WHAT MATERNITY CLOTHES DO I NEED?

What maternity clothes do I really need to buy and when do I need to buy them? 

Is it OK to buy cheap or should I be looking at quality, after all it's only a few months?

If I buy maternity clothes too early will I have to buy bigger sizes later in the pregnancy?

Where can I buy maternity clothes? There are no stores around.

All these questions and more, I hope to answer in this blog.


I'm guessing that if you are asking these questions, this is your first baby. Congratulations!

Now there is no rule book that you can really follow for anything pregnancy related. We are all different so the answers to all these questions is going to vary from person to person but as a general rule, you will make it through to about 20 weeks in your first pregnancy before you really need to buy maternity clothes. Having said that, by 8 weeks I was busting out of my normal clothes. If this is your second baby then chances are you'll be lucky to make it to 8 weeks before you are out buying maternity wear.

The beauty of maternity wear these days is that it is no longer ugly moo moos and pants with huge knit panels in the front. For the most part, maternity wear is more comfortable than anything else you will ever wear and they are designed so that you can wear most of it with a belly or without. Even better, most of the maternity tops and dresses are also designed for breastfeeding. You no longer have to buy a maternity wardrobe and later buy a breastfeeding wardrobe.

So the answer to the question of when to buy actually leads us to the answer of whether to buy cheap stuff or quality stuff. I know you've heard it all before, how buying cheap clothes is false economy because it doesn't last long but in the case of maternity you don't really have a lot of choice but to buy quality. There aren't many retail stores here in Australia and even fewer suppliers so what there is will certainly be more expensive than the big chain stores. Most the chain stores have dropped their maternity range so unless you are happy wearing black cotton lycra from Target, you are going to have to lash out a bit. The upside of this is that you are supporting small Australian businesses, you are getting great service and you are getting clothes that will last.

You may think it is a short time that you wearing maternity. Think again! Let's say you make it to 20 weeks before having to buy any maternity wear. There's still another 20 weeks until you give birth. I hate to break it to you but the chances of you making it back to your pre-pregnancy size inside of the first 4 months post pregnancy (without the help of a personal trainer, personal chef and great genes) are not great. So there's another 16 weeks minimum. If you are feeding it could be 12 months or more before you put away the maternity/breastfeeding clothes. So let's say you will be wearing these clothes for a minimum of 36 weeks.

If all you owned was 3 tops and 2 pants, you would be so over these clothes that by the end of the 36 weeks you would most likely want to burn them. You would be washing every few days so as the garment would have to endure over 70 washes you would want to hope it was good quality.

OK, so what am I suggesting you buy?

Ideally, don't go out a buy a whole wardrobe of maternity clothes in one crazy shopping spree. In most cases, whatever you buy will fit you right through your pregnancy, if you choose wisely and get the right advice, but there are other factors to consider. What looks good in early pregnancy, may not look so good in later pregnancy and what looks good in later pregnancy with a tight round belly may not look so hot post pregnancy with a flabby, not so round belly. You are definitely going to encounter different seasons in the time you are wearing maternity/breastfeeding clothes so no point having all Winter wear if you are due at the end of Winter and will be feeding through Spring/Summer.

If you are lucky enough to have a specialty maternity wear store anywhere near you then you have the luxury of popping in as you need things. Even if it is a bit of a trek to get to a store, after one visit you will have a better idea of the brands you like, the styles that work on you and sizing which will make ordering online down the track a lot easier.

If you have to order online, then ring the store and discuss styles and sizes. They will have a pretty accurate idea of what is needed and it will save you a lot of mucking around with returns. Some stores, like Maternity Revolution in Brisbane, will even send you a selection of items to try at no cost and you only pay for what you keep. They also don't charge for postage on exchanges and if you spend over $150, there is no postage charged for your original order either.

I know, I still haven't answered your question as to what is essential to buy and what's not.

