Cake Lingerie Real Mums in the Woman's Day

QUESTION: what do Katie Holmes, Jennifer Anniston, Angelina Jolie and Maree from our Cake Lingerie Real Mums all have in common?

ANSWER: they are all on the cover (and inside) of this weeks Woman's Day!! Go Maree!!

 

    

ERGObaby - a year in the life competition

We showed you a sneak peek of ‘Babies’ the movie in January this year. This movie follows four babies from four corners of the globe over a twelve month period. It captures their first smile, first taste of food, first steps – a whole plethora of ‘firsts’ in fact.

In the spirit of observing a little one over a period of time, Belly Beyond would like to explore a ‘Year in the Life of an ERGObaby’…..what does the life of a baby and their parents look like when they enjoy the freedom of the ERGObaby Carrier?  What do parents get up to when they aren’t tied to settling their babies in a cot? What adventures do they go on when they don’t have to lug a bulky pram? How much easier can life be with an ERGObaby?

These photo montages below are all of Heidi and I and our families living the ERGObaby life - it's fair to say we walk the ERGObaby walk!

 

So what's in it for you?

We are calling all pregnant mums (or soon-to-be-dads) or new parents who have just welcomed their little one into the world who would like to share their ERGObaby journey with us over the next 12 months through monthly blog updates.

To get started, we will provide one lucky winner with a new award-winning ERGObaby Carrier and a ‘Heart 2 Heart’ infant insert. Throughout your journey, you will receive regular new products to use with your carrier which may include ERGObaby accessories, BabyLegs, and even a Rearview mirror. And, around the sixth month date, we may kit you out with a new release carrier (but shhh…. that product is still a secret). The total value of products gifted throughout the year will be worth over $500.

What's the catch?

In return, you will need to provide monthly updates with a babywearing flavour of your baby’s journey, plus some images and/or video to use on the Belly Beyond blog and Facebook page.  Writing doesn't have to be your thing, we can look after that part, but we will need you to share your feelings and experiences with us on a monthly basis. 

Interested? 
Leave us a comment telling us why you would love to use an ERGObaby with your new arrival and how it could make a big difference to your family life. Please also note your approximate due date or current age of newborn baby.   You can also comment on our Wordpress Blog if you don't have a Blogger account.

Please share this with your pregnant friends or those that have just welcomed a newborn!


Share

Breastfeeding is Creepy

According to Kathryn Blundell, deputy editor of Mother & Baby magazine (in the UK), breastfeeding is creepy.  She made the comments in an article entitled "I formula fed - so what?".

Blundell described her breasts as ‘part of my sexuality too, not just breasts, but fun bags. And when you have that attitude (and I admit I made no attempt to change it), seeing your teeny, tiny, innocent baby latching on where only a lover has been before feels, well, a little creepy.’

She went on to say how she rejected breastfeeding after the birth of her child because: ‘I wanted my body back. (And some wine)… I also wanted to give my boobs at least a chance to stay on my chest rather than dangling around my stomach.’

Just like the Campbell Live item last week on mothers feeling bullied because they formula feed, this article is completely unhelpful in the fight for women to make informed choices about feeding their baby.  This sort of misinformation (it's been proven that actually breastfeeding doesn't make your boobs sag) only perpetuates ridiculous stereotypes about breastfeeding being for hippies or formula feeding for women who are too sexually selfish to breastfeed or simply want to be able to head to the pub for a wine.

Sadly, Kathryn's opinion about breasts being solely sexual is one shared by a lot of women, even very pro breastfeeding women like myself have had that moment where my little one was first feeding and I think "oh, that's different."  Western culture simply does not have a breast feeding friendly bottom line.  Women's breasts are sexualised every day in media - TV and magazines constantly show photos of celebs with their breasts on display.  As a young woman growing up I never even contemplated that breasts were for anything other than showing off, breastfeeding wasn't something I ever saw around me so how could I have considered them for that?

And that's the solution.  Breastfeeding needs to be part of everyday life - the normal use for breasts.  If I ask my children what breasts are for they would reply "babies".  They've been breastfed themselves, they see my friends breastfeeding and it's simply part of their normal life and no big deal. 

