Review: Bravado's Allure Underwire Nursing Bra

A few months ago, Bravado! was kind enough to contact me to see if I wanted to review one of their two new bras, The Allure or the Sublime. I agreed and was sent the Allure Underwire Nursing Bra in ivory to try out.

Now, you've probably heard me say in the past that you should avoid underwire nursing bras until your milk supply is well-established and that remains true for this bra. It's for moms who are already at least 6 weeks into their nursing relationship. Otherwise an underwire can cause plugged ducts which can lead to mastitis and no one wants that!

So what makes this bra different from other Bravados I own? First, the cups are more molded and firm. This is definitely the kind of bra you want to wear to work under your professional clothing because it provides a lot of shaping and lifting. It's also a sexier bra than my other Bravados, and I love the detailing, like the little ribbon in the center and the embroidered straps. This bra also looks and feels more like lingerie than my other Bravados.

What hasn't changed? You're still getting the same things you've come to love and expect from Bravado: a great, comfortable fit, light and breathable fabric, and cups that fully drop when you unhook the bra. I did notice after a few months of wearing and washing that the wire had shifted a bit, but I find this to be common with underwire bras and I was able to easily push it back into place.

Overall this is another hit for Bravado and a bra I'd highly recommend!

Cost of this bra to me: Free
Cost of this bra to you: $59.50

Review & Giveaway: Simply Breastfeeding & Breast Pumps & Briefcases

In March of last year I reviewed a how-to breastfeeding DVD called Simply Breastfeeding. The DVD was created by Shari Criso, a certified nurse midwife and lactation consultant. Although I really loved the DVD, I had a few dislikes. They were namely that the information was separated into two DVDs and that there was a serious lack of diversity in the women and couples represented.

So Shari and her husband, Joe, recreated the DVD and made some improvements and sent it to me to review again. First, all of the information is now on one DVD. No need to get up and change out DVDs and the chapters are labeled and include things like "What are your breastfeeding goals?," "Breastfeeding benefits," "Breastfeeding techniques," and "Is my baby getting enough milk?"  There are also images at the start of the DVD of families from all backgrounds, and if my eyes didn't deceive me, one lesbian couple.

What hasn't changed about the DVD is Shari's warm, compassionate manner. She really has a knack for spreading knowledge and dispelling breastfeeding myths in a way that doesn't come off as pushy.

So what makes this DVD different from any other breastfeeding book or video you may see? Well, there is definitely a "Criso" method and part of it is very controversial. Shari advises preventing sore nipples by limiting feedings in the hospital before your mature milk comes in and offering a pacifier from day one to satisfy baby's intense need to suck. I'm not an IBCLC, but I know that advice runs counter to what you'll hear in the hospital from the lactation consultant and in other experts' books. I also personally wouldn't offer a pacifier in the beginning (I'm not a fan of them anyway) because I would be concerned about nipple confusion and nipple preference.

Shari has also very specific instructions on how she thinks it is best to latch your baby on, which nipple creams to use, what kind of nursing bras and pillows to buy and more. I like that she explicitly spells out her technique and shows real moms nursing and employing them with their newborns. The DVD also features bonus material, including a segment on cord blood banking (Shari's a big proponent), and a message from Best for Babes co-founder Bettina Forbes (a portion of DVD sales are donated to Best for Babes).

I also had the opportunity to review Shari's CD, "Breast Pumps and Briefcases," for working mothers. Pumping at work caused me more problems than I ever had breastfeeding so I wish I'd had this CD back then! Shari talks about how she made breastfeeding and working work for her, including pumping and having her husband bring her the baby to nurse on breaks. Again, Shari has some controversial recommendations, including offering small bottles from week one. Typically it is advised that no artificial nipples be offered until at least 6 weeks. But she does also offer her expertise on which bottles, pumps and nipples to use (I happened to agree with all of her recommendations on the CD). She explains how to bottle feed the breastfed baby, how to maximize your output, how to store milk, how to talk to your day care provider about breast milk and more.

Now for the good part....your chance to win both the Simply Breastfeeding DVD and Breast Pumps & Briefcases CD! Shari was kind enough to offer one lucky reader a copy of each.

For a chance to win, simply leave a comment with why you want to win this set.

