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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 58 Comments · by

Maternity Monday: Ivybridge Maternity Dress

Maternity· Recent Recs

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A pregnant woman wearing an Ivybridge Maternity DressThis dress! Love the satured blue color (of course I do), the jewel neck, the sleeves, the ruching… lovely. There are also a few sizes available in a taupe (in maternity and “regular”? what?!). The dress is $97-$149 at Nordstrom. Isabella Oliver Ivybridge Maternity Dress (L-2)

Sales of note for 9.10.24

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

Kid/Family Sales

  • Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
  • Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
  • J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
  • Old Navy – 40% off everything
  • Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs

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Comments

  1. Lyssa says

    I like this dress – a nice alternative to the more flowy, A-line maternity dresses that you usually see (which are OK, but I prefer a more streamlined look for work). More than I’d personally spend on a maternity dress, though.

    Any tips for transitioning a toddler (2 yrs old) to a big bed? We have a baby coming in June (and she’ll use the bassinet for a little while), so it’s not a major rush, but I’d like to transition him well enough in advance that he doesn’t associate new baby with getting kicked out of his room/bed. He’s really interested in the bed, keeps going “big bed, big bed” but gets upset when we try to get him to actually sleep in it. We’ve tried lying down in it with him, which helps, but he hasn’t been willing to relax enough that we can sneak out.

    • ANP says

      Time…but I know that’s probably not what you want to hear! Our daughter went from a crib to a big bed pretty naturally, on her own, before she was 2-1/2…but she drove the process. I’m now in the same spot as you, Lyssa — we have a two-year-old and am expecting another baby this summer, so I’ve been eyeing up my toddler’s crib thinking “OK already! When can we move this into baby’s room?!” However, we’ve made contingency plans to borrow a crib from friends just in case, because (like you) I don’t want him to think he’s being booted out of his warm, cozy sleeping space just for baby.

      With our daughter, it helped that she was napping on a cot at daycare. Even if your son doesn’t go to daycare, could he do his naps on a regular bed to start? Can he pick out awesome sheets with his favorite storybook/cartoon character on them? The other thing that’s worked for us with past transitions is reading books about them in advance — so, when baby #2 was about to be born, we read a lot of books about being a big bother/sister to #1. Same with starting school. So maybe there are some books about moving to a big boy bed? Good luck!

    • anon eagle says

      My children are 14 months apart. I booted my oldest out of the crib when she was 12 months. The new big girl room is baby proofed. She sleeps on the trundle part of a Pottery Barn (?) bed. This is basically a floor bed in a frame. There is also a low, flat IKEA book case, a small IKEA kid table and 2 chairs (plastic), 2 small bins of stuffed animals, about 10 books, and a Pottery Barn kids char. I was attempting to be Montessori in there. My daughter loved the freedom she had in her new big girl room. We started at 10 months with naps on Sat/Sun, then by 12 months she was in there full time. There is a baby monitor mounted up high in a corner so we have a complete view of the room.

      This transition was not a big deal at all. My oldest did not walk until 14 months so she would crawl around and pull the books off the book case, talk to her baby doll, or build a little nest with blankets. I put her to bed when she is sleepy to reduce the amount of time she is roaming her room alone. I would prefer she go to sleep at 7pm, but sometimes she is not sleepy until 7:45pm. I leave the room when she is still awake so she doesn’t wake up confused. I give a warning– 1 more book or 1 more min of hugs and kisses, then I leave. She can stand at the baby gate in her doorway and look into my bedroom as I set out my clothes for the next day or get ready to shower. She is usually asleep in her bed by the time I am done with my shower.

    • Transition says

      Agree with time. My older one needs a LOT of transition time. We had the big guy bed in his room for a few months before he’d sleep in it at night. He liked to play on it, nap in it, and read on it, but it took a few weeks for him to be comfortable enough with it to actually want to sleep in it. If there isn’t a ton of room in his bedroom, I had a friend who put up a pack and play next to the bed. Her 3 yr old was really too big for the PNP, but it gave him some comfort if the bed felt like too much of a transition.

  2. ANP says

    OK, I looooooove this dress (and am 23 weeks pregnant) but cannot stomach (har har har) spending this much on a maternity item when I have, at most, 17 weeks left AND this is my last pregnancy. However, I’m going to be starting a new job at the beginning of April and this move is complicating my maternity wardrobe needs. My new role is highly visible, at an org that has a more formal tone to it, and I’m in a brand-new leadership role so I really want to look the part. The dress code is business casual (i.e. I see women in knee high boots), but on the dressy side for sure.