Better Home & Gardens recently told breastfeeding mothers to do it in the toilet and received a huge backlash from 'Mommy Bloggers' - so much so it made it to mainstream media.  Blundell and Mother & Baby Magazine will no doubt deservedly receive similar treatment regarding the comments but it won't help.

Until we can completely shift to a mind set that breasts are naturally for feeding babies, mothers everywhere will face struggles to breastfeed and to not breastfeed.  I hope when my daughter has children we'll live in a society where breastfeeding isn't a choice - it's just the norm.

Does that mean that there is no sexual role for breasts to play at all?  No of course not.  We believe breasts can be both nurturing and sexual without being creepy - it doesn't have to be mutually exclusive.

OMG the Awards news keeps coming!

So as I've already blogged it's been a big week in the Belly Beyond house and we found out yesterday that another award has been won!  (scroll down to see)












Miss 5 is Room 1's Student of the Week.  Now that's what I'm talking about.  <3 <3

Bloom Her Business Woman of the Year

Until we see the official Awards photos here are some behind the scenes shots at the Bloom Her Business Woman of the Year Awards.

Above:  Heidi and Louisa (Mr Belly Beyond's in the background at left and my big sis on the right)

With two of our favourite people at the Her Business Forum, (L-R) Heidi, Anita Newport from Parkes Automotive, Louisa, Kate Coote from the sublime online store Floozy

Another fave from the Forum, Wendy Davie from Totally Organised, Louisa, Kate from Floozy.

Probably Tweeting each other in this shot!

The Awards dinner was the midway point through a two day business Forum and while we loved the awards we definitely also thought that the Forum was such a fantastic event. Heidi and I got a huge amount out of the conference, and it was the proverbial “kick in the pants” we need to focus on getting our business to where we want it to be.

Having the opportunity to listen to the most inspirational women like Mary Devine (ex CEO of Ezibuy), Jane Hunter (Hunter Wines), Jenny Morel (No 8 Ventures) was absolutely fascinating and like a shot of pure adrenalin.  Sarah Gibbs from Trilogy was down-to-earth but came across as incredibly driven and told stories we could relate to.  

Heidi and I were chuffed to be asked to speak at the Cameo point of the day where along with lots of other women we shared our biggest blunder - not the easiest thing to do but as Annah Stretton said if you don't make mistakes you'll never learn anything and the amount of people who got up unprompted after the Cameos were done said volumes about what a great topic it was.  

I also got a chance to speak again on the second day when I did a brief Tips on Social Media.  It barely scratched the surface but hopefully encouraged people to go away and set up their Twitter accounts, get their Facebook pages up and running and to raise awareness around the strictness of Facebooks rules around promotions - no you CANNOT make someone 'like' or tag or upload a photo or do a status update or indeed anything of those things as a means of entering a competition!  (will blog on this soon).

 

The Stretton Publishing team did such an amazing job of running a tight ship, keeping us motivated, well-fueled and ensuring we networked among ourselves meaning fantastic contacts were made and after seeing the passionate Her Business Network Coordinators and members in action the Her Business Networks will definitely be something we will check out.

All in all a wonderful and productive way to spend two days and to take out the Most Inspirational Role Model Award was an absolutely highlight moment for us in business so far.

p.s.  Thanks to Kate for the images above.
p.p.s  Check out Belly Beyond's other award winning moments here

A Real Man

A real man is a woman's best friend.   He will never stand her up and never let her down. He will reassure her when she feels insecure and comfort her after a bad day.  He will inspire her to do things she never thought she could do; to live without fear and forget regret. 

He will enable her to express her deepest emotions and give in to her most intimate desires. He will make sure she always feels as though she's the most beautiful woman in the room... See more and will enable her to be the most confident, sexy, seductive, and invincible.

No wait... sorry... I'm thinking of wine.

Never mind.

Source:  my friend Talia's news feed 

Belly Beyond Most Inspirational Role Model at Bloom!

Heidi and I won the Most Influential Role Model at the Bloom Her Business Woman of the Year Awards on Wednesday night.  It's still sinking in actually but it's fair to say we are absolutely stoked.

Looks like it's getting into the media too, we've made the front page of Infonews in the Business section no less - now that's where we want to be headlining!

