now through July 3rd!
Sale includes already marked down items (not consignment or the 19.99 clearance items) as well as best sellers like Michael Stars dresses & tees and Maternal America brand dresses.
Hot and humid season in Richmond has really just started, so grab some basics to look and feel great during those dog days of summer!
Absolutely in love with something that’s not red, white or blue? You always get an additional $15 off a $75 purchase with the Richmondmom.com Savvy Saver app!
3124 W. Cary Street
Richmond, Va 23235
(804) 340-1700
www.HiptobeRound.com
Hip to be Round Will be closed July 4
Hey Mamas there’s a new support group in town!
RVA Parents of Preemies (RVAPOP) is a Richmond-based group that provides community, advice, support, and friendship to the parents and family members of infants born prematurely.
RVAPOPs mission is to lessen the isolation of the NICU experience by uniting new preemie parents with experienced NICU families for local support as well as providing a safe space to celebrate successes and share concerns.
The RVA Parents of Preemies support group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. Franklin Goose-Carytown, 3401 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23221.
For more information visit their Facebook Page, check out their website, or contact Leslie Forrest at rvapreemie@gmail.com. To donate to the RVAPOPs March for Babies team click here.
The Birth Story of RVAPOP:
When Leslie Forrest went into premature labor at 31 weeks gestation, she spent ten days in the antepartum unit while doctors prepared her daughter, Lucia, for an early arrival and also tried their best to keep her inside for as long as possible. During the quiet lulls not spent with her husband—who was also sharing time at home with their other three children 11, 5, and 2—Leslie worried, cried, and tried to find information or support online. She had so many questions and wondered what it would be like to give birth to a preterm baby, and what Lucia would look like when she was born. She knew that the Neonatal Intensive Care team would care for her daughter at birth and she wondered what to expect.
Leslie scoured the internet but eventually turned to Facebook and a local mothering group in hopes of finding someone to talk to. She posted a thread to share that she would be giving birth to a premature baby soon and asking for advice, but no one responded. Leslie was left feeling even more alone and scared.
The next day someone replied that they knew of a woman who had recently given birth at 32 weeks, and she offered to connect the two moms. “It was a relief to express worry to someone who truly understood. While friends and family were well meaning, they couldn’t empathize the way that another preemie mama could,” says Leslie. “Marissa really understood what I was going through. While everyone around me was saying ‘Oh the baby is going to be fine, everything is going to be OK,’ Marissa was able to be there for me and say, ‘This is NOT OK, and I’ve been through this. This is really hard.’”
As it turned out, Marissa had given birth at Henrico Doctor’s Hospital too, and so she was able to offer specific encouragement and reassurance. “She shared what I could expect from our NICU stay and even told me who her favorite nurses were.” When Leslie’s fears about giving birth surfaced, “Marissa’s listening ear and friendship were a godsend.”
Leslie and Marissa quickly realized how important and helpful this kind of one-on-one support could be for both new and experienced mamas of preemies. “It’s healing to be able to give back to another family if you’ve been there before and know the struggles of the NICU,” says Marissa.
The need for emotional support doesn’t often end after discharge from the NICU. For many families, leaving the NICU is only the beginning of their journey as babies born prematurely are at higher risk for a host of health challenges and special needs as they grow and develop throughout their first year and beyond.
Newly postpartum and home with her new daughter after a 30 day NICU stay, Leslie discussed with Marissa Richmond’s need for a community group to serve mother’s and families of babies born prematurely.
They organized a monthly meet-up for themselves and a few other NICU moms who they had recently met, Luci and Kasey, also founding board members. When the Christmas Season came they put together gift bags for mothers who were caring for their babies in the NICU over the Holiday. “We knew they would appreciate a little pick-me up,” says Leslie, “Something to say, ‘Hey, we know you’re in there, and we’re thinking of you.’”
They also started a Facebook group for local moms to connect, ask questions, and celebrate the big and little milestones. “Having a place to post questions as we navigate the medical challenges that our babies face, or just to encourage each other in the small victories, it’s been invaluable to bridging that gap of feeling isolated,” says Leslie. “We finally have community!”
With a lending library of books available as a community resource and a March for Babies Team that has already raised over $1,000 for the cause, these mamas are filling a previously unmet need in the mothering community and championing the cause of prematurity.