    We do not have any maternity consignment shops near me, though I’ve been keeping an eye on local thrift stores. I can see investing another $100 – $200 (max) on wardrobe items to get me through the 12-13 weeks I’ll have in NewJob while pregnant. What do we think will give me the most bang for my buck?

    • Newly pregnant says

      I have this dress and I like it. A friend who loved Isabella Oliver dresses said that she often found deals for unworn dresses on ebay. My workplace is business casual but on the dressy side and I found good options at A Pea In the Pod. Not the cheapest, but their sale racks had some good bargains.

    • Katarina says

      Pea in the Pod has some good sales. I would get on their mailing list and wait for a good sale.

    • Sarabeth says

      If you know your size in a brand like this, I’d look on ebay for someone selling their maternity workwear as a lot.

      • BKDC says

        +1 I bought a lot of Isabella Oliver stuff on ebay.

        And while I don’t have this dress, I did have a very similar one that I wore faithfully every week during my pregnancy (and slightly beyond). It’s great for work, flattering and comfortable. I think I got my $150 worth and then some.

    • Pogo says

      I could see spending $150 on a dress I’d wear 20 times (once a week between now and the baby arrives seems reasonable, especially if you style it differently each week). I’m probably just a terrible shopper but I for sure have spent $150 on things I’ve only worn three times.

    • Transition says

      I had one or two maternity dresses that were very flattering and made me feel beautiful. I put them on when I needed a boost, and needed to keep my spirits up. No longer pregnant (nor planning to be that way again), but I would have purchased this dress and wore regularly throughout my pregnancy.

    • CHJ says

      I had an earlier version of this dress, in black, and I loved it. I wore it 2-3x per week and I wore it whenever I needed to feel sharp. I wore it to court, to networking events, to client meetings, to dinner at Daniel in NYC, to a wedding… I wore it everywhere. It was hands down the best maternity wardrobe investment I made.

    • Green Skittles says

      I’m wearing this right now (in a different color) for the first time and have been getting compliments all day. It’s a bit too long for me right now (5’4″, 20 weeks) but I think it’ll “hem itself” soon enough.

      Yes, this is a lot to spend on a maternity dress but I haven’t been able to find a whole lot of maternity wear that’s appropriate for my conservative job.

  3. pockets says

    So this is a new spin on a sleep question. When you have a baby who generally sleeps through the night, what do you do when they wake up in the middle of the night crying? My 1 yo has slept through the night since she was 5 months and rarely wakes up in the middle of the night. We’re extremely lucky, but the flip side is that when she does wake up in the middle of the night, I don’t really know what to do. I don’t have a problem with letting her cry, but I do worry that because the norm is for her to sleep through/self-soothe, if she’s waking up there’s really something wrong. On the other hand, I don’t want her to learn that if she cries enough in the middle of the night I’ll come get her and help her go back to sleep. Any advice?

    • JJ says

      I usually give it a few minutes before I’ll go check on my son if he wakes up crying in the middle of the night. Sometimes he’ll wake up and cry/whimper for 30 seconds or so before putting himself back to sleep. Other times, he’ll cry and after a minute will just ramp up and cry harder. Those are the times that I’ll get him and comfort him – maybe give him some milk or just rock him until he calms down.

      Anecdotally, whenever that happens, the next day we discover that he’s either running a fever or developed an ear infection.

      • Nonny says

        Yes and yes. This is exactly what we do, except that we are trying to be good about never giving milk in the middle of the night. And like JJ, whenever my daughter has a restless night, invariably she’s coming down with a cold, fever, or ear infection.

    • FVNC says

      If the crying lasts longer than a minute or so, I’ll check to see what kiddo is doing. If she’s still lying down or sitting up with her paci, there’s a chance she’ll go back to sleep on her own, so I’ll wait for a while (5-10 min) before going in. If she’s standing or sitting without her paci, there is no way she’s going to self-soothe so I go in and help her back to sleep. Sometimes it’s as simple as giving her the paci; other times (like last night…) I had to put her in bed with me for a half hour or so before she was deeply enough asleep that I could transfer her back to the crib. I’m probably instilling bad habits, but I’m still in the “do whatever it takes to get enough sleep” phase (which has now lasted, oh, 17 months…).

    • Carrie M says

      This happened last night to us! And our baby is very similar – 1yo, been a great sleeper for a long time. She woke up crying around 1am last night – not whimpering, but all out crying. I immediately sat up and said I was going to check on her. My husband said to give her 5 minutes…then 10. She fell back asleep after 10 minutes, and was totally fine this morning. She hadn’t pooped or spit up or anything.