PRESS RELEASE

Mums Know Best; Belly Beyond Wins Most Inspirational Role Model at the 2010 Bloom Her Business Awards

It’s been a bumper year for Belly Beyond, as the online business and its founders Louisa Currie and Heidi Riley go from strength to strength. Last year they were finalists in the Bloom Her Businesses Awards but in 2010 Louisa and Heidi have taken out one of the most highly regarded and respected categories; Most Inspirational Role Model.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held on 23rd June at the Heritage Hotel, Auckland, organised and promoted by Her Business magazine and attended by over 120 guests.

Organisers of the Bloom Awards describe the category as seeking true role models who possess aspirational qualities and have affected others in a way that encourages them to better themselves; overcoming trials and challenges while displaying a level of commitment to business that is truly inspiring. And it was clear to the judges that Louisa and Heidi have achieved just that.

Says Louisa of the their recent Bloom award, “becoming finalists last year was amazing but to win this category in particular is the best pat on the back from our peers we could hope for. To be labelled as an inspiration and role model to others is a very high achievement and something we will continue to aim for.”

The judges viewed the Belly Beyond co-founders as having successfully blended the businesses world with having a family, inspiring others, and “proving, once again, that women really can do anything, [Louisa and Heidi] have demonstrated they can multitask at the very highest level.”

Belly Beyond’s win in this category comes after a very successful year; growing the online company internationally as well as increasing sales by over 400% and even finding the time to advocate for womens’ issues. It’s the desire to inspire and promote motherhood that has taken Louisa and Heidi to where they are today, using their extensive networks to convey topical messages and causes relating to motherhood.

One of Belly Beyond’s campaigns over the past year was an email message sent virally far and wide aiming to take the stigma out of the breast feeding in public. And another more recent and highly publicised campaign was the ‘Search for Real Mums’ model competition. This has just finished with four women chosen from around New Zealand now selected to be the Australasian faces – and bellies – of Cake Maternity Lingerie; promoting healthy pregnant bodies to the world.

Two years after its conception Belly Beyond is becoming a multi-award winning company, driven by the passion and enthusiasm of the dynamic pair behind it, and proving you can mix business with pleasure; even maintaining a close friendship along the way.

The Bloom Her Businesswoman of the Year Awards recognise outstanding New Zealand women in business; celebrating the achievements of women who run successful operations, inspire and support their peers and make extraordinary contributions to their communities and the environment.

www.bellybeyond.co.nz

Lamington Merino Socks

WARNING:  This post contains gratuitous use of bloggers own child and may contain traces of parental gushing.

So Lamington Merino Socks have arrived at Belly Beyond.  I know I've already posted this but now I have photos.

These socks are simply AWESOME!!  They stay on and keep feet and lower legs cosy and warm.  Sizes range from newborn to six years.  But what do kids think of them?  I reckon the review judge gives them the thumbs up and he looks so super cute!

Boon has arrived at Belly Beyond

Heidi unpacked the first Boon shipment and was totally blown away by the Frog Pod and Lady Bug Pod (a total want-one, want-one moment).

Here's a photo of Finn next to them to give you an idea of their size.

We are working our way through the amazing range now.  Boon Inc is a brand we looked at importing direct but it was expensive to freight here so we were pretty thrilled that a NZ distributor for the product is now in action.

We've set up our long await 'Eat' section on the website for the truely inspired eating accessories Boon make.

Here's a sample of the range but check out all of it on Belly Beyond here

Fluid Toddler Cup

Boon Snack Ball

Big Bird learns about breast feeding

This video from a 1977 episode of Sesame Street is just fantastic.

I love that Buffy's explanation is simple, matter of fact and so absolutely spot-on.  As Bird Bird says "you know, that's nice"

Dream Swaddle Feedback from the United States

Check out this cool demo video of the Mum2Mum Dream Swaddle.  It's a fantastic product and we send them all over the world.

Here's some feedback from the United States.

Just wanted to say a big THANKYOU for a wonderful experience shopping on your site. Quick, efficient and the wrap has already arrived and bubs had her best sleep ever tucked up in it. 

Check it out for yourself here 

Amber Teething Necklaces - our response to the 3News story

You may have seen us featured on the 3News story tonight on Amber Teething Necklaces. 

