LilSugar

Five Creative Ways to Celebrate a Burgeoning Belly

babysugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:00:07 -0700

While all the magic lies within the belly of an expectant lady, there are fun ways to outwardly celebrate the life growing in it. Mothers anxious to show off their bumps may find the "Under construction" temporary tattoo hilarious and midriff worthy while others might choose a more refined approach. Here are five fun things a pregnant lady can do to cherish her burgeoning belly.

Decorate the tummy with henna paints.
Paint the bump with decorative paints.
Hire a photographer to snap away at the womb.
Have the belly cast so mama can literally relive how it felt to carry the child.
Deck out the growing stomach in temporary pregnancy tattoos by Tummy Tatts.

View 5 Photos ›

Did You Take Growth Photos of Your Belly?

LilSugar — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:00:33 -0700

When Jennifer777 shared a beautiful photo album of her growing baby bump, I was taken aback by how neat it is to have a daily or weekly photo collection that shows how your body changes during pregnancy. Our Belly Worship group is filled with pics of pregnant moms-to-be, but usually it's just one photo at a time.
(If you did take lots of photos during your pregnancy you can share them in our Belly Worship group.)

Belly Worship: romaniagrl Eight Months Pregnant

LilSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:01:00 -0700

romaniagrl shared this adorable picture of herself eight months pregnant with baby number two a couple months back and I couldn't help but gawk at how happy and fabulous she looked.

Her chatter updates from a few weeks later tell us her cheerful and girlie nursery now has a sweet new boarder. She said:

Baby Charlotte Madeleine was born June 16, 2008 at 12:30 PM! She is 8lbs3oz and 21in long.

Congratulations to romaniagrl and her family!

You can share a picture of your baby bump in our Belly Worship group. For instructions on how to join and contribute, read more.

You can participate in our special celebration of all things belly by joining the Belly Worship Group and submitting pictures of your belly in a blog entry. Make sure to tag your entry "Belly Worship."

You can also join the Belly Worship Group and just upload a picture (make sure you tag it "Belly Worship" too!). If you are confused, check out our guide to posting a blog for pointers.

Belly Worship: Fit's Beautiful First Baby Bump

babysugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:00:57 -0700

FitSugar recently shared an amazing photo from her first pregnancy in our Belly Worship group and I was completely taken aback by it because I didn't know her at the time. Today Fit has two beautiful daughters and wins my vote as one of the most active, healthy, engaged and enthusiastic moms around. Seeing her bursting belly just makes me love her more. Fit shared:

Here is my enormous belly, two weeks before I gave birth to my first. My belly grew even bigger than this. I look at my 5-year-old and it seems like yesterday that I was preggo with her.

Could she be any cuter? You can share a picture of your baby bump in our Belly Worship group. For instructions on how to join and contribute, read more.

You can also join the Belly Worship Group and just upload a picture (make sure you tag it "Belly Worship" too!). If you are confused, check out our guide to posting a blog for pointers.

Belly Worship: Jennifer Loomis

LilSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:00:52 -0700

One woman made a career out of capturing expectant ladies in a state of belly worship. Renowned photographer, Jennifer Loomis has photographed more than1,500 women with child and is currently writing a book about celebrating the full form. We were lucky enough to ask the shutterbug a few questions about striking a pose while pregnant.

Q. Ever since Demi Moore exposed her bare bump on the cover of the August 1991 issue of Vanity Fair while pregnant with her daughter, Scout, celebs from Christina Aguilera to Melissa Joan Hart have stripped down their expectant selves for photo shoots. Why do you think this started a trend?

A. Pregnant celebrity women have made a very positive contribution to expecting women in the United States. Our society likes to mimic what the celebrities do. Celebrities drive a lot of fashion and set many trends. As regular fashion started to be more revealing, pregnant celebrity women followed suite, embracing their bodies by wearing tighter clothes and exposing their bellies. This paved the way for other mothers to do the same.

To see the rest of the advice, read more.

Q. When baring it all for a photographer, how can a mama-to-be be sure that her shots will be classy, not tacky? Are their specific things to look for in a photographer?

A. First and foremost, do your research. The web is your best resource. Find a photographer whose photographs you like. That is the most important thing. Look for images and poses that you would feel comfortable doing. I would also recommend finding a photographer who is experienced shooting the most flattering angles of pregnant women. You want to come away from your session feeling beautiful, not focused on the areas of your body you aren't comfortable with.

Q. As a photographer, what do you find to be the most beautiful aspect of the pregnant belly?

A. Each pregnant belly is different and I think that they are all beautiful in their own way. I really love it when the baby is moving in the belly and you can see it. I also have photographed it.

