What is a ladies universal guide to comfort, support, style and practicality? Leggings! What is a pregnant mumma's guide to everyday wear, active wear and general go-to? Leggings!

One of the things I was looking forward to most when pregnant (obviously in addition to eating for two), was the excuse to wear ‘active wear’ all day every day! There is nothing better than feeling the comfort and flexibility of a pair of leggings. Little did I know there can be more to this wonder-garment than comfort.

Around my second trimester, when things really started to move and grow, I was feeling like I needed more to my clothes and bras than your general fashion statement. That’s right, I entered the ‘mummy clothes’ stage. I needed support, I needed compression, I needed flexibility and I needed it now. The general ‘icky’ feeling of the first trimester had left me and I was starting to become more myself. I was entering the second trimester eye of the storm and was lucky enough to trial the New Beginnings Maternity Leggings range, and they couldn’t have come at a better time! Why, you may ask? General leggings just weren’t cutting it anymore. For those of you who are new to the pregnancy scene, here are some must have’s when looking for your second skin!

• Support and compression; General leggings are a thing of the past. Something purpose made with a support band and over the belly elasticated feature will be your new go-to.
• Everyday Wear or Active Wear; we all love multi-tasking so why not find some leggings that can do both!? The New Beginnings Maternity Leggings range, cut and style are designed to suit a trip to the shops or light exercise…without that dreaded rise and fall of the lumbar band.
• Choice; sometimes you just want LBL (little black leggings) and other times you want a classic pattern splash. Full length and ¾ options complete your new maternity wardrobe.
• Shape; whilst I could (just) pull my cotton leggings over my growing bump, they no longer provided that snug skin to skin contact of a nylon spandex combination. I wanted something that was breathable and provided shape in all the right places.  

So mumma's, once you are ready to jump on board the maternity band wagon let me tell you, you won’t want to take these gems off. Also let’s not forget New Beginnings have their great bulk deals…perfect timing leading up to Christmas!

 Author: Elise Bradfield @elise_bradfield 

If there is one word that could be used to describe pregnancy and having children it would be growth. Your belly and breasts grow, your family and expenses grow and finally the way you view the world and your responsibilities grow.

But with all this change it’s nice to have a few things that bring you comfort and support and I’m not just talking about family and friends. What about having a sturdy, supportive and comfortable maternity bra that grows with you!

Early on with your pregnancy you will notice a change in the size and shape of your breasts. They become very tender and soon that underwire of traditional bras becomes uncomfortable and unhealthy during your pregnancy.

Now begins the start of a possible long and annoying search to find the right maternity bra. Well let me just say that I have done all the research and testing for you. There is no better maternity bra on the market right now than the New Beginnings range and here is why:

- Choice of colours and styles including the active wear and everyday maternity bras.

- Ugrow Technology – so you only need to buy one bra that can adapt with you from pregnancy to breastfeeding.

- Seamless design for comfort and coverage.

- Array of supportive bras for ladies of all breast sizes.

- Ease of purchase online with great deals if you buy multiples & the returns and exchange policy.

With all your forward planning there will always be a product that you forgot to purchase or something that doesn’t do as advertised. But you will not have to worry about any of this with the New Beginnings bra range, in fact you’ll be recommending it to all your pregnant friends and buying more.

I remember sleeping in these bras and not even realising, I went out and never had to worry about an accidental Janet Jackson boob slip. I gave some to my sister when she was pregnant and I have them sitting in my drawer ready to use again with my next pregnancy. Now that is a bra that grows with you!

Author: Elise Bradfield @elise_bradfield 

When I was younger I had absolutely no idea about the ins and outs of pregnancy and having a baby. I remember without a care in the world, walking past the maternity shops snickering at the roundness and beige-ness of it all. Maternity wear signalled maturity wear and the end of style and colour and a land I could not see myself ever visiting.

Fast forward about 8 years, 10 kilos heavier, basketball size growth under my top….I had arrived at maternity wear world. Funnily enough everything you loathe about maternity wear when you aren’t pregnant is everything you adore when you are pregnant, especially maternity bras! You crave comfort, ease and plain colours because all your time and energy is now given to this beautiful and very demanding little person!

My breasts had grown into large beings all on their own and they were tender to touch. Being an already larger breasted gal I knew that I needed to find the perfect maternity bra for before and after the baby was born. I can say hand on heart right now that the New Beginnings Maternity Bra range were the best I tried and here is why:

SUPPORT: As there is no underwire in maternity bras I needed a bra that still provided lift for my breasts (the type I could wear outside the house).

EASY TO USE: New Beginnings bras have a very easy to use clip that latches to the top strap of the bra. When your baby is screaming for a feed it’s a no brainer to clip off and on.

STYLE: I still managed to feel feminine in these bras even though I was feeling very much like a dairy cow.

GREAT PRICE: We all know that having babies is expensive so your bras have to be a price that is reasonable and appropriate.

