Christmas Mocktails

Christmas is a time for eating, drinking and being merry, and whilst most pregnant women enjoy the merriment of the season, you do have to watch what you eat and drink.  Out go too many glasses of fizz, the pate starter and most of the Christmas day cheese board, in comes the alcohol free drinks, the well-cooked end of the roast beef and a token piece of cheddar!

Don't worry though, gone are the days of standing around at a party with a boring glass of orange juice.  There are now loads of fantastic non alcoholic cocktails around.   Here are three we particularly like that don’t need lots of obscure ingredients:

Non alcoholic fizz

In equal measure:

·         Orange juice

·         Cranberry juice

·         Soda water

 Simply mix together

Nojito – all the taste of a Mojito but without the rum

·         1oz lime juice

·         4oz soda water or sprite

·         6 mint leaves

·         2 tsps of brown sugar

1.      Bruise a few mint leaves using a spoon so that their juice can get out

2.      Add the lime juice, brown sugar and mint leaves in a highball glass

3.      Fill the glass with ice and stir

4.      Top with soda

5.      Add a twig of mint for decoration

Gentle Sea Breeze

Equal measures of cranberry juice and pineapple juice, and simply mix together and add crushed ice.  Garnish with a few sprigs of mint.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Emma-Jane.

Emma-Jane Scoops Second Industry Gold Award

We are delighted, double-gold award winners, having scooped Gold in this month’s Mother & Baby awards - just a month after Pregnancy and Birth magazine also awarded us the top spot.

Emma-Jane's Next Generation Nursing Bra is the best product for breastfeeding according to mums who awarded it gold in this year’s Mother & Baby magazine awards. The gongs are completely independently tested and rated by mums who provide feedback to decide which brand deserves gold, silver or bronze awards.

John White, our sales director, said: “We are utterly delighted to have taken the top spot in the breastfeeding category.  All of the feedback we’ve received from mums about our Next Generation nursing bras confirms they are exceptionally comfortable during both pregnancy and breastfeeding.  And in tough economic times, a bra that delivers great comfort along with good value is going to be a winner.”

The Next Generation seamfree bras deliver value in three ways: the low price; the fact that it can be used as a maternity and a nursing bra; and with the single cup size that fits from B to F as breasts change mums don’t need to spend a fortune on different size bras.

The Next Generation bras are available in a choice of white, black or skin colours and come in four sizes to fit sizes 32–38 B-F. Style 361 has a recommended retail price of just £10, while style 365 which offers removable foam pads for comfort with excellent fit retails at £16. Both styles are available from Emma-Jane retailers. Go to www.emma-jane.com for more details.

Tight-tastic Fun Blogger Giveaway.

We’re enjoying a relatively mild spell of weather for mid-November, but let’s be honest ladies – it’s hardly tropical – and certainly no weather for bare legs (the corned beef look doesn’t do anyone any favours). 

Don’t worry – we’re here to ensure you can take your summer maternity wardrobe right through autumn and winter with a range of fab maternity tights, designed to keep you supported, comfortable and warm!  They won’t break the bank, will update your look and means you don’t have to fork out lots of money on clothes that you’re only going to wear for a limited time.

Just for a bit of fun, we’d love to hear maternity clothing stories.  Favourites, big mistakes, clothing mishaps, anything you lived in, anything you couldn’t wait to see the back of, ceremonial throw-outs, keep-me’s, shopping trips, best buys, worst buys...whatever, we’d love to hear them all.

If you're a blogger, please write a blog post about maternity clothes or underwear  and send it to us by 30 November (send all entries to michelle@peekaboocoms.co.uk). We will host a blog carnival on this blog featuring all the posts. Whatever you like - as long as it is about maternity clothes.

And if you would like to run a fun competition on your blog to protect the nation from the sight of corned beef legs and need a prize or are pregnant yourself and would like a sample to review, we have a limited number of maternity tights we can give away as prizes. Please contact us on the email address given above to make arrangements.

Maternity Tights Perfect for Cold Weather

If you haven’t seen our funky maternity tights already – do go and check them out!

