1.  Designer denim – Perhaps the most important is a good pair of designer jeans.  Most of the popular designer denim brands like J Brand, Citizens of Humanity, Paige and my current favorite DL1961 have maternity styles now.  You can expect the same perfect fit that you get from non-maternity designer denim only with adjustments like a low front rise or adjustable band at the waist.  Try a number of styles and brands to find the right fit for you.  Also remember the lighter the wash the more casual the jean will look so you will likely get more wear out of a darker wash because you can wear them for day and night.

DL1961 Kate Slim Straight

2.  Bellaband – Perhaps the best pregnancy invention ever, the Bellaband allows you to get more wear out of your pre-pregnancy jeans and trousers and can also be used throughout pregnancy to keep your bottoms in place and after pregnancy when you are getting back into your old wardrobe.  I have also used mine as a boob tube under tops that are too low.

BellaBand

3.  Feel good top – Every maternity wardrobe needs a few good tops that are neither too tight or loose.  They can be trendy or classic but they must fit well.

Cowl Neck & Button Up Top by Pour Deux

4.  Perfect-fit Trousers – A great fitting trouser will take you from day to night depending on what you wear with them.  They should have some stretch in them and be slighted fitted.

Jules & Jim Prada Pants

Everything above is available at

Nine Months Maternity
5/F Tung Yiu Commercial Buidling
31A Wyndham Street
Central, HK
2868-5988
Shop online: www.ninemonthshk.com

These are items that you will wear the most during your pregnancy.  There’s no bells-and-whistles here…nothing fancy at all but they will be staples and they won’t break the bank.

1.  A versatile cami – Perfect for layering which is key in pregnancy and the cooler season.  Look for comfortable natural fabrics like cotton and bamboo.  The most versatile styles are form fitting.

LA Made Layering Cami

2.  Leggings – You’ll get a lot of wear out of a pair of black leggings.  They can be worn with everything from tunics to dresses and you will live in them for the last month of pregnancy.  Get 3/4 length for Spring and full length for Fall.

LA Made Leggings

3.  Comfy Lounge Trousers – Wide leg loose fit trousers made of natural fabric.  You’ll be wearing these around the house and to yoga class.

LA Made's Noah Trouser

4.  Layering cardi – Autumn is here so you’ll likely need a little bit of warmth.  A layering cardi is the perfect piece to provide warmth and you can still remove it easily when you get too hot.

LA Made's Striped Cardi

5.  Nursing Bra – No need to buy maternity bras, just jump straight into nursing bras so you can wear them after the baby is born.  They are made from soft, comfortable fabric and they don’t have any underwire.  Lots of women wear them to bed to provide a bit of support and comfort.

Belabumbum's Camille Bra

6.  The Everyday T-shirt – Again a layering piece.  Maternity t-shirts are longer than non-maternity t-shirts so don’t make the mistake of trying to make due with your non-maternity ones or your belly will show.  You can choose a very plain style or something with a bit of detail.

LA Made's Double V Tee

As you’ll notice I’ve featured a number of items made by LA Made  because they are the experts in casual maternity fashion.  You can find similar pieces by different brands however I’ve handpicked LA Made because of their high quality, comfortable fabrics and on-trend styles.

Everything above is available at

Nine Months Maternity
5/F Tung Yiu Commercial Buidling
31A Wyndham Street
Central, HK
2868-5988
Shop online: www.ninemonthshk.com

1.   Herbal Tea – The jury is still out on milk stimulating herbal teas but it’s one of those things that can’t hurt to try if you’re having difficulties.  There are a number of different herbs that are said to help your breasts produce milk but Fenugreek seems to be the most effective and should be the main ingredient.  The Spoiled Mama‘s More Milk Please Sippin’ Tea is made from 100% organic ingredients and is said to increase breast milk supply within hours of use.

2.   Nursing Cover – One of the most useful items to purchase is a nursing cover.  I sometimes see women struggling with a scarf or something similar when a nursing cover would make life so much easier at minimum cost.  The best ones are made from thin cotton maternial with an adjustable strap to go around your neck and a  stiff front neckline that gives you a full view of your nursing baby.  Udder Covers makes super stylish ones in 6 different patterns that won’t hurt the pocketbook.

3.   Glamourmom Tank – The Glamourmom tank is a must-have for all mums who have established a good breastfeeding routine with their baby.  Glamoumom tanks offer full support with easy breast access all while keeping the belly fully covered.  Perfect on their own or under a sweater or flowing top.

4.   Nursing Bras & Nightwear – Gone are the days of plain Jane nursing bras and underwear and not a moment too soon.  Just because you might not feel your sexiest doesn’t mean you should go the route of frumpy undergarments.  Belabumbum is loved by many celebrities mums and with good reason and the nursing bras are so comfortable you can wear them during pregnancy.

All available at
NineMonths Maternity Boutique
5/F Tung Yiu Commercial Building
31A Wyndham Street
Central, Hong Kong
P: 2868.5988
I:  www.ninemonthshk.com

1.  Bump-hugging tunics – The tunic is a must-have item for pregnancy – perfect with skinny jeans when you’re feeling thin and with leggings for the later months of pregnancy.  I always erred on the side of figure hugging silhouettes when I was pregnant but sometimes I found it difficult to find a tunics that weren’t floaty and tent-like.  The ones to look for have an a-line silhouette, hugging your bust and top of the tummy and becoming more roomy at the bottom.

