Big Sale at One Hot Mama -- Black Friday Online

So, we're in the midst of working on an actual One Hot Mama store (yippee for chicks looking for hip, hot, cool maternity and nursing clothes -- a bit scary for those of us who are going to work in it 80 hours a week!) and we've decided to participate in the big retail sale-a-thon by having a 25% off EVERYTHING sale at One Hot Mama. That's everything -- slings, Bravado nursing bras, Belly Bandits, Japanese Weekend and Olian tops and dresses, the Perfect Pre- and Postpartum pant and more.

Pretty cool stuff. Stay tuned for news of a store opening!

Win a Balboa Baby Sling!

Now that I'm really full-time back at our business (after a long "vacation" to give birth to and raise twins to preschool age!) I really appreciate other business owners who are parents -- we are a hardy breed. When we're not breaking down, that is. :)

So I love The Mogul Mom -- lots of great insights for those of us with an extra demanding kid known as our own business. Check her out, and while you're there, you can post a comment and win a Balboa Baby Sling. Cool, no? Cool, yes.

And look for really cool news for SoCal hot mamas -- coming soon!

Thanksgiving Travel With A Breastfeeding Baby

God bless all of you who are traveling with infants and small children for this holiday -- I am not in that group of brave souls. Don't get me wrong. I'll travel anywhere with my kids, and have. Even as the sole adult. But to do it when the rest of the free world is on the road just adds a bit too much stress for me to handle. Gotta know your limits!

That's not to say that you won't have a great time, but in case you're a little nervous about either the trip or the destination (at some point, your baby will need to eat in front of a roomful of relatives, here are some random thoughts:

• Assume that some boob (pun intended) will have a bit too much wine and say something totally inappropriate about breasts and/or breastfeeding. Maybe that's just my family -- but in case it happens to you, a beatific smile is always handy. Feel free to think bad thoughts on the inside. The other option is to say that yes, you hope to wean soon, so that your breasts can go back the work nature intended, selling beer.
• Nursing on a plane will save you from (most of) the screaming that babies seem conditioned to do in aircraft. Of course, since you're crammed in like sardines, you may be next to someone who doesn't appreciate your fine mothering skills. And, if you're in first class, be prepared to be next to Barbara Walters or someone else who thinks nursing makes them "uncomfortable."
• Both of the above situations will be abated if you just remind yourself what a good mom you are. And that you have a right to be in the room (or, in the first case, the plane). If those fail, read about other people's reactions here and keep some funnies in mind from Breastfeeding.com here.
• (By the way, if you have miles, use them for upgrades now before baby needs his own ticket!)
• Use a sling, both for travel and for family gatherings. Keeps all those germy hands and curious eyes away. And yes, I apologize for all the mothers of older kids who look just like petri dishes to you and who want to touch the baby. Remind them that stroking the top of a baby's head gently feels just great. And if they touch his little hands, smack 'em! (Just kidding.)
• Lastly, dress appropriately. Meaning, you don't need to disrobe to feed a crying infant. Here is a fabulous new shirt from Japanese Weekend, but we have lots more!

Have a great trip!

Finished With Your Sling? Pass It On!

Here's something good you can do to celebrate World Babywearing Week (who knew?) -- donate a sling to the good folks over at the Peppermint Baby Boutique.

Send them to:

Peppermint Baby Boutique
Attn: Sling Drive
1778 N. Plano Rd., Suite 100
Richardson, TX 75081

I always feel odd putting my nursing clothes and slings in the Goodwill pile; I know that whoever discovers them and knows what they are will be psyched, but I worry that the volunteer sorters will be like, "what up with the clothes with holes in the boobie area?" I try to pass such goodies on to friends, but once you're kids are nearing junior high (my eldest son), the moms stop making so many babies. (Not me, apparently!) :)

Motrin and Babywearing -- I Need an Advil!

