Meet the newest Breastfeeding Clothing designer at Bella Mama!

Tired of the same old mumsy breastfeeding clothing styles on the UK high street? So was I!
 
There is such a wide variety of beautiful breastfeeding tops and nursing dresses available around the world, there's just no need to settle for something big, baggy and unflattering when you want to breastfeed your little one. Bella Mama brings a huge variety of nursingwear together at one easy-to-shop-at site! Bella Mama has a vast selection of different nursingwear designers, styles and types of nursing access, and there's something for every occasion.

I love searching for new breastfeeding clothing designers to bring to the UK market, keeping our nursingwear range as fresh and varied as possible!
 

The latest addition to our range is chic French nursingwear designers Pomkin. Simply exuding Parisian elegance, this ultra-chic range of breastfeeding clothing is luxurious, high quality and beautifully designed.

Delicious fabrics, gorgeous colours, pretty ruching and a fabulous cut ensure that you look amazing whilst breastfeeding your baby.

Check out Pomkin's nursing Dresses and Pomkin's breastfeeding Tops at Bella Mama now...

Kirsten
x

Sleep tips for sleep-deprived Breastfeeding Mamas

Sleep is definitely one of those things which is in short supply when you have a new baby. Sleep deprivation really takes its toll and can leave you feeling pretty rotten.

All the advice you are likely to get from friends and well-meaning relatives is "Sleep when the Baby Sleeps"...

Ha, if only it were that easy! So if sleep is a longed-for luxury for you, here are a couple of tips to help you get some much needed rest...

Don't check the clock! 
When I had my first baby and he woke for a feed in the night, the first thing I would do is check the clock. I would feed him, check how long the feed had taken, then put him back to bed and worry about how few precious hours of sleep I would be able to snatch before he woke up for his next feed.

Gah!

That made me more stressed and made it even more difficult to fall asleep again after the feed.

Focussing *or obsessing in my case* about how little sleep I was getting just made me even more stressed and really highlighted to me how much time I was awake.

So, my advice is instead of focussing on how much time you have spent awake, do what you have to do, then go back to bed as quickly as possible!

I also found it really important to shift my expectations, and accept that as a new mum my sleep WOULD be more fragmented than it used to be, but found once I accepted that my sleep was going to broken for a while, I quickly become calmer and less stressed about it.

Take 20 minutes to yourself every day
As a new mum you will naturally have a lot of demands on your time, but the washing/cleaning/ironing/cooking/hoovering/phone calls will always be there!

You will just run yourself ragged trying to keep on top of everything, so it's important to just turn your back on the mess and the washing up and take some time for yourself. 20 minutes spent quietly by yourself relaxing whilst your baby naps, whether you are reading or just lying on the bed gives you a chance to clear your mind and come back to being a super-mummy slightly fresher than you were before!

If you have an elder child at home too, I found introducing some "Quiet Time" into their day really helped both of us. After lunch, Quiet Time was a chance for my kiddos to be quiet for a short time, playing, doing jigsaws or looking at books, giving us all a much needed time out before another busy afternoon!

Earplugs
I have a friend who swore by wearing her earplugs to bed every night. Apparently studies have shown that mothers of new babies wake approximately every few minutes to check on their baby, but don't really remember more than a handful of these times.

No wonder new mamas are exhausted.

So, even if it's only one night a week, go to bed early with your earplugs in and let dad bring the baby through to you for a breastfeed in the night. Undisturbed sleep = bliss.

Give Dad the first night-time feed
Once breastfeeding is established, you can express milk for the late night-time feed and go to bed early leaving your partner in charge of the late feed.

I used to pump just before going to bed at 8pm and slept through until the 2am feed!

*wooh*

Honestly, when you are really sleep-deprived that undisturbed stretch of deep sleep was just the thing I needed to get me through the next day! 

Accept all offers of help
Even if you're a real "coper", it makes such a difference to swallow your pride and accept any and all offers of help. A couple of hours rest in the middle of the day whilst a friend takes baby out for a walk in the pram will make you feel so much better. Another (very lucky!) friend of mine decamped to her mum's house with her new baby and slept and rested whilst her mum looked after her grandchild and generally pampered her new-mama daughter. Awww. 

