing music for your unborn child, which is fabulous whether it has any effect on brain development at all simply because it connects you for your baby and starts exposing him to the tunes you’ll be irritating him with until he leaves for college.

My problem with this product is with the use of the words “curriculum” & “lessons” in regard to a fetus. Hello? Aren’t kids forced into planned formal education early enough? It’s bad enough we don’t just let them learn through play when they’re toddlers & preschoolers, but now we’re starting before they’re even born? Slightly ridiculous if you ask me. My husband laughed out loud when he saw this product, as did everyone who has been to our house and had it thrust upon them for their opinion. According to the press information, “The rhythm of the sounds increases incrementally as the pregnancy progresses. The BabyPlus sonic pattern introduces your child to a sequential learning process, built upon the natural rhythms of their own environment.” It’s supposed to help them distinguish between the sounds of the mothers heart and other sounds, thus giving the “learning process” a jump start. Doesn’t hearing the mother’s heartbeat in contrast to kids playing, the television blaring & the dishwasher rumbling do the same thing? Why does everything have to be “scientific?” (Which, I’m sure you know, means absolutely nothing.) (And, I have to disclose, my first degree was in psychology with a strong emphasis in both brain plasticity and child development so I do kind of know what I’m talking about.

“The BabyPlus lessons are designed to be played for 1 hour twice a day.” Do you have two spare hours on your hands to sit with this thing around your belly? Perhaps if you’re in your first pregnancy, but certainly not if you have more children to parent. And if you’re a working parent I beg you – please do not wear this thing in public. You’ll look like a moron. (And it’s not all that comfortable either.)

“BabyPlus is not a toy — it is a profound educational tool, and the first step in your child’s lifelong cognitive development.” What scares me about products like this is that they (a) can make a less confident or less educated parent spend their hard earned money on something that’s not necessary or (b) can make parents who can’t afford it feel like their child is going to be missing out on something important (which they certainly are not). The entire prenatal/baby IQ increasing industry is a joke. And not a funny one. It makes me sad. By the way, BabyPlus is $149 USD. Think of what else you could buy with that.

The tagline for the BabyPlus system is “You’re never too young to learn. (In fact, you don’t even have to be born!)” We wholeheartedly agree with this, but would add “It happens naturally. Don’t waste your money or your time on propaganda that tries, hopefully unsuccessfully, to make you feel like you’re cheating your child if you don’t buy it. All your child really needs is your love, your respect and your time.”

That said, if you really want to try this product I am happy to mail someone the sample. Just email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with BabyPlus in the subject line. I’ll choose one reader using random.org and it’s yours. I’d also love to hear what you think about this product and the whole related industry, even if you don’t want to enter. The actual contest closes Monday 8/6/07 at midnight MST but I’ll always read your emails & opinions! Edited to add: Thanks to everyone who’s been sending emails! It’s great to see we’re not alone in our opinionated-ness. (I know that’s not a word…) Congratulations Jayna!