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When your body is changing, you may wonder if you should wait and buy maternity clothes later in your pregnancy or get them from the beginning. When is the right time to pick up a few maternity basics?
The answer is simple: start as soon as you are uncomfortable.
Many women start feeling that their pants are uncomfortable right around 10 – 16 weeks (but that doesn’t mean your pants can’t feel a little tight at 8 or 18 weeks). Maternity pants can look and feel great and there is no point in being uncomfortable when a better option is out there.
Here are 5 tips toward buying maternity pants with confidence:
Paige maternity jeans, available at Hip to be Round
1. Ask for help. Even if your favorite brand makes maternity, you’ll find items are retrofitted or made by a different designer altogether so it might not have the fit you’re used to. Ask the salesperson what the best selling style is and why. You’ll be surprised to hear there’s a lot more that goes into designing maternity pants than you think!
2. Check the fabric content. Most denim right now contains a certain amount of stretch fabric like Lycra or Spandex to retain shape and provide a comfortable fit. The more stretch, the more you can go with a fit that feels good “right now”. For example: a pair with 98% cotton and 2% elastine (stretch material like Lycra or Spandex) will have enough stretch retain it’s shape, but you will likely need to size up for a good maternity fit since they won’t grow with you. Denim with a 78% cotton, 20% poly, 2% spandex blend will be noticeably more stretchy and you’ll be able to purchase a pair that fit closer to how you normally wear them.
One thing to remember: heat damages elastine over time. That means that if you’re putting your jeans in the dryer to “shrink them down” you are actually damaging their ability to retain their shape!
3. Give yourself a little “insurance room”. This is especially true when shopping in your first trimester. This does not mean you need to buy a size up or have a baggy fit, but you do want a little extra room to grow. Here is one way to check: while wearing the jeans, use your thumb and index finger to grab a pinch of the fabric near your hip. If you pinch your skin, it’s not going to give enough room to grow, If you can grab a full handful of the fabric, try the size down. If you have just enough to comfortably hold between your fingers you’re probably just right.
5. Sit. Find a spot to sit in your pants and lean forward. Maternity pants offer the least flexibility right were the pant meets the panel (which is an important spot if you plan on sitting any time soon), if it’s digging in, it’s too tight. While it feels low, the panel should start right above the pelvic bone, cradling the belly and allowing you to sit comfortably.
5. And this is a biggie: Don’t be tempted to purchase regular jeans in a size up. It always seems like a good idea at the time, a cheap pair of jeans to wear in that “in between stage”, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are buying a pair of jeans for only a few weeks. Eventually, since non-maternity pants are not meant to adapt to your growing body, they’ll have trouble staying put or be ill-fitting in the behind and before long, you’re going to need another pair. if you need a temporary stop-gap, try a Bella Band, meant to extend the life of your pre-pregnancy jeans. The better (and more comfortable) investment is to purchase a good pair of maternity jeans from the start that will adapt and grow with you.
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I wanted to share some of the unique features with you!
Top-notch medical care
– VCU Medical Center is the only hospital in the area with a full delivery team onsite at all times, including obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists and certified nurse-midwives (specialized in natural birth), as well as 24/7 pediatric consultation and anesthesia relief, and lactation consultants on site 7 days a week.
– They are the only Level III NICU with private rooms, should a baby need additional, specialized care.
– The new unit features spacious rooms with private labor tubs and showers, a 24-hour visitation policy for family and friends, á la carte room service and wireless fetal monitoring, allowing women to move freely during labor.
C-sections
– VCU Medical Center has the lowest rate of cesarean births in the region, and the highest rate of vaginal births after cesarean in the region.
– The VCU School of Nursing offers a volunteer doula program that is free to patients. Research shows that constant labor support of a doula drastically lowers C-section rates, and benefits health care costs.
– When C-sections are medically necessary, VCU Medical Center is pioneering a new family-friendly C-section that feels more like a natural birth experience. Some components that aid this environment include low lights around the mother, music of the mother’s choice being played, the curtain lowered so mom can see the baby being brought out, skin-to-skin contact immediately after the baby is out to encourage bonding and nursing, and the baby stays with mom after delivery, not leaving her bedside. This is all shockingly progressive with regard to C-sections and I am so thrilled to see these practices become available to expectant mamas!!