You can get extra entries by doing the following (please leave a SEPARATE comment for each):

• Become a fan of Blacktating on Facebook
• Follow @blacktating on Twitter
• Twitter about this giveaway (leave a link to your tweet)
• Blog about this giveaway (leave a link to your blog post)

That is 5 possible entries per person! This giveaway is open to residents of the US age 18 and over only. The contest will run until Wednesday, January 28th at 11:59 PM. Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Good luck!

*CLOSED* Congratulations to Vanessa!

GMC Terrain Miami Event

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being invited to an event to learn more about child safety, particularly car safety, and the new GMC cross-over vehicle, the Terrain. I was interested in attending because I am very passionate about car safety. I live in South Florida, where we really have a car culture. Mass transit is unreliable and runs on a limited schedule and most people have long commutes to work, riding solo in the car. In addition to that, because of our climate, we have some extra concerns when it comes to keeping our kids safe. We have to worry about pool (and ocean, canal, etc) safety all year round. And the number of kids who die every year in Florida because they’ve been left in the car is mind boggling.

That’s why I was so pleased to learn more about how to keep my toddler safe in the car. The representatives from Safe Kids USA gave us so much information on what kind of car seat to buy (expensive is not better; they all meet the same federal guidelines and standards), how tight the straps should be (forget two fingers worth of space, you shouldn’t be able to get a finger in) and how long you should keep your child rear-facing (as long as possible, people! Up to the max height/weight of your car seat).

We also talked about toy safety, which is timely with the holidays coming up. We learned a neat trick to test whether or not a toy will be a choking hazard for your toddler. If the toy fits through the hole of an empty toilet paper roll, it’s a choking hazard and shouldn’t be given to a child under the age of 3.

As a strong believer in attachment parenting, I was grateful that the Safe Kids reps stressed that you should never use your car seat as a baby-sitter or bed for your baby. Your baby should spend 60 minutes per day, MAX, in the car seat. Of course there are times when you won’t be able to meet that ideal standard, say on road trips, but your baby shouldn’t be left in the car seat for extended periods of time. Babies need to be held and they also need time on the floor to crawl and explore.

After the information session, the ladies from SafeKids checked our car seat, and like most of the population, ours was installed incorrectly. Oops! Thankfully they walked us through proper installation and now our car seat is at one with the car.

We also had the chance to test drive the new GMC Terrain. It’s a nice little cross-over that comes with lots of cool features, like a rear vision camera, standard. It has a ton of room in the back and comes fully loaded for $30,000, including double TV/DVD players built into the headrests. Since we only have one kid, it’s probably more car than we need right now, but would make a great vehicle for a family of four, especially once the kids are older and need to be shuttled off to soccer practice, ballet, etc. The hugest selling point for me, though, was that the car gets 32 MPG. That rivals my compact car! My mom was so impressed she is thinking of leasing one of her own when her current lease is up. Yes, GMC has brought back leasing programs, too!

I had a great time at this event and learned a lot and shared a lot of it with you via my tweets that day. You can search for the Twitter hash tag #GMCTerrainMiami for more information.

Full disclosure: I was not paid to attend this event or to write about it, but I did receive a Sony Webbie as a free gift. Thanks, Sony!

Baby Star Nursing Blanket Review/Giveaway

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know how I've felt about nursing covers. For a very long time, I was very against the use of nursing covers. I didn't like the message they sent and I felt like in order to normalize breastfeeding, moms needed to ditch the covers. However, I do understand that many moms are more modest than I am and for some, nursing in public would not be possible without some sort of cover up. I want moms to be comfortable and I want them to breastfeed, so if you need a cover to do that, by all means cover up! Whatever it takes to get moms and babies nursing, I'm all for it!

I'll be honest, though, I still find those apron-like nursing covers to be hideous. I considered using a blanket to cover up while latching my son on, but living in South Florida, I never wanted to be under a blanket, let alone put my baby under one! That's why when Baby Star sent me their Star Nursing Blanket to review, I was thrilled at how lightweight it was.


The blanket is 27.5" x 27.5" so it's quite large, perfect for post-partum moms or those who are plus size. The outer shell is 100% cotton and the fuzzy lining is soft polyester. That star up in the corner helps to weight the blanket. Throw it over your shoulder and it helps anchor the blanket in place. This comes in handy with the baby who likes to pull at the blanket and will do his or her best to expose mom while breastfeeding(like my son did)! The star could also be given to the baby to chew on or play with.