      If she had continued to cry for much longer, I probably would have gone in to her. The problem is, I did that once last month, and she would not fall back asleep on her own. I ended up in her room for about an hour until she was so sound asleep that I could put her down without her waking up.

      So, in my limited experience, it’s been better to give her time to cry back to sleep. But I agree it’s unnerving when they’re usually such great sleepers. Sorry, this is more commiseration than advice! Hopefully some more experienced moms can weigh in on this.

    • mascot says

      Is there anything that could be disturbing her sleep? Tooth, new developmental skill, illness, bad dream, wet bed, etc? We also have a great sleeper who rarely wakes up crying. We would take a peek on the monitor to see if he was just whimpering in his sleep or if something was wrong. For our child, if he’s awake and crying, then something is up and we go in there. One or two nights of going in there does not a bad habit make, IME. And sometimes, they just want a rare snuggle.

    • Sarabeth says

      We give it a few minutes then go check. My daughter is 18 months and wakes up crying in the middle of the night a few times a week. 90% of the time, she’s lost her pacifier/wubanub, and by the time I wake up enough to turn on the monitor and see her, she’s found it and is ready to go back to sleep. The other 10% of the time, we get up and take in some water and pat her back. If that’s not enough, I’ll let her nurse. If *that’s* not enough, I break out the ibuprofen because she’s probably got teething pain (she’s had molars coming through for literally 5 months, one at a time). But yeah, we definitely don’t rush in at the first cry – we want her to keep the habit of putting herself back to sleep unless there’s a real problem.

  4. MomAnon4This says

    Help me please – will be needing spring shoes for work (casual business attire) that are maternity-friendly for third trimester. I already have cankles, so think flats or very low heel (less than 1″), slip-ons, widening feet, etc. Plus I’d love if I could wear my orthotic supports – limping AND waddling is not a good combination! So, no mules with NO back. I don’t mind needing a pedicure to wear them – something with low back would be ok? Any suggestions? Cheap is preferred – last pregnancy I hated my 3rd trimester shoes and threw them away or donated them as soon as I got the chance.

    • MSJ says

      Not inexpensive, but I got a ton of use out of the Cole Haan Gramercy oxford during my pregnancy. I needed something more substantial than a ballet flat but couldn’t take heels. I could also usually slip them on in late pregnancy when bending down just wasn’t happening.

  5. Sarabeth says

    This may be too casual, but the Crocs ballet flats worked great for my third tri. I really think most people never noticed they were Crocs, and they stretched out easily as my feet did. No idea if they’d work with orthotics.

    • MomAnon4This says

      Good idea! With my plantar facsistis – well, heel spur is easier to spell – folks were telling me to give Crocs a try. Thanks.

  6. BKDC says

    I didn’t wear them during my third trimester, but you might want to check out the Ugg line for flats. Super comfy and fairly stylish (and I say this as someone who is not a fan of the boots)

  7. Pogo says

    I really like this dress… hoping soon I can actually start buying maternity stuff! Not because I’ll need it right away, but because it will be exciting to actually be pregnant and not just ‘trying’.

    In general I’ve been really good about not looking at maternity/baby stuff but this month is killing me. My EDD (assuming this month worked and happened when I think it did) would be right before Thanksgiving, so I’d be able to take off until January and barely miss anything. Plus it would coincide nicely with being right after our European product launch! Come on uterus, I’m trying to lean in here.

  8. anon says

    Any thoughts on the various wraps for newborns/infants that are out there? I was gifted a structured carrier but a wrap seems so cozy and nice for the early days. Seems like the main options are Ergo, Moby, Solly and Boba. Not too interested in a wrap that goes much beyond 6 months/25-30 lbs.

    thanks, ladies :)

    • HM says

      We used the moby wrap around the house when our daughter was little, probably through about 5-6 months. If that’s all you’re looking to baby-wear, I would highly recommend the moby. Keeps baby warm and cozy, feels like pajamas to you (tie the knot in the front!).

      We did progress to the Bjorn and now the Ergo as baby was gotten bigger. I liked the ease of the Bjorn for trips to the grocery store, etc. So quick to clip in and out, and baby loved facing forward as her head got more stable. Then, of course, she’d gotten so used to being carried, we sized up to the Ergo when she crossed the 15 lbs mark. I primarily use it to go on walks (builds muscles for me, and helps keep her warm when its chilly). It’s also been very useful to keep her content and contained when moving or out in very busy public areas.

    • pockets says

      I used the Baby K’tan. It takes some practice but once you get the hang out of it’s a great wrap for the first few weeks.

      • BKDC says

        loved the k’tan. Still using it for my 6-month old, but I need to find something more comfortable.

