What’s in Your Hospital Bag? With First Time Mama Christina

Packing your hospital bag is the perfect way to feel prepared & empowered for labour. But it isn’t always easy to judge what you’ll need on the big day.

We caught up with Seraphine model & first-time mama Christina to find out what she’s packing in her hospital bag.

What’s in Christina’s Hospital Bag? Watch the Video

Here’s Christina’s list & the links to everything included… just in case you’d like to nab any ideas for your own hospital bag!

What to Wear During Labour?

Pregnant woman wearing maternity leggings & a tank top. Must-haves for the hospital bag

Labour can be a long & often messy process, so we advise a few changes of clothes to keep you feeling fresh. Some comfy leggings & tanks are ideal for the early stages, then our two pack of black button-down nighties are ideal for the main event.

They’re super soft & stretchy, and the practical button down design allows access to the bump during labour & then for skin to skin & breastfeeding immediately after.

Bamboo Maternity Leggings

Maternity & Nursing Tanks – Twin Pack

Black Button-Down Maternity Nighties – Twin Pack

What You’ll Need After Baby Arrives

New mother hugs her newborn baby in the Seraphine skin to skin top. A hospital bag must-have.

For the first 24 to 48 hours after having your baby, the hospital will usually want to keep you & baby in for monitoring, so make sure you have enough comfy clothes to recover in & everything you need for an overnight stay.

Nursing bras & clothes with easy access will be important – our Skin to Skin Top is also a must-have.

Bamboo Nursing Bras – Twin Pack

Skin to Skin Top

Maternity Joggers

Grey Marl Crossover Maternity & Nursing Sweatshirt

Seraphine Sleep Kit – Including a sleep bra, nightie & dressing gown

Things to Remember for the Hospital Bag

Don’t forget all those bits & pieces to help you through, from speakers, toiletries & snacks to a camera to capture those first special moments & all the chargers you’ll need to keep your devices alive.

Seraphine Travel Changing Mat & Pouch (perfect for toiletries)

Bluetooth speaker

Headphones

Camera

Birth plan

Snacks

Water bottle

The Going Home Outfit

New mum wearing Seraphine maternity & nursing dress with her baby

And finally, you may want to pack an outfit that’s a little more presentable (while still remaining super-comfy, of course!) for pictures with baby & any guests who visit as well as that all-important trip home with your precious newborn.

Cotton Chambray Maternity & Nursing Dress

Striped Maternity & Nursing Dress

Black Bamboo Maternity Leggings

From the softest essentials & nightwear to nursing must-haves & those first precious skin to skin snuggles – we’ve got you covered mama! Check out our full hospital bag packing guide online & shop the full selection here.

Happy packing mamas & best of luck for the big day!

Seraphine Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week 2020

Happy World Breastfeeding Week mama!

Naturally nourishing, utterly intimate & not without challenge, your breastfeeding journey will be as unique as you are.

Here at Seraphine, our clever nursing designs are made with love, to help you & your little one get off to the best possible start.

You are doing an amazing job – our innovative designs are here to ensure maximum comfort & easy access whenever & wherever you need it – all to make your life that little bit easier in those precious early days.

These are some of the hero pieces we recommend to all new nursing mamas:

1. The Bamboo Bras

World Breastfeeding Week - pregnant mother wearing a Seraphine bra

Made in soft bamboo viscose, these nursing bras are comfortable & breathable, offering a whole host of amazing features – they’re hypoallergenic, temperature regulating, moisture wicking & even offer antibacterial properties! 

The soft, seamless, wire-free design is perfect for everyday wear & the simple drop cups offer quick & easy access.

Get the two pack in classic black & white or soft grey & blush pink.

2. The Basic Tops

World Breastfeeding Week - mum nursing her baby in a Seraphine top

As a new nursing mama, there’s simply no such thing as too many basic nursing tops. These ones are soft, stretchy & easy to wear – perfect for layering.

Get the two pack in classic black & white or grey & navy

3. The Versatile Dress

World breastfeeding Week - mum & baby. Seraphine nursing dress

A comfy dress is the ultimate easy outfit & right now we’re offering 20% off* a selection of our favourites!

Check out our DRESS EDIT & enter the code: GLOW20 to claim the discount.

*T&Cs apply

4. The Skin to Skin Top

World Breastfeeding Week - mum nursing her baby in the seraphine skin to skin top

A must-have for new mamas, these tops are designed to help keep your hands free while enjoying the amazing benefits of skin to skin time with your little one… and you can nurse in it too!

