What Size do I Buy in Maternity Clothes?

This may seem a funny question but it is asked by many ladies pregnant for the first time.

The answer is not a simple one.

In general, you buy the same size as you were pre pregnancy. In many cases, the only thing growing is your bust and belly so is you were a size 12 previously, a size 12 pair of maternity pants will still fit you if your bottom and thighs aren't expanding. The waistband on a pair of maternity pants is designed to expand with your belly but the rest of the pant is cut to fit a size 12 body.

Some ladies are prone to putting on weight in the hips and thighs from very early on in the pregnancy. Others are unlucky enough to put on weight everywhere. Some are very lucky and only expand in the belly and bust. So if it's your first pregnancy you may not know which category you fit into.

There are also those unlucky ladies with morning sickness severe enough to cause them to lose weight while pregnant.

I find that usually if a lady is going to gain weight, she does so from the moment she finds out she is pregnant (and it often has nothing to do with how much or what she eats). So if you make it to about 16 weeks and haven't found yourself gaining any weight in unwanted places then I think you will be pretty safe.

For a first timer, it is unlikely you will need maternity wear until around 16 weeks anyway so by then you should have a fair idea of what your body is up to, and whether you will need to go up a size in your clothes or not.

The next most popular question is "How long will it fit me for?" or "Will this get me through the entire pregnancy?"

When in store at Maternity Revolution we try and help you to answer this question as best we can based on best judgement and experience but it can be trickier to describe in words.

No one knows how big they will get (that goes for bust, belly and every other part of your body) and each pregnancy is different. You can't buy your clothes too big otherwise they will be ill fitting and you are unlikey to wear them. Instead you will sit them in your wardrobe waiting to grow into them. This may never happen and even if it does, it will be towards the end of your pregnancy and that's just silly. Far better to have clothes that fit well that you can wear now and if they don't fit later on, there is a good chance they will fit after you have had the baby. Remember, you are unlikely to shrink back to your pre-pregnancy size and shape overnight. It could take weeks. After all, it took 9 months to get this way!

When you are judging how long clothes will fit you, try using a pillow or balloon, (we have special one in the changerooms), to imagine how the garment will fit with a pregnant belly. Where the waistband meets the pant or skirt there should be enough room to comfortably fit your hand down your pants, but not so much room that your pants will fall down. How the pant fits will also depend on the fabric. A pair of jeans has to be firm to start with in the bottom and thighs because the fabric will quickly start to give. A pair of work pants in a suiting fabric is less likely to give. With tops, make sure that there is no pulling across the bust and that it doesn't feel tight under the arms.

I suppose it is a little tricker buying maternity clothes to normal clothes because of the unknown factor of your changing body but perhaps the best advice is to buy little bits at a time, rather than a full wardrobe. This way, if your body changes you can just buy a few new pieces. If you are planning more than one child you'll get to use them next time and as I said earlier, once you have had your baby you start working your way back through maternity wardrobe from the larger sized pieces to the smaller sized pieces until you hopefully make it back to your original size.

One last thing, just as with non maternity clothes, sizes in maternity wear can vary greatly from brand to brand, style to style and between different fabrics. When you place an order with Maternity Revolution, we will contact you if we feel the sizing is small or large and advise you on the best size for you. If the size is wrong and you need a different size, we post it out no charge so you can compare with the one you already have and then once you have decided on what works best you can return the unwanted size or sizes. We also offer full refunds up to 2 weeks after purchase, not just an exchange.

I hope this has been helpful in some way but feel free to call me if you have any concerns.

Lisa Hovar
www.maternityrevolution.com.au
1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500
(07) 3205 1818
lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au

The Slow Death of Maternity Wear

The Slow Death of Maternity Wear

It seems we are living in a world where the only thing that matters is the price! It's killing retail in Australia and I am writing this blog in the hope that people start to heed the warnings.

You've all heard the arguments as to why we shouldn't by Home Brand milk and if you have been living under a rock and you haven't heard, Home Brand milk is sending our farmers broke! If we continue to think only of saving a few dollars today we will end up having to import milk tomorrow. Imagine if all we could buy was long life milk from China???

The same argument applies to to buying SPC over Heinz or Ardmona over Homebrand. If we don't start supporting Australian owned companies who produce their product in Australia we are going to end up playing right into the hands of Woolies and Coles. There will be no choice other than to buy their brands because everyone else will have gone broke and they will be free to raise the price however high they like. What's more is that while they are using Australian product in a lot of their Homebrand products, they screw the farmers right down on price and once the farmers go broke the product will have to be sourced from overseas.