Even if you're not breastfeeding, it's always nice to have a lightweight blanket that you can throw over a car seat to block out the sun, use as a changing pad for impromptu diaper changes, cover baby in a cold restaurant, etc. This blanket folds up easily into a compact little square that can be tossed in a diaper bag and not take up much room. I think this blanket is an ideal solution for the modest nursing mom who prefers to be covered when breastfeeding in public. I love that it's machine washable and comes in a variety of patterns and colors to fit every taste. I really like this blanket and think it would make a great gift this holiday season for the new mom or mom-to-be in your life.

Want to buy one for yourself? Use code 20twinkle09 to save 30% off any purchase at Baby Star until 12/31/09.

Want to win one? Baby Star was kind enough to offer a nursing blanket to one of my readers, in the fabric of your choice. For a chance to win, simply visit Baby Star and leave a comment with your favorite Baby Star item.

You can get extra entries by doing the following (please leave a SEPARATE comment for each):

• Sign up for the Baby Star newsletter (leave your email address in the comment)
• Follow @babystars on Twitter
• Follow @blacktating on Twitter
  
• Join the Baby Star fan club on Facebook
• Twitter about this giveaway (leave a link to your tweet)
• Blog about this giveaway (leave a link to your blog post)

That is 7 possible entries per person! This giveaway is open to residents of the US age 18 and over only. The contest will run until Friday, December 11th at 11:59 PM. Winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Good luck!

CLOSED- Congratulations, Xenia!

Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?

*CLOSED*

How did you feel when you were pregnant? Did you have "the glow" and feel sexy and powerful and more womanly than ever? Or did you feel like you were huge, a fat, unattractive blob, a whale, a submarine, etc? I had a very easy pregnancy and for the most part, I enjoyed being pregnant. The first time I went into my closet and didn't fit into any of my clothes, I had a mini breakdown and crumbled to the floor crying. I knew I would gain weight and I thought I was mentally prepared, but to no longer be able to wear anything in my wardrobe WEEKS before the books said this would happen was demoralizing. I felt like I was a pig and already "letting myself go" before the baby even got here. As the weeks went on and I got bigger and bigger, I did embrace my pregnant body....until I got stretch marks at week 39. I was so disappointed in myself. I had managed to get through almost the entire pregnancy without them and now I was scarred for life. And since my pregnancy went to 42 weeks plus, they only got worse as the days went by.

Of course my experience and the range of emotions that came with it are not unique to me. Pregnant women the world over (and particularly in the US, I'm sure) experience body & self-esteem issues. These don't end with the pregnancy, when women are then expected to drop the baby weight quickly and look like they never were pregnant at all. There's so much unrealistic pressure on women to always look good and be thin and it seems to get even worse after pregnancy.

That's why I loved the new book Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? by Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei (full disclosure: I was interviewed by Claire and my quotes appear in the book and my blog, Blacktating, is listed as a resource for breastfeeding information). Claire, a beauty activist, and Magali, a former model and ED sufferer) interviewed over 400 women and men about the effects of pregnancy and motherhood on a woman's body and self-esteem. The book aims to show:

- How you can learn to trust your changing body, appreciate it, and yes…even work it!
- Why you should be wary of the Hollywood "bump watch" and post-baby weight loss stories– and how to take the focus off the scale
- How to deal with your raging hormones—in the bedroom and beyond
- How to recognize when your body issues get extreme—and how to get help

I was sent an Advanced Readers Copy to review and I really enjoyed the book. I saw myself in so much of the anecdotes in the book, particularly with regard to weight gain. I'm still working on losing the baby weight and my self-esteem and this book was a welcome reality check for me.

I'm pleased to offer a copy of the book to one of my readers. Simply leave me a comment telling me why you'd like the book.

I'll draw a winner using Random.org next Wednesday, November 18th at 11:59 PM EST. Contest is open to residents of US & Canada. The winner will be emailed and posted here and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you.


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Yummie Tummie Review/ $100 GC Giveaway!