Discover our full range of cotton skin to skin tops now

5. The Nursing Kit

World Breastfeeding Week - Seraphine nursing kit

A great way to kickstart your nursing clothes collection, the kit includes a simple striped nursing top, a classic A-line dress with easy zip nursing access at the front & a comfy pair of post-pregnancy leggings.

The three styles work beautifully together & are ideal for mixing & matching with pieces from your regular wardrobe.

Shop the Nursing Kit

In the end, it all comes down to what works for you & your baby. As long as everybody is happy & nobody is hungry, you’re doing a fantastic job – keep it up mama!

READ NEXT

Top breastfeeding tips from Seraphine mums

Lactation specialist’s top breastfeeding tips

Our fourth trimester favourites

Fourth Trimester Faves – Skin to Skin, Nursing, Babywearing & More

Nothing compares to those precious fourth trimester days with your new baby – getting to know each other, learning to pick up on their cues and falling head over heels in love!

Here are our top must-haves for that special post-pregnancy phase…

1. Skin to Skin Top

Skin to skin top - fourth trimester must-have

The benefits of bonding skin to skin with your new baby simply can’t be overstated. From the moment they arrive, a simple skin to skin snuggle has the power to soothe, regulate their temperature & even boost your milk supply!

Our signature tops allow you to enjoy all the benefits of skin to skin while keeping your hands free!

Read more about the benefits of skin to skin

Shop Skin to Skin Tops now

2. 3 in 1 Babywearing Coat

3 in 1 babywearing coats - perfect from the first to the fourth trimester & beyond

Getting out & about with your new little one during the fourth trimester is so important, and babywearing is the perfect way to do it. A stroll around the park with your baby strapped on will help to boost your mood & ease you back into your active lifestyle.

Featuring an innovative zip-off pouch at the front, our 3 in 1 coats & hoodies are designed to provide a flexible fit through pregnancy, and then zip up over a baby carrier after baby is born.

See real mamas rocking their 3 in 1 coats

3. Post Pregnancy Support

Fourth trimester support jeans

When it comes to clothes, comfort & support are sure to be high on your priority list after welcoming baby.

Our Post Pregnancy Shaping Leggings provide the perfect level of 360° compression, optimised for the fourth trimester. And for when you want to feel a little more put together, our Post Pregnancy Shaping Jeans do the same job!

4. Nursing Clothes

Fourth trimester nursing clothes

If you plan to breastfeed, then a good collection of nursing clothes & nursing bras is a must.

Many of our maternity dresses & tops are made with discreet built-in nursing features, so you may find that you can keep wearing many of the pieces you bought for pregnancy!

5. Nursing Shawl

Nursing shawl for the fourth trimester

And last but not least, there’s nothing quite like being snuggled up with your little one in a knitted nursing shawl while you feed.

Our soft shawls are designed to keep you covered up in public & cosy at home.

Most importantly, enjoy this special time mama – the fourth trimester flies by & they grow so fast!

Nursing Clothes: HELLO! Online Editor is Totally Taken with Seraphine

Andrea Caamano is HELLO! Online’s managing editor. She just became a first-time mum to an adorable baby boy named Ethan. Here, she shares her views on pregnancy style and why she’s totally taken with Seraphine’s nursing clothes…

 

Andrea Caamano wears the Seraphine Love Top

 

When I became pregnant I genuinely believed I could go through my whole pregnancy without buying maternity clothes. I usually favour loose styles – think oversized T-shirts and low waisted jeans – which I thought were ideal for pregnancy style…Turns out I was wrong!

As soon as my bump popped, around the six month mark, the aforementioned loose styles started to become very unflattering. There was no definition and I ended up looking bigger than I actually was. Not ideal.

 

BLonde model wearing a Striped Seraphine Nursing Jumper on a ladder

 

So it was time for a wardrobe revamp – just in time for summer!

Seraphine soon became my go-to brand. I work in the celebrity and royalty world and so I knew that I would be in good hands (I’ve written countless articles about Princess Victoria, Princess Madeleine and the Duchess of Cambridge wearing their creations, not forgetting Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani!).

Seraphine designs manage to strike the balance between fashion and function – which is all-important when you’re carrying around a rather large bump! Their maternity jeans fit like a glove, the tops showed off my bump perfectly and I love the dresses – I even wore a beautiful white maxi dress to my baby shower at 38 weeks.

