Tag: Maternity

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Katy Perry: Best Maternity Fashion Moments


Katy Perry’s pregnancy announcement was quite fitting for a pop star—it happened via the release of her latest music video, “Never Worn White” on March 5.

“It’s probably the longest secret I’ve ever had to keep,” she said on Instagram Live about her first child with fiancé Orlando Bloom. “I thought I would tell you guys in the best way through a piece of music.” Since she revealed the big news, Perry has been out and about promoting her new music and the upcoming season of American Idol.

And you know what that means? Lots of amazing maternity fashion ahead of the baby’s arrival this summer. She said she’s “so glad I don’t have to suck it in anymore…or carry around a big purse” and if her early looks are any indication, this is going to a fun and colorful pregnancy.

Check out Katy Perry’s best maternity fashion moments and pick your favorite.



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Kate Middleton Secretly Spent Two Days Working in a Major London Hospital's Maternity Ward


Kate Middleton spent two days working on a a top-secret project—and now, we finally know what she’s been up to.

According to People, the Duchess of Cambridge quietly got some work experience at a maternity ward in one of London’s major hospitals this week, where she reportedly shadowed midwives and other professionals to better educate herself about children’s early years of development.

Sources also told Hello! Magazine that the royal mom of three “divided her time on the unit, visiting the antenatal, postnatal and labour wards.”

The work was subtly mentioned by Kensington Palace as it was included in the Court Circular on November 28, which reveals the activities the royals have completed each week:

“The Duchess of Cambridge, Joint Patron, the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, today completed two days with Kingston Hospital Maternity Unit in London.”

No other details have been released, but it comes as no surprise that the duchess wanted to lend a helping hand at the hospital’s maternity ward since early childhood care is something Middleton has devoted a lot of her royal work to over the years. In May, she organized a group to learn about child welfare so that she could be more aware of the challenges both parents and caregivers deal with every day. She also later thanked them for their work, support, and advice.

“Through our work, you have reaffirmed my belief of just how timely it is to focus on what happens in the early years of life, and how pivotal a stage of life this is for a child’s future,” Middleton said at the time.

“I hope my long-term commitment to working in the early years will help make a difference over a generational timescale,” she added. “Your thoughts and advice will continue to be hugely valuable as I shape my thinking for the years ahead.”

Then, in November, Middleton opened a new children’s hospice, as part of her Early Years project. She also spent time with the young patients who have life-threatening conditions.



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How to Launch a Startup, While on Maternity Leave


Lizzy Brockhoff and Elizabeth Shaffer had their babies within 24 hours of each other, just the latest tag-team effort for the friends and co-workers. At the time, the two both worked at e-commerce startup Jet, a business they’d joined from their previous jobs at Moda Operandi. In the lead-up to becoming first-time moms, the women quickly learned there was a lot of stuff they needed to buy ahead of their baby’s arrival.

Brockhoff and Shaffer were introduced to “baby lists,” giant excel sheets and documents moms swap with each other. The lists are essentially a product-based version of What to Expect When You’re Expecting and include women’s personalized recommendations for the goods to outfit a nursery to which strollers are worth the price tag. The lists are sourced from all over the internet and the result of thousands of soon-to-be parents’ impassioned googling, but they’re not organized. Brockhoff and Shaffer sensed an opportunity.

They came up with the idea to launch a platform that would deliver real reviews from real people for all their product needs, baby-centric or otherwise. To date, MASSE have surfaced three million goods through its app, harnessing, as Fortune put it, the purchasing power of Facebook mom groups to drive the business.

Here, the co-founders break down using their maternity leave as an early-stage incubator for the company and explain how becoming moms pushed them to take the leap and launch their company.

Sometimes you have to balance bottles with business calls

Lizzy Brockhoff: On maternity leave, we only had small chunks of times between feedings, bathings, etc. So it was all about how much we could get done between those moments. We’re inherent planners, and are project managers by trade, so we set ourselves goals along the way to chip away at things. It was a lot of Google Hangouts and planning. Then the big concern became, how would we continue to work on this when we went back to work? It was a challenging time because we were trying to do three things: our full-time jobs, build out MASSE, and then also care for our families.