So what has this got to do with maternity wear?

It's exactly the same. Everyone is being conditioned by the big players (Target, Big W etc) to not paying more than about $30 for any item of clothing. They can do this because of the sheer volume of stock they can have produced at any one time in China. Small businesses cannot compete!

A few years ago there were several maternity wear stores across Australia. In Brisbane alone, when I started in the industry in 2000, there were at least 11 around Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. Now there are none on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich or Toowoomba and there are only 4 dedicated maternity stores in Brisbane. There are a few little boutiques that do a bit of everything (baby clothes, furniture, maternity etc) but still only about another 2. David Jones and Myers don't sell maternity and the range in Big W, Target, etc is small and ugly to say the least.

So why are maternity stores not thriving if they have little or no competition?

The big players realised a long time ago that selling to niche markets is not their thing. For them it is too much time and money for too little return, besides many people tend to just buy normal clothes that are a bit stretchier or more flowy than normal.

Back in 2000, prices on Maternity Wear weren't nearly as high as they are today but they weren't very fashionable either. Styles started to improve but that conincided with the downturn of our economy and a series of years where normal fashion looked more like maternity fashion. Many small businesses in all industries started to falter and slowly maternity stores started to disappear.

Thie left the suppliers with no option but to open their own retail stores and go into direct competition with their wholesale clients.

Prices started to increase as suppliers were unable to have clothes made in large enough quantities to secure prices in China anywhere near what the larger stores could do. In many cases, maternity wear is still made in Australia because the suppliers can't afford to have them made in China. That's great for Australia of course but not if the price of the garment is more than people are prepared to pay.

Ideally, we need more Maternity Stores so that the suppliers can have garments made in larger quantities and that would bring the price down. At the same time this would increase awareness amongst the pregnant community. So many times I have a customer walk into the store and say "Wow, I wish I had known you were here earlier!" It seems the reason they don't know we exist is they don't look. For some reason, many people don't know that specialty maternity stores exist and if things keep going the way they are, pretty soon they won't exist.

I know, I know! I can hear you all saying that it's fine to ask you to spend an extra few dollars on milk but with maternity it's a lot more than a few dollars. This is true but again, its a catch 22. If more people buy maternity wear from specialty maternity wear stores, then more stores will open. Demand will increase and price will come down. Choice will also increase.

Now the maternity industry is not totally blameless. Some people in this industry have been around since the dinosaurs existed and they firmly believe that they must get a certain mark up to survive. The suppliers hold the same therories as true. What they fail to see is that just maybe, if the suppliers dropped their margins and the retailers in turn dropped their margins we could make a significant change to the average price of maternity wear. As long as the number of sales increased as a result of this, we could all be better off but it is something that all of us in the industry need to work together on and I can't ever see that happening.

Anyway, this is why you will see so many of the prices at Maternity Revolution are well below anyone else's. It's not that I get them at a better price than anyone else but I'm just trying to move more stock faster at a lower markup than everyone else. But its still are hard slog. People have pre-conceived ideas that you don't wear maternity for long, or you can only wear it when you are pregnant. As I said earlier, anything over $30 is considered expensive and there is no way we can ever get prices down to these sorts of levels.

There is also the matter of quality. When you buy a $30 top from a major store, if it lasts a few months you are satisfied. With maternity most people by minimal pieces and wear them day after day after day for months and sometimes for several pregnancies. So sure, the top cost you $60 instead of $30 but you are probably going to get double the wear out of it.

The bottom line is we need more pregnant ladies to support us or we will all dispappear. The size 8 - 16 ladies will be fine as long as they don't mind choosing from the meager pickings at Target and Big W and as long as they don't need work wear or evening wear. The very small and very large ladies will have no other choice than to have their clothes made and as for maternity bras. well if you are bigger than a DD cup it will be very slim pickings. Those over an F cup will have to have their bras made or look overseas. Online shopping will become your only choice and as much of this will be overseas it won't be a quick or easy process.

Above all else, the one thing that a specialty maternity wear store can offer that you can't get from a major chain is service!  When you come into my store you are greeted, we can help you with every last detail or we can leave you alone to wander freely and try on as much as you like. The choice is yours. If we don't have something in store we will try to order it. We give advice, have a firendly returns policy, have toilets in store, somewhere for your children to play and your partner to sit.

