HELP ME CREATE SOME FACT SHEETS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN IN BRISBANE

Many years ago I put together some information sheets on companies that specialised in exercise and yoga during pregnancy. At the time it was hard work. A lot of phone calls to companies listed in the Yellow Pages to check what they did and didn't do. Today it is much simpler with good old Google but I would still like your input.

Anyone living in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast or Ipswich area that knows of any good pregnancy exercise or yoga classes, I would love to hear from you. 

I will then compile a list according to the different areas and email it out to all my customers.

Actually while we are at it we may as well include other things like pregnancy massage and anything else you can think of that may be of interest to my pregnant customers and new mums.

Thank you in advance for your contributions.

Lisa Hovar

Maternity Revolution

07 3205 1818

lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au

Pain During Pregnancy - Can Anything Help?

Let me just start by saying that I'm not a doctor. This blog is just some general information about what products are out there that might be able to ease some of the discomforts experienced during pregnancy.

I know I have touched on this subject before but I wanted to give a brief summary of what's available and how it helps.

PROBLEM
My lower back aches and/or I'm getting pelvic pain. It feels like I want to hold my belly up all the time.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO PAIN
A maternity support belt, maternity support tube or maternity support briefs might be the answer.

It very much depends on what is causing the pain as to which product will best alleviate the pain but our top selling product is the Upsie Belly. It is a matenrity support belt that is shaped to give good back support and then scoops down under the belly and does up with velcro to help support the belly. It is covered in a nice soft bamboo fabric so it is soft against your skin. There is a pocket in the back to insert a gel pack (included with belt) that can be heated or cooled to help relieve back pain. It can be worn over or under clothes and comes in black or nude. RRP $89.95.

Upsie Belly

Another popular option is a maternity support tube or maternity support briefs. The tube does the same things as the brief but as you can imagine, you need several pairs of briefs and only one tube so the tube is a cheaper option. If you are up and down all day a tube may have a tendency to roll and a brief will be a comfier option. In both the brief and the tube, there is a support panel in the lower back and under the belly. The support in either of these options is not as firm as the Upsie Belly but it is enough for some people. TUBE $19.95 and BRIEF $21.95 in black or white.

Cantaloop Maternity Suport Brief

Cantaloop Maternity Support Tube

PROBLEM
Many women suffer from Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) during pregnancy. A condition where the pelvic joint has seperated further than normal. This causes a pelvic pain and discomfort but slightly different to the sort mentioned above which tends to relate more to the weight of the belly.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO PAIN
A maternity support belt like the Upsie Belly might help but often a different sort of Maternity Belt is required. The New Beginnings Maternity Back Support Belt is an elastic belt about 10cm wide. It sits on the hips and under the belly. It does up with velcro but then has another velcro adjustment on the sides that can be pulled really quite firm. It's almost like having something tied around your hips to push everything back together and hold it in place. That's the best way I can think of to describe it. This type of belt can also be helpful for sacroiliac joint pain. RRP $31.45

New Beginnings Maternity Support Belt

PROBLEM
Throbbing pain in the perineal area and/or painful veins in the groin, vaginal area and upper thigh. Prolapsed utereus.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO PAIN
This is one of those problems that ladies have trouble talking about at first but as soon as they realise that it's quite common they relax a little. At one point in time the only suggestion I could make was for people to buy a tight pair of bike pants. These days however there is a fantastic product on the market that has been a life saver for so many women. SRC Pregnancy Shorts and Pregnancy Leggings. Firstly, let me warn you that they are expensive at $189 for the shorts and $198 for the Leggings but they are sooooo worth it! If you have private health insurance you may even be able to claim something back as they are approved by the Therapeutic Goods Association.

Essentially they work like the skins athletes wear by giving compression to the upper thigh, pereneum an pelvic areas. The compression aids circulation and gives support. As I said earlier, I'm no doctor but if only you could see the face of a lady in pain with one of these ailments after she puts on a pair of SRC Pregnancy Shorts for the first time. The smile is priceless!

There is also the added benefit of back and pelvic support for those ladies that are also experiencing this type of pain.

The leggings have the advantage of offering compression that starts at the ankles to help ladies that may also be suffering from varicose veins in the lower leg. However the compression in the leggings is not as strong as it would be in a compression pantyhose so it they may not be the answer for someone that has really bad vein problems in their lower legs.

