• What's your favorite maternity retail store (online or otherwise?) Add it to the list! Tell everyone why you like it! (Click EasyEdit, or add a comment.)
  

Maternity Clothes

1. The MaterniTees (maternity t-shirts)
2. Old Navy Maternity
3. The Maternity Mall
4. The Mom Shop
5. Motherhood
6. got baby!
7. iMaternity
8. Baby Style
9. Jolee Maternity
10. Crave Maternity Wear
11. Belly Dance Maternity
12. Stella Maternity Clothes
13. Maternity Clothes from Mercedes Hill
14. Maternity Clothes from Melissa Renee Maternity
15. TummyStyle - A great place for maternity and nursing clothes, maternity swimwear, nursing dresses and more! Leading brands such as Japanese Weekend, Maternal America, Majamas, and Prego Maternity Swimwear
16. Karen's Maternity - A maternity shopping portal.
17. Maternity wear - at Shopformaternity.com

Humorous Pregnancy T-Shirts for Mom

1. The MaterniTees
2. got baby!
3. 2Chix
4. Stella Maternity
5. Due Maternity
6. Fortune Tee
7. Foxy Mama Maternity
8. MAMA2B
9. Jolee Maternity
10. Mommy Trends
11. "Free Womb and Board" shirts at Melissa Renee Maternity

Humorous Pregnancy T-Shirts for Dad

1. got baby!
2. 2Chix
3. Foxy Mama Maternity
   

Best Bargain/Discount Clothes

1. Target
2. Wal-Mart
3. K-Mart

Designer & Boutique Maternity Clothes

1. Blossom Maternity
2. Due Maternity
3. Belly Dance Maternity (hip maternity clothes)
4. A Pea in the Pod (luxury maternity wear)
5. Isabella Oliver
6. Eva Lillian
7. Nicole Michelle
8. Sierra Maternity (designer maternity jeans and clothes)
9. Beaux Belly
10. Bellylicious
11. Jolee Maternity
12. Melissa Renee Maternity (designer maternity wear and swimwear)
13. BellaBlu Maternity (designer maternity clothes)
14. Designer Maternity Dresses from Fertile Mind - see the fabulous 6 Way Dress, Belly Belt and more...
15. Stella Maternity (Cool and unique maternity clothes)
16. Maternity Clothes from Mercedes Hill
17. Shopformaternity

Nursing Bras and Clothes

1. Bravado Designs
2. Expressiva
3. Nursing Mother Supplies
4. Mommy Gear
5. Jolee Maternity
6. Stella Maternity Nursing Clothes
7. TummyStyle.com -- Bravado, Bella Materna, Noppies, and now La Leche League Nursing Bras

Plus-Size Maternity Clothes

1. The MaterniTees (carries plus-size t-shirts)
2. Motherwear
   
3. Motherhood Maternity
   
4. Fashion Bug
5. Jolee Maternity
6. Crave Maternity Wear
7. got baby!
8. Karen's Maternity Plus Size - A maternity shopping portal page dedicated to plus size maternity.

Funniest: Crying because I was soooo hungry.
Happiest: Getting that positive pregnancy test.
Saddest: The thought of losing the baby...I had spotting during my early pregnancy.
Most unforgettable: Holding my baby as soon as he was birthed. Looking into the eyes of the little life I grew inside of my body.

Funniest:
Happiest:
Saddest:
Most unforgettable:

Pregnancy (and Parenting and TTC and Infertility) Blogs

• Woman Abuse: any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm, or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. Woman abuse can be physical: punching, kicking, choking, stabbing, mutilation, disabling, murder; sexual: rape, any unwanted touching or act of a sexual nature, forced prostitution; verbal/psychological: threats to harm the children, destruction of favourite clothes or photographs, repeated insults meant to demean and erode self-esteem, forced isolation from friends and relatives, threats of further violence or deportation if the woman attemts to leave; stalking: persistent and unwanted attention, following and spying, monitoring of mail or conversations; financial: taking away a womans wages or other income, limiting or forbidding access tot he family income, and other forms of control and abuse of power.
  
