LilSugar

Baby Bump: Bargain Maternity Clothes

babysugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:00:44 PDT

Not interested in spending a wad of money on maternity clothes that will only fit you for a few months?

Smarty pants are turning to Belly Bundles to pick out a few bumpalicious items to carry them through those "bigger" months. The on–line consignment boutique offers dresses, jeans, tops and swimsuits that are in good condition.

If you don't have a friend who can get some wear and tear out of your stretchy jeans and you just can't stomach to look at them again, try to make a buck with Belly Bundles by shipping them your goodies. When they sell, you'll get 50 percent of the sale price!

Best Swimsuits For Your Body: Slim Your Belly

Noria Morales — Wed, 11 May 2011 09:06:37 PDT

Six-pack abs not your reality? Don't worry. We're focusing on how to slim your belly with the right suit in part two of our swim guide. We've done the research on the best swimsuits to minimize that pesky - or cute, depending on how you look at it - belly. Here are the key tips:

Ruching: That gathering of fabric is an ingenious slimmer. The gathers create volume and texture, so you can't see extra bulge. Ruching is a totally feminine detail that provides automatic slimdown.

Banding: It's rather easy to trick the eyes, particularly with bands of color or well-placed piping. Look for suits that create the illusion of a slim waist (vertical lines, usually curved inwards toward your belly button) or with multicolored banding that separates bust from waist, with a darker color on the bottom.

Side ties: If a spare tire is what gets you, try a side-tie bikini, where the ties are thick. That bundle of extra fabric on the side helps create proportion to whatever extra you have on the sides.

Tankinis: It's the friendliest style, particularly if you look for looser tankini tops. There are plenty of styles that have sexy busts so you can still show off your curvacious figure. Look for tankinis with ruching or billowy shapes. Added bonus: you can always roll them up when you're sunning.
Click the slideshow to see our picks for the best suits, and click to shop.

Prego and on the Run: Round Ligament Pain

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:00:41 PDT

If you used to run regularly before there was a little bundle of joy growing inside you, doctors think it's safe to continue with your running routine while pregnant. You should def get the OK from your OB though, and once you do, you may find it helps with some common pregnancy symptoms such as constipation, leg cramps, lower back pain, and fatigue. Yeah, being with child is fun!

Running with a bun in the oven is much harder than running solo. You get winded more easily, your muscles tire more quickly, and since your body is changing so much, you may experience some aches and pains. In the beginning of my pregnancy, I would get subtle cramps way up in my uterus when running; every time I felt them, I'd just stop and walk. Now in my fifth month with a "popped" belly, I've discovered a new sensation in my lower ab muscles. It's a longer-lasting, dull ache, that feels like the muscles are overstretching.

At my last checkup, I learned this pain is round ligament pain and it's really common for pregos in their second trimester. To find out if it's harmful to your baby or if it means you should give up running,

read more. My doc assured me that round ligament pain is not serious and won't cause harm to my growing babe. This pain can be felt as a long-lasting dull ache like I've experienced when I'm running, but it can also cause sharp, intense pangs if you suddenly change position, like when you sit up quickly, roll over in bed, or cough. The round ligaments surround your uterus inside your pelvis, and as your belly grows, those ligaments stretch out to support the weight, like rubber bands. The pain you feel is a result of the tugging on nerve fibers. It usually begins in the groin, and moves upward and outward toward your hips, but normally only lasts a few seconds. Many women may feel the pain more on their right side because the uterus tends to turn toward the right. If you feel the pain lasting longer, and it's accompanied by contractions lasting over an hour, call your OB pronto. Also call your doc if the pain is severe and coupled with low back pain, pressure in the pelvis, fever, chills, bleeding, or changes in vaginal discharge. If the pain really bothers you on your runs, it's probably best to take it easy. Decrease the intensity of your workouts by running slower, sticking to flat surfaces, wogging, or walking instead. If your round ligament pain is just slightly uncomfortable, here's a suggestion my doctor made that has really helped me. I told her that when I hold my hands under my belly as I run, the pain goes away, so she recommended I try wearing a compression support band on my lower belly. If you have a Bella Band, that might work for you, but it didn't hold my belly tight enough. The Amom Maternity Support Band offers more support and is specifically designed for use during exercise. Wearing that and slowing down my pace has solved my problem. Tell me, have any of you experienced round ligament pain?