Launch of our dainty new 451 nursing bra

It’s been a busy year at Emma-Jane Maternity as we continue to introduce new lines to our award winning product range.  Our latest new arrival is the 451 nursing bra, a smooth bra with dainty spots, available in either black or white.

Priced at £25.00, it's available in sizes UK32-38 B/C D/DD E/F.

As with all Emma-Jane bras, the 451 gives a smooth and comfortable fit.  For extra support each cup is made with two layers of fabric, and is lined with organic pure cotton for added luxury.

Each cup opens individually so when one cup is open the other continues to give support.  The four back eyes allow adjustment as a woman’s body changes shape post pregnancy, and the bra extender 586 can also be used to increase the length of the bra.

Emma-Jane designer Freda Scholey said, “This lovely soft bra is very comforting against the skin, whilst being practical and supportive.  It’s not just our children we want to wrap in cotton wool, sometimes it’s ourselves too, especially in the months after delivery when a women is bonding with her child.  Clothing is an important part of how we feel about ourselves, which is something we really recognise at Emma-Jane when we’re designing and choosing fabrics.”

Emma-Jane Maternity on-trend with the launch of our new 362 maternity/nursing bra

With bright bold colours coming off the catwalks, the introduction of our Blue or Fuschia 362 nursing bra is bang on trend.

The 362 is an extension of our Next Generation Range, which are seamfree to give an extra comfortable fit, and designed to grow with mothers during pregnancy.  This pretty bra has a ruched centre, and a soft knitted underband for extra comfort.

For improved support, the shoulder straps have restricted stretch, and each cup has a clip that allows quick and easy access for breastfeeding.  Each cup also opens individually for feeding so the other continues to provide support.  The four back eyes allow for full adjustment as a woman’s body shape changes during pregnancy.

It is available in sizes UK 34-38 and has one cup size (fits B-F cups).  Priced at £14.

MadeForMums Give Emma-JaneThumbs Up

MadeForMums is the UK’s biggest professional review site for baby products, with hundreds of professionally written, independent reviews.  We are delighted that three of our products have featured and each received a whopping 4.5 stars out of 5!

We know it’s important to mums to read product reviews before buying so to know we’re getting it right for mums-to-be and new mums is great. 

Here’s what they said:

Next Generation Seamfree nursing bra (Style 361) – 4.5 stars

Every pregnant woman or breastfeeding mum needs a wardrobe staple when it comes to underwear and the Emma Jane Next Generation Seamfree nursing bra might just be the one.

True to form, Emma Jane has designed a price-conscious garment that rolls comfort, support and value into one, making it a real contender to more expensive seamfree bras on the market.

http://www.madeformums.com/reviews/productreview.aspx?productId=1186&mode=review

Maternity support belt – 4.5 stars

As soon as I started wearing the Emma Jane Maternity Support Belt I had instant relief. Both my back and pelvis felt like they had less strain on them and the horrible wobbly feeling I’d had for weeks disappeared.

One of my biggest problems was that my pelvic pain meant I couldn’t walk as far - the Emma Jane Maternity Support Belt means I can walk more than 100 yards without pain! It works for any shape, you just buy the size you were before you got pregnant and I used the same one right until the end of my pregnancy. http://www.madeformums.com/reviews/productreview.aspx?productId=645&mode=review

Nursing bra 428 – 4.5 stars

The Emma Jane Nursing Bra 428 is a brilliant basic for breastfeeding mothers. Not only is it incredibly easy to release and do up the cups, it offers fantastic support and is ultra-comfy to boot.

I found the Emma Jane Nursing Bra invaluable when breastfeeding my baby son Elliot. I bought one in black and one in white, and used them constantly. Of all the bras I tried during a department store fitting, it offered the firmest support, and was easily the best fit.

http://www.madeformums.com/reviews/productreview.aspx?productId=617&mode=review

And the winners are......

Congratulations to the 25 mums who won our nursing bras in our 25th anniversary competition. You should have received an email from us letting you know that you're a winner - and you'll be getting your bra in the post soon. Please do let us have your feedback on the bras - simply post a comment on our Facebook Page.