2.  Ruching at the neckline – There are some women that are super excited about the prospect of increasing a cup size during pregnancy and I was certainly one of them.  I wore low cut tops and dresses whenever I could.  Ruching at the neckline makes low cut tops extra flattering.

3.  A floaty coverup – Styles are looking more feminine this Autumn/Winter but I’m not a fan of floral prints or too many ruffles when you are pregnant.  The perfect way to give your outfit a more feminine feel is to add a floaty coverup.  Styles that give you a bit of warmth without the bulk are key since you already warmer than usual and are likely feeling bulky enough.

4.  The ever popular maxi dress – Perfectly flattering for pregnancy.  The maxi dress highlights the area that you can show off with confidence (the bust) and flows over the areas you’d like to hide.  Solid colours are easier to dress up than patterns which lend themselves to a more casual occasion.

Available at
Nine Months Maternity
5/F Tung Yiu Commercial Building
31A Wyndham Street
Central, Hong Kong
2868.5988
www.ninemonthshk.com

Hip Little Bubba, Nine Months, The Body Group and Rawthentic Food are hosting a fab shopping and pampering event this Saturday at Sense of Touch in Repluse Bay.  Raw food demonstrations and loads of goodies.  Sounds like a fun Saturday morning!

1. Don’t touch her belly – A pregnant woman already feels fat.  There is no need to rub her belly and make her feel like a walking Buddha.  If you feel compelled and can’t stop yourself always ask permission first.
2. Don’t comment on how large she is – There is nothing worse than hearing “you must be having twins” when you aren’t.
3. Don’t discuss an awful birth experience – We all know that not every birth is a walk in the park but the last thing she wants to hear is how awful it could be.  What’s worse is that the horrible story generally ends in “but I’m sure that won’t happen to you” which is true but that scenario will be running through her mind for the rest of the day.
4. Don’t invite her out to a bar – She’s not drinking and hanging out in a place surrounded by people drinking is likely the last thing she wants to do.  Though the lure of yummy food will generally spark some genuine interest.

And now some tips for the pregnant ladies:

1. Dress appropriately – Be proud of your body but don’t expose yourself unnecessarily.  Your clothes should always fit properly ie. the front of the garment should never be shorter than the back because of your growing tummy.  Invest in maternity clothes early so you don’t look like a person who is just trying to “make do” with what’s in your closet for 9 months.
2. Don’t forget your manners – There’s a pretty high likelihood of you running into a “tummy rubber’ at least once during your pregnancy.  And with your hormones running wild you might feel compelled to put them in their place.  I’ve found that just taking a small step back is generally enough to correct the offensive behavior without looking like a crazy person.

1. Visit a local swimming pool – luckily there are a lot of swimming pools in Hong Kong.  Many of us are blessed with one where we live or we belong to a club that has a pool.  If you aren’t one of the lucky ones you can find a listing of all the public pools in Hong Kong here.  Alternately, most hotels in Hong Kong will offer their pool to non-guests for a daily fee.
2. Drink water – some people think that the more water you drink the more swollen you are going to get but the opposite is true.  Usually we are supposed to get 8-10 glasses a day but during the heat of summer it’s necessary to increase that.  I always had a water bottle with me and drank from it constantly. Remember dehydration is the number one cause of pre-term labour.
3. Stay out of the sun and cover yourself with sunscreen – we all want to avoid the dreaded linea negra as much as possible and staying out of the sun is the best way to do this.  Of course most of us will see a faint line but if you lie in the sun without sunscreen it will make the line much darker.  I know this because during my first pregnancy I decided to take a trip to Bali mid-pregnancy.  I sat in the sun without thinking and ended up with the darkest linea negra that took months to disappear.  Second pregnancy, no sun and no linea negra.
4. Treat yourself with fruit and other food items that contain a high concentration of water – watermelon was my favorite fruit last summer.  There is nothing better than a piece of cool watermelon when you are pregnant….well, maybe a popsicle or slurpee

1. Potatoes – this was a shocker for me.  I had no idea that potatoes have the highest level of pesticide contamination of all veggies.
2. Beef – for the reasons outlined above, organic beef is better.  Additionally, a 2007 study examined women who ate conventionally raised beef while pregnant and found that their sons had 24% lower sperm count later in life and were 3 times more likely to be infertile than the sons of women who chose organic beef while pregnant.
3. Milk – non-organic milk is full of the antibiotics and grown hormones that are fed to the cows to make them produce more milk accompanied by pesticide contamination from the grass that the cows eat.
4. Apples – have the highest level of pesticide contamination of all fruit.

Foods that are safe to eat non-organic include bananas, avocado, pineapple, kiwi, mango and papaya because of the skin.  Brocolli, asparagus, cabbage and onions all face very little threat from pests so need less pesticides.

If you are looking for fish and organic meat to be delivered to your door try South Stream Seafoods who I have been using for 3 years now.  Organic veggies are easy to find in your local supermarket but if you would prefer home delivery try Homegrown Foods (although I think they are a bit on the expensive side).

The Bump Bunch events are ongoing social events to you by Baby Bloom and the AWA for all mums-to-be. Visit www.babybloom.com.hk or www.awa.org.hk for upcoming events.

Nine Months Maternity
5/F Tung Yiu Commercial Building
31A Wyndham Street
Central, Hong Kong
2868-5988