• Childhood Sexual Abuse: "A child (anyone under 16 years) is sexually abused when another person, hwo is sexually more mature, involves the child in any activity which the other person expects to lead to their sexual arousal. This might involve intercourse, touching, exposure of the genital organs, showing pornographic material, or talking about sexual things in an erotic way." Child sexual abuse is the sexual use of a child by someone with more power. The vast majority of child sexual abuse happens in situations where the child trusts or is dependent upon the offender.
• Rape: Forced or coerced penetration or contact between the mouth, genitals or anus with any object, no matter how slight
• Consent: Someone who is drunk, drugged, incapacitated or under the age of consent cannot legally give consent

Statistics

• Somewhere in the U.S. a woman is raped every two minutes
• 66% of rape victims know their assailant
• 93% of sexual assault victims under the age of18 know the perpetrator
• of these, 34.2% were family members and 58.7% acquaintances - Only seven percent of the perpetrators were strangers to the victim

• While about 80% of all victims are white, minorities are somewhat more likely to be attacked:
• In 2002, seven out of every eight rape victims were female
• Homicides of women while they are pregnant is a leading cause (in some studies, homicide is the leading cause) of death during pregnancy
• 20% of women who die from pregnancy-associated deaths are murdered
• 30% of all homicides of women are committed by intimate partners - usually after they have separated - making leaving dangerous
• More than 8% of pregnant women report physical violence in pregnancy by intimate partners or family members
  
• 30% of lesbians report having experienced sexual assault or rape by another woman
• Females accounted for 39% of the hospital emergency department visits for violence-related injuries in 1994 but were 84% of the persons treated for injuries inflicted by intimates.

Important facts about domestic violence and woman abuse:

Impacts on Mothers:

• Women of Color

  • Women of color experience the greatest amount of all forms of violence from that in an intimate partner relationship to that perpetrated through systematic oppression that pervades our institutions and society. Experiencing racism at a constant level has now formally been attributed to preterm births and low birth weight babies. Because of economic oppression, women of color are most likely to live in communities and work at jobs that maximize exposure of environmental toxins in their lives. This type of environmental racism is a further contributor to what may cause the maternal and infant well-being disparities experienced by such communities. Women of color experience regular violence perpetrated by the criminal justice system. The long history of rape, murder and torture of women of color through the colonizers conquest and later slavery are evident today. The continued trafficking of women is one of the more obvious forms that continue today. Of the more subtle forms include the reproductive health policies that target these women for sterilization without their consent and other atrocities that have been experienced in the not so distant past. Even if these practices are being curbed (they usually are not public until after the fact and even then, they are not widely spread), women of color are still targeted for forms of birth control with the greatest risks attached such as Depo, Norplant and Quinicrine that have sterilizing effects of their own. All of these forms of violence significantly impact a woman's childbearing experience. Since the origins of violence have a long history that today's dominant belief systems are rooted in, no matter how subtly, these beliefs are often held by many of the individuals who come into contact in a "helping" capacity during the childbearing year. The parallels of the violations experienced against these woman are not acknowledged because they are systematic, normalized, minimized and otherwise, under the surface. This fact, that the perpetrators are often the ones who make the rules and deny blame for their consequences, applies to the other specific categories of mothers below.
    

• Bi, Lesbian, Trans and Queer Gender

  • Women are often discounted as abusers and this can make it difficult for individuals abused by women to get the services that they need. Someone who is abused by a woman, trans or queer gendered partner may be seen as less of a priority than women who are battered by men.
    

• Women Living with Disabilities
  

• Homeless Women

• Adolescents

  • Adolescents face special challenges in a culture that labels them as naive. They have much of their autonomy taken from them in the system. They are also the age group experiencing the highest rate of sexual victimization. Lawmakers and adults seem to have a belief that they can protect adolescents by keeping vital information from them about their sexuality and reproductive health versus arming them with accurate and accessible information and services related to their sexuality. The ultimate outcome is a devalued youth whose health and lives are endangered by policies that strip them of respect, dignity and a capacity for independent decision making. The Facts on Teenagers and Intimate Partner Violence
    

• Undocumented Immigrant Women

  • Immigrant women are often in a vulnerable position as they can be exploited by those who bring them into this country, partners, employers, landlords and others who exercise power over them. If a language barrier exists, they are even more vulnerable. Many undocumented immigrant women are not aware of special protections afforded them when they are crime victims or witnesses of crime and they report these crimes. Even with these safeguards in place, the current political climate may not always ensure that they are protected under the laws and may face deportation as the legal system is cryptic with many law enforcement and ICE (immigration and customs enforcement) officers don't usually take the time to inform undocumented immigrants and detainees of their rights. It is common for those of them who are abused to suffer in silence under threats by their abuser of reporting them. The Facts on Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence
    