Elizabeth Shaffer: We both went back to work at Jet, and were working on this on the side, so that was really a challenging period. One of the hardest things about having kids and starting a business is that you don’t have time to catch up on the weekend. Your weekends are for your kids. But a lot happens after the baby goes down to sleep. It was really all evening work. We’d both go to work during the day—we’re both fortunate to have great childcare—and then we would come home, spend time with the babies, put them down, then post-8pm, get back online. It wears you down, for sure, but we both felt like it was such a passion of ours that we pushed through—and on an emotional level it was really helpful to have each other. I’ll also give a call out to our husbands who have really been phenomenally supportive and helpful with this. I think that’s often not talked about. Husbands and fathers have a really big role to play in working mothers re-entering the workforce.

Launching a company isn’t an individual decision, it’s a family one

Brockhoff: We’ve heard this from other women and colleagues. That having that first child is a real catalyst for thinking, “Where do I really want to be spending my time?” I think having a little one propelled us a bit more because there’s such an opportunity cost to what you’re doing, so we really felt it was time to take the leap.



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Here’s When Meghan Markle’s Maternity Leave Is Ending


Meghan Markle has kept a pretty low profile since she became a mom. Her unofficial maternity leave started back in March, when Kensington Palace confirmed that she did not “currently have any more official engagements” on her calendar. However, it looks as though she’s back in action—and her first postbaby engagement is next Thursday, September 12, according to People.

The occasion is pretty exciting too. Markle will be back in public view to launch the workwear fashion line she’s been cooking up to benefit Smart Works, a charity for which she’s a patron. The organization helps women in need transition back into the workforce, and they often provide professional clothing needed for interviews and such. Markle has been cranking away on the capsule collection with four brands, including Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw, and her longtime friend the designer Misha Nonoo.

Markle first announced the line this summer, when she edited the September issue of British Vogue. “To help with this, I asked Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw and my friends, the designer Misha Nonoo, if they were willing to design a capsule collection of more classic options for a workwear wardrobe,” she wrote in the magazine. “Taking the idea further, many of the brands agreed to use the one-for-one model: for each item purchased by a customer, one is donated to the charity. Not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story, it reminds us we are in it together.”

She’s also shared photos on her Instagram account that show her visiting the charity and going through its clothing options for women. And above, you’ll see Markle hard at work behind the scenes on a photo shoot.

There’s no word yet on how the launch will be organized, but we do know it’s going to be in London. We can’t wait to see what Markle has in store.



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What to Wear This Summer If You’re Pregnant – Best Maternity Swimwear, Cover-Ups


Finding the right swimsuit, cover-up, and shoes for summer beach and pool situations can be tricky enough. And when you’re pregnant? A bump can complicate things even more. Do you do bikini or one-piece? How do you find something that fits? Where do you find maternity swimwear, and will they even be cute?

The answers depend on a lot of things: how far along you are and what your personal comfort zone is. We went to a few experts, asking them to break it down and share some tips for looking and feeling as cool and stylish and comfortable as humanly possible when you’re pregnant poolside or at the beach and it’s hot.

The Swimsuit

There are two camps when it comes to the swimsuit: Those who cover the bump and those who don’t. I asked former Glamour editors Jane Keltner de Valle and Jessica Sailer van Lith what they wore to the beach when pregnant. Keltner de Valle says, “I never bought any maternity swimwear, and I don’t think it’s necessary. I liked wearing a bikini, so there was nothing restricting on my belly. Also, a bikini is adaptable to a growing belly. String bikinis in particular are adjustable, so they work well when you’re pregnant. It’s such a beautiful and magical moment. My advice would be to embrace it and show it off!” Sailer van Lith seconded that: “Use string bikinis—adjustable in every direction. So easy.”

Solid and Striped The Amber

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Marysia Dobrzanska Reeves, founder of the swim brand Marysia, said, “If you feel comfortable, I’m all for belly out. You’re so hot when you’re pregnant—another layer of fabric could make it worse.” Based in L.A.’s Venice Beach, Marysia wore regular bikinis from her line for both of her pregnancies, but she’s also designed swimsuits for chic maternity wear company Hatch, founded by Ariane Goldman, who advised: “Invest in a bathing suit that can be folded under or over depending on how you’re feeling—something that allows you options.”

Not feeling a two-piece? A maillot—maternity style, or just a size or two up from your norm—is the obvious go-to. And there are some great options nowadays.