You are most likely to need maternity pants before you need tops. Your own pants will start to get tight and uncomfortable, particularly in the afternoon. If you are working I would suggest you buy 2 pair of work pants or work skirts. This allows you to wear one pair while the other pair is being washed. If you normally wear pantyhose or tights then a few pairs of these would also be a good idea at this time. For casual wear it will depend what climate you live in. A pair of jeans and a pair of cargo pants are ideal in Winter but if it is Summer you might lean more towards, shorts and skirts.

If you are really determined to keep your maternity wardrobe to a minimum then pants and skirts are a smarter choice than dresses. You can have several tops you alternate with the pants and it will make it look as though you have several outfits. With a dress, each time you wear it people will recognise it as "that dress" again.

Another quick note about dresses. While they are super comfortable and versatile if they allow for breastfeeding, you do have the issue of thigh chaffing in Summer and in late pregnancy a dress can really make you look huge.

Also, a side note on tops. While I have said that you won't need to buy these as early as you buy your maternity pants, the exception to this is if you used to wearing fitted tops to work that you usually tuck into your pants or skirts. Most maternity pants and skirts have a black knit band on top that would look silly with a top tucked in. There are some pencil skirts in stretchy fabrics that you can buy and if you pull these up high under your bust with a fitted tucked in top, it looks cleverly like a dress.

When the time comes that your own tops just aren't cutting it anymore, then I would suggest buying 3 works tops and 2 work dresses, so you can mix things up a bit. For home you can get away with less as it's normally only the weekend you need tops at the moment so 2 should be enough. Later when you finish work you will need to increase the number of casual items in your maternity/breastfeeding wardrobe.

Bras are just a whole other discussion and you will find my advice on this in an earlier blog here.

A few weeks before you are due you will need to think about what you are taking to hospital. In most cases you wont' be there for long and most hospitals give you a good list of what to pack. Just keep in mind that if you have a caesarean you are better off with nighties and dresses than pants. Also remember that you will be wearing big thick maternity sanitary pads and bleeding profusely so go for dark colours and if you are taking pants, go for long tops. Also remember that you will be having visitors so you are best to have loungewear for day use, rather than wearing sleepwear all day.

Another mistake that first time mum's make is that they forget that they will be having to wear a bra to bed to keep their breast pads in place so they don't leak everywhere. Given that you will be sore and engorged for the first week or so, it is best to take with you soft sleep bras and feeding camis with built in bras rather than your super supportive day bra. Definitely forget the underwire maternity bras for that first week or so.

So in summary I would suggest:

Shopping Trip 1
- 2 pair of work pants or 2 skirts (approx $60 each for pants and $50 for skirts)
- 1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of cargo pants or shorts/skirts (approx $80 for jeans and $65 for cargos)
- Pantyhose/Tights  (Approx $12.50 each for pantyhose and $25 each for tights)

Shopping Trip 2
- 3 work tops (approx $60 each)
- 2 work dresses (approx $70 each)
- 2 weekend tops (approx $60 each)

Shopping Trip 3 (when getting ready for hospital)
- 3 more casual tops (approx $60 each)
- 2 casual dresses (approx $70 each)
- 2 sleep bras/camis (bras around $40-$55, camis $40-$50)
- comfy pants that can double as pj's if needed (approx $40 each)
- 2 nighties or pj sets (approx $80 set or $60 for nighties)
- Disposable breast pads
- Sanitary pads.
-Disposable briefs for hospital ($9.95 for 4)
-Ice packs

By now you will have already bought some maternity bras but don't go too crazy, just in case feeding doesn't work for you. Once you have had the baby and your engorgement has gone down you can then buy a few more bras and some re-usable breast pads which are great for use at home and for sleeping and will save you heaps of money in the long run.

Now the last question I have to answer is where to buy all this maternity wear.