Likewise as a new mum, all offers of helping with the cleaning, cooking a meal and babysitting should be grabbed with both hands.

Don't feel bad or guilty about this AT ALL! People love to feel useful, so they are making themselves feel good too. And they get to spend time with your gorgeous little one - who can resist a beautiful baby?

Would love to hear if you have any other fab tips to help new mums with getting more sleep!

Kirsten
xx

Breastfeeding is doing it naturally

Breastfeeding is truly the most natural thing any woman can do, yet this very subject creates a lot of controversy. Our modern lifestyles are usually fast paced and women continue with their normal daily lives throughout pregnancy and afterwards. Many new mums find breastfeeding in public tricky and in truth many women feel uncomfortable doing so wearing inappropriate clothes so the answer lies in breastfeeding clothes.

In fact, breastfeeding clothes completely changes how mamas can plan their days when they breastfeed a little one. All the garments are designed to make it possible for a new mum to breastfeed with the minimum of fuss and she most definitely doesn’t have to get undressed to do so. The tops and dresses are styled to be cross-over or have special opening panels for easy access.

For women on the go

Breastfeeding clothes must not only be functional; it has to be very comfortable and at the same time must be stylish and make mothers feel gorgeous when they wear them. For a long time new mums complained bitterly that they cannot find smart looking and comfortable breast feeding clothes, but designers have listened and at Bella Mama you find a whole range of breastfeeding clothes.

Everything on offer is made from soft and stretchy materials that fit well and looks great. At the same time all the garments on offer are easily washable, which is important. The great thing is you can shop for all breastfeeding clothes at one easy to use site.

You will find night wear, lounge wear, tops and dresses as well as accessories such as breastfeeding ponchos and covers for that extra privacy needs. With easy online shopping you can have all your breastfeeding clothes delivered to your doorstep.

Free Breastfeeding Clothing - Bella Mama Giveaway!

Hello,

I'm stock-checking today, and have a few items of breastfeeding clothing which are taking up space in the office! I need to clear the decks, as I have lots of lovely new SS11 clothing heading to bellamama in the next few weeks.

So, up for grabs are some free breastfeeding tops which are either in need of slight repair or have been used for display purposes. FREE to a good home, I'd rather someone got some use out of them than have them gathering dust in the office!

If you are interested, please send me an email (kirsten@bellamama.co.uk), add a comment to the blog or a message on facebook and let me know what you'd like. First come, first served.

Happy Breastfeeding!

Kirsten
xx

Maternalove ruched top turquoise Small 10
Small hole under the empire line, can easily be stitched.  GONE!

Maternalove Butterfly top Large 14
stitching coming undone under the empire line GONE!

Glamourmom nursing vest 10 (28-32 A-C)
Perfect, but mislabelled as a L! GONE!

Maternalove tulip top Small 10
fabric flaw - holes in the fabric under the nursing layer. Could be fixed with some iron-on fabric to the reverse. Can't see this flaw from the front of the top GONE!

Bella Mama Melissa Top Small 10
used for display GONE!

 Bella Mama Juno Black Small 10
display, otherwise perfect. GONE!

Maternalove Butterfly top Large 14 Green
stitching coming undone under empire line GONE!

BEST Breastfeeding Tops for keeping warm during the cold weather!

Brrrr... January... cold, miserable and now the snow looks to be on its way back again.  Yikes. I've been getting loads of requests for cosy, warm breastfeeding tops and have two brilliant suggestions for keeping your back, sides and tummy warm whilst being able to nurse your little one quickly and easily.

Firstly, Momzelle nursingwear. These tops have been so popular this season, I have restocked three times already. Designed specifically for nursing mothers, with extra room in the chest and tummy area, these tops are a perfect fit and have been flying off Bella Mama's shelves! Made from super-soft cotton (the black ones are also made from organic cotton) with full sleeves, and longer length to cover post-partum tummies comfortably.