Belly Worship: Nicole Finally Looks Pregnant

babysugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:00:56 -0700

Country crooners weren't the only stars shining in Vegas last weekend. Sunday night served up the world's finest in country music at the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Sin City. Unlike Tinseltown, Vegas was NOT crawling with pregnant ladies. Maybe the casinos kept the mamas at bay. Or perhaps, it was the fear of standing next to Nicole Kidman on the red carpet. To see what was so intimidating, read more.

The glowing strawberry blonde was a site to be seen. Until now, it's been hard for me to think of her as a mama–to–be since her tummy was relatively flat. But dressed in a stunning silver frock that accented her bump, she was a vision of beauty.

How many months did it take for you to show?
Source

Join in on the Belly Worship!

LilSugar — Sun, 18 May 2008 05:00:13 -0700

We want to worship your belly! Several users have already downloaded pics of their beautiful bellies (some are shown above), so hop on the belly bandwagon and add yours to the mix.

Women may complain about their pregnant and postpartum stomachs, but lilsugar is celebrating the stretch marks, thinned skin, love handles, muffin tops, c-section scars - the badges of honor that come with being a mom - with Belly Worship, our theme that pays homage to motherhood.

Share a picture of your bloated or toned, clothed or bare, pregnant or back-in-shape postpartum belly and tell us what you love most about it. To find out how, read more.

You can participate in our special celebration of all things belly by joining the Belly Worship Group and submitting pictures of your belly before, during or post pregnancy in a blog entry. Make sure to tag your entry "Belly Worship." You can also join the Belly Worship Group and just upload a picture (make sure you tag it "Belly Worship" too!) If you are confused, check out our guide to posting a blog for pointers.

Belly Worship: Pregnancy Announcements

babysugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:00:07 -0700

It seems like there's stationery for any and every occasion - mama calling cards, baby announcements and thank you notes. Now pregnancy announcements have been added to the list.

Instead of picking up the phone and calling everyone or blasting out an email, Tiny Prints gives expectant moms the opportunity to share their exciting news with pregnancy announcement cards.

Mommies–to–be can upload a picture of their ultrasound, their burgeoning belly or use a simple template on one of many pregnancy story cards.

Pregnancy Announcement by Tiny Prints: Posies	Pregnancy Announcement by Tiny Prints: Damask Blue
Pregnancy Announcement by Tiny Prints: Heart Button	Pregnancy Announcement by Tiny Prints: Rainbow Rattles
Pregnancy Announcement by Tiny Prints: Sweet Delivery	Pregnancy Announcement by Tiny Prints: Moonstruck	Pregnancy Announcement by Tiny Prints: Pastels

Belly Worship: Mother Nurture

LilSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:00:35 -0700

Every mother thinks her child is exceptional, but some end up raising tots that turn into superstars, business moguls and acclaimed athletes.

Inspired by motherhood, author Stephanie Hirsch interviewed many moms of notables for her book. Mother Nurture ($17).

The hardbound collection of short stories include tidbits and tips from the women who raised America's best and brightest - Diane Sawyer, Tony Hawk, Beyonce Knowles, Tim McGraw and numerous others. A far cry from a textbok guide, this is a must read because it's all about the practical aspects of parenting.

To see what some of the women had to say, read more.

Whether it was Matt Lauer's mom, Marilyn Gentry's laid back approach - she said just being there for her son was something she did right. Or since Nate Berkus' mama, Nancy Golden's ability was to lead by example - since she was an interior designer, Nate knew furniture scale by the age of eight.

Mary Aigner, mother of Julie Aigner-Clark put an emphasis on learning. She said:

I always saw my role as a guide. One area I prodded a little more was when it came to education. I made it very clear to Julie that she should go to college. I wanted to make sure that she could earn a living and not be dependent on us or a man.

Obviously, the sound advice paid off. The book also includes pages where photos of the reader and her mom can be inserted and space to pen her own tale.

Belly Worship: What's Inside Your Tummy, Mommy?

LilSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:25 -0700

Once you're a parent, pregnancy becomes all about your child.

Preparing your lil one to become an older sibling is an exciting way to spend the nine months.

Depending on his or her age, the tot may or may not understand the idea of the baby-to-be so consider including the concept in everyday activities.

Abby Cocovini's picture book, What's Inside Your Tummy, Mommy? ($9) is a fitting read. To see why, read more.

In addition to the inviting illustrations, the book walks lil ones through fetal development and labor in the simplest of terms. It describes an embryo's size as being "a little circle of jelly."

A calendar strip runs along the bottom of the pages so tots can count out the impending babe's age in days and weeks.

Having read my share of books that prep siblings, I'd recommend this one.