Well the sad truth is that there aren't many maternity stores left. Ladies these days seem reluctant to buy maternity wear and therefore it is not exactly a thriving industry to be in. There are a few left here and there, like us in Brisbane at Maternity Revolution. Brisbane in fact has about 6 stores to choose from but some cities have 1 if they are lucky. In this case, I'm afraid it has to be Target, Kmart or online shopping. At Maternity Revolution we offer online shopping as well and we encourage you to phone or email us if you are unsure because we are hear to help and make suggestions.

Please try and support Australian businesses before purchasing from overseas websites if you can.

Hopefully, if more ladies support local maternity stores then more will open and once again you will be spoilt for choice at amazing prices.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution
1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500
Ph: 07 32051818
Email: lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au

MATERNITY TIGHTS AND LEGGINGS - A FEW THINGS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU DECIDE ON A STYLE.

Seems a fairly simple request. A customer walks into our store wanting a pair of maternity tights. She heads for the accessories wall and suddenly she is confronted with at least 7 different options. Confusion sets in.

Allow me to explain your different options.

Maternity Pantyhose: your conventional sheer 15 denier pantyhose for work and evening wear. 

EXAMPLE: Fertile Mind Sheerhose 2 pack.

Compression Maternity Pantyhose: Same as above but with medical compression for ladies with vein problems. 

EXAMPLE: Therafirm

Footless Seamless Maternity Tights: A thicker style of tight that can almost be worn as a pant but not as thick as a cotton lycra or viscose legging. Very stretchy and comfortable and made in the same way as traditional pantyhose on a knitting machine. 

EXAMPLE: Seraphine Leggings or Fertile Mind Premium Leggings.

Opaque Maternity Tights: Available with feet or without. Half way between a pantyhose and seamless tights. Very stretchy and comfortable but still a bit sheer. A nice lightweight option for layering an outfit. 

EXAMPLE: Fertile Mind Maternity Tights and Footless Tights.

Cotton Lycra Leggings: Cotton lycra is the typical t-shirt type fabric. In leggings it is an actual pant with a very fitted leg. Available in both full length and 3/4 length and can be used to layer an outfit or can be worn as a pant and particularly good to exercise in. 

EXAMPLE: Pea in a Pod cotton lycra leggings.

Viscose Leggings: Viscose is a much softer, thinner fabric that cotton lycra. Probably comfier and better for layering but because the fabric is a bit thinner they probably show a few too many lumps and bumps to be worn as a pant. Available in full length or 3/4 length. 

EXAMPLE: Laila and Spot Maternity Leggings or Pea in a Pod Soft Touch Leggings.

There are also jeggings but that's a whole other story. Jeggings originally were a legging that looked like a jean but the term has been extended to very skinny fitting pants. For example, Pea in a Pod have their Rolls Royce Ponti Jeggings and Ripe have the Isla denim Jeggings. There are also various print leggings available.

Hope this helps. I have included links to the various examples so you can easily purchase them or find out more information them.

If you are after something we don't have or a size we don't have, let us know and we can try and source it for you.

As always, feel free to phone me on 07 32051818 or email me lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au if you need any help.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution
1/124 Southpine Rd
Brendale QLD 4500

ARE THE SRC RECOVERY SHORTS WORTH THE MONEY?

SRC Recovery Shorts

A few years back I had 3 customers in store on a Saturday all asking about the SRC Recovery Shorts. I didn't even know what they were but I was sure they must be a gimmick. I mean to say, who in their right mind would spend $189 on a pair of shorts. I had a baby and survived without them and yes I have a permanent pregnant looking belly but isn't that just the way it is? I hate to admit that I'm sometimes wrong but I was wrong!

I bowed to public pressure and began to stock the SRC range of pregnancy shorts, leggings and recovery shorts and in the past 5 years I have only had one customer that has not liked them.

So how do they work?

Let me be quite clear that I am not a doctor and I a simply telling you what I have been told by the manufacturers of these products, by physiotherapists and by customers that have used the product. It is always wise to do your own research and consult you doctor for their professional opinion.