• Incarcerated Women

  • It is well documented that women who were sexually victimized in childhood are twice as likely to be revictimized in adulthood. A large number of incarcerated women have experienced multiple forms of lifetime violence. Physical and sexual violence within correctional facilities is widespread and poorly addressed despite the growing awareness around the issue. Women of childbearing age are the fastest growing population in the system. This is a result of drug policies and again, racism. Two-thirds of women of color with similar drug charges as white women are in prison while their counterparts enjoy being surveilled via probation. These women face ultra-dehumanizing conditions when they give birth in prisons, often alone with a male prison guard with a gun watching them. They, like other women who experience a greater degree of systematic oppression, are often treated like guinea pigs for students and others.
    

• Military Women

  • The Facts on the Military and Violence Against Women
    

Impacts on Embryo/Fetus

Impacts on Child

Impacts on Society

• The Facts on Health Care and Domestic Violence
  

Help! Resources for Safety

• Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline: V/TTY: 1 (800) 562-6025 (24 hours/day)
  WAVAW Network - Washington Violence Against Women Network - Connecting community through technology to enhance domestic violence and sexual assault services: through connecting the general public to resources & local programs while connecting local programs to each other, to resources. Includes support resources for financial assistance, housing, parenting and therapy.

• WCSAP - Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
  • Community Sexual Assault Programs in Washington State - All of these sexual assault programs offer the following services to survivors of sexual violence, their friends and family, and others who request information whether you or someone you know is in crisis or seeking help after a sexual assault (whether recent or many years in the past): crisis intervention; legal, medical and general advocacy; information & referral; system coordination; and prevention services

• NW Network - increases communities' ability to support the self-determination and safety of bisexual, transgendered, lesbian, and gay survivors of abuse through education, organizing and advocacy. Services are free. Phone: (206) 568-7777 TTY: (206) 517-9670
• Crisis Clinic - provides crisis counseling over the phone (24 hours a day) and resources referrals at their 211 in some locations. Phone: 1(866) 4CRISIS TTY/TDD: 1(206) 461-3219

• Parent Trust for Washington Children - Provide free support and information line for families. Support group for parents, caregivers, teens and children. Classes for new dads. Pregnancy and birth education. Family Help Line: 1 (800) 932-HOPE

• National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence - National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 (800) 799-SAFE and National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1 (800) 656-HOPE

• NSVRC - National Sexual Violence Resource Center - Serves as the nation's principle information and resource center regarding all aspects of sexual violence. The NSVRC works to address the cause and impact of sexual violence through collaboration, prevention efforts and the distribution of resources.
  • Complete List of Territory and State Sexual Assault Coalitions

Finding a Doula

Resources for Learning More About Supporting Survivors

A Safe Passage: Supporting Women Survivors Through the Childbearing Year workshop and training by Jodi Hinds

Adoption

• Adopting.org
• CASE (Center for Adoption Support and Education)
• Orphan Doctor
• Giving Your Baby Up
• Adoption Information and Resources

Baby Carriers

• ERGO Baby Carrier - Backpack Sling for Your Infant
• Baby Carrier - Instinctive Parenting
• Moby Wrap

Baby Gear

• Cuddle Bug Baby Products
• Bright Tots - Educational Toys
• A Baby's World - Beautiful Baby Cribs, Chests, Armoire, and Changing Tables. Organic Baby Clothes and designer baby bedding too!
• BabiesRUs - official site of the popular store.