Do you really want to live in a country that produces nothing for itself and has no more farms, no more country towns, no more small businesses?

Sure there are some people that financially just don't have a choice but to buy the cheapest of everything but the rest of you are just being cheap and in the end, you are just cheating yourselves.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution

Compression Pantyhose for Pregnancy

The world of Matenrity Compression Garments can be a little daunting and in previous posts I have discussed the SRC range but this time I want to focus on compression hoisery.

A pair of compression panyhose has a compression rating measured in mmHg.

15-20mmHG is the lighter compression and is known as Class 1.

20-30mmHG is known as Class 2

30-40mmHg is known as Class 3

Most people who simply need a pair of maternity compression pantyhose to prevent varicose veins, help ease the pain of tired legs from standing all day, or aid in reducing the pain if minor varicosities will benefit from a pair of Class 1. They are also good if you plan on flying anywhere to be used much in the same way you would use a flight sock.

For more moderate cases of varicose veins the Class 2 would be more appropriate and of course for serious vein problems you would need the Class 3.

It's best to ask your Doctor what class is best for you.

The idea of a compression garment is the greatest compression starts at the ankle and gradually reduces as you move up the leg. In this way it pushes the blood back up towards the heart and prevents it from pooling in the lower leg. It is therefore important to get the size right because if the compression is too tight it could be restrictive and if it is not enough it won't be able to stop the blood pooling.

For a Class 1 compression pantyhose you only need to know your pre-pregnancy weight and height to select a size but in Class 2 and about you will need to measure you ankle, calf, thigh and length of leg and then contact us to discuss the correct size.

It is important to get the size right also because once they have been tried on, they cannot be returned.

The higher the compression rating, the more they cost with Class 2 costing almost twice as much as Class 1 and although you would hope for that money that they are durable, they are still constructed in the same way as a pantyhose and can easily be snagged and laddered.

Remember that because they are a medical product, it is worth trying to claim something on your private health insurance and keeping your receipts for tax time.

We stock the Therafirm range and have had really good feedback from customers about them but you will find a few other brands available by searching the website.

While the maternity pantyhose in Class 1 are our most popular seller and therefore what we keep in stock, we can order other classes very quickly and there are also other styles like the knee high, thigh high and non maternity pantyhose. In Class 2 you also have the option of open toe in some styles.

One thing to note is that compression hoisery is best for vein problems in the lower leg. If your problems are mainly towards the top of your leg or the groin area then you may be better looking at the SRC pregnancy leggins.




SRC Pregnancy Leggin

 I hope this helps you a bit in understanding what product might be right for you but please don't hesitate to call me if you want to discuss your particular situation.

Lisa

Maternity Revolution
1/124 South Pine Road, Brendale, QLD, 4500
Ph: (07) 3205 1818
lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au
www.maternityrevolution.com.au




Therafirm Maternity Panthose in Black



Think ETERNITY Wear not MATERNITY Wear





After 12 years in the maternity industry there are 2 sentences I hear from customers nearly every day. The first is "Wow, this store is amazing. You have really lovely stuff in here. I wish I'd known about you sooner!" My response to that one is always "Why didn't you?" but we'll leave that discussion for another day. The second most common words uttered by my customers is "I don't want to spend too much because I won't be wearing it for long." To this comment I have to resist the urge to grab the nearest soap box, stand on it and rant and rave my viewpoint to the poor unsuspecting customer but then that's what blogs are for....are they not?

So you've been warned, if you don't want to listen the the rantings and ravings of a frustrated maternity store owner then stop reading now!

I was watching some old Bewitched episodes the other day. Samantha, the lead character, was pregnant in real life at the time and so they carried it through into the story line. The show was filmed in the sixties. Normally I love what Sam wears. She is a gorgeous woman who dresses impeccably and fashionably all the time but the maternity clothes she wore were nothing short of frumpy. Dresses with no shape at all and huge bows on the neckline. The aim of the game was to cover and hide the bump at all costs and consequently Sam looked huge in everything.

Fashion changed a lot over the years that followed the sixties but not for maternity. It seems that big and floaty (and usually home made) was the style right up until the nineties. Slowly things started to change but it was still matenity fashion...you could pick it a mile off. Pants and skirts with huge panels in the front that sat up over the belly with an elastic waistband.