We started stocking the necklaces after receiving requests for them from our lovely customers.  Like anything we add to www.bellybeyond.co.nz we only do so if we've tested it ourselves or had a recommendation from someone we really trust.

I will be honest - I was a total sceptic and thought is was quite barking mad that a necklace could help with teething issues and to put my mind at ease about the claims I put a necklace on my then 5 month old son and ran my own little experiment.

Before the necklace was on he was drooling thru 3 layers of clothing by about 11am - a bib, a jumper and a t-shirt sopping wet with dribble.  After the necklace was on the dribble all but stopped.  He was settled when breastfeeding and not constantly pulling off the breast or skipping feeds and as a result he was more settled at night.  I was convinced and we added them to the site.

Heidi's story is somewhat different.  With Master now 14 she regularly dosed him up on Bonjela and Pamol, even resorting to dipping his dummy in the stuff (eek!).  Finn however (her 18 month old), has been wearing them since he was about 4 months old and has never needed Pamol and Heidi believes it's down to the necklace.

There are countless stories just like ours that echo these sentitments (just check out our Facebook page!) and as I confessed on TV I have absolutely no idea how they work but I'm convinced they do and that parents should be able to choose to use the beads to naturally treat teething - it can truely be a miserable time for some babies.

So to the more sensational claim of the choking hazard.  Again, when I first heard of the beads I thought it was crazy that you'd want to put something around your baby's neck.  Crazy!  But having used the necklace on my own children and seeing that they are sized specifically for little ones I'm completely comfortable that the risk is almost non-existant. 

"But they might hang themselves in the cot" the naysayers claim.  On what??!!!  Have you seen modern cots?  There is nothing for them to hang on and parents are well informed enough to have a completely empty space without toys or decorations, so for me there's no logic in such claims.  In addition, there actually is an added safety feature in that the necklaces are designed to break in the unlikely event they do become caught. 

A Google search reveals that there are no reports here or internationally of a child ever being harmed because of their teething necklace.

If we thought for a minute that Amber Teething Necklaces were dangerous we would not be selling them!  To me this is a case of science saying no and parents saying yes.  When it comes to your kids, who knows best?

 Safety Summary
1)  The necklaces are designed to break under strain.  In the unlikely even that it's caught on something or a child really gives it a yank then it will break.  I'd like to note that the 3News report stated the necklaces are tied on - this is NOT the case as our necklaces come with a safety clasp.
2)  The necklaces are hand tied with a knot before and after each bead so that if the necklace does happen to break, only one or two beads will come off.  The beads are small enough that they are unlikely to be choking hazard and amber is non-toxic if a bead is swallowed.

You can make a comment here on the 3News story and let them know how the beads have worked for you and your opinion on their choking hazard claims.

To find out more about Amber Teething Necklaces, check them out on our website 

Meet the Cake Lingerie Real Mums - the faces (and bumps!) behind the Real Mums, Real Fit campaign

We are absolutely stoked to properly introduce you to the Cake Lingerie Real NZ Mums!  Follow the link here to learn a little but more about each of these gorgeous women.

It was a pleasure and a challenge to put together the whole campaign in New Zealand for Cake Lingerie. The photo shoot went absolutely without a hitch – a piece of Cake you might say!

Our highlight moments from the search and photo shoot:

* We were travelling back a speaking engagement in Tauranga and discussing the shoot, due to take place the next day and we'd just said we really need a little something to add a difference for some of the shots. Just then we passed through Paeroa and an antique shop with the most perfect antique dolls pram parked outside. It was spooky in it's timing and we couldn't resist it and it made a very cute addition to the shoot.

* We loved photographing the kids and the mums together. There's nothing like blowing some bubbles to bring out the laughter and smiles!

* Watching gorgeous Mums salsa dance in their underwear with cupcakes at 9 oclock on a Sunday morning isn't something you see every day.

* A highlight for everyone was meeting Alisha’s 10 week old twins who were there for the entire shoot and were such angels!

* Working with Lisa at ImageME, what a total pro. Now we know first-hand why she is a People Photographer of the Year award winner.

* Meeting Chanel for the first time (there’s a leap of faith) after she flew in from Dunedin was a memorable moment for us.