We’ve introduced a fashionable range of coloured and patterned maternity tights, designed to brighten up maternity wardrobes now the colder months are here.

The 60 Denier 558 range is made from supersoft microfibre and is available in black (goes with everything), purple (for the more funky among us), chocolate (the perfect autumn colour – looks great with tan boots), grey (for something a bit different without feeling like you’re too wacky) and mid-blue (bold and brave).

The 60 Denier 551 diamond patterned tights are black and look great teamed with this season’s block colours. 

Our designer Freda Scholey, said: “Our maternity tights are designed to grow with you throughout your pregnancy, offering comfort with expanding waistbands and shaped feet and gussets. So mums to be look smart and feel great. They’re also a great way to save money by taking summer maternity dresses through to autumn/winter whilst staying comfortable throughout your pregnancy.”

NEW WEBSITE GOES LIVE

We are officially delighted to launch our newly designed website - www.emma-jane.com. Our redesign aims to give our online presence a much younger, fresher and more contemporary feel – what do you think?

As many of you know (and for those that don’t), we provide simple, classic styles and practical solutions for pregnancy and motherhood and we wanted the website to reflect that offering.

It really serves two functions. Mums and mums-to-be can see the range more clearly and where to buy, while our retail outlets are able to access a secure part of the site and download videos, bra-fitting information and images of the collection.

The site upgrade supports our growing social media activity as frequent bloggers and regularly activity on Twitter and Facebook – we’d love for you to come and have a chat with us on either of these forums.

Earlier this year we celebrated 25 years of manufacturing maternity underwear, during which time the market landscape has changed significantly. The last decade has seen online consumer shopping grow exponentially!

Although how and where people buy their lingerie has changed we have kept our promise of comfort, support and affordability and ensure our award-winning collection is regularly wear-tested by mothers, so we can be sure we get it right time after time and continue to be a must-have of the mother-to-be’s wardrobe.

Preparing for First-time Breastfeeding

Breast feeding, it’s not just about giving your baby the vital nutrients and anti bodies he or she needs to grow healthily, it’s about the bond, the closeness you develop as you nurse them in the early hours of the morning, last thing at night or simply sat on the sofa watching daytime TV.

Most mums make it look easy, but the reality is that most will have found it difficult or uncomfortable at some point in those early weeks.  So is there anything you can do to prepare yourself and your body?

Learn as much about breastfeeding as you can – talk to other mums, your midwife, read books or take a class.  Type breastfeeding into You Tube and you’ll find a plethora of videos giving tips and advice.

Whether you think about it or not, your pregnant body is preparing itself for breastfeeding. That's one reason your breasts get so much bigger during pregnancy — your milk ducts and milk-producing cells are developing, and more blood goes to your breasts than before. But breast size has nothing to do with your ability to nurse successfully: For example, it's not true that smaller-breasted women make less breast milk. 

You don’t need any specific products to breastfeed, but a good nursing bra will comfortable and provide the support you need for your enlarged breasts.  It will also be easy to undo for quick access for feeding.  Take a peek at our Next Generation Seamfree Nursing Bra which claimed Gold in the recent Practical Parenting and Pregnancy Awards.  At Emma-Jane we also have a range of lovely nursing tops that includes an ultra-soft bamboo top, that don’t expose your whole breast while feeding.  Great for about the house and easy for layering now the colder moths are kicking in.

Disposable breast pads are a must.  Every woman leaks milk from time to time and a pad prevents any embarrassing leakages.

If you’d like your partner, a family member, friend or childminder to be able to help you feed your baby, but don’t want to give formula, then a breast pump allows you to express and freeze (for up to one month) your milk, which can then be given to the baby in a bottle.

Finally, many women also find a feeding cushion useful.  This horseshoe shaped cushion wraps around your stomach, allowing you to position your baby closer to your breast when sat upright.  However, a pillow also does the trick.

Talk to your midwife about the best cream to relive sore nipples and consider buying a cold pack to fit inside your bra to relieve swollen breasts.  A traditional remedy is to use cabbage leaves – try them – you might just be surprised.