SRC Pregnancy Shorts

SRC Pregnancy Leggins

PROBLEM
Varicose Veins in the lower legs  and lower thighs or just aching legs from standing for long hours.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO PAIN
Maternity Compression Pantyhose are a great solution to this problem. The strongest compression starts at the ankles and gets softer as it moves up the leg. In this way they are designed to prevent the blood pooling in the lower legs and to help circulation. They are available in Class 1 (15 - 21 mmHg) or Class 2 (30-30mmHg). Class 2 are the stronger compression pantyhose but most customers seem to find the Class 1 are enough. They come in sand or black and can also be ordered in knee high or thigh high. In class 2 you also have the option of open or closed toe. The Class 1 are around $48.95 for the pantyhose and Class 2 are just under $100. So again they are not a cheap option. They don't look fantastic and they can be hard to get on. You will need several pairs throughout a pregnancy. On the positive side, they work really well!

Therafirm Maternity Compression Pantyhose

I hope that some of these ideas help you to work out what products serve what purpose but please feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss anything further.

Lisa Hovar
07 32051818
lisa@maternityrevolution.com.au
www.maternityrevolution.com.au

Maternity Clothes vs Just Buying a Bigger Size

Here's the big question:

"Do I really need to buy maternity wear? I've heard it's expensive and ugly plus the nearest store is over an hour away. Can't I just buy normal clothes in a bigger size?"

Now straight up I'm going to tell you I'm biased on the answer to this one because my livelihood depends on you buying maternity wear but my answer to this is very similar to how I answered the question in an earlier blog: "Do I really need to buy nursing wear?"

You see about 15-20 years ago there were practically no maternity wear stores at all in Australia and online shopping was practically unheard of. So when you fell pregnant you had 2 choices. You could make do with larger sizes or make your own. You still have those two choices open to you but why make do when many companies work very hard to design and manufacture stylish comfortable clothing designed specifically for maternity and breastfeeding.

I had to make do but I was lucky enough to have a Mum that sewed and she made me a few pants, skirts and tops for work because although stretchy tracksuit pants and light cotton maxi dresses (which is basically what was available in the normal stores at the time) were fine for home they weren't appropriate for work. It was also very soul destroying to be buying pants from Millers with high elastic waistbands at the age of 28. If I were pregnant today I would most certainly be visiting a maternity store if there was one with in an hour of me, otherwise I would be shopping online. I wear maternity clothes now and I'm not even pregnant! They are just so comfortable, very stylish, well made and no they don't make you look pregnant.

It's funny, I get so many people visiting the store in awe of the size and range we have available and they all say how hard it is to find a maternity store. The fact is that so many people seem to take the option of buying bigger clothes instead of supporting maternity stores and therefore more and more stores are closing and the choice is getting less and less.

So what makes maternity different and why should you buy it?

Well the pants are probably the main thing that is different to normal pants. Yes you can buy devices to extend the use of your own pants but it's such an uncomfortable option. Maternity pants either are made from a stretchy fabric or they have a stretchy waistband. No uncomfortable buttons and zippers. They used to sit way up under your bust but those days are long gone. The bands are either designed to fold over or they sit under your belly button. This allows them to stretch as your belly gets bigger without digging in but many ladies find the style so comfortable that they never go back to normal waistbands. They can just as easily be worn non pregnant.

You know it makes no sense to go out buying bigger sizes and belly belts etc in order to make it through to the last 6 weeks or so of your pregnancy and then be faced with the prospect of having to buy maternity wear to get you through those last few weeks. You would have been better off buying maternity clothes early on that would have seen you all the way through rather than buying them for a few weeks use, on top of the money you've spent on clothes that now no longer fit.

Now tops and dresses are something that many people shop for in normal stores rather than buying maternity but again I believe it is false economy because you are unlikely to be able to wear them for breastfeeding. So many maternity dresses and tops are dual purpose these days and can be used while pregnant but also used for breastfeeding afterwards.

The most wonderful thing about visiting a maternity store is the service and the choice. If you walk into a department store you can take 5 garments into the change room at a time then you have to get dressed, head back out and grab another five, or different sizes. Try doing that with a small child in tow! Not fun! But in a store like Maternity Revolution you get to wander around at your leisure while your child plays in our playroom. Our staff are all very good babysitters if need be. You can take as many items into the changeroom as you like and you don't have to put anything away afterwards. You can get as much or as little help as you like. We are here to help with sizing, opinions, photo taking, note taking etc, if you need it but if you want to be left alone, that's fine too.