And we also need to unveil the winner of our retailer competition, who will be getting £250 to spend with us! We asked our online retailers to send us a link to the Emma-Jane products on their websites. We were looking for a stockist that made best use of our free videos, images and content, and most accurately and enthusiastically represented our range. We'd like to thank all the retailers who sent us their links. It's great to see our products so well supported.

It was a tough decision - really tough - choosing a winner, but the retailer we went for in the end was selected because they have shown off our range really well - with an intro page, good use of our videos, a combination or our and their images, 3D images and lots of additional info plus terrific product descriptions. In general, a great looking site.

And the winner is.......

FROM HERE TO MATERNITY!!

However, as it was so hard to choose, we also really wanted to say thank you to two other retailers for the fantastic way they promote our products on their sites and the support you give us. Everyday Maternity - great use of our images and video, plus a consistent supporter of ours on Twitter, Facebook and on this blog - you even wrote a blog post for us, and More 4 Mums, another regular supporter of ours and for going the extra mile and blogging about us - you will both be getting £50 to spend with us.

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate our 25th anniversary.  And to all the mothers out there, happy Mother's Day for Sunday!

Love yourself - day 8 - Breastfeeding

With just 7 days till Valentine's Day, have you started to Love Yourself yet mums? At Emma-Jane we really want mums to just take five minutes out of giving everyone else kisses and cuddles and love and attention and focus on themselves. Which is why we're giving you one reason every day to love yourself.

Day 8 - Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is a subject that causes so much angst amongst mums. It's a battleground women seem determined to beat each other up about. Our view is this: Breastfeeding is what your body is designed to do and is best for your baby. And if you can do it, do it. But if for whatever reason you can't, then don't beat yourself up about it. It's just another reason mums sometimes feel like they've failed. And we're trying to get you to Love Yourself remember, not make you feel worse. So to formula feeding mums, be comfortable with your choice and let it go.

That said, we are a company that makes nursing bras - not baby bottles - so we're obviously more in the breastfeeding camp. To the mums who do choose to breastfeed, we applaud you. We know that it isn't always easy and that there'll be days when you want your breasts back to yourself. It can be sore. It can be frustrating. It can be exhausting. And you might feel like giving up. But you don't. You keep persevering. And you do it. And when you look at that plump, healthy, thriving baby, you know that its entirely down to you and the goodness your body produces.  Just another reason to remember why you're awesome.

Our range of nursing bras and tops are designed to give you the comfort and support you need, while feeding your baby - so do check it out.

Tell us about your breastfeeding stories or simply Like Us on Facebook to be entered into our draw to win these Valentines chocolates.

Is it possible to be in love with a bra?

Firstly, happy new year! The Emma-Jane team wishes you a 2011 filled with love and happiness (not to mention as much sleep as possible for new mums). Speaking of love and happiness, you might want to give our new Next Generation seamfree bras a try as they seem to be making hearts flutter.

Leading parenting website MadeforMums had this to say about our new style 361 bra: "Every pregnant woman or breastfeeding mum needs a wardrobe staple when it comes to underwear and the Emma Jane Next Generation Seamfree nursing bra might just be the one."

It goes on to say: "The Next Generation Seamfree nursing bra (Style 361) is a new release from UK maternity and nursing lingerie specialists Emma Jane and is the company’s first seamfree product. True to form, Emma Jane has designed a price-conscious garment that rolls comfort, support and value into one, making it a real contender to more expensive seamfree bras on the market."
You can read the full review (which saw our bra being awarded 4.5 out of 5 stars) here.

We also regularly send out product samples to pregnant and nursing mums, asking them to try them out and give us their feedback so that we know what needs to improve and what works. One of our recent testers had this to say about style 365 (like the 361, but with removable pads):

"Brilliant that it goes from sizes B to F. Genius!"

When asked whether it was comfortable, the reviewer said:
"Very. Loved it! Loved the foam pads. Loved the design. Loved the seamfree look. Loved everything!"

When asked whether she'd buy this bra, she said:
"Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!!!! I just wish I'd known about it a year ago. Definitely the best nursing/maternity bra I have ever worn. Definitely recommend it to everyone I know. 10 out of 10."