Adjustable elastic waistbands were becoming the trend but they gave a very gathered bunchy look to the pants and skirts. It's not hard to understand why the Belly Belt was such a hit. It meant women could wear their own clothes in early pregnancy when they just felt silly trying to wear maternity wear. There was still precious little in the way of nursing wear.

With the turn of the new century we finally saw huge advances in the maternity fashion world. Waistlines dropped to underbelly with the emergance of the v shaped waistband. You should have seen the faces of most my customers when I first suggested a pant with an underbelly waistband. There was many a raised eyebrow but once I convinced them to try it the frown would quickly be replaced by a great big smile.

Tops started to become more fitted and manufacturers were starting to experiment with nursing wear (most totally botched it up though).

The underbelly waistband was a huge improvement on the big pouchy overbelly but still not perfect. For ladies that carried low it would dig in towards the end of a pregnancy. For ladies that were carrying a little extra weight in early pregnancy it gave the dreaded muffin top look. Slowly the waistband started to rise again but this time it was in the form of a knit waistband that supported the belly and gave a smooth look under clothes. It could also be folded over if a lower waistband was required. Today this is still the most popular waistband.

While there are still some lovely floaty tops and dresses for those that prefer looser fitting clothes, the majority of tops and dresses are fitted with rouched sides that allow it to be worn pregnant or not.

As for nursing wear, well they say that practice makes perfect and finally the manufacturers have got it right with many different styles available and again, most can be worn for pregnancy and feeding.

So why am I telling you all of this? Because I want you to understand that maternity wear has come a long way over the past 10 years and I am sick of hearing ladies say that they don't want to spend a lot or buy too much maternity wear because they won't be wearing it for long. My 14 year old daughter owns several maternity pieces and loves them. Most my wardrobe is maternity wear and even if you don't want to wear your maternity wear when not pregnant you have to remember that if you buy the clothing in your first trimester you will be wearing them for about 6 months. Assuming that you don't spring back to your pre baby body immediately after giving birth, you'll be wearing them for another 3 - 6 months and if you chose wisely and picked clothes that you are able to feed with you may well be wearing them for another 6 months on top of that.

Now if you only want to buy a few pieces of maternity wear, that's fine but let me warn you that you will be wearing those few pieces every day for a very long time and by the time you have finished with them you will most likely want to burn them.

Now my other pet hate is when people complain that maternity wear is expensive. Please remember tha the majority of suppliers are small Australian business' and a lot of the garments are Australian made. Even when the items are made in China they are not made in the quantity of the likes of Target or Big W. So of course they are going to be more expensive but they are also fantastic quality. If you want to spend $10 on a t-shirt and then expect to wear it every day for the next 6-12 months without it falling apart then good luck! You probably also expect this $10 tee to last you through several pregnancies.

The other thing to remember is that if more people bought more maternity wear, there would be more maternity wear stores. The suppliers would then be able to make things in larger quantities and the prices would come down. In the even bigger scheme of things, if we have more successful small businesses we have a stronger ecomony and that benefits us all in the long run.

So in summary, think outside the square a little bit and stop seeing maternity wear as a short term proposition. THINK ETERNITY WEAR, NOT MATERNITY WEAR!!!

Now if I haven't scared you off I would love to see you in store one day. Promise no more ranting and raving!

Regards,

Lisa

Maternity Revolution
1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500
Ph: 07 3205 1818
email: lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au
www.maternityrevolution.com.au

Support Stockings and Belts for Pregnancy

While pregnancy is supposed to be a wonderful time of your life, the reality is that there are some not so wonderful aspects of pregnancy. Back pain, pelvic pain, varicose veins and swelling are just a few of them.

Many women just think it is something they have to put up with but that's not always the case. There are products out there that can give some relief but it can be daunting trying to navigate your way through all these products. There are support tubes, support belts, support underwear, support shorts and compression hoisery. Furthermore there are diffferent shaped belts, different quality tubes and different levels of compression within the above categories. So what is right for you?

It is best if you can get into a store that stocks a variety of the items available so you can try different ones on. What works for one person may not work for you as it really depends on what's causing the pain in the first place. If you can't get out to a store then find someone like Maternity Revolution that will post out a few different options without charging you for them. This way you can try, compare and return whatever doesn't work and you just pay for what you keep if anything.

I'll give you a bit of a run down on the different options.

Compression Maternity Pantyhose



Compression Maternity Hoisery is for ladies that have varicose veins in their legs, swelling in their legs, or are experiencing aches in their legs from standing all day etc. They can also be used a preventative measure against varicose veins. Often ladies experience varicose veins during pregnancy when they haven't had them previously.