So that's all well and good if you live within a respectable distance of our store (or any maternity store for that matter) but what if you don't? Online shopping can be all too hard for many people and I agree but Maternity Revolution is different. We recognize that knowing what size to buy is hard and knowing whether the style will suit you is even harder. It can get costly paying postage to get the item and postage to return the item and I really cannot understand some businesses that don't allow refunds. That's just plain stupid.

At Maternity Revolution we put so much effort into making your online shopping experience as streamlined as possible. We may not have the biggest and best website in the world but be reassured that there are real people offering real customer service at the other end of your order. As soon as your order is received we check we have the items and if we are concerned that the sizing of the item is particularly big or small, we'll contact you to discuss it. Likewise, if we are out of what you wanted, we contact you to let you know and if we can order it in, we will. We'll check your past orders and make sure that we agree with the sizing you have chosen.

Often we send two sizes of something out to a customer and only charge for the one item. That way they can compare the sizing and send back what doesn't work. We have also been known to send a selection of items to customers and they can try them all and return what doesn't work. This works well if you have a wedding to go to and have left finding a dress till the last moment.

Repeat customers love that they can just ring us, tell us their name and we have all their details (except credit card details) on file.

If we receive an order today and the item is in stock it will usually be posted same day and we offer Express Post if you are in a hurry.

Our postage charges are well below what it actually costs to post an item. $5 normal post and $7 Express Post for 1-2 items. $10 normal post and $12 Express Post for 3-5 items. Spend over $150 and postage is FREE.

Now here's another unique feature of our online sales. If you receive the items and would like to try another size, we let you hold onto the size you have while we post the exchange size to you free of charge! This way you can compare the two sizes and return what you don't want in one go, rather than making several trips to the post office. We don't charge postage for exchanges. That's pretty good!

Most importantly, we offer a no questions asked refund policy if the item is returned within 14 days and of course they have to be unworn and with tags still on etc.

So there you have it. Many reasons why I think you should be buying maternity wear rather than just making do. You'll look better, feel better and put food on my table.

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

Can I Wear Underwire Bras While Pregnant or Breastfeeding?

Had you asked me this question a few years ago the answer would have been a re-sounding NOOOOOO!

Ask me today however and my answer is YES, sort of!

Now firstly, let me say that I am not a Doctor or an expert in this field and therefore it is best that you consult with an expert before making a decision but here is my 2 bits worth.

Any bra that you wear while pregnant or feeding has to be comfortable, regardless of whether it has under wire or not. If your bra is uncomfortable or causing you pain then stop wearing it. Actually that's just common sense for any bra at any stage of life.

Now in Australia it has been a long held view that underwire maternity bras a a no no. In Europe however, most maternity bras have underwire. So for some reason we have become paranoid here in Australia and the urban myth has been created. It is not the underwire itself that causes problems, rather it is the fit if the bra.

Cake Maternity have over recent years released their flexi wire range on Maternity bras however the bigger the cup size, the firmer the under wire and with good reason. A soft underwire doesn't have sufficient strength to support a large bust and it results in an ill fitting bra.

There is even a valid argument that a soft cup bra may be more damaging than an underwire bra for a larger busted lady because without the wire all the weight of the bust is taken by the straps and causes shoulder and back pain. The underwire helps to lift the bust from underneath.

One important factor in the fit of an underwire bra is that the wire must finish past the bust. In other words, you don't want it to press into the breast tissue because this is when it can damage milk ducts and cause mastitis.

Another important consideration is that in the first trimester of your pregnancy and in the first week or two after giving birth, your breasts are going through dramatic changes. Not to mention the fact they are engorged and sore. Not the best time to be wearing an underwire bra.

After 13 years in the maternity industry I have seem and talked with my share of pregnant women. Many have worn their normal bra right throughout their pregnancy, either because they didn't realise it was a bad thing to do or they refused to give up their under wire bras.

I'm not sure that a study has ever been done to prove whether an under wire bra increases your risk of mastitis but it would seem to me that some ladies develop mastitis whether they wear an underwire bra or not.

So in summary, I am a fan of the Cake Flexiwire Maternity bras as long as they are not worn in the first trimester or the first week or so after giving birth. Just make sure it is well fitted and and it's comfortable.

Cake Licorice Flexi Wire Maternity Bra

Thanks for listening.

Lisa Hovar

Maternity Revolution

Marketing Dilemma Facing Small Businesses - How Can I reach You????