So if you haven't tried it yet, get to one of our retailers and have a go. You never know, you might just fall in love too.

If you've tried our new seamfree bras, leave us your feedback below! And don't forget to join us on Facebook.

What people are saying about our new Seamfree nursing bras

Our new nursing bra styles are getting some rave reviews. This is what people are saying about styles 361 and 365, our new Next Generation seamfree bras that cost from just £10:

From Babyworld
The Emma Jane 361 nursing bra is a pleasure to wear day and night! It is seamfree and stretchy so very comfortable and discrete under clothing. I love the fact that it allows lower necklines thanks to it's ruched center. The 4 rows of hooks at the back allow adjustement for change in the body size and a bra extender is even available! Each cup individually open but when one is open the rest of the bra stays nicely in place. It is very easy to open,and to refasten,even with one hand,you don't even have to look at them!..great for discrete nursing in public. I can't talk much about support as I have small breast. Overall I found it to be a quality garment at a great price. Reviewed by Olivia

and

Love this bra. Being that the up size covers from B-F it's great to wear straight after birth as milk supply settles as your size can vary hugely during this time! It's not what I'd call super supportive for the larger lady but certainly better than I expected from such a soft cup bra. The ruched center works well and adds nice detail and the knitted underband is very comfortable. Each cup has a clip so can be dropped independantly while still maintainging support on the other side. It's a great bra in my opinion! Reviewed by Rachael

Meanwhile, one of our retailers sent us this customer feedback about the 365:
"I have just fitted new bra 365 for the first time today. Customer's verdict - supremely comfortable and didn't want to take it off."

While one of our Scandinavian customers said this:
"We need more 365s - this has sold very well."

So if you haven't tried our new seamfree bras yet, ask for them! You can find a full list of our retailers online here. To find out more about them, take a closer look here including a video of the new styles on the catwalk.

Thinking of extended breastfeeding?