* It was great to see the husband's reactions at seeing their wives in full photoshoot mode when they dropped the kids in near the end of the shoot.

A big thanks to:

* Tracey and Keith from Cake Lingerie
* The Langham Hotel
* ReachME for the fantastic prize packs for our 10 finalists
* Lisa Crandall at ImageME
* Nykie Grove-Eades for behind the scenes shots of the day
* Delish Cupcakes
* Sara from Seb Makeup
* and of course our fantastic Real Mums - Alisha, Chanel, Debbie and Maree

See the amazing results slide show

Justin Bieber Dead

Oh please, enough already.

Just like the Russel Crowe rumour it's just that - a rumour!

Top 10 Baby Gifts

We've created a new area of the website just for Top 10's!

Our first Top 10 is for Top 10 Baby Gift recommendations for mum or baby, check it out here.

1. Cuddledry Bath Towel
2. Merino Sleeping Bag
3. Made4Baby Skincare
4. Skip*Hop Toolbox Caddy
5. Giimmo Nightlight
6. OiOi Nappy Bag
7. ERGObaby Carrier
8. Rainbow
9. Cake Lingerie
10. BearView Mirror

ERGObaby Carrier Sienna Sunset

This stunning new limited edition ERGO baby Carrier now available at Belly Beyond.

Made of Organic cotton twill, for a more elegant look and feel. This exquisite Organic carrier features delicate floral embroidery across a dusty Sienna background. The lining and hood pocket also display the embroidery with a background of various shades of orange, pink, blue, and green stripes - reminiscent of the most brilliant sunset.

SPOTTED: Belly Beyond in the latest Littlies Magazine

The fabulous new range of colours from Babylegs get a mention in the latest Littlies magazine.

I love Babylegs and have an embarrassing amount of them in the kids wardrobe, all purchased before the business too which shows my true addiction.

Perfect for arm warmers, leg warmers, they fill the space where pants meet socks and make nappy changes a breeze without the freeze!

Buy two and save with our Multi-Buy deal to.  Check it out online

SPOTTED: our Cake Lingerie Real Mums

Check out this article in the lingerie industry bible, Lingerie Buyer.

The NZ Real Mums are going international - YAY!!!  Go girls!

Dealing with breast soreness and engorgement

Engorged breasts, ye-ouch. Engorgement happens on some level to almost every mum. It's the time post birth when after vigorous encouragement sucking from baby, your milk comes in and you wake up with breasts like Pamela Anderson's - only real. 

And if you think I'm kidding - here's photographic evidence. The first shot is taken on a carefree holiday pre-kids, the second shot is taken 3 days after the birth of of my second child.

I'm sharing these shots because even though I was told to expect engorgement I really had no idea what was going to happen and to what extent!  It can take approximately two weeks for your breasts to settle down completely and not be rock hard in between feeds but for some women it takes only a few days.

Top 10 tips for dealing with breast engorgement:

1. Jump  in the shower and just let the milk run out.  You can hand express too if need be.
2. Use a warm/hot flannel or a specialised product like Breast Warmers before feeding.  This softens the breast tissue and makes it much easier to latch baby, and as I constantly bang on about - latch is everything.
3. Resist the temptation to use a breastpump during this initial phase.  If you pump milk, you will make more so let your baby be the one who tells your body how much milk it needs to make. Supply = demand
4. Feed often.  Keep your little one close and look out for hunger signs (fist sucking and the like)
5. Take panadol if it's really painful but be sure that it's engorgement and not a sign something else is wrong.
6. Massage your breasts while baby is feeding, this will increase milk flow.  In the early days have a clean flannel or small towel handy for the breast you aren't feeding from as you may find you leak profusely at let down (and during the feed).
7. Whole cabbage leaves in your bra can help but don't use them too much as they actually inhibit milk production.  Leave on for 15 minutes at a time, 2-3 times a day.
8. Make sure any bra you wear is not too tight to compress the breast tissue.
9. Massage out any lumps - yes it freaking hurts but you need to clear out any blockages. 
10. Get help!  If your latch isn't quite right, you may not be draining the breast so seek help early on if you think this is the problem.  Sore, cracked nipples are a sign the latch isn't what it should be.  Call your local La Leche League, your midwife or a lactaction consultant ASAP.