Wow. Talk about misreading the market. Have you seen the latest (now pulled) Motrin ad that is pretty snarky about wearing one's baby? I know some people got deeply offended, but I just have to laugh at how stupid the copywriters (and the Motrin folks responsible for saying yes and writing the cheque) are.

• First, they couldn't be more snippy about babywearing being fashionable. Yeah, those indigenous peoples who did it hundreds of years ago were all about The Next Big Thing.
• Second, even if it is fashionable, the point is to actually bond better, make breastfeeding easier, and to to have your child be integrated into your life, rather than hauling them around in a plastic bucket (aka infant car seat).
• Lastly, it's not supposed to hurt! Pain is an indication that you're doing it wrong. This applies to other areas as well (ahem).

Now, the ad was pretty funny, but it had oodles of misinformation. Using slings was such a blessing so that I could eat a freakin' sandwhich while taking care of a newborn. Even wore the twins at the same time, which is, in a weird way, easier because of the counter-balanced weight. I know that a simple adjustment by someone who knew what they were doing (pulled the ring back so it sat just in front of my shoulder bone) changed the experience of using a sling completely!

But my point (originally, anyway) is that you shouldn't let self-righteous people who think their parenting method (breastfeeding, Ferberizing, babywearing, spanking on demand, whatever) entitles them to be snotty dissuade you from trying out said method. Okay, except for the spanking on demand one. I made that up. Based on what my parents did (kidding mom!). I get that the ad made fun of the "I'm a better mother than you are" crowd, but you know what? A lot of what we imagine as other mothers looking down their noses at us is just our own personal insecurity. They are probably pretty well occupied with snot running down someone's nose, strange rashes on backsides and the constant surfeit of sleep.

So let's cut everyone a little slack, girls.

Happy birthday to me, today! :)

Miscellany

Quick thoughts:

I bought a Belly Bandit for myself and wore it on Thursday. Oh. My. God. What was the best part -- hard to choose, between the improved posture, better positioning of the boobies I have left, having an assist in keeping my stomach held in. But the best may have been the reduced fatigue on my back.

We have so much fabulous stuff -- more clothes arrive every day. It's really making me think -- just think, mind you -- about opening a store. Any thoughts -- besides Are you nuts? And, What took you so long?

Happy weekend -- now that you're parenting -- no longer a relaxing part of your week!!

Two Cool For School

I am so excited about two of our newest offerings that they are already in my closet! And remember, my youngest children are three years old, and I am not having any more! What is so fab that it has induced such glee?

First, the Belly Bandit, a way to tighten and shrink your tummy post pregnancy. Yes, even three years later! (Okay, let me apologize for the excessive italics -- I'm just so psyched!) Like a corset, but way easier to get on. See the cartoon on the left for how to do it. I swear, this thing is magic -- or at least, feels like it. And it's under 40 bucks. Cool.

The other item that is making me happy these days is really two items -- cover ups to wear over those very useful, but sometimes kinda boring, nursing bra tanks and spaghetti strap maternity camis. These two wraps, the Tattoo You (pictured on the right) and the Funkytown, are fun, hip, and keep your arms covered now that it's a bit chilly. Or now that your arms aren't so buff. Either one. :)

Have a great day, and remember, you are One Hot Mama. Spread the word!

Natural Birth of Twins!

I have been meaning to start a conversation about birth in general, and twins in particular. I have had three of my four children drug free; the first birth ended with an epidural after 12 hours (during which I should have been at home, ignoring what were very early signs of labour). I've been asked many times why one would choose to labour naturally, and honestly, I have to say that, in some bizarre way, it's easier. I (being a major control freak) would just rather choose to be aware and present and deal with what is actually going on with my body -- the whole needle-being-put-into-my-spine thing didn't really inspire confidence for me.