The range comes in a variety of vibrant hues, including gorgeous pops of colour to lift your spirits in winter - warm purple, beautiful berry and funky turquoise.

Hugely popular this season is Momzelle's very cosy turtleneck, a loose and stylish turtleneck which is very flattering. I found a lovely review of the top on Momzelle's site:

There are so many wonderful things about this top. First of all, it's a great choice for 'going out' somewhere, as it can be worn dressy with a nice pant or skirt (or skinny jeans and heels!). The fabric is of such good quality, you can tell because it maintains its integrity after many washes. The neck isn't your typical turtleneck, it's much more trendy and loose which looks more modern. The length is great, and most importantly, it is very easy to breastfeed in this top while being discreet. I am very happy with this top. 

My second recommendation for fabulous winter nursingwear are the stunning designs from Milker. Each time I've restocked Milker knits and dresses have been really eagerly awaited - their striped dress was the fastest selling item at Bella Mama this season!   

Milker's smartly designed toasty-warm woollen knits are made from a baby-soft wool and viscose blend fabric. Breastfeeding in Milker's tops is a cinch - simply lift the empire line panel to access the nursing openings. Stylish, warm and very flattering, Milker's easy-to-wear clothes are just fabulous.

I've had lots of feedback to say how many compliments mamas have received whilst wearing Milker clothing, and how confident and comfy the clothing makes them feel. I still have a limited number of Milker's woollen tops and dresses left in stock, so if you'd like a cosy addition to your nursing wardrobe during the cold weather, please check out the lovely designs at www.bellamama.co.uk 

Kirsten xx

Happy New Year from Bella Mama Breastfeeding Boutique

Hoping you all had a fabulous New Year's, with plenty of food, fun, family and friends!

I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported Bella Mama last year! The past year has been an amazing one for Bella Mama, our range of breastfeeding and maternity clothing has grown and we've brought some lovely new designers on board this year, as well as continuing to offer beautiful pieces from our ever-popular established designers. Some items were so popular the pre-ordered stock had sold out before the stock had even hit our shelves! Our range was broadened further by adding even more new mama essentials, with new luxury baby changing bags, beautiful nursing necklaces, breastfeeding-friendly nursing covers and ponchos in a variety of colours and designs, super stylish breastfeeding lingerie and yummy indulgent skincare.

We were all thrilled when our lovely Bella Mama Maia breastfeeding top was awarded a finalist in Practical Pregnancy's best feeding top category. Yippee!! Maia is our best-selling nursing top, and new mamas just love the design for it's simple elegance, flattering fit and easy nursing access. Maia is now available in black, lilac and midnight blue, and will be available in some enticing new colours in Spring.

In Summer Bella Mama moved to a brilliant new office (hooray!), which was quickly followed by the launch of our brand new and improved website, which has proven a hit with new mamas! Our first gorgeous nursing dress design launched in Autumn, the pretty Thalia breastfeeding dress, which will be followed by more gorgeous new designs as we move into Spring 2011... 

Bella Mama loves to support new breastfeeding mothers, and our commitment during the past year has seen us pro-actively help to raise awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding, donating nursing tops and breastfeeding dresses to breastfeeding charities and support groups throughout the UK.  We are delighted to have been able to support many other causes helping to support nursing mothers - providing clothing for many breastfeeding fashion shows up and down the country, supplying breastfeeding clothing to charities supporting young breastfeeding mothers, donating nursing tops to breastfeeding support groups, providing raffle prizes to raise money for breastfeeding charities and raising awareness of breastfeeding at baby fairs and other events.

I look forward to providing even more help, support and donations in 2011, and I warmly invite anyone involved with a breastfeeding support group, charity or who is working on an event which supports breastfeeding to get in touch with Bella Mama (email me at kirsten@bellamama.co.uk) and I would love to help you out!

There are some exciting new designs lined up for SS11, including more new Bella Mama breastfeeding tops and dresses. As well as this, look out for more new products, new website features and amazing new designers that will be available over the next few months!

Wishing you all a Happy, Peaceful and Prosperous 2011.

Kirsten xx