BoobieMilk Back on the Baby Show Circuit for 2013 & Tickets to win!

I love my job, and my most favourite part of my job is making women happy by fitting them with a super comfy nursing bra.  I usually fit in a few fittings in my local area during the week which is great.  I get to meet women just about to become a Mum, many for the first time and I also get to meet brand spanking new babies, sometimes I even get a cuddle.  Today I met the biggest, loudest purring cat I have ever known!  A baby show for me is like my regular week magnified to "Infinity" as my son would say as infinity is his favourite number right now.  I get to meet pregnant women and women with new babies over and over and over, and I just LOVE IT!

In 2012, BoobieMilk embarked on a journey that would forever change us.  We started this small, well actually we jumped in head first journey and enjoyed every minute of it.  I dragged along my Mum to help with the stand while I went in and out of the fitting room, and she became the star of the show.  I am still hearing from clients that attended any of the shows that we sold at last year how they loved my Mum, and chatted with her for ages, and found out all about the family.  I know my Mum was absolutely exhausted after each show, especially the 3 day events in London and Greenhithe, but she is like me and loves being around people.  She is most at home in a crowd and we always used to tease her when I was a kid because she was always engrossed in the conversation of the adjoining table at restaurants.

Not only did we meet so many lovely Mums and Babies while attending Baby Shows last year, but we also met some lovely show organizers and fellow stand holders.  There were good shows and there were great shows.  There were also not so great shows and boy did we learn a lot.  I just love that other Mummy business owners are so open to sharing their knowledge so that others don't make the same mistakes.  When I got the go ahead from The Baby Show London I immediately contacted a couple of fellow Mumpreneurs to ask about the added extras.  I was so glad that I did as otherwise I would never have known that the portable credit/debit card machines have enough power to last the entire day.  I saved money and gained knowledge that I can now pass on.

So we start the 2013 Baby Show circuit.  I'm getting a little more picky about the shows I'll attend because I now know a lot more about shows and what works best for BoobieMilk.  Our first show of the season is the Bluewater Baby and Toddler show at Glow in Greenhithe, Kent.  The venue is fantastic and we had a fabulous time last year at their first show.  It's right off the M25 with tonnes of free parking which is fantastic.  The venue is large enough that there is a good selection of items on offer for pregnant women, babies and toddlers but small enough so that you can really get to see everything and go back to your favourite stands if you need additional information.  Once you have had your fill of all things kiddie, you can walk out to the mall and enjoy a bite to eat and even pop in to see a movie.  There are also plenty of play areas outside if you bring little ones with you and they deserve a reward for being so patient while you browse and shop.

BoobieMilk will be attending the upcoming Bluewater Baby and Toddler show at Glow on April 19-21, 2013 fitting and selling nursing bras and nursing vests at stand J36.  We stock a selection of nursing bras and nursing vests from Emma-Jane, Carriwell and Hotmilk with sizes from 32-42 bands and B-H cups.  Prices start from just £10 and we will have a competition running throughout the show.  Everyone that enters the competition will be given a discount of 10% for everthing they purchase and pay for on the day (including out of stock items that will be shipped after the show free of charge).

Some of our friends that are also exhibiting at Bluewater:

Lazy Daisy - E26 Unique Pregnancy Classes and Baby Classes are all inspired by movement, massage and relaxation and enable you to prepare for birth and enjoy the first months with your baby. With classes all over the UK (and the world!) you are never too far from your nearest class!Available in Sevenoaks.

Snugglebundl - E40 Multi award winning blanket with handles. Easily move your baby without waking, promotes post birth recovery and no more carrying car seats. So many uses!I love these guys.

Brother Max - J42 To make everyday tasks simpler and less time consuming by providing parents and their little ones with easy to use, high quality, well designed products, along the way creating the most innovative baby and toddler brand in the world.  These guys kept us sane throughout the weekend with their upbeat attitude and funky music during set up and break down.

Morrck - E18 Morrck is the home of the Award Winning Baby Hoodie, a unique travel wrap that can be used in car seats and buggies. Morrck design and develop products that make things easier for parents, so that life is less fuss and more fun! Ellie loves her spotty towel, and they have been super helpful with all of my silly exhibition questions.

If you live in the area and would like to come to the show, tickets are available now on the website. Use code BS49 to purchase 2 tickets for £12.  You can also win a free pair of tickets here by entering the rafflecopter below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Carriwell Nursing Swimsuit Review

William attended his first breastfeeding conference when he was 6 months old in Vegas.  We spent a little time in the pool, but not a huge amount as the pool closed at sunset soon after the conference day ended.  At 18 months old we went to the same conference in Orlando, and the hotel had a beautiful pool with a lazy river, slides and jacuzzi.  I spent a LOT of time going round and round that lazy river on my rubber ring nursing William.  I wore a regular bathing suit with a crossover design which basically meant my boob was hanging out the top of the suit the whole time I was in the pool (no tan lines for me LOL).

Having to remove my whole boob to nurse wasn't entirely awful because firstly, I was in great copany at a breastfeeding conference, and secondly because William was a little older his head pretty much covered my boob when feeding.  I'm not one to be concerned about nursing in public.  I've breastfed everywhere and I've pumped everywhere.  I do however choose to nurse from the bottom.  In that I mean that I lift my top from the bottom to nurse so that my shoulders are still covered.  I feel less exposed and less naked.  I imagine that other women may not be as bold as me, especially when it comes to nursing in a bathing suit, so enter Carriwell.