Compression Hoisery is available in different levels of compression known as Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 with the lowest compression being in the Class 1 (15-20 mmHg), Class 2 (20-30mmHg) and the firmest being Class 3 at (30-40mmHg). mmHg stands for millimeters of Mercury which is the measurement system used to measure compression. Be aware that much like clothes sizing, the compression rating of stockings can vary between countries so a Class 1 in USA may be different to a Class 1 in Europe. Best to check the mmHg level so you know what you are comparing to.

It is best to check with your Doctor as to what the best compression is for you. Unfortunately I have many customers whose doctors seem not to be very helpful in this area so as a general rule, Class 1 is a good compression for preventative use and mild vein problems. Class 2 are for moderate complaints and Class 3 are for more severe complaints.

At Maternity Revolution we have found Class 1 to be the most popular and many ladies will start with this compression and if they don't find it gives enough relief from tired and aching legs and bulging veins they then move up to Class 2. Class 1 pantyhose are around $54.95 while Class 2 are around $100. We don't have the Class 2 on our website but we can order them in if needed.

Other styles of compression hoisery available are knee highs closed toe, knee high open toe, thigh highs closed toe, thigh highs open toe and non maternity pantyhose. Again, we can order any of these in for you at Maternity Revolution.

The style you choose is usually based on where your problem areas are. If you only have vein problems in your calves them perhaps a knee high might suit. If the problem is up your entire leg then you might need a thigh high or a pantyhose. I'm not a big fan thigh highs in females because often our thighs are quite large and in order to get a stocking to fit our thigh it becomes to loose around the ankle to give adequate compression.

The tricky thing about buying compression hoisery is that you can't try them on. So you really have to choose carefully and read the size chart accurately. For Class one pantyhose the size is usually based on pre-pregnancy weight and your height. For Class 2 pantyhose or for any of the thigh high and knee high products you will need to take measurements that include you ankle, calf, thigh and the length of your legs.

Just because they are an expensive product doesn't mean they are all that more durable than a normal pantyhose. They will still run if snagged and you are going to need several pairs but start with one pair to make sure you get the size right and make sure they help relieve your pain.

For those of you worried about the heat, the brand we stock at Maternity Revolution is called Therafirm and they are made with a special process that allows moisture to evaporate quickly to keep you cool.

SRC Pregnancy Short and Leggins



Those of you that have read my blog on the SRC Recovery Shorts will know I am a big fan of their products but the pregnancy short and leggins are not useful for everyone. For those ladies that have varicosities in the groin area they are an absolute godsend. Before SRC there was nothing around that could help relieve this sort of pain so I can't tell you how wonderful it is to now have these available. They also offer mild compression (approx 9 -12 mmHG in the lower leg of the leggin) for ladies that have vein problems in their legs. While this compression may not be as strong as that in a Class 1 pantyhose, you do need to take into consideration the cumulative effect of wearing the SRC pregnancy shorts and leggins over time. You are likely to wear the shorts all day and even sleep in them whereas as the pantyhose are something you would only wear during the day and maybe only while at work.

Another advantage of the SRC Pregnancy Shorts and Leggins is that they offer gentle back and pelvic support but this support is not firm enough for ladies that suffer from severe pain and if a customer had no vein problems or swelling issues and only back/pelvic pain then I would probably suggest looking at a pregnancy support tube or pregnancy support belt.

Again, the fabric in the SRC is designed to breathe so they are comfortable to wear year round.

Pregnancy Support Belts and Tubes

There are a myriad of these available on the market and it really comes down to you and your individual requirements as to which works best.

A pregnancy support tube is a comfy stretchy tube that you wear under your clothes. It gives a lot more support than you would think to look at it but perhaps not as much as a belt. The downside is that if you are up and down a lot during the day, it tends to roll up a bit which can be annoying and to solve this problem the pregnancy support briefs offer the same support without the roll but you would have to buy several pairs of the briefs whereas you would only require one tube.

A pregnancy support belt is a wide piece of elastic that is secured with velcro. There are different shapes for different problems but the 2 main ones are the Upsie Belly and the New Beginnings back support belt. The Upsie Belly has a wide piece of elastic that sits against your lower back and then it get narrower in the front where it sits comfortably under your belly and can tightened or loosened to suit. It has a soft bamboo cover and comes with an ice/heat pack that sits in a pocket against your spine. This type of belt tends to help hold the belly up while taking some weight off your back.

