Pregnant women banned in Vegas

Talk about hypocrisy!

Bravado, the manufacturer of cleverly designed breastfeeding bras, has recently run into some trouble when it comes to showing off their wares. Since 2008, the company has been entering trade shows in order to expand their market. Their 'booth' at the trade show features a runway with pregnant models wearing the bras. The 'models' however are not 'models' in the traditional sense; they are the company's typical customers at various stages of pregnancy. In an interview with the NYT, Kathryn From, chief executive of Bravado, noted that every so often a small percentage of people complain about their decision to feature pregnant women. Ironically, the company was recently prohibited from staging their runway show in Las Vegas at Blush Boutique Nightclub, owned by Wynn:

“We did not feel it appropriate to feature a very pregnant model in a nightclub, at midnight, where alcohol was being served,” Jennifer Dunne, a Wynn spokeswoman, wrote in a statement responding to questions. “Our team made a judgment call which we feel was correct given the environment and circumstance.”

In a city where day and night collide, where prostitution, gambling and inebriation are the orders of the day, one wonders how on earth a nightclub in the city of sin could possibly get on their high horse about a few pregnant women flogging some maternity bras.

I am consistently amazed by the ways in which pregnant bodies continue to cause moral panic in spite of the fact that it would appear that we are so inundated with naked female bodies in general.

Boobs and bras

Confused about maternity lingerie? Khali Whatley, our good friend at Ma Mere is on board to give you some advice and the chance to get a free copy of her guide to choosing the right undies.

By the way, have you entered the caption contest to win a free maternity set?

The importance of a good maternity and nursing bra

There’s so much to consider when you first fall pregnant that the last thing on your mind is your underwear. However most new mothers don’t realise that wearing a bra with an incorrect fit or support system can cause complications during the later parts of pregnancy and into the nursing period. Therefore the beginning of your pregnancy is an important time to make sure that you have the right bra.

During your first trimester a network of lymph glands and milk ducts will start to develop in your breasts and a well-fitted maternity bra can make sure this happens correctly. Its important to be aware that bra underwires can affect the development of these ducts and glands inhibiting circulation, causing discomfort and even leading to infection. Maternity and nursing bras don’t have underwires for this very reason.

So what’s the difference between a maternity and nursing bra?

When it comes to features, they are basically the same. The primary difference is that a nursing bra has clips that allow breastfeeding. If you buy a nursing bra at the beginning of your pregnancy thinking it will last you until after you finish breastfeeding you will probably be disappointed.

Most women’s breasts increase in size during pregnancy and increase again after their baby is born and mature milk is produced. Their ribcage also expands as their baby and belly grows larger and retracts again once the baby is born. These changes affect both the cup and band size – and therefore the bra that should be worn.

The lack of natural muscle support in the breast increases the chance of sagging or changes to the breast shape at this time, so the right bra can provide the necessary support to maintain your breast shape.

With all of this in mind, you should be prepared to purchase several different bra sizes during and after pregnancy. You’ll probably buy fewer maternity and nursing bras than regular bras, which means they will be washed more frequently and therefore stretch and wear out faster. Hand washing and line drying (in spite of care instructions to machine wash) will prolong their life and make sure you get the support you need.

Would you like more information? Send Khali an email for a free copy of her Guide to Maternity Lingerie: khali.whatley[at]mamere.com.au

Empowered pregancy or just good marketing?

As my last post spruiked the merits of retail therapy, particularly when it comes to fancy breastfeeding bras, and more importantly the joy in purchasing a maternity bra that isn't a heinous shade of beige, I attempted to make the point that it is bizarre that proudly pregnant women in bras are somehow offensive given that we see scantily clad or naked women on a daily basis in the media. After all, plenty of celebrities parade around naked and pregnant and plenty of everyday women get photographs taken of themselves as a keepsake of a beautiful time so what's the big freaking deal with women having a bit of fun? If cherry print French knickers from 'Hot Milk' make you feel a little bit better in your 40th week, you go girl!

So then I found this commentary on pregnancy and in particular, the 'Hot Milk'/soft porn debate. Rosemary McLeod writes:

"Since I was pregnant last there've been big changes in lingerie, too. Once you could only get white or flesh-coloured maternity bras, magnifying the size of your watermelons. Now you can actually get black – and even colour. The only drawback to buying the latest lingerie for pregnancy, designed to make women feel sexy at an un-sexy time, is the brand. In the case of a new local company producing a catalogue for breastfeeding and pregnant mothers, it's "Hot Milk". You'd have to rip the label off your bra rather than admit you'd succumbed. What if you were run over by a bus, and the nurses in casualty saw it?

Women who've received the catalogue, which features real pregnant women as models, have complained that the images are "soft porn". This sounds like wishful thinking on their part, poor darlings. What they ought to be objecting to is a jokey label that defines lactating women as some kind of cappuccino machine for infants. Rather than cheering you up and making you feel good about the experience, it'd have you wondering why your breasts weren't chrome like the rest of your yuppie kitchen, and whether they came with a lifetime guarantee".

This bit really annoys me because the writer is doing exactly what she sets out not to do. Her article is based entirely on the premise that pregnancy isn't always fun and games; not all women feel hot and happening and no one should feel pressure to meet cultural expectations. I agree with this. However, she instead suggests that just because she didn't feel 'sexy' in pregnancy, somehow it's not on for other pregnant women to enjoy breastfeeding or pregnancy with a great bra. She says pregnancy is categorically 'un-sexy'. Is she living in a bubble? Pregnant bodies are sexed, sexual bodies (which is not really surprising given that being pregnant is basically an announcement that you have had sex!) And what exactly are women 'succumbing to' as she suggests, by buying a bra?

Since when is it a bad thing to proud of being a mother?

Source:
The Horrors of Maternity http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4133172a1861.html