Most importantly, enjoy the experience... it will give you memories you’ll treasure forever!

Breast Awareness Month

Boobs, bosoms, breasts, however you prefer to refer to them, they define our shape, play a role in our sexuality and nurture our children. 

October's Breast Awareness Month is run by Breast Cancer Care and aims to raise vital funds for its services and spread the breast awareness message.

There is evidence that breastfeeding for more than five months in total (one or more babies) can reduce a women’s risk of breast cancer, compared to women who do not breastfeed.  It also shows that the longer a women breastfeeds, the greater the protection.

There are other ways of decreasing your risk of developing breast cancer, such as maintaining a healthy weight and staying within the recommended guidelines for drinking alcohol. Whilst most cases of breast cancer (81%) appear in women over the age of 50, there are no guarantees and it can hit any woman at any stage of her life, so it’s important to stay breast aware and to know what’s normal for your breasts.

There’s no right or wrong way to check your breasts. Try to get used to looking at and feeling your breasts regularly. You can do this in the bath or shower, when you use body lotion, or when you get dressed. There’s really no need to change your everyday routine. Just decide what you are comfortable with and what suits you best.

Remember to check all parts of your breast, your armpits and up to your collarbone.

The breast awareness 5-point code

1.       You should know what is normal for you.

2.       Know what changes to look for – changes in size or shape, an inverted nipple, pain in your breast or armpit, a pain in your armpit, a lump that feels different to the breast tissue, a rash on the skin or / on the nipple and discharge from one or both nipples.

3.       Look and feel.

4.       Tell your GP about any changes straight away.

5.       Go for breast screening when invited.

For further information visit http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/

Gold Standard

 We’re celebrating here at Emma-Jane as Practical Parenting and Pregnancy Magazine has awarded Gold to our Next Generation Seamfree bra, style 361.  The bra achieved the Gold standard after real mums tested the nursing bra to ensure quality, comfort and affordability.

This award was won against stiff competition, including garments from international companies such as Bravado! Designs and HOTmilk.

We knew the Next Generation Seamfree bra style 361, had already proved to be a hit with mums, but we’re delighted to have the Practical Parenting mums’ seal of approval.  

“The comments we’ve been receiving about this bra confirm that pregnant and nursing mothers put comfort first.  And in tough economic times, a bra that delivers comfort along with good value is going to be a winner,” says Emma-Jane designer Freda Scholey. 

The Next Generation Seamfree bras deliver value in three ways:  excellent value, versatility - the fact that it can be used as a maternity and nursing bra, and stretch cups which adjust during the day as the breasts change shape.

The Next Generation bras are available in a choice of colours - white, black or skin - and in four sizes to fit sizes 32 – 38 B-F. Available from Emma-Jane retailers. Go to www.emma-jane.com  for more details.

Celeb Summer Babies – Here’s what they said…

At Emma-Jane we've had a lovely year welcoming lots of new celebrity babies into the world.   Like all mums to be, some of our favourite celebs have positively bloomed and we've enjoyed being able to watch them on their journey into motherhood.  And...there's been lots of discussions over coffee about the various names our clebs have chosen for the offspring - what were your thoughts?

In May this year, Emma Bunton gave birth to her second son Tate.  The former Spice Girl, 35, announced on her Twitter page.: 'Our beautiful son Tate has arrived safe and sound! We are all so happy and excited. Thanks and love to you all. Xx.'

 Mel B finally feels like she’s done it right.  She delivered a healthy baby girl, Madison after laughing so much she didn’t really push – “five big chuckles and she was out.” Madison is a third daughter for the 36-year-old singer and TV presenter, joining her older girls Phoenix, from her marriage to Jimmy Gulzar, and four-year-old Angel, from her relationship with Eddie Murphy.  Completing the family is seven-year-old Giselle, Stephen’s daughter from a former relationship.