The New Beginnings back support belt is the same width elastic right the way around. It sits around your hips and can be tightened quite firmly so it's perfect for those who have pelvic separation but it doesn't offer a lot of support to the belly itself.

All the belts are easy to get on and off but it can be hard to wear them discreetly and if you are sitting down for long periods they are quite rigid and can start to dig in. Also a problem for those up and down a lot such as nurses and childcare workers.

Well I hope this helps but don't hesitate to email me at lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au or phone me on 07 32051818 to ask any questions you may have. We hope to see you soon instore at Maternity Revolution 1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500 or visit us online at www.maternityrevolution.com.au

SRC Recovery Shorts - Do they work?

About 2-3 years ago, I was working in my store (Maternity Revolution) one Saturday and I had 3 women come in and ask for SRC Recovery Shorts. At that time, I had no idea what they were talking about. When they told me that they were shorts you wore after giving birth that cost $189 I was shocked to think so many people could be interested in such an expensive product. When I gave birth 15 years ago there was no such product and if I didn't need recovery shorts then I was pretty sure no one else did and that this product must be a scam but I never like to pass judgement without knowing the facts, so I started to look into what they were all about.

I must say that after 12 years in the maternity wear industry I had received a lot of requests from ladies for girdles and step-ins that could be worn post partum. Many of these requests were from ladies whose Mum's had suggested that they must have such a girdle and many of these women were of Asian or Middle Eastern heritage. My first reaction was; " Why would women want to do that to themselves? A wrap or girdle must be so uncomfortable and all because they want to look good." I had no idea of the physical and health benefits.

It turns out that women have been wrapping their bellies post partum in many countries for 100's of years and not just to make themselves look good but to aid in their recovery after giving birth and help prevent many of the not so pleasant side effects of giving birth such as weak pelvic floor muscles and permanently pregnant looking bellies.

I recently came across a wonderful website that I suggest you all visit called My Postpartum Wellness where Valerie McDonough has some very interesting blogs but one specifically about the benefit of post partum wraps and garments.

There are many products out there for the purpose of getting your pre-baby belly back as quickly as possible, including all manner of wraps and girdles but at Maternity Revolution we stock the SRC Recovery shorts and we love them!

Over the years that I have been selling them I have never had any bad feedback and plenty of amazing feedback.

SRC Recovery Shorts may look like a high waisted cyclist pant but they are a sophisticated body pressure garment approved by the Therapeutic Goods Association deisgned to give gentle resistance to the abdominal muscles, while helping to support your pelvis and lower back, reduce swelling and fluid retention and to give gentle compression to any wounds while reducing wound tension. They won't make you sweat and they are so comfortable you will be happy wearing them 24 hours a day. (Of course you will have to take them off to wash them every few days).

I would recommend that if you can get into our store to be measured up professionally then do so around 36 weeks. While you can't try the Recovery Shorts on while pregnant, you can try the Pregnancy Shorts to make sure you are happy with the size and fit. We will send you away with the size we think appropriate but of course if this turns out to be the wrong size once you have given birth, we will happily swap them for another size, providing of course that you have only tried them on and not worn them around.

If you can't get into the store then we will help as best we can via phone or email and again we are happy to exchange the garment if you choose the wrong size. POSTAGE IS FREE and we don't even charge postage to send out exchanges.

Also, remember that if you have private medical insurance extras cover you might be able to claim some of the cost back and as it is a medical product you may also be able to claim it as an out of pocket medical expense in your tax but you'd need to check this out with your accountant.

Hope to see you soon at Maternity Revolution 1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500 or visit our website www.maternityrevolution.com.au

Ph: 07 32051818
Email: lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/maternityrevolution

Maternity Bras - Style Guide



I do hope that my last post has helped you to understand what size maternity bra to buy and when to buy it but the next decision is what bra to buy.

If it is at all possible to get into a maternity store or specialist bra store (preferably not the major chain stores) to be fitted, then it is so much simpler that trying to order online and fit yourself but this blog is intended to help those that have no other option but to do it themselves.

Maternity bras have come a long way and you now have a lot more choice and the bras actually look sexy, not frumpy. The main styles are:

1. Wire Free Soft 3/4 Cup
2. Wire Free Soft Full Cup
3. Wire Free Moulded Cup
4. Flexi Wire Soft 3/4 cup
5. Flexi Wire Moulded Cup
6. Sleep bras and garments with built in bras

Let's first discuss the wire.