This week's guest blog post is written by Katie Gunn, an Irish mum of three, whose blog is Kate Takes 5. She's got some great advice for mums who want to do extended breastfeeding but who might feel under pressure - for whatever reason - to give up.

~~~
Six and a half years ago I gave birth for the first time. Whilst still in the delivery room, amidst the pain, exhaustion and confusion I managed to successfully breastfeed my baby daughter Kaya for the first time. Since that moment I have never looked back.

Fortunately I was one of the really lucky ones who never experienced any problems with feeding - so I kept going with it, and going, and going...

Initially I had thought that I would have to stop feeding as soon as I returned to work. But with the helpful advice of a local nurse I realised that I could wean Kaya off her day feeds and keep going with the night time ones.

Most of my fellow work mums thought I was crazy and looked at me in bemused bewilderment each time they asked 'Still feeding then?'. But it was more than worth it for me. Being able to continue that special bond with my daughter, despite the fact that I wasn't able to be around during the day was, for me, irreplaceable.

When Kaya reached 20 months and I was 4 months pregnant with my second child I finally decided that it was time to take a break. Though it wasn't for long! My second son came along 5 months later and was breastfed until 14 months, when he decided he just wasn't that interested in it anymore (it took me awhile to get over that one!). My third boy is now 2 years old and is still feeding at night.

Understandably this arrangement wouldn't suit everybody - but as a mother it's great to know that there are options available to you - even if you are forced back to work, or are unexpectedly pregnant again, or are feeling pressure to give it up. My advice would be to explore your options fully before making any big decisions.

The bottom line is that whatever feels right for you is right for you - so trust those mothering instincts.
As an aside, and with absolute integrity, I would highly recommend Emma Jane's feeding bras to any mothers who are breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed their babies. I only discovered them during my third pregnancy and was so impressed I bought one in every colour. They are extremely comfortable and are excellent value. If only I had known about them 6 years ago!

You're a size what?! Our new nursing bra for bigger busts

We know. You didn't think it was possible for your breasts, which were bursting out of your maternity bra, to get any bigger. But now that you're breastfeeding they've taken on gargantuan proportions. As you edge closer and closer to the middle of the alphabet with your cup size, you might be despairing about ever finding a bra that fits.

Despair no more. Our new nursing bra for bigger busts is now available. Style 431 ranges from size 32DD to 32K. And like all our bras, our main focus is on comfort and support.

This pretty embroidered bra comes with a choice of three detachable straps - clear, cushioned and stretch – so you can find one that gives you the most comfortable support. It also has four back eyes to adapt for a changing shape and clips for easy breastfeeding.

 

It is available in white only, the RRP is £30 and it is now available from Emma-Jane retailers, a full list of which can be found on our website. Happy feeding!

Win a new seamfree Emma-Jane nursing bra - your breastfeeding tips needed

When it comes to breastfeeding, there is a wealth of information out there. And while we are very, very good at making nursing bras, we will readily admit that we're not breastfeeding experts.  Which is why La Leche League is one of the organisations we support. We know there are plenty of qualified people to provide advice to mums on how to breastfeed so that it's a wonderful experience for them.

But often the best tips come from other mums. Mums who have been there, done that, got the the milk stains on the t-shirt. And that's where we'd like your help.

Post your top breastfeeding tips in the comments section below or sign up to become a Facebook fan and post your tip here and then we'll send the person with the best tip one of our new Emma-Jane seamfree nursing bras - pictured below - or if you're no longer breastfeeding, an uplifting Bliss Stick from MamaBabyBliss, for those days when you need a little lift.

 

We'll kick things off with our tip:
Sleep with breastpads in a sleep bra at night because on those rare nights when your baby does sleep for more than a couple of hours, your breasts are likely to leak!

So share yours and we'll announce a winner on 5 November.

What do you need for breastfeeding?

You've decided to breastfeed and may be wondering what you need to be prepared. Many nursing mums will say you need to buy nothing - that's the joy of breastfeeding, it's far cheaper and simpler than bottle feeding. But there are things that will make it easier. We've suggested some must haves and some nice to haves:

Must haves:

• 2 to 3 comfortable nursing bras that give you good support, with drop down cups. When breastfeeding, particularly in the early days, you won't be thinking about co-ordinated, sexy lingerie. You'll be thinking comfort, comfort, comfort. Trust us!
• a sleep bra. When you're sleeping (those few rare hours!) your breasts can leak. A sleep bra makes it easy to hold breastpads in place, gives you support and is comfortable to lie down in with no hooks and eyes to dig in.
• a nipple cream. Mums swear by well known brands like Lansinoh and Kamillosan or you could try all natural creams like  Aaah Soothing Balm from MamaBabyBliss.
• Breastpads. Some people are lucky enough to get away without needing them but most feeding mums will need them. So stock up!
• Muslins. These simple squares of fabric are brilliant for putting over your shoulder while you're winding your baby and help avoid having a posset covered back. They're also great for covering up if you're out and about and to mop up after milk sprays when your baby decides to pop off the breast and have a good look around. Years later you'll find they make greater dusters too.

Nice to haves:

• A support pillow. You can buy specially shaped ones but a regular pillow works too
• A breastfeeding chair. Again, nice to have a proper chair to sit in when feeding but as long as you have a comfortable chair and ideally something to raise your feet, you can get away without having to buy one
• Feeding tops. These make feeding when you're out and about much easier. But if you are cash strapped, you can get away with just some regular vest tops that are loose enough for you to pull down and have an unbuttoned shirt over the top for more coverage. The vest helps keep your tummy covered, which just after giving birth, you won't really want to flash to the world.
• A breast pump. If you're trying to get your baby onto a schedule, rather than feeding on demand, or if you want your partner to have a turn at feeding, you might want to use a breast pump. If you do this, you'll also need bottles and a steriliser.

Little extras

• A large insulated mug for tea so that it stays warm while you're feeding.
• A water bottle - again, you will get thirsty while feeding and it's great to have on hand nearby without having to try reach forward for a glass
• Snacks - healthy snacks to give you the energy you need
• Face cloths - heat them up with hot water (or make very cool with ice water) and apply them to your breasts when they're engorged. It helps relieve some of the pressure, particularly in the middle of the night.

Happy feeding! And if you have any suggestions of must haves or nice to haves, please share them in the comments section.