Baby Names

• Baby Names Resource
  
• Social Security Administration (most popular names by year)
  
• Etymology and History of First Names
• Baby Name Details - wiki site devoted to baby names and meanings.
• Baby Names Garden
• Baby Name Guide
• Babies Online's Baby Names - plus pregnancy information.
• Celebrity Baby Names Blog
  

Bed rest

• Share Your Story

Breastfeeding Support

• La Leche League
  

• Breastfeeding.com
  
• Womenshealth.gov
  
• Momsworld.com: Breastfeeding Forum
  

Birth Centers

• National Association of Childbearing Centers

Birth Defects

• Birth Defects Research for Children

Birth Planning and Birth Philosophy

• Birth Truth
• Birth Ecology
• Bump Belly
  

Cesarean Section

• International Cesarean Awareness Network
  
• C-Section Recovery (practical tips for cesarean section recovery)
• Bump Belly

Community

• BabyCenter Community
• Mothering dot Commune
• Asian Mom Network
• MomsWorld - A Home for Moms
• Yahoo Answers: Pregnancy & Parenting Q&A - Cool website. Ask questions and get answers from real people.
• MedHelp.org Pregnancy Communities - Two Health Communities to discuss Pregnancy concerns. One for women 34 and younger, the other for women ages 35 & over.
  

Cord Blood Banking

• Placental and Cord Blood Bank: LifebankUSA (TM)-Highly accredited cord blood and placental stem cell bank with both AABB and ISO certifications.
  

Diapering

• Angel Bunz - Cloth diaper shop
  
• One Stop Diaper Shop Everything you need to make your own fitted cloth diapers.

Down Syndrome

• National Association for Down Syndrome
  
• National Down Syndrome Society
  
• DS: Health Issues (medical essays)
  
• Down Syndrome: For New Parents
  

Family Planning

• Planned Parenthood watch a flash movie on how conception occurs
• Family Planning Association UK

HELLP

• HELLPSyndrome.com
  
• American Family Physician article "HELLP Syndrome: Recognition and Perinatal Management"
  
• The HELLP Syndrome Society
  

High-Risk Pregnancy

• Sidelines National Support Network

Homebirth

• Is homebirth for you?
• GentleBirth.org

Homeschooling

• Unschooling.com
• Sandra Dodd
• John Holt/Growing Without Schooling

Hypnobirthing

• Hypno Babies
  
• LeClaire Method
  
• Mongan Method
• Discovery Health

• Hypbirth.com

Infertility

• The International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination
• American Society of Reproductive Medicine
  
• American Society of Reproductive Medicine fact sheets
  
• The American Fertility Association
  
• Resolve: the National Infertility Association
  
• IVF Connections (bulletin boards)
  
• Julie's big blog list
• Fertile Thoughts
• MedHelp.org Infertility Communities - Two health communities around fertility / infertility issues, including an Ask-the-Doctor Fertility forum, with free questions each day.
  

Midwifery

• American College of Nurse-Midwives
  
• Gentilebirth.org: The Midwife Archives
  
• Find a natural childbirth provider
  
• Midwives Alliance of North America
• Midwifery Today
  

Miscarriage

• Pregnancy after Miscarriage
• HopeXchange Miscarriage Support

OB/GYN

• www.obgyn.net access to the largest online network of ob/gyn related information, articles by opinion leaders, online free Q&A, and find an ob/gyn

Parenting

• MomsWhoThink.com
  
• Attachment Parenting International
• KellyMom Attachment Parenting Info
• Punky Moms
  
• AskDrSears.com
• Baby Place
• Babies Online
• Ask Moxie
• Keep Kids Healthy
• More4kids Parenting and Family
• BabyCenter.com
• GreatDad
  

Pediatrics in the News

• Medical News Today
  
• American Academy of Pediatrics
  
• MD Linx
  

Postpartum Depression

• The Online PPD Support Group
  
• PPD Hope
  
• Suicide Prevention (I-800-SUICIDE)

Pregnancy Forums

• BabyCenter
• Share Your Story - high risk pregnancy/bedrest forums
• Mead Johnson - Pregnancy Forums for Asian Mothers
• Bump Belly
• MedHelp.org Pregnancy Communities - Two Health Communities to discuss Pregnancy concerns. One for women 34 and younger, the other for women ages 35 & over.

Pregnancy Tickers

• Lilypie
• Oneintheoven
• i-am-pregnant
• youngnutrition.net
  

Preemies

• March of Dimes

Recalls/Safety Guidelines

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  
• About.com Child Safety Seat and Seatbelt Laws by State

Reproductive Education

• Pregnancy Week by Week
  
• American Pregnancy Association

Same-Sex Parents

• Alternative Family Matters
• LesbianFamily.Org
  

SIDS

• American SIDS Institute
  

Stillbirth

• March of Dimes
  
• Compassionate Friends
  
• National Stillbirth Society
  
• MISS Foundation
  

Trying to Conceive

• Ovulation Calendar
  
• TTC Dreams
• Fertility Friend
• Taking Charge of Your Fertility

• Pregnancy Gifts, Baby Diaper Bags, Maclaren Strollers, and more at Oh Baby Gifts - This store was started by a mother who couldn't find what she was looking for, so she built the store she wanted for herself.