Traditionally, in Australia, a maternity bra has been a wire free bra. It has long been believed that an underwire could cause damage to the milk ducts and breast tissue which could cause mastitis. Strangely enough, in Europe it is quite normal to wear underwire bras during pregnancy, however they are bras that are specially designed for a pregnant or feeding lady and this is where the confusion occurs. A bra with a wire that is specifically designed for maternity will have a more flexible wire than a normal underwire bra. It is also a wider wire so that it doesn't put pressure on the breast in places that might cause problems. The Cake range of flexi wire maternity bras has proven to be the most popular new bra to hit the market in many years and it is even sold by the Australian Breastfeeding Association's Retail Division so it must be good.

A flexi wire maternity bra is particularly good for a larger busted lady and because you are getting so much support from under the bust, the cup does not have to be so full. Many full cup maternity bras sit very high and make it hard to wear low cut or v-neck tops.

The only time it is not recommended to wear a flexi wire maternity bra is in the first trimester and the early weeks after your milk has just come in and you are sore and engorged. The bust is going through some fairly rapid and dramatic changes at this time so wire free is a better idea.

3/4 cup vs full cup

Usually a 3/4 cup maternity bra is only made to an F cup and this is because the support is not good enough to cope with a bust any bigger than this. (Flexi wire is the exception because the wire gives support)

The advantage of a 3/4 cup maternity bra is that is sits lower than a full cup and allows you to wear low cut tops and v necks without the bra poking out the top.

The disadvantage of a 3/4 cup maternity bra is that because it cuts across the middle of your bust, which is fairly fleshy, you can get the muffin top happening as your bust grows, or simply as your bust goes from full to empty. This isn't a problem with a full cup because it sits so much higher.

A full cup maternity bra will usually go up to an H cup. It get its support from encompassing the whole breast. This is great for the larger busted ladies but smaller busted ladies can find it hard to fill the whole cup.

Moulded vs Soft Cup

Most soft cup maternity bras are heavily laced with lots of seams in the cup. There are some really gorgeous soft cup maternity bras around these days, particularly the Hot Milk Lingerie Range. These bras are designed to make you feel sexy but the downside can be that they are not smooth enough to wear under tight fitting clothes. This is where the moulded cup comes into its own. It is a nice smooth cup that gives a nice line under clothes and hides the fact that you might be wearing a breast pad.

In my opinion, none of the bra companies have perfected the moulded maternity bra yet. Some are close and some are just plain horrible. Any moulded cup maternity bra will only go to an F cup and this alone tells you that the bigger the bust, the less support the bra gives. The moment someone creates a moulded maternity bra that goes up to an H cup and gives good support without sitting to high, sitting to low or digging in is the moment a top selling bra will be born. Cake are getting close. I do like their Toffee range and now that they are being re-cut with flexi wire from DD up I will be interested to see if this fixes the problem of support for the larger busted ladies.

Sleep Bras etc,

Some first time Mums might be wondering why they need a sleep bra. Once your milk comes in you will most likely leak. When you wake in the middle of the night to a crying baby, your let down may already have happened and your will have a very cold, wet bed without breastpads and of course you need something to hold the breast pads in place. Many ladies wear their day bras to bed but this isn't a very comfy option. Cake have a great new sleep bra called Cotton Candy and a vest version is soon due for release. It is soft and comfy and while it doesn't give fantastic shape or support, it is great for sleeping in or wearing around the house.

There are also many breastfeeding nighties, camis and pj tops that have built in bras. Hot Milk, Cake, Top Secret and Goosebumps are some of the great companies that produce such garments.


Summary

While maternity bras have come such a long way, the journey continues. The reality is that you may need several different bras to handle different situations.

There is still an extreme shortage of choice for large ladies or ladies needing a cup bigger than an H but there are still some speciality stores around that cater to this market. Likewise, there is very little around for the very small ladies with most cups starting at 10B.

As a general rule, the cheaper the bra, the quicker it will wear out. So many ladies have bought cheap chain store bras and found that after a very short time they looked like a rag and gave no support.

Visit our website www.maternityrevolution.com.au for more info or feel free to email me lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au or phone me on 07 32051818 for any advice. Our showroom is at 1/124 South Pine Rd, Brendale, QLD, 4500