Back in 2004 I opened Maternity Revolution. 

Advertising back then was simple. Put a few adds in the local papers and "hey presto" customers would come! Whether it was a Grand Opening or and end of season sale, the paper worked.

I remember a store I used to work for before opening Maternity Revolution and we would advertise a sale of everything $20 and under. We would be swamped with customers all week. People would be queuing for changerooms. By today's standards, that would probably equate to a $50 and under sale but the problem is that sales no longer work and the local papers no longer work.

I saw you raise an eyebrow when I said that sales no longer work and I'm sure you don't believe me but take a walk through your local Westfield some time soon. Sales used to be a genuine way that retailers could clear out their end of season or surplus stock but here we are at the beginning of the warmer Season and already you will see Sale sign after Sale sign after Sale sign! Do you ever actually feel a sense of urgency anymore when you see one of those sale signs? I wouldn't mind guessing that most the time you don't see those signs at all. You filter them out because you are so used to seeing them. When was the last time you thought: " Oooh, my favorite store is having a sale that starts today. I must try and get there!"

Retail stores are all so busy out pricing and out selling each other that they have done themselves a disservice. Customers now expect things to be reduced before they are likely to buy them and they are numb to all the sales signs and special offers. So the big retailers have managed to change the playing field forever.

No use whinging and complaining, we just have to adopt the new rules and run with them but there is another problem. How DO WE REACH YOU? No one reads the local paper any more. They don't even deliver to my house anymore.

Let's say I wanted to have a 110% off maternity wear sale (yes I know that's not possible but my point is that it really doesn't matter how good your prices are, you have to be able to get your message out to the people).

My mailing list is my first point of call but if you received an email from me about a 100% off sale, how likely are you to see it in your inbox. Presuming it doesn't go to junk mail it will be lost there in your inbox among every other retailers special offer which probably numbers at least 20 a day. If you happen to see it and you are busy you might intend to go back and read it later but as the steady stream of emails keep coming in, mine gets further and further down the list and in most cases is forgotten about. I think on average you can expect about 1-2% of people to open your special offer email.

Next place to try and advertise is Facebook but again, so much comes through your news feed everyday, if you are not checking Facebook every few hours you will miss things. Facebook make it even harder and they decide what posts you see and don't see, so just because you have liked my page doesn't mean you will see all my posts.

Yes I can pay Facebook to promote my post but again, people are suffering information overload and many paid posts get ignored.

So the majority of the advertising dollar gets spend on Google. We may not be able to find you but we have to make sure that when and if you are looking to buy maternity, that you find us.

You're probably asking yourself: "Why is she telling me all this?"

Well I just want your thoughts on the situation and I would love to know the answer to this question. "If I wanted to tell you about a sale or special offer we were having, how am I most likely to reach you and get your attention. What sort of prices would be enough to get you to act?"

Thanks for listening.

Lisa Hovar
Maternity Revolution

BREASTFEEDING AT WEDDINGS!

So you have a wedding to attend and and you need a dress to be able to breastfeed in! Well you're not alone.

At Maternity Revolution we seem to have just as many requests for feeding formal dresses as we do for formal maternity wear. Guess what? Practically nothing exists!

Nursing Wear has come a long way in the past 5 years and while you are spoiled for choice when it comes to smart casual or basic dresses and tees, the choice of formal feeding dresses is practically non existent.

"Why?" I hear you ask.

While I'm not totally sure, I suspect that is has firstly to do with the best design for a feeding garment. Most of them have one of the following access designs:

• built in bra with drop down clips for access
• Double layer front that you lift up
• Hidden panel under bust that can be unzipped or lifted
• Crossover bodice with modesty band that you pull to the side for access

The built in bra is not great for larger busted ladies or those with arm issues as they usually have thin bra-like straps.

The double layer won't work for a dress unless the layer can be incorporated into just the bodice.

The hidden panel under the bust can be a bit obvious and requires a very stretchy fabric.

The crossover is really the only style that works well in an evening dress.

Fabric is also tricky. If the crossover style is going to work then the fabric has to have a lot of stretch and stretch fabrics are often clingy so the design has to have a fitted bodice with a flowy skirt as there are few women that have just given birth who are looking to wear a fitted, figure hugging dress. 

Stretchy fabrics have a habit of being much like a t-shirt fabric and this really isn't the classiest fabric for a formal dress. 