      • GG says

        +1 on the K’tan. I couldn’t figure out the Moby, but found the K’tan easy to use.

      • Carrie M says

        +1 on the k’tan.

        And on sizing: some reviews said it ran small, but I didn’t find that to be true. I bought an xsmall that I returned because it was too tight even without a baby in it. The small lasted until my baby was about 4 months, but then it was too tight. But it was fabulous for those first months. I’d wear it inside the house to move around while she catnapped; out on walks; at stores; basically everywhere. I never tried nursing in it, but I’ve heard that is doable with a bit of practice/maneuvering.

    • Burgher says

      I got a Boba, purely because I found it cheap at a consignment sale. It’s really nice for newborn up through maybe 9 months? You can use it beyond that, but we liked structured carriers or a backpack better beyond that size/age. I really like that there is a stretchiness to the fabric; I think it makes it easier to wear because you don’t have to get the slack exactly right. Bonus that my husband could also wear it without having to adjust a bunch of straps.

      • Amelia Bedelia says

        I was gifted the Boba and I love it as well. Now that my bebe is 7mos, we have switched to a structured carrier (Ergo 360), but the Boba was a dream for about the first 5 mos.

    • Nonny says

      I loved both the Moby and the Maya wrap (which is really more of a sling). I found the Moby took more practice to get it right, but it keeps the baby nice and snug. However, I found the Maya has much more longevity – I started using it when my LO was only about 6 weeks old, but surprisingly, I most recently used it just a month ago – and my daughter is now 14 months. There are just more options re positioning – now my LO can sit supported on my hip if she wants to be carried around. In both the Moby and the Maya, my daughter was very comfy and would often fall asleep, sometimes for hours, while I had both hands free – a game changer since for many months, she just did not like to be put down at all.

      • ANP says

        I’m also a Moby and Maya wrap user. I like both, though the Moby is complicated enough that I tend only to use it at home. We upgraded to an Ergo when our kidlet got a bit bigger — hubs and I both wear the Ergo, no problem, and we both love it. Some stores have services where you can borrow a wrap to try it out; I also see used ones on Craigslist and Facebook buy/sell/trade groups all the time, so if you don’t want to make a major investment buying second hand may be an option.

    • quailison says

      I’m using the Moby (as I type, actually) and like it well enough. I got it from a friend and since it worked I haven’t explored other options. It’s great for wearing around the house. We’ve used it since he hit 8 pounds with no problems. We also have an Ergo and a baby bjorn. I have not used the baby bjorn yet, but the Ergo works well for outside walks with the infant insert. I have heard the Ergo with the infant insert (used from 7-12 pounds) is very hot in the summer time. The first time I used the Ergo I was constantly worried about whether his head was supported but since he’s gotten a pound bigger it seems to fit better. We have so much snow that we can’t get out with a stroller so a baby carrier has been essential to feeling sane.

    • MSJ says

      Ergo has a stretchy moby-type wrap that has a useful pocket but I’m not sure if it’s otherwise worth the price premium. Woven wraps are gorgeous and have a long life span and resale value. There is a learning curve but it’s not much different from a moby wrap and can take you to toddlerhood. I like the Girasol which you can get online at Caribou Baby.

    • Anonymous says

      I’ve been using the Moby for 1 year now. I love it. It took a minute to figure out, but once you get it, you’ve got it. Its inexpensive, machine washable, comfortable and durable. And I USE it. She never liked the stroller, so I basically spent $300 on a stroller that she never uses and I stumbled into a $40 Moby that she uses all the time. I used to take her for 2 hour walks in it and it was very comfortable. She’s about 19 lbs now and its still very comfortable.

      Highly recommend. I’ve never used a different carrier, so I can’t compare, but the Moby is great.

    • NewMomAnon says

      I had a Moby and never really liked it – my kiddo wanted to see all the things and was constantly maneuvering her head out of the sling, so I couldn’t keep it tight enough to be secure. It was also HOT. I think the Boba looked more comfy – stretchy fabric, lighter weight, more forgiving. But I loved and continue to love my Ergo structured carrier (love love love). If I had another baby, I would get a sling for the early months; I sewed myself a tube sling that scared me a little because I don’t trust my own sewing skills, but it was so much easier than tying a Moby wrap. Just slide it over your head, pop the baby in, done.

      And silly side note – I didn’t like how I looked in the Moby. I don’t love how I look wearing the Ergo, but for some reason the Moby made me look still pregnant or something? I’m very short though, so that didn’t help.

  9. Transition says

    Same. I thought it was much easier to use than the Moby. I transition to the Bjorn, then the Ergo. All were bought second-hand. For my second, baby wearing was essential bc I have a slightly older son who still definitely needed a lot of attention.
    ETA – meant to respond to pockets above. I used the Baby K’tan.