Here goes the Readers Digest version of what I did to facilitate my desired vaginal birth of twins (I had two other children and no time to recover from surgery; I knew natural would make returning to my older kids easier):

• Barbara Luke's twin book and Elizabeth Noble's twin book both had info on the importance of natural birth and some links and stories that were helpful.
• I gained twenty pounds by twenty weeks of pregnancy (not as easy or as fun as it sounds -- I had to work really hard, as my single pregnancies totalled 25 pounds max!)
• I think Mothering Multiples (or one of the previously mentioned books) had a section with affirmations I said every day -- like, "my babies are born naturally weighing over 6 pounds each after April 1st" (I needed it to be that date or after in order for my higher-grade insurance to kick in!).
• I wrote to people online in natural birth groups (try babycenter.com), looking for support. Only got back stories about people who had one baby vaginally and a c-section for the second. NOT what I wanted at all! ONE lady wrote with a link to a site that had several stories of natural solo homebirths of undiagnosed twins. If I had printed it out on paper, it would be in tatters, because I read it nightly and about twenty times during early labour, rocking back and forth on my giant birth ball.
• Another inspiration twin birth collection that I perused is here.
• I did yoga weekly (Kundalilni) and swam at the Y every other day or so.
• I told the babies "head down, back to belly, easy out" every day. Out loud.
• I told April (baby B) that she couldn't just hang out after Georgia was born, that there would be a lot of space and it would seem like fun, but that if she didn't engage right away, the doctor might not let her come out naturally. In fact, after Georgia's birth, I grabbed April's butt so that she couldn't flip.

I was also overdue (they ended up being born a couple hours shy of 39 weeks) and fighting induction, so I did permit my doctor to artificially rupture my membranes, or break my water. I had agreed to an epidural catheter in case of emergency, but we never ended up putting it in. More on the actual birth later!

I Love to Shop For Maternity Clothes

How sad is that? My youngest kids are three years old, for heaven's sake. But the truth is, I just love clothes. Not in a too-much-stuff-hidden-in-the-closet-with-tags-still-on way, more like a isn't-it-marvelous-how-many-ways-there-are-to-make-a-shirt? way. Since we can only wear so many clothes at a time (we actually wear around 10% of the clothes we own) I get my jollies by shopping for maternity clothes that we're going to carry at One Hot Mama. And, since I feel my mission is to make all mothers feel and look good, I try to find clothes that aren't really maternity clothes, but will look good on you, pregnant or not. That way, there are always a couple pieces that make their way into my closet. :)

If you follow the link above, you'll get great tips for cleaning out your closet, which is something we especially need to do when we (a) get pregnant (b) have had a baby (c) have stopped having babies -- in other words, all the times our bodies change. I used to look fabulous in deep vee neckline tops -- that is, I did when I still had boobs. Now, after four kids, not so much. It pains me to toss (recycle) them, but I must face facts and switch to high-necked, low-backed tops that show off my sexy, curvy ... shoulders. Just because something is pretty, doesn't mean it's pretty on you. Proof? Michelle Obama's victory rally black-and-red Narciso Rodriguez abomination of a dress -- 77% of respondents in one poll said ditch it! Now that's what I call bipartisan support!

Where was I? Oh, yes. Shopping! My poor husband Bob will be up all night tonight and the next two days, publishing all the cute stuff i got to our website, but I'll give you the head's up now -- fabulous wrap tee-shirt cardigans that you can wear open or tied, lots of comfy nursing pyjamas, pretty dual-purpose maternity and nursing tops, some basic and beautiful maternity tees (without the goofy sayings -- I mean, I know those make funny shower gifts, but since you feel as large as a billboard, do you really want to dress like one?), hot yoga pants and the greatest maternity foundation garments (am I dating myself?) ever. So keep visiting us at One Hot Mama for some great shopping for hot mamas.

Hear One Hot Mama on the Radio

I spent some time Sunday afternoon with the hysterical Maureen Muldoon and her crew over at LA Talk Radio, doing an online radio show. Check out the interview by following this link, scrolling to bottom and pressing play (or download). The One Hot Mama segment was followed by the hysterical authors of The Stay At Home Martyr, one of whom is a mom at my kids' school. It's a small, funny, world. :)