~ Maternity Fashion ~

During pregnancy you may feel excited/scared/nervous about your growing bump and finding it hard to find something to wear. Everyone is different, some women pop out right away and others don’t show till the end. Either way you will notice your clothes fitting different or well not at all. The world of maternity clothes is a bit daunting because what’s out there is not cute or super expensive. Most women do not want to spend lots of money on a “temporary wardrobe” but here is the tough truth… it’s not that temporary. Many women wear their maternity clothes even after baby comes. I know, I know it would be great if your sweet little one would go ahead and take all that weight with them but they don’t. Now there may be that lucky few who just bounce right back but for most of us it will take some time. Just think, it took 9 months for your body to get there it will take some time for you to get back.  Additionally, if you plan to have more than one it’s smart to invest in some staples that you can use in the future.  OK on to the good news and encouragement! Go shopping! Have fun with it! Try things on, mix and match check out some blogs and find a style you like. Highlight your bump or for some highlight your new bust line. I personally fell into that ugggh I hate clothes attitude and now I have found so many cute styles and things for my clients and I wish I would have done that for myself (next pregnancy for sure!!) Here are some cute maternity blogs I have found. I am thinking I will make this a monthly blog post showing some cute mammas-to-be and their style. I know I wish I would have had this, but let me know your thoughts?

Maternity Style Blogs:

http://treschicmama.com/category/maternity-street-style/

http://mychicbump.com/outfits/

**photo from http://thoughtsonelegance.com/2013/06/26/wardrobe-full-of-clothes-and-nothing-to-wear/ 

Let's Be Honest

The diaper dilemma! There are tons of options out there for diapers and finding the right one for you can be a test of, well let’s face it, how much poop you are willing to handle. At To Due Baby we will sit down and explore the options that best meet your family’s needs and preferences. One of the diapers I really love right now and you will see on the list are The Honest Co. diapers and here is why.

My first draw of course was how cute they were, but then I found out that they are eco-friendly (Our ultra absorbent, eco-friendly diapers are extra soft, hypoallergenic, free of chlorine processing & risky additives (like fragrances, lotions, and latex**from the Honest website)) and I was sold. I just had to try them. What? You get a free trial? Even better!! If you read the last post you know how I feel about samples haha. Okay so here is the next best thing, they hold A LOT. Now I have seen some websites dock them for this and I was surprised, but I think I figured out why. You have to stay a size ahead. If your little one is close to the top end of the weight range and the bottom of the next size, move up and you will save yourself the dreaded blow out cleaning session. Time for a little bad news, they are kind of pricey, but to be fair I can never use all the diapers they send me and you get the wipes too. They let you move your delivery/charge date back to whenever you need to so this stretches your dollar a bit more. Finally, they deliver to your door! Yes you don’t even have to leave, one less thing to add to your list of things To Due.

Dad 2 Dad

5 Tips for Expecting Dads 

~ from guest blogger and Dad of two ~

As a Dad-to-be you may not be the one going through the physical changes but you can be a supportive partner through these 5 easy tips. 

1. Pick up the slack around the house
2. Share in her excitement with all baby news and take the time to do some prep yourself (ie Daddy Bootcamps)
3. Talk to the bump often
4. Always tell her how beautiful she looks and come home with her cravings
5. Attend as many if not all doctors visits

Austin Mom Event

After doing some research, I stumbled upon this great group here in Austin called MetroMoms. They put on great events like the one I attended this week, Must Haves from pregnancy to infancy. There were a ton of great products (I had to jot several new, cool looking items down to research... stay tuned for those...). I also saw many items, I too like and would recommend for baby registries. Everyone drew a number and you got to select an item to take home! I was lucky enough to pick up this awesome little carrier from Beco. Its ergonomic, eco-friendly and most importantly it’s really comfortable! The only downside I can see right now is that they are on the higher end of the price range for baby carriers.

Every guest also walked away with a nice little goodie bag with lots of little samples. I love sample size items because obviously it allows you to try new things before you buy the full size, saving you time and money (I know you are thinking, “who doesn't?”) but I especially love them for baby items because babies are so sensitive to new things so you want to really make sure whatever product you use doesn't cause your little one to have an allergic reaction. 

Speaking as both a Mom and Baby Planner, this was a great event. I am definitely adding this group and their events to my resource list for our expecting and new moms in the Austin area. 

Baby Planner?

Baby Planning? What is a Baby Planner? A Baby Planner provides personalized services to expecting families saving them time, money and most importantly helping ease some of the stress planning for baby(ies) can bring to parents. If any of you have walked into a Babies R Us / Buy Buy Baby recently you know how overwhelming it can be, there is so much out there who can possibly keep up? From walking through your baby registry to prepping the nursery to bringing baby home, To Due Baby Planning is helping Austin area families enjoy the journey to parenthood! Want to learn more? Visit our website http://toduebaby.com and LIKE us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ToDueBaby