Once this initial period passes don't be surprised if you get short periods of engorgement as baby has growth spurts or they miss a feed as they start to sleep through.  Your body will adjust quickly, keep feeding and use the steps above as required.  

To wire or not to wire? That is the maternity bra question.

By Tracey Montford - Designer and Founder of Cake Lingerie

The question is not an easy one to clearly answer and hence several suppliers and so called authorities in the matter have chosen to ignore it, categorically stating women should not wear underwire. I attempt to put to rest this subject once and for all, so please bear with me.

There is no categoric evidence linking the use of underwired bras to causing mastitis. It is one of those myths that has self permeated in countries like Australia, NZ and the UK. Some older schools of thought and so called bra-fitting authorities have previously promoted the use of the same bra during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Studies have shown the two periods to have a unique set of characteristics and in most cases, different size bras will be required. So please check for the below symptoms;

The key points to look out for when wearing a maternity or nursing bra are;

1) Ensure the channel of the cup sits around the base of the breast tissue (flush against the ribcage), not on the breast tissue - Should the channel be sitting on the breast tissue, the cup size is more likely than not too small - go up a cup size and vice versa.

2) Ensure the top part of the cup isn't cutting into the breast - should you witness this symptom, the cup isn't deep enough for your breast and is more likely than not too small - go up a cup size and vice versa.

3) The breast should not feel compressed, flattened or restricted by the bra cup fabric - consider going up a cup and vice versa

4) The side of the bra cup should encompass the breast tissue and not be placed on it - Should you witness any bulging, the cup size is more likely than not too small - go up a cup size or try another bra style

5) The horizontal band (where the hooks and eyes come together) should not ride up your back when fastened, struggling to take the weight of your breast. Try adjusting the shoulder straps but if that doesn't help, get yourself a new bra. This one has lost its ability to perform its function and provide sufficient support.

Please note, a bra typically has a worn life of about 6 months. The elastics and fabrics lose their elasticity and strength due to regular and wear. To ensure good breast health, change your bra regularly whilst using the opportunity to look out for the above mentioned symptoms!

Most importantly, get a bra that provides a degree of separation in the centre front area (between your boobs). Whist a 'Madonna/ Cone' shaped breast look isn't flattering for most women, it's important to have a degree of separation as this is the ideal position for the breast and avoids the ligaments being stretched. Besides a mono-boob look is not attractive. But that's for another article...

I suggest putting your underwire bra away during the first 2 weeks from when your milk is coming in. This can generally take place a week prior to birth and a week after. The breast will generally settle after this period after which you can wear your wired nursing bra. Importantly though, do check for the above mentioned symptoms. Should you witness any of the same, get a new bra. The reality is that you would have worn that bra during your pregnancy anyway, so its time for a change.

I can guarantee you one thing; you will never get the support and a secure enough feel from a non-wired maternity or nursing bra, so unless you want to look like my grandmother or desire a 'East - West' flattened shape, do invest in one or two wired maternity and nursing bras. They are particularly useful on days when you need that added secure, supportive look and feel.

Another option to consider a Flexible Wire Maternity and Nursing Bra. These exist on the market and will provide the best of both worlds. Mainland Europe, Scandinavia and the US predominantly use underwire maternity bras and underwire nursing bras. Increasingly so brands in the Australia, NZ and the UK are introducing them.

Lastly, for what its worth, 5 years ago whilst breast-feeding I wore non-wired maternity and nursing bras. I ended up with Mastitis and it certainly had nothing to do with Wire Maternity and Nursing Bras.

Reprinted with permission
________________________________________________________________

Comment from Belly Beyond:  This is a very interesting article for us because we've been doing a lot of work recently on maternity bra fit.  While correct bra fit is important for each and every women, there's no doubt for us that it is particularly important for those larger cup sizes, DD upward.

Stay tuned for some interesting (and funny) information from us on our discoveries and in the meantime if you are interested in a Flexiwire nursing bra then check out of the exquisite Plum Pudding from Cake Lingerie.

Cake Real NZ Mums in the North Shore Times

More press for our gorgeous Cake Lingerie Real NZ Mums!

This is Alisha, our nursing mum.  Watch this space for more photos and information about each of our mums.

See the article on our media page