For those of you that haven't yet had your first child, it is hard to describe the feeling of your newly empty belly. Everything has been pushed out of shape and takes time to slowly move back into place. For many, their abdominal muscles have started to separate or at the very least, been pushed to their limits. Wearing a support garment feels so good. Everything feels supported and you move more confidently. The is especially true if you have had a caesarian birth. Having the support will help you to move around more and reduce the risk of tearing your stitches.

Now when you move more you use your muscles more so that's benefit No.1 but as you move the SRC recovery shorts apply resistance to the muscles and this gives you a double whammy. 

The compression of the garment helps your body to heal after surgery and is beneficial for ladies with vein problems higher up the leg and groin. Also beneficial to ease that throbbing pain in the vaginal area.

The Recovery Shorts hold your body in a position that is supportive to your joints so in this way they can help to ease and prevent back and pelvic pain.This can be especially helpful if your ligaments have loosened up more than they are supposed to during pregnancy.

You see, you may think that your body is fine but it's not going to be put to the test until next time you fall pregnant and by then it's too late. Last week alone I had 4 customers ring up asking for help because they were pregnant for the 2nd/3rd time and while only a few weeks into the pregnancy, already they were starting to feel their abdominal muscles stretching. Two ladies had a nasty burning sensation that their doctors put down to the abdominal muscles starting to tear, How scary must that be knowing how much more these muscles have yet to stretch?

I don't want to scare you but I think I must have heard of just about every pregnancy complication there is and many of them that would seem to be preventable because they are related to muscles that just haven't bounced back. Sure you need to exercise and eat well above all else but there is no doubt that the SRC Recovery Shorts will help.

Poor muscle conditions leads to so many problems with one of the nastiest being when all your insides start to want to come out of your vagina!

Can I just stress that this is not about vanity. Often I get women in the store wanting to buy Recovery shorts to help get their body back as soon as possible. They want the shorts as tight as possible because they feel that the tighter the short the better it will work. It's not about beauty, it's about health and fitness, Yes it will help you to regain your pre-baby body faster than if you did nothing but it's not a miracle cure, so buy them for the right reasons. 

Check with your private health insurer because if you are with a good company they will pay up to 80% of the cost. Even if they don't, if you plan for the cost and put away $5 a week during your pregnancy you'll have the money ready to go. 

At Maternity Revolution we will measure you up, or help you measure yourself if you can't get into store.We will have the shorts posted to you with no charge for postage and then you can have them ready to take with you to hospital. If after you have had the baby you try on the shorts and don't like them, you can return them for a full refund. If you need a different size we will have them posted to you at no extra cost and you can return the pair that doesn't work. We can provide you with the letter you need in order to attempt a claim on your health insurance too.

Feel free to call us today and ask any questions.

Lisa Hovar

Maternity Revolution

1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500

07 32051818

Email us

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE BUYING MATERNITY WEAR

Ninth Moon Maternity Long Sleeve Weave Breastfeeding Dress

Reason Number 1: OK, so reason number 1 is obviously to keep me, and the few maternity stores that still exist, in business :)

Reason Number 2: To support small business and the Australian Economy because most maternity stores and maternity suppliers are small Australian businesses and much of the stock is still manufactured in Australia.

Reason Number 3: Now here's where there is direct benefit to you. Maternity Wear is so comfortable. It's not as pricey as it used to be and most of it is designed to be worn while breastfeeding as well as pregnancy. In fact, most of it can be worn pregnant or not. So it's a financially clever option.

The alternative for many is buying normal clothes a few sizes bigger, or looking for stretchy garments but I don't understand the logic. Why spend money on ill fitting clothes that most likely won't even get you through a full pregnancy when you can buy clothes designed for the purpose and have the benefit of being able to wear them afterwards while breastfeeding?

As for price, buying cheap crap from Target will not last a full pregnancy. You'll be lucky if it gets you half way and it certainly won't be in any kind of condition suitable for a 2nd or 3rd pregnancy.