Group prenatal care: Centering Pregnancy
– VCU Medical Center is the only major hospital in the area that offers an innovative group approach to prenatal care, called “Centering Pregnancy.” If you’re not familiar with ‘centering pregnancy’, you owe it to yourself to find out more…in fact, I think we might to write an article on it here!
– Participants get much more time with their care provider than they would in one-on-one appointments.
– Group care empowers mothers to take charge of their prenatal care, and provides a great source of education about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.
– Groups of expectant mothers go through their prenatal care with others around the same stage of pregnancy, allowing them to learn from one another and bond with other mothers going through similar experiences.
– Group sessions are offered at both the VCU Medical Center’s Nelson Clinic downtown, as well as at the Stony Point clinic.
The open houses will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 20, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the VCU Medical Center’s Main Hospital, 1250 E. Marshall St., sixth floor.
The new unit features spacious rooms with private labor tubs and showers, a 24-hour visitation policy for family and friends, á la carte room service and wireless fetal monitoring, allowing women to move freely during labor. The unit will support VCU Medical Center’s comprehensive labor and delivery team, including obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, certified nurse-midwives and nurses. For more information, visit VCUmom.com.
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Jessica Alba stays comfortable in leggings.
Fall is on it’s way and just because your pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t get in on great style.
Here are the top 7 staples that should be in your maternity wardrobe as autumn arrives…
1 Noppies Leggings.
There is no doubt that leggings are a pregnant girl’s best friend. Pair them with tunics, under dresses, big chunky sweaters, you name it. Just when you thought leggings couldn’t get any better (or more comfortable) one of our favorite maternity brands managed to improve them with a soft stay-put underbelly fit and adjustable waistband making them great for postpartum.
Style Tip: During your pregnancy, your growing belly will bring the hemlines of dresses and tunics a little higher, leggings will give extra-coverage under dresses that have become too short during pregnancy.
2 Skinny Jeans.
While some women balk at skinny jeans for maternity nothing really beats the versatility. Skinny jeans look great pre-fall with a pair of oxfords, tuck into your favorite boots neatly and cleanly and then in spring again (postpartum) with some colorful flats. We love bootcut styles and straight styles, but if you’re only going for one pair, opt for skinny.
Style Tip: When shopping for denim, look for something that you can wear postpartum, like Paige Maternity underbelly jeans which provide a comfortable “muffin top free” fit after baby.
3 We love fitted styles because of how they flatter your bump, but some days you just want to be covered up. A chunky sweater looks great with your leggings or skinny jeans or paired over a slim line pencil skirt for work.
Style Tip: if you’re having your baby in the fall or winter, they provide a good postpartum fit.
If it’s not clear by now we love items that can be dressed up or down and Michael Stars Shine tops hit the sweet spot between dressy and casual. Wear with your skinnies on the weekend and dress it up for the office. Wash and dry this top 1,000 times and it still looks as great as the day you bought it which is great since the gentle stretch and longer fit makes it a top you can count on for week 40.
Style Tip: If you’re tall, pair the Michael Stars Shine top with skinny jeans, if you’re shorter, with leggings. Ruche the top more or less to bring the shirt to the right length for your body.
Wear it to the office, wear it on date night, pop on your chunky sweater and favorite boots for a perfectly put-together fall look.
Style Tip: Fitted dress can double as a pencil skirt when you pair it with a longer top or sweater
Selma Blair tucks her skinny jeans into boots.
The LBD rule doesn’t escape maternity. Fall and winter pregnancies mean you’re going to need something for holiday. Find a black dress with a great fit that you can dress up or down.
Style tip: use accessories to change this dress up: a knit scarf to dress it down, a chunky necklace for a party or a patent belt and matching shoes for something more professional.
If there is any time where you have fewer clothes than when you’re pregnant, it’s postpartum. Many maternity brands have been making life easier for mom by incorporating nursing access into their maternity wear to help bridge the postpartum gap. If you’re headed back to work, nursing access makes pumping easier.
Style tip: Pack this item in your hospital bag to have something flattering and comfortable to go home in.
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I’ll let that soak in for a minute.