Harper Seven makes it a hat trick for the Spice Girls (no surprise there then with Becks as her dad). Possibly the most photographed bump in history, the daughter of Posh and Becks (and heiress to a magnificent wardrobe) was born weighing 7lb 10oz on 10^th July.  The couple already have three boys, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.  The footballer wrote: 'I am so proud and excited to announce the birth of our daughter Harper Seven Beckham. Victoria is doing really well and her brothers are delighted to have a baby sister xx'

Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh gave birth in March after going into premature labour. Her fiance Jamie Lomas, 30, thanked fans on Twitter for their kind messages following the birth, posted: 'Thank you all so much for your lovely messages, she is an absolute belter and is doing really well. Kym, really proud of you. Go on Polly Lomas.

Danielle Lloyd’s son Harry was born 10 weeks early, weighing just 4lb 4oz, after she collapsed with stomach pains. Danielle, who is also mother to one-year-old Archie with footballer fiance Jamie O'Hara, said Harry will develop normally "but it'll take him longer".

Holly Willoughby tweeted her joy after welcoming daughter Belle Baldwin into the world one month early in April. Holly tweeted: 'Thank you for all your support these last few days. Belle Baldwin finally arrived at 5:10pm today weighing 5lbs 2oz. She's amazing. X'

TV presenter Myleene Klass gave birth to her second child in March, a baby girl called Hero Harper Quinn. The former Hear'Say star, 32, and fiance Graham Quinn, 36, welcomed the 6lbs, 2oz arrival who joins the couple's three-year-old daughter Ava Bailey.

And if all those lovely babies wasn’t enough…current pregnant celebs include Beyonce, Emma Willis, Jenni Faulkener, Lilly Allen, Amanda Holden, Una Healey, Jodi Albert and Carla Bruni

   

 

Maternity Bras - when to buy, what to get & how to fit

You're pregnant! Congratulations. In no time at all you'll have a lovely bump, but long before that appears, you might start to notice changes to your breasts. First they'll feel tender, similar to how they feel when you're pre-menstrual. This tenderness will last for the first trimester of pregnancy.

At around six to eight weeks, your nipples appear larger and the veins in your breasts appear more prominent. This is because the volume of blood circulating in the body increases throughout the pregnancy. Over time your breasts will get larger, heavier and in need of better support. That's where maternity bras come in.

It is important that you take care of your breasts during pregnancy. As your breasts have only ligaments and no muscles, they could be stretched if they are not properly supported.  A well designed maternity bra is the best way to support your breasts comfortably and preserve your shape.


 

When to buy?
Most expectant mothers experience growing breasts well before a growing tummy and as soon as your pre-pregnancy bra begins to feel uncomfortable that is the time to buy your first maternity bra – roughly month 4 but possibly a lot earlier than that.

Your breasts will continue to change and grow and you may need to adjust your bra or change bra size throughout your pregnancy. Expect your breasts to weigh an extra 750 grams more and be 5cm bigger!

Avoid regular underwire bras as the wires can cause the milk ducts to become blocked, as your milk comes in, and are more uncomfortable during pregnancy.

What to look for?

Remember these four key things when choosing your maternity bras:

Support :  You will need wider straps, sides and underbust band, with firm elastic straps to eliminate 'bounce' and give you the extra support you need.

Coverage:  More fabric over breast area. This will provide increased comfort as your breasts become more sensitive.

Adjustability: A minimum of 4 rows of back eyes will allow your bra to grow with you.

Comfort : They should have a high cotton content or other microfibre breathable fabric as your breasts will tend to perspire more.

Get the correct fit

Use our size chart  to work out your size or visit one of our retailers for a bra fitting. Important things to remember:

-        When fitting a maternity bra, ensure you have room to grow by fastening the bra on the tightest hook and eye setting. As your rib cage expands, you can adjust it to give yourself extra room.

-        Make sure the straps are wide enough to support you without digging in. They shouldn’t be too stretchy.

-        Ensure the centre seam lies flat against your breast bone and isn’t riding up too high at the back

-        Make sure that the cups fit snugly and smoothly covering most of the breast with no overflow at the top

Our maternity bra style 311 (pictured) is loved by mums as it ticks all the boxes above. See it here or go to our of our retailers to get one. They retail for around £13.95 - so great value for money too.