I know there are still some expensive designer labels of maternity wear out there but the average price of a top quality garment here at Maternity Revolution is $59.95. That top will last you years and it is one that can be worn while pregnant and while breastfeeding. In fact you don't even have to be pregnant to wear most things.

I'm not a big advocate of the Belly Belt either. Once upon a time when maternity wear was ugly and had big over tummy panels in the front I could understand why people were reluctant to wear them and in the early stages of pregnancy a Belly Belt was an essential maternity wardrobe item but these days the maternity pants are just so comfy and again, you don't have to have a tummy to wear them. So why not buy yourself a few pairs of maternity pants and be comfortable and well dressed as opposed to having this lumpy, uncomfortable contraption hooked up to your normal pants?

Quite seriously the Australian Maternity Industry is struggling and if you don't support us we will disappear and I know that many of you don't want that because the customers we do have are always so grateful that we exist. We are always asked by customers to open new stores around the country which I would love to do if more people patronised the stores that currently exist. We are told our service is the best and we know this is true by all the good reviews we have. To my knowledge we have not received even one bad review.

So if we have great stock, great prices and great service you need to pay us a visit. We are online or we have a huge store on Brisbane's Northside at 1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale. Plus, we are open 7 days.

We don't just do maternity wear either. We also stock maternity bras and support garments. Yes we also do plus size maternity clothes up to size 26 and larger cup bras up to an H cup.

By the way, if you don't believe me that Maternity Wear stores are becoming extinct, visit your local Westfield and see what you find. There are no more specialty maternity stores in the big centres. Pumpkin Patch no longer do maternity wear, Mothercare went broke, Room 4 Two went broke too. David Jones and Myers haven't bothered with maternity wear for years and I am told that Big W have dropped maternity wear this season. That leave KMart and Target but there range is going to bring you to tears unless you like shapeless, black, t-shirt fabric garments.

So come on people! BUY MATERNITY WEAR from a proper maternity wear store....NOW! (Pretty please)

PS. There seems to be a demand for second hand maternity wear on sites like Gumtree so you can always sell your clothes when you are finished with them. (Not your cheap crap though because that will have fallen apart within a few weeks).

Thanks for listening.

Lisa Hovar

www,maternityrevolution.com.au
Ph: 07 32051818
Email: lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au

MATERNITY SLEEPWEAR HAS ARRIVED AT MATERNITY REVOLUTION

It's the simple things that get me excited sometimes and given that it has been 11 years of searching I am very excited that I have finally found some comfortable, well priced maternity sleepwear.

The brand is Mamaybebe. The styles include a blue check flannelette maternity pyjama pant, various breastfeeding tops to match back to the pants, a nightie with a built in bra for breastfeeding and a simple black short sleeve breastfeeding nightie. All items can be worn while pregnant or nursing.

Go to the maternity sleepwear page on our website and see for yourself.

Of course we also have some other great options like comfy cotton lycra foldover pants, 3/4 pant, shorts and leggings that can be teamed up with a breastfeeding cami and a dressing gown to make a perfect loungewear/sleepwear combo to pack in your hospital bag.

If you are not packing camis with built in bras then don't forget to pack yourself a sleep bra of some sort. You are going to be very sore and engorged for the first week or so yet you will need something to keep your breastpads in place. Without these you will leak milk everywhere. You can sleep in your everyday bra, as long as it isn't an underwire bra, but you will be much comfier in a proper breastfeeding sleep bra. I can suggest the Cake Cotton Candy bra,the Hotmilk My Necessity Bra,the Fertile Mind Super Sleep Bra and the Fertile Mind Super Bra. You will find them all on our website under maternity sleepwear or under maternity lingerie,underwear and hoisery.

If you are at all unsure about what to pack, please fell free to phone us at Maternity Revolution on 07 32051818 or email us lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au

Here's a few images of the new sleepwear in store.