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Back in July, I was watching the #blogher09 Twitter stream with a mix of interest and jealousy. I was kicking myself for not getting it together in time to attend BlogHer, the blogging conference for women. I noticed that tons of bloggers were raving about a brand of shapewear called Yummie Tummie. I had heard of the brand before and had actually entered a giveaway to win one. I really wanted to try it out, but I’m a bit leery of buying shapewear. Since giving birth to my son in ’07, I’ve tried tons of brands of girdles and body shapers and all of them were so uncomfortable. I’ve never managed to make it more than a couple of hours in one and so saved them for occasions when I wanted to look pulled in and was willing to suffer. However, all of the women bloggers were saying Yummie Tummie isn’t like that, it’s actually comfortable! I was dubious, but then when they tweeted a coupon code good for 50% off any purchase, I knew I needed to jump on that deal, so I ordered two strappy tanks, in black and brown leopard. (Full disclosure: Although I bought two Yummie Tummies with my own money, I did receive one for free at Blogalicious).

I am thrilled to report that the Yummie Tummie really does hold you in, give you a nice smooth silhouette and it’s NOT PAINFUL. I ordered a size L and a size M and both are comfortable, although the M is a bit more snug and I have to work a little harder to shimmy into it. I wear my Yummie Tummies every day to work and sometimes I’ll even run errands in my tank and a pair of jeans. The Yummie Tummie comes in plus size and long length. Although I’m short, I like the longer length because it goes down over my butt and the tank can be tucked into my pants. That way, I don’t have to worry about the Yummie Tummie creeping up.

I am so excited to be able to offer my readers a $100 gift card to Yummie Tummie to spend on whatever you’d like! Yummie Tummie does offer a tank specifically designed for post-partum nursing moms. This tank features a top that wicks away moisture to keep you dry and snaps down for easy access. While I’ve never tried the nursing tank, I have been assured that Heather Thomson designed this top specifically to be supportive, comfortable and appropriate for nursing moms. That means a soft cotton bra top, no underwire, and snap down bra panels designed for comfort and modesty. The nursing tank was designed to be used immediately post-partum. It's up to every woman to decide what feels comfortable, but my guess would be you may want to order a size up if you’re between sizes so the top is not too constricting across your breasts.

Now here are the giveaway rules: To enter, please leave a comment telling me why you’d like to win the Yummie Tummie. Since this is a biggie, I’m going to offer FOUR extra entries. You get an extra entry for

*Following me on Twitter (I’m @blacktating)

*Tweeting about the giveaway

*Blogging about the giveaway

*Becoming a fan of Blacktating on Facebook

So that is up to FIVE entries per person. Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each of your entries and a link when applicable. Also, please be sure to leave me a valid email address in your comment if it’s not public on your Google profile. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to pick a second winner because I had no way to contact the first person.

Giveaway ends on November 3 at 11:59 PM eastern time. Winner will be contacted via email and posted on the blog and will have 48 hours to respond before forfeiting the prize to another winner. Good luck!

Congratulations, Dee! You won the $100 gift card to Yummie Tummie!

Giveaway: $25 giftcard to Tiny Prints

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As you may know, I recently attended Blogalicious, the first conference for women of color bloggers. I had an amazing time and met some great women and received some great gifts. I got more swag than I could ever make use of myself, so I am pleased to be able to give away some fun stuff to my wonderful readers. First up is a $25 gift card to TinyPrints, the company that creates those adorable birth announcements, chic invitations for all occasions and now business cards, courtesy of the Clever Girls Collective! No matter what you're celebrating (a wedding, graduation, new baby, engagement, anniversary, Bar Mitzvah, etc) Tiny Prints has a card or invitation that is perfect for the occasion.

To win the gift certificate, simply leave me a comment here with the type of card you'd order with the $25 if you win. Want some extra entries? Follow me on Twitter, tweet about this contest, or become a fan of the Blacktating Blog on Facebook. That's a total of 4 entries per person, so please be sure to leave a separate comment for each of your entries.

Contest is open to residents of the US & Canada, 18 and older. Contest ends on Friday, October 23rd at midnight EST. Winner will be contacted via email and posted on the blog and will have 48 hours to respond before forfeiting the prize to another winner. Good luck!



Congratulations to entry #25, Xenia! You are the winner of the gift card!