Motherhood Maternity Plus-Size One-Piece Swimsuit

Macys

$44.98

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The Cover-Up

Goldman made a great point about cover-ups: “The beauty is that muumuus are all the rage right now, whether you’re pregnant or not. You don’t feel like a house, because caftans are the standard.” Yes. Aside from the obvious advice that anything with an elastic waistband is your friend, she also shared some tips you might not think about (especially if this is your first pregnancy): Go for something that’s as light and easy to get on and off as possible. It can be hard enough to maneuver clothes with a bump. But make sure it’s not too, too see-through so that you don’t have to change out of it for lunch at a restaurant.

ASOS Design Maternity Plunge Tie-Waist Kimono-Sleeve Crinkle Beach Cover-Up

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Dobrzanska Reeves agreed. “Bigger is better,” she said. “You want freedom.”

Summersalt The Everywhere Dress

Summersalt

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Don’t sleep on the jumpsuit, either. “I always found it easy to wear jumpsuit on the beach or by the pool when I was pregnant,” said Shilpa Prabhakar Nadella, Glamour‘s fashion market director. She’ll buy one that “has room to grow around the belly, and is loose-fitting so the breeze passes through and keeps me cool.”

Madewell Tie Strap Cover-Up Jumpsuit Tie-Strap Cover-Up Jumpsuit

Nordstrom

$85

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“I also love how it provides extra coverage from the sun, because my skin was always more sensitive when I was pregnant,” she added.

The Shoes

Step away from the fussy sandals. You don’t want to be messing around with laces, ties, or even the teeniest little buckles. The ideal pregnancy shoe to go with your swimwear is a something you can slip or slide into without having to bend over or even sit down. Think slip-on espadrilles or even a sporty shower slide.

Hunter Boots Original Adjustable Gingham Slides

Shopbop

$45

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Here's How Much Meghan Markle Has Spent on Her Maternity Wardrobe


Following Meghan Markle’s maternity wardrobe has been one of the best parts of her first royal pregnancy (for us, anyway), but all the looks she’s serving up don’t exactly come cheap. And hey, we’re not judging; it’s not like royalty is going to swing by H&M for their essentials. Now, the numbers are in: One blog has totaled up how much they estimate she’s spent on her maternity clothing since she became pregnant, and safe to say, it’s a lot.

According to Love the Sales‘ research, Markle has spent more than $500,000 on her maternity outfits so far, which is no insignificant figure. But as the site’s fashion editor told MarieClaire.com, Markle—given her Hollywood background, is pretty used to designer clothing that she bought with the money she earned from Suits. (Kate, she explains, comes from a little more low-key background, which meant she was wearing more pieces from “understated brands”.) Of course, keep in mind that royals don’t accept free clothes from brands, so all of this is reportedly coming from Prince Charles’ income, believed to be around $28 million.

Love the Sales also shared more interesting tidbits, including that her most-“liked” dress was the black Givenchy gown she wore when she had that two-handed cradle-the-bump moment that weirdly freaked the Internet out.

Jeff Spicer/BFC/Getty Images

And you can bet that the “Meghan Markle Effect,” as the spike in searches and sales for a brand or piece after she wears it has come to be called, is real. According to the site, there was a 5,800 percent and 3,900 percent surge in searches for Karen Gee and Outland Denim after she wore them. (And she’s reportedly her own stylist, too.)

Markle’s wardrobe has reportedly been comparatively expensive compared to the rest of the royal women, and to be honest, it makes sense: She’s a newcomer to that royal life, so she’s basically building a wardrobe the way some of us had to outfit ourselves for our first job, just on a much larger (and more designer-filled) scale. In 2018, the blog UFO No More totaled up how much they thought the royal women had spent on their wardrobes, and Markle took the grand prize with purchases thought to total around $508,000 (Middleton, by contrast, was thought to have spent around $85,000). That means that, yep, she’s spent as much on maternity clothes she’ll wear until the baby comes—and now we see why Middleton breaks out so many great re-wears when she’s getting ready to have another mini-royal.

Meghan Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry Duke of Sussex visit New Zealand House to sign the book of condolence on...
Neil Mockford/GC Images

It’s not long until we get to meet Baby Sussex, who’s expected around late April or early May—until then, we’ll enjoy the last days of following Markle’s fantastic maternity wardrobe.



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