NO HASSLES: New Beginnings has some great online deals happening all the time and they are so easy to deal with when it comes to customer support and returns.

A selection of great maternity bras is an investment not only in the practical side of motherhood but an investment in your peace of mind. A comfortable, stylish and reliable maternity bra means you don’t have to worry about anything else but navigating motherhood and bonding with your beautiful new baby.

Author: Elise Bradfield @elise_bradfield 

It seems that everybody is hopping on board the wellness, health, Mother Nature band wagon these days and with good reason. We are much more conscious about our bodies and the effects we are having on the planet and we are now bringing that level of awareness back with a focus on our children’s well-being.

There has never been a wider selection of healthy and environmentally sound baby products on the market then there is today. Yes some of these products are more expensive and some may seem a little too left of centre but where you decide to draw a line in the sand is up to you. For me personally I could never use natural cloth nappies, I just know that I would find that to be such a headache but I do know of ladies that swear by it. However I have started being more conscious in other ways like using the New Beginnings Bamboo Dry Wipes.

Now you wouldn’t naturally conclude ‘Baby does a poo, hand me the old bamboo’ but bamboo is fast becoming natures wonder plant and here’s why. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant that uses very little space and water to grow and it actually helps repair the environment. It adds 35% more oxygen than regular trees and is truly a super plant being used in many industries. Therefore producing baby wipes using bamboo has so many benefits:

• Perfect for sensitive skin
• Helps reduce nappy rash by keeping bubs dry
• Free of parabens, petrochemicals and sulphates
• Alcohol-free
• Fragrance free
• Bamboo is Biodegradable!
• Highly absorbent

New Beginnings are doing their part and offering mothers what they desire with a product that is easy to obtain (online, Coles & Chemist Warehouse), a great price, good for the environment and most importantly free of all the nasties that you find in a lot of other baby wipe products.

Additionally dry wipes have a longer shelf life, so they make the perfect travel essential and can be stored in hot areas like your car ready for use anytime. All it takes is the addition of water to turn them into your regular wet wipes to clean bottoms, hands, faces and I will admit sometimes the perfect cleaning chux. Another mention for me is that I noticed my son was getting nappy rash which is perfectly common as that area is often damp for a period time whilst sleeping. The great thing about the dry wipe is that I would use them afterwards in dry form to soak up any residual moisture and I noticed the nappy rash would clear up a lot easier then adding creams for example.

So in using New Beginnings Bamboo Dry wipes I feel like I am doing the best for my son with a quality product and the bonus is that I am also doing my small part in helping the environment. That’s a double win for me!

 Author: Elise Bradfield @elise_bradfield 

R U OK is an initiative set up by a man called Gavin Larkin in response to his dad’s suicide as a result of his silent suffering with depression. It is a simple question to ask but it can literally save lives! As we move towards R U OK day on the 14^th of September, let’s all take a moment to ask our family and friends how they are doing and open up a line of communication. As new mothers, or experienced mothers let’s take this a step further to extend the enquiry to our fellow mothering tribe members. These friends or acquaintances you may have met in your mothers group, gymbaroo classes, child friendly parks or even your favourite coffee hangouts.

Motherhood and parenting is the most important job in the world and I think that is why we can put so much pressure on ourselves. It’s a real adjustment especially for first time mothers and parents with lack of sleep, the constant feeding and crying and the general enormity of the role of caring for a tiny human. Add to the mix mothers who have very little support, colicky babies, multiple babies, partners that work away, trouble with breastfeeding and the list goes on. All of these overwhelming things whilst trying to navigate in a whole new world can really compound those feelings of anxiety and stress.

You may think of depression and know of someone suffering or medicated for this disease but we may rarely categorise Post Natal Depression within our fellow mothering group! And the statistics are staggering with an estimated 1 in 7 women affected with PND which can develop anywhere from 1 month to 12 months after giving birth.  What you may also be very surprised to hear is that new dads are also subject to developing PND with 1 in 10 suffering also.

If you are worried about yourself or someone you know, here are some symptoms of Post Natal Depression:

• Low mood
• Feelings of failing as a mother
• Exhausted, teary and sad nonstop
• Worried constantly
• Afraid to be alone or leave the house
• Feeling panicked or anxious
• Insomnia
• Worrying about the baby a lot

These types of feelings are bound to come up within your daily interactions and experiences of becoming a new mum and parent but if these feelings are persistent for over 2 weeks then please make an appointment with your doctor. The solutions may be as simple as medication, community support, or offering some counselling.

So to all you wonderful mothers and parents out there if you can mark September 14^th down in your already busy calendars and ask the question R U OK to your parenting friends, we can have a part to play in helping mums and dads to stop tormenting themselves and start enjoying their role of being a parent!

If you or anyone you know would like to seek some advice please contact: 

• PANDA - 1300 726 306
• Beyondblue - 1300 224 636
• Pregnancy, Birth and Baby - 1800 882 436

 Author: Elise Bradfield @elise_bradfield