Satins, etc, have no stretch and one of the biggest draw backs is their tendency to stain. The last thing you want is leaking milk or baby dribble on a satin dress. You can try washing out the stain while at the venue but the water mark is there until you dry clean it. Nothing more embarrassing than a big water mark on your breast!

So that leaves the jersey type fabrics, which do work very well.

Next issue is price. Nursing wear is often more expensive than maternity wear because there is more work in the construction and design, particularly in anything with a built in bra. 

Now there are two maternity dresses that are perfect to wear to a wedding when breastfeeding. They are always popular because they can be worn pregnant or not, have a permanently pleated skirt that hides a post baby belly and a crossover bodice in a stretchy fabric that allows access for feeding. The cocktail length Szabo Sunray Pleat dress is great for the semi formal wedding and the Szabo Formal Pleat Dress is perfect for a formal occasion. The only problem with the cocktail length dress is the fact that the hem is slightly longer at the front because it is designed mainly for maternity, but it's not that noticeable and could be altered. The formal pleat dress has been discontinued so I have no idea what my "go to " formal dress will be once that's gone. 

Over the years I have seen styles come and go for formal feeding wear but not many good ones.

I'm hoping things improve over the coming years but for now, I think you have to look at the 2 styles I mentioned, or wear a skirt and top so that you can easily lift your top in the parents room without completely stripping (as you would have to do with a dress), look for a dress in the normal stores that meets all the criteria mentioned above, or express before you go and take the bottles with you.

Szabo Sunray Pleat Dress

Szabo Formal Pleat Dress

For any of you designers out there...please consider a reasonably priced, well designed breastfeeding dress or two. The breastfeeding ladies of Australia would be very grateful.

Bye for now.

Lisa

Maternity Revolution

Maternity Revolution Morphs Into Discount Revolution

Laila and Spot Feeding Tee $30

Ninth Moon Foldover Suit Pant Reduced to 48.95

Ninth Moon Crossover Work Top Reduced to $45

Ninth Moon Summer Dress with Removable Straps Reduced to $30

Ninth Moon pant or shirt only $9 (not yet on website)

Ninth Moon Rouched Tee $30

Szabo Linen Floral Top Reduced to $69

Szabo Drape Feeding Top Reduced to $69

Szabo Lace Collar Knit Top reduced to $45

It seems everyone wants everything cheap these days! Maternity Revolution has listened and we are changing to meet your demands.

Once upon a time I worked in a maternity store that was all about specials. The owner of the store would buy whatever specials she could get her hands on and admittedly the prices were great but for me it was frustrating. Often the sizes were Small or XL. Getting holding of a medium or large was like gold! This meant that customers would come in and see a garment they liked but we often wouldn't have it in their size and were unable to order it in.

It was this frustration that led me to open my own store. I was determined to stock well priced items but to have full size runs and permanent stock availability on good basics, like work pants. I also wanted to have some beautiful evening wear, even if this was going to be a bit pricier, because every girl likes to dress up.

For the first few years this formula worked. We had so many different maternity work pants, shorts, skirts, 3/4 pants, bras, feeding tops etc As well as the basics we had a good variety of new season fashion items. It was amazing! But unfortunately people's shopping habits have changed and their wallets have shrunken. Now it is all about price and no one really cares about variety, quality, fit, service. Consumers have become price conscious at the expense of being fashion conscious. I swear I could put the most horrible, poorly fitting, unflattering garment on a specials rack and if it's cheap enough, someone will buy it.

Well I'm not about to start stocking crappy, ugly clothes just so I can have cheap stock but I am going to be very price conscious with what I do buy. I'm on the hunt for past season's fashion, discontinued lines, etc. Who really cares if it was last Summer's style if it's cheaper than this Summer's style?

This Summer will feature as much as I can find under $50 and sure we may not be able to offer the service of re-ordering or the range of sizes but it seems that what people want.

Of course we will always stock our good basics and keep full sizes but even these items will be reduced and we are eager to be given the chance to match other people's prices in the unlikely event that you find it cheaper elsewhere. (Having said that, we can't sell one of our top sellers for $20 because someone only has a size 6 left and is clearing it out but you want a size 14 in it. We'd go broke that way!)

Anyway, we are trying our best to please and we welcome any feedback or suggestions!

Oh and by the way. I apologise in advance if the photos aren't that great for new discount stock but often I won't have access to professional images and will have to settle for putting them on a dummy and snapping a shot here in store.

Regards,

Lisa
Maternity Revolution