The Carriwell nursing swimsuit is a basic, black suit providing everything that a normal swimsuit would provide.  The black is somewhat slimming and the fabric dries quickly when out of the water.  The swimsuit includes the lovely addition of providing easy access for nursing and has a lovely A-frame design that provides more coverage when the cup is open.  This is very similar to the design of the Hotmilk Shine, Emma-Jane vests in that there is a second layer once the cup is pulled down so your whole boob is not exposed, but just pokes through a smaller hole completely adequate for nursing.  The straps are fully adjustable and can cross over at the back which myself anf reviewers have found to more securely keep them in place.

Sadly the Carriwell nursing swimsuit is only available in four sizes.  This means that it is not suitable for larger cup sizes.  When testing the swimsuit during Ellie's swimming lessons I found the cup to be at its limit for my boobs (34E) in the Medium size (I'm a dress size 12 and not very hippy).

The Carriwell nursing swimsuit is available to buy from BoobieMilk for only £30 in sizes S/M/L/XL (S 8, M 10, L 12, XL 14)

Hotmilk - Angel Divine Nursing Bra Review

If you have discovered Hotmilk then you have already found a great nursing bra range.  From the moment I received my first hotmilk bra I knew I had found something incredible.

Hotmilk have designed nursing bra after nursing bra that provide the entire package for nursing mothers.  There really is no compromise when choosing Hotmilk.

I meet a lot of women who have already compromised in the past.  They have bought nursing bras because they had no other choice in their local shop and they have bought nursing bras because it's their only choice in that size.  I really feel that Hotmilk have put a lot of thought into their nursing bra range.  They've made a real effort to make a product that women want to wear.

Hotmilk are:

Comfortable - The 100% cotton lining makes them super comfy, especially when breasts are tender before or after birth.  I admit that I do sleep in mine all the time, and find them so comfy I hardly know they are there.

Functional - The designers over at Hotmilk have done their research and know what nursing Mums are looking for and need in a nursing bra.  Each style has great access for nursing.  The A-frame styles provide additional support and discretion when nursing and the cups come all the way down to give maximum room for latching..

Flexible - Even though Hotmilk bras are specifically sized they have been designed to allow as much flexibility as possible for the ever changing shape of a pregnant and nursing woman.  The band has six settings which allow for ribcage expansion during pregnancy and then weight loss after birth.  The added detailing on each bra is quite forgiving so that nursing pads are less visible, size differences between breasts are less noticeable and you can choose a slightly larger cup to accomodate milk volume increases without the bra looking too big under clothing.  Hotmilk has also released a number of styles that have fully extendable straps for taller women or those needing longer straps.

Supportive - Hotmilk nursing bras give great support up to an H cup.  During pregnancy and breastfeeding breast usually grow in size and they always increase in weight.  I think that Hotmilk have managed to design a nursing bra that provides the most support you can get without a wire and I fit many women up to an H-cup who are surprised how much support they provide.  The support comes from the nice wide bands, fabulous workmanship, wider straps and plush materials.  If I am at the playground running around after my kids, I want to be wearing my Hotmilk bras as they provide great support during light energetic activity and I don't have to hold my boobs when running to the car when it starts raining.  (I do wear a sports bra for jogging)

Built to Last - I've been wearing my Hotmilk bras for over 2 years now and they have lasted very well.  I have changed in size a little over that time in band size, but I still wear my first Hotmilk bras on the tightest band setting regularly.  I wash my Hotmilk on cold or 30C in the machine on a delicate/hand wash setting and I hang dry.  I will admit to my bras occasionally going through the regular cycle when I'm helped with the laundry (so I can't really complain) and they have fared pretty well but I don't recommend.  They have kept their shape and colour and since my ribcage has shrunken to its pre-pregnancy size I haven't needed to tighten the band from the loosest setting yet so I know I'll get a lot more use out of them.  I do have a matching set of Luminous lingerie that no longer match because the champagne coloured knickers were washed with a dark wash, so definitely keep colours seperate.

Great Coverage -   I just love the Hotmilk full cup styles.  There is nothing worse than looking down at your cleavage to find it spilling out the middle.  I know this has a lot to do with finding the right size, but for my shape I find a much better fit and feel more confident wearing a full cup bra.  I don't stand still all day.  I run after the kids, lay down to nurse my daughter to sleep at nap time and I bend down to pick her up when she wants to be carried.  Maybe I'm just getting old but I just want to feel supported and not have any extra flesh showing.  I find that all of my tops cover my bras and at the last wedding I attended I wore a vest because the dress was a crossover style which seemed to reveal more each time I pulled it aside to nurse, so putting on a vest made sure that I never had to worry about it.

So, the newest addition to my Hotmilk collection is the Angel Divine.  A gorgeous full cup style nursing bra with an A-frame and fully extendible straps in a beautiful girly peach pink with cream lace detail.  The detailing is less bling with the Angel Divine with just a simple cream bow just gives that extra bit of prettiness.  The Angel Divine is soft and feminine and provides all of the benefits of a Hotmilk bra in spades and I love it!

The Hotmilk Angel Divine nursing bra is available in sizes 32-38 C-G and sizes are selling out fast!  You can get your hands on your very own nursing bra for £30 and matching set (S-L) for only £35 from BoobieMilk here.