Regards,

Lisa Hovar

www.maternityrevolution.com.au

Aberdeem Maternity Pyjama Pant

Siena maternity/feeding nightie

Avignon Nursing Top

Malibu Nightie with built in bra (not yet on website)

Teneriffe Feeding Tank

Maternity Wear Prices Have Never been lower!

So you want maternity wear bargains! Well you need to visit us at #Maternity Revolution soon.

We have reduced all our Precious Cargo maternity stock to just $10. Most these items were priced at over $100 originally but we have to clear it all out. Seriously, you should see my shed. Boxes and boxes of stock.

There are maternity pants, maternity dresses, maternity skirts, maternity tees, fully lined maternity jackets and more.

We have also reduced our already reduced Egg Maternity stock by a further 20%.

The Egg stock includes maternity evening wear dresses and some casual #maternity dresses and #breastfeeding tops. Prices start from $19.95.

Then of course there is our most popular and top selling label, Ninth Moon Maternity. Even at full price the Ninth Moon stock is reasonably priced but we at Maternity Revolution have all our Ninth Moon Maternity stock at well below recommended retail price.

In fact, there isn't much in our store that isn't reduced so visit us instore or online today.

www.maternityrevolution.com.au
PH: 07 32051818
1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500
Open 7 days

Lisa Hovar

WHERE HAVE ALL THE MATERNITY WEAR STORES GONE?

It's a fact! The maternity industry in Australia has shrunk to the point where it should be listed on an endangered species register!

I should know. I have owned my own store, Maternity Revolution, in Brendale on Brisbane's northside for 11 years now. I have been in the maternity industry for 15 years.

Here in Brisbane we probably lead the country with a whopping 5 stores (2 inner north, 2 outer north and 1 in the west). Elsewhere in Australia you would be lucky to count more than 1 store in each capital city.

David Jones don't do maternity, nor do Myers. From what I am told by my customers, Big W's range is now so small they may as well not do anything while Kmart and Target specialise in black cotton lycra basics only. Pumpkin Patch have dropped their maternity range. Room 4 Two and Mothercare, two very big retail chains situated in most the Westfields, both closed their doors some years ago.

As you can imagine, if the big players can't make a go of it, the little guys have even less chance and hence we have seen a lot of small boutiques close their doors. I can count at least 20 stores that have closed over the past 10 years.

The big question is :Why?"

Aren't people still getting pregnant?

I am so sick of people walking into the store in late pregnancy, perhaps coming in for bras or breastfeeding clothes and saying: "Wow! Great store. Wish I'd known about this earlier." My standard response is to ask why they didn't know about it till now. The standard answer is: "I DIDN'T LOOK!"

Holy moly! How does a small business overcome that hurdle. It's hard enough these days to get people's attention with the virtual death of print advertising and email being about as effective as whispering in a night club. Google hasn't helped. It has meant that you have to sit back and wait till customers are looking for you and in the meantime you pay $1000's of dollars a month to try and be found on Google when and if they decide to look. So if they are not even looking....then what?

I suppose what I am trying to say, is don't complain about the lack of something if you don't plan to give it your full support. This is similar to what's happening in the fresh food industry at the moment. Cries can be heard from every corner for better labelling laws and more Australian produce but in reality, few people are prepared to pay for it. Soon Australian frozen berries will hit the supermarket shelves and I will be interested to see what support they get. Many people will undoubtedly want to buy them but whether they are prepared to put their money where their mouth is remains to be seen.