  10. CPA Lady says

    I need some positive vibes, happy thoughts, etc… It’s tax season, I’ll be working every day between now and April 15, and all this crap keeps happening. Daycare was closed because of the snow about half of the last two weeks. It’s supposed to snow again at the end of this week. My daughter got sick and now I’m sick. Last week our servers crashed for several hours, and today they’ve been down for about four hours. I’m 25 hours behind where I was this time last year on my quarterly billable goal, which doesn’t sound bad, except I worked so much last March that I have basically no room for error. And every day like today I get farther behind. Not to mention I have a baby to take care of this year. On top of all that glory, I’m having car troubles and my daughter has started waking up at 4 a.m.

    Good things are going to happen soon, right? This is just super rough.

    • FVNC says

      Sending good thoughts your way. This sounds so stressful, but at least there’s an end in sight. As you know, since you’ve been through a newborn stage, you can physically handle much more than you think you can. It’ll be tough, but you can do it!

    • mascot says

      Hang in there. This too shall pass. Plus, if everyone else is having technical issues and snow days, they are in the same boat. I know that doesn’t magically create more hours, but it might get you fewer glares from the powers that be.

    • MomAnon4This says

      Hey, Spring officially starts March 21 – that’s only 19 days away! And Tax Season ends in 6 weeks, right?

      It’s sweeps week, like on the old soap operas, when there’d be a fire, during an earthquake, during a wedding where the made of honor was kidnapped – it’s all happening at once to you, but it’ll be over soon. The servers thing happened to everyone in your company, none of this (esp. your baby going through a sleep change) is personal against you. If you need more help – ask, or it IS worth it to your sanity & parenting (and baby’s wellness) to pay someone else to take care of things. No worries!

    • anne-on says

      Sending good vibes your way. And I second (third?) the suggestion to throw money and/or recruit other people to help you out with baby/housework if at all possible.

  11. Anon says

    Started having an early miscarriage over the weekend and called the 24 hour nurse advice line. She scheduled a follow up phone appointment with my OB for this morning. He called 2 hours late and then opened with a hearty “CONGRATULATIONS.” I’m bleeding heavily. Clearly he hadn’t read my chart. I was mostly fine but I can’t shake the shock of his words. Just so shitty.

    Thanks for listening.

    • Anon says

      I’m so sorry for your loss, and for what sounds like a really jarring and unhelpful encounter. Probably too late for you to catch this response, but know that you have my sympathy.

  12. PregAnon says

    I can’t remember who reminded me to try Unisom + B6 at night for nausea – but THANK YOU! I think it is helping. I haven’t had any zofran for about 3 days, and although the Unisom is making me hung over and more tired, I’ll take that over throwing up.

    I’m having a not great day again today, but the water and saltines and lemons (fresh Meyer lemons…yummmm) are staying down.

  13. Anonymous says

    My kid is currently consuming 8-10 bottles 120 mL a day. I am producing at most 200 mL of pumped breast milk a day. I tried domperidone for one month, I’ve never stopped taking blessed thistle and fenugreek and I’m getting nowhere. As my kid consumes more and more formula it just seems more and more pointless to pump. Thoughts? Is such a small amount of pumped milk likely to do any good at all?

    • CPA lady says

      I’m not pumping at all, since my daughter just gets formula during the day. I do nurse her in the morning, and some nights, depending on when I get home from work. I seriously doubt she’s getting much milk at all (I don’t hear any real gulping noises like I used to when she nurses), my current plan is to wean her in a few weeks when she turns 6 months. I wonder a lot of time what the point is, why I’m still nursing etc. And I have to admit that it this point I’m mostly doing it for myself. She’s really healthy and happy on formula, growing like a weed. I have no idea if the tiny amount of breast milk she’s probably getting is doing her any good.

      I think breast milk does the most good when they’re really young, anyway, and have a hard time believing that its some kind of magical cure all like some people think it is. I don’t know what you should do, but personally, I’m going to be sad to wean (because it means my baby is growing up), but also relieved. The way I think about it is that I’ve done a good thing, and now it’s time to do something different. Its not like the good you’ve already done is erased if you don’t make it to some magical 1 year window.

    • Anon says

      I just had a similar conversation with a lactation consultant and a pediatrician. For what it’s worth, they both thought that if I could provide 25% of a day’s feeds in breastmilk, it was worth it to continue pumping and breastfeeding for my 9-week old twins. But if you’re putting in hours and hours at the pump, I think you’re perfectly justified in giving it up and enjoying your baby without that stress.

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