• Pregnancy Books, Magazines, and Journals: a listing of tried-and-true hard copy resources.

• Maternity Clothes: Where do you find the most comfortable clothes? Most stylish clothes? Best maternity bargains? Best shoes? Find and add information here!

• Pregnancy Websites: other sites and sources that may be useful in providing support for everything from breastfeeding to coping with infant death.

• Pregnancy Insurance: Health care insurance for the uninsured, even if you're already pregnant.
  
  
• The Bump: The Bump is the ultimate go-to guide for expectant and new moms who want the inside scoop on the hottest places to shop, pamper and glow.

• Childbirth Connection: helping women and health professionals make informed maternity care decisions
  

• Baby Gear
  

Testing and Screening

• Have you used a midwife for the birth of your child or children? Share your experiences.
• Talk with other moms who have chosen a midwife to manage the birth of their child!

Nurse-midwives

Licensed midwives

• MANA- Midwives Alliance of North America
• NARM- North American Registry of Midwives
• MEAC- Midwifery Education Accreditation Council
• Citizens for Midiwfery
• Foundation for the Advancement of Midwifery
• National Association of Certified Professional Midwives
  

Lay midwives

Why choose a midwife?

How to Choose a Midwife
Prenatal Visits
Who Should Manage the Birth of Your Baby?
Can Home Remedies Really Help Induce Labor?

Due Date Calculator, Medical College of Wisconsin

Due Date Calculator, ePregnancy.com

Funniest:
My husband and myself telling my mother. She slammed the door in my face telling me not to joke around with her about me having her grandchildren and then she reopened the door when I held up the ultrasound. Then she chewed me out for not knowing I was pregnant until I started showing.
Happiest:
Holding my two healthy babies in my arms after a day of labour. They are worth every second of pain and when you see them it changes your perspective on life. They look so helpless and you can't help but adore them.
Saddest:
Realizing that I could have spent more time knowing and reveling in the joy of being pregnant. Especially with twins.
Most unforgettable:
Getting my pictures taken in my huge wedding dress with my entire family and looking at them later with my twins in my belly. t was overwhelming.

Books about Pregnancy and Babies

Magazines and Journals about Pregnancy

Contest

Gifts

• I love to fill baskets with baby clothes, bibs, and blankets for the mother to be. Pick a theme! Layette, nursery, or basics! My friends loved this idea!
• Baby handprint/footprint kit
• Flowers for mom
• ChloeEmma.com - Handcrafted Baby Jewelry
• Baby Cake Boutique - Custom Diaper Cakes

Shower ideas

Themes

• Coolest-Baby-Shower-Idea.com - Baby Shower Themes
  

Games

• PartyGameIdeas.com - Baby Shower Games
• Guess how many inches around mom's belly is.
• Printable Baby Shower Games
  

Favors

Decor

• For décor I always have flowers around the house. I try to get flowers that match my theme, so if the mother is going to be surprised by the sex I try to find flowers that are yellow and green. I also add other decorative touches around the house like green apples mixed with lemons in a clear glass bowl. It’s very elegant looking and doesn’t require a lot of money. Don’t forget to add some nice décor to the bathroom-a scented candle or some flowers are just the right touch. Another great idea for décor is to buy a diaper cake. I recommend www.buydiapercakes.com. They’ve got a variety of very elegant looking diaper cakes that are reasonably priced and well constructed. A bonus is that the parents can use all the diapers in the cake as they don’t use any glue or tape to hold them together. Their cakes come wrapped in colored tulle and look great wrapped up, or can also be unwrapped and placed on a cake pedestal. At the last shower I threw some of the guests commented that they at first thought the cake was “real”!
• Cute Baby Shower Decorations & Party Tips

Invitations and Announcements

Baby Shower Invitations

• Baby shower footprint invitation
• Winnie the Pooh Baby Shower Invitations
• Raggedy Ann baby shower invite

Birth Announcements

Cutest Birth Announcements' Guide

Pregnancy Announcements