 

Seraphine Nursing Clothes Compliation

 

Shortly after mastering maternity wear, I was interviewing a celebrity who had recently given birth. Speaking to her, I realised it was time to start thinking about nursing clothes

This celebrity had her son with her during the interview and had to briefly stop to breastfeed. She pulled out this beautiful white shawl with poppers for fastening at the shoulder and I decided that I needed it asap (pregnancy hormones make you go crazy for the most random things!).

 

Stylish the Seraphine Nursing Shawls

 

She told me it was Seraphine’s ‘Breastfeeding Shawl‘ and I went home to search for it online. There, I uncovered their amazing world of nursing clothes – and thank goodness I did.

Honestly, it has saved my life! The first weeks are hard enough with a newborn, especially if, like me, it’s your first time round. But having the right nursing clothes – think tops, knitwear, shawls and even nightwear – which are not only practical but seriously fashionable, makes this whole new experience 100 times smoother!

 

Andrea’s nursing must-haves (the products I love)

Andrea Caamano's favourite nursing clothes

Winter Grey Nursing Shawl

Black Lace Nursing Nightie

Breton Cotton Blend Maternity & Nursing Jumper

Grey Marl Layered Maternity & Nursing Sweater

Love Maternity & Nursing Top

Post Pregnancy Belly Fat Blasting Foods: Our Top Ten

There’s no avoiding it – getting your figure back after pregnancy takes time. But there are a few clever tips and tricks you can use to speed things along! Here are our top 10 post pregnancy belly fat blasting foods to fight the bloat and slim your silhouette:

 

1) Camomile Tea – As well as having a stellar calming influence, camomile tea will work wonders when it comes to blitzing that post pregnancy belly bloat.

Try it – A cup before bed each evening will help you to drift off, safe in the knowledge that you’ll be fitting back into those skinny jeans before you know it.

 

2) Spinach – A great source of vitamins & minerals with virtually no calories: spinach is also packed with fibre, which will flush out any nasty toxins and whittle down your waistline.

 

 

3) Salmon – Not only is it delicious, this oily fish is high in protein and rich in essential fatty acids like Omega 3s which will help your body to burn off fat.

Try it – Nothing beats an indulgent Sunday morning breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs!

 

4) Pineapple – Containing the essential enzyme Bromelain, pineapple aids the break-down of proteins in the gut to help you combat bloating and slim your figure.

 

5) Fennel Seeds – With a sweet liquorice flavour and a whole host of bloat banishing properties, fennel seeds are a must-have digestion aiding ingredient for your kitchen cupboard.

Try it – Munch on a handful after meals to freshen your breath and aid digestion.

 

6) Avocado – This super tasty superfood is having a Vogue moment right now – and rightly so! Its good fats will fill you up for hours, and its high potassium levels will reduce water retention and bloating.

 

 

7) Ginger – Aiding digestion and easing gas, this spicy root is the first thing many of us reach for when feeling bloated. And as an added bonus it acts as an anti-inflammatory, expanding the blood vessels, increasing your body heat and helping you to burn off fat.

Try it – Add hot water to sliced ginger and lemon for a refreshing detox drink.

 

8) Almonds – A handful of these clever little nuts make a great low calorie yet highly satisfying snack. Replace those mid-morning biscuits with almonds to satisfy your sweet tooth & keep you full until lunch.

 

9) Apple cider vinegar – Top model and mum of one Miranda Kerr swears by apple cider vinegar for a detoxing, belly fat blasting health boost. It introduces healthy bacteria into your gut, which aids digestion and eases  post pregnancy belly bloating.

Try it – Add a teaspoonful to boiled water and allow it to cool for the ultimate detox drink.

 

10) Watermelon – Offering high water content and plenty of potassium, a delicious slice of watermelon after a meal will help to beat the bloat.

Stylish maternity clothes

Remember: Stick to your plan and be patient – slimming doesn’t happen overnight. And of course in the meantime great maternity and nursing clothes, along with a tummy-controlling pair of our Post Maternity Shaping Leggings, will give you that extra boost of confidence to strut your stuff in style. And with all the running around you’ll soon be doing with a baby over one shoulder and a stylish changing bag slung over the other, it won’t be long before you’re bouncing back.

 

 

 

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