So it is also with maternity wear. I hear requests for plus size maternity wear, maternity bras for larger cups sizes, maternity sports bras, strapless maternity bras, more maternity evening wear, maternity wear for tall people, maternity wear for short people, and so on and so on. I could go and spend $5000 on some plus size maternity shorts, 3/4 pants, jeans, cargos, and a few tops and to make it worthwhile all I would need to do is sell 1-2 pieces of it a day. That way, by the end of 60 days, when the bill comes dues, it is all sold and I can pay the bill and order more. That just doesn't happen though. If people want plus size maternity then I need at least 1 customer a day.  I don't know what the birth rate is for plus size women in Australia but given that a business can only really expect to grab about 2% of the market there would need to be nearly 20,000 plus size women giving birth each year. With just over 300,000 births nationally each year, that's about 7% of total births. In truth, that is perhaps a possibility but it doesn't happen so obviously the percentage of plus size women wanting maternity wear is less than 2%. Or perhaps they do want it but don't want to buy online and I think this is more accurate.

With the expense of running a bricks and mortar store, many have ventured down the path of an online maternity store. Overheads are reduced to almost nil with no rent, no insurance, no wages, no electricity for running shop lighting and air conditioning, no merchandising displays, no signage, and no cleaning. An instant saving of about $150,000 a year but the catch is that not everyone wants to buy online and when you expose yourself to the online market you are in direct competition with some of the very big players of the maternity industry who have very large advertising budgets, very sophisticated websites and quite enticing returns and free postage policies. When the average internet sale costs about $15 to post, and the average gross profit on that sale is about $40, you can't afford to be offering free post and free returns. So unless you plan to plough that $150,000 saving into internet marketing and hope it brings returns, you perhaps shouldn't go down that path.

The real answer is a little like the answer to the age old question: " What came first? The chicken or the egg?" Did people stop buying maternity and therefore stores closed and people lost their awareness of there ever existing such a thing as a maternity store or did shops start closing due to the GFC and poor business practices and economic cycles which left shoppers with no other choice than to make do with non maternity clothing and as a result the awareness of specialty maternity stores disappeared. If it was simply that people stopped buying, then why was this and is that reason still valid or would people start buying again if more stores opened and the awareness was lifted?

I personally feel that a very successful maternity store needs the financial backing of a big player. It will need work and money to get it up and running successfully and the money is what's missing with most small businesses. Imagine though, a mini store within a department store. This store would be manned by experienced and dedicated staff who could also offer bra fittings and help with support garments. On the same floor would be the baby goods section and baby clothing. Myers are looking to revamp their image. Maybe this is something they could take on board.

Anyway, after a very long ramble, I suppose what I am trying to say is if you want maternity stores to be around in coming years and you want variety and good prices and personalised service then support the ones that are still here now.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution
www.maternityrevolution.com.au
1/124 South Pine Road, Brendale, QLD, 4500

BREASTFEEDING DRESSES AND TOPS ON SALE

We have come to a special arrangement with Goosebumps Clothing and until Sunday 15th March, 2015 we are offering 20% off the original marked price of all Goosebumps Nursing Wear.

To take up this offer, simply visit our Goosebumps Breastfeeding page and see what is available in the Goosebumps range. Then either phone us with your order on 07 3205 1818 or pop into store. You can also email us lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au .The specials are not available online (only phone orders).

Tracey, the owner of Goosebumps Clothing is a lovely lady who lives on the beautiful North Coast of NSW. She is the mother of 2 lovely girls and this range is designed with all her invaluable personal experience in breastfeeding. The fabrics are top quality and drape so well. Please support local little businesses like myself and Goosebumps Clothing. Our prices are great and the quality is so much better than anything you will buy in a chain store.

Here is just a small sample of what's on offer.

Goosebumps Olivia Feeding Top Was $59.95. Now $47.95

Goosebumps Celeste Feeding Top Was $59.95 Now $47.95

Goosebumps Rose Breastfeeding Dress Was $93.50 Now $74.95

Goosebumps Paige Feeding Tee Was $ 59.95 Now $47.95

Goosebumps Giselle Maxi Feeding Dress with built in bra. Was $94.95. Now  $75.95.

Remember that this offer is only valid till Sunday 15th March, so hurry!

Maternity Revolution 1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500

Ph: 07 32051818