This isn’t the first time someone has said something to me that couldn’t be interpreted as anything other than an insult. When I was pregnant with my second, a customer actually scoffed when I mentioned my pre-pregnancy size.
Even pregnant women can manage to say the wrong thing to other pregnant women.
Now, what was my hormone-charged reaction to this woman telling me I look huge instead of cute?
Well, I laughed. Because it was funny. And I told her that other people looked cute because they were the one who is pregnant and not you and that we always judge ourselves (and apparently sales people) differently.
I was 30 weeks pregnant. Quickly on my way to outweighing my husband, I had dimples in places that aren’t cute, and just holding up a pair of jeans two sizes larger than my regular size I could already tell they’d be too tight.
Compared to non-pregnant me, I was huge.
And you know what? I’m totally okay with it. I felt great about how I looked, which is why what she said really didn’t bother me.
I work with a lot of women, and I am always shocked how many women seem to truly hate their pregnant bodies. It seems that at least once a day I hear someone say “I’m just so fat”.
To which I usually say “Stop.”
Just stop. This will not help you. And besides, you’re completely missing the point.
Now there are extremes on either end, some people who gain too much and people who gain too little, but for the average pregnant lady (who always seem to be the most critical) I look at it like this:
Swimmers have long bodies and broad shoulders because they need strong arms and a strong back to perform strokes like the butterfly.
Marathon runners are much less broad, they are lean and spindly, they need to be light and muscular to carry their weight for long distances.
Olympic weight lifters have very big biceps of course but also large quads to stabilize themselves as they lift over 500lbs of weight.
And you’re going to need a few extra dimples on your butt to grow a strong and healthy baby.
Pregnancy and birth are nothing short of an Olympic feat. So take it easy on the self-criticism –at least temporarily.
So, no, I didn’t win any bikini contests during my pregnancy (never won one not pregnant so it’s not a hard loss). And, yeah, it’s a bummer when even your pajama pants are tight. But I wasn’t about to be the one turning to the person next to me on the climb up Mt. Everest asking “Does this snow suit make my butt look big?”.
Because I’ll miss the view from the mountain.
And I’ll ruin the journey.
And I’ll stop myself from enjoying something that most people only get to do a few times in their life– if they are lucky. Some people never get to do it at all.
And who knows… Maybe being able to accept (maybe even love) your pregnant body… you might be able to make a few steps in forgiving that non-pregnant body too.
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eMommie.com makes special deliveries before the baby arrives.
Are you pregnant and looking for great bargains on fashionable clothing and accessories?
Then eMommie.com has exactly what you’re looking for.
eMommie.com Online Boutique
eMommie.com is a maternity bargain boutique that serves as an online resource dedicated solely to discount, new and pre-loved maternity clothing. They offer pregnant moms a new way to dress in a cost-effective manner. Since clothing is barely worn, it’s like new and you can purchase a full wardrobe at a fraction of the cost of high-end retail shops — yet still look like you just stepped out of one of those high-end, high fashion boutiques.
Tops, bottoms, dresses, nursing, lingerie, outerwear, suiting, designer labels and more are available on the site. You can even find plus sizes and a great clearance section.
While you’re preparing for the birth of your baby, take a look at their new baby gear and browse their shop for children too. Baby photo keepsake boxes, cards, , sweaters, organic onsies, unique outfits, and lots more are offered at deeply discounted prices.
Don’t worry about buying online either. They have a liberal exchange policy.
Returns
If you’re not satisfied with your purchase, you can request an exchange within the first 7 days of receipt of your order. They even offer return shipping credits to make it easier and cost-effective.
Savings with Savvy Saver Card
eMommie.com offers Richmondmom.com’s savvy savings card holders a 10% discount on top of your offer on your used maternity clothing. Yes, you can sell your clothing to them too! And you receive 15% off your total purchase of maternity clothing online using code “RMOM”, so be sure and take advantage of these offers too.
Get your savvy saver card right here on Richmondmom.com.
Special delivery
Nowhere else will you find as many fashionable maternity clothes at such fantastic prices. You shop right in the privacy of your home and your purchases are delivered to your doorstep.
While you’re waiting for the special delivery of your bundle of joy, enjoy the delivery of great maternity clothes and gifts for the baby too.
You have nothing to lose!
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