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Sales of note for 8.30.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 20% off
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide; extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off orders $125+; extra 60% off clearance; 60%-70% off 100s of styles
- Lands’ End – 40% off sitewide; 50% off backpacks, 40% off kids’ apparel
- Loft – Summer sale, 30% off new arrivals; up to 50% off much more
- Talbots – 25% off regular-price purchase; 70% off clearance
- Zappos – 28,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – 50% off everything
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 40% off everything
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off sitewide; extra 50% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 50-60% off; 50% off pants for the family
- Target – 20% off select clothing for all; up to 50% off home; up to 30% off select nursery furniture; up to 30% off kitchen & dining
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
greenie says
Sorry to linking you to this website when you’re pregnant (I get very emotional in general, but even more so with pregnancy hormones) but I found the information very helpful: http://www.meghanshope.org/
Anon S says
Good morning ladies and happy new year!
I have some questions for current moms (I am pregnant with my first, due in April). I am currently working on getting the nursery together. I’d like to add a shelving unit to store books/pictures/etc. but a part of me is wondering if there are any safety concerns I should have? As in when baby gets older, would it be possible for her to somehow knock the shelving unit over. The one I’m looking at is tall and study but just wondering if you guys would recommend somehow securing a piece of furniture like that to the ground somehow, or avoiding it altogether?
Thanks in advance!
Philanthropy Girl says
I know everyone feels differently on this topic, but my personal approach has been that children need to learn to live in the “real world.” I have large pieces of furniture in the rest of my house, and my children must learn to play safely around those items. Not everyone is comfortable with that approach, so I’m interested to hear what other mums with older children have to say. That said, I would never choose a flimsy piece of furniture that could easily tip or had shelves that would easily give way. If the piece is sturdy and resting on an even surface, the only precaution I would take is to make sure the heaviest items (such as books) are on the bottom shelves, which will both keep the shelf from tipping and reduce the chance of a heavy item falling.
ANP says
I actually don’t disagree with this (even though I recommended securing the bookshelf in my comment below). But I would still feel awful if something happened…this is a tough one! Curious to hear what other C-Moms have to say.
Spirograph says
I mostly agree too. We have one of those ikea cube shelf things that is currently laying horizontal and only 2 cubes high, but we may turn it on end in a few months when we need to fit both a crib and toddler bed in the room. My son is a climber, he’ll frequently be in there unattended, and ikea isn’t sturdy enough that I trust the shelf to stay put, so we will anchor that one to the wall. We don’t have anything else in the house anchored, though (more out of laziness and procrastination than anything), and it hasn’t been an issue. The only time I ever worried was when he started pulling out all the drawers in my husband’s tall dresser… but I corrected him and he hasn’t done it again. Once they’re old enough to get into climbing-type trouble, they’re also generally old enough to understand “NO.” Although whether or not they obey may be another story…
Sarabeth says
This is our philosophy everywhere else in the house…but in my daughter’s own room, it’s been important to me to have it pretty much completely childsafe so that there’s one place in the house where I can leave her alone if I really need to.
We do have shelving, though. We have low bookshelves bought from a daycare supply company, which are low enough that I don’t think she could seriously hurt herself on them. We also have some shelves directly mounted on the wall well above her reach, where we put her humidifier, monitor, etc.
ANP says
Congrats Anon S! I would consider securing a tall bookshelf to the wall — you can purchase an anchor kit inexpensively at a hardware store or on Am@zon. Better safe than sorry. Neither of my kids have been climbers, but that would definitely be a factor with any shelving unit + toddler combo.
mascot says
We used furniture straps on dressers and bookcases in the nursery and playroom. You can get them at baby supply or hardware stores.
MomAnon4This says
How often would your child be in his/her room unsupervised? For my child, it was almost nil, because he was in daycare and we had a more appealing play place located elsewhere. Also, you will see as your child grows and develops, the kind of risks & challenges that your child likes – my child is NOT a climber or jumper (contrary to his imaginary super-hero-ness, he’s honestly not very brave like that, and also was slower to develop gross motor skills). Some kids (and families!) ARE climbers or crazy runners-around, or klutzes, or whatever. Feel free to wait on some of the childproofing until you see what kind of kid you have – maybe you will have weird angelic kid who listens the first time, or doesn’t want anything on the top shelf, or whatever.
TL; DR – We didn’t attach bookshelf to the wall; no problems.
Anon S says
Ladies, thanks so much for all of your responses. I think I will be comfortable having a bookcase/shelving unit and somehow securing it to the wall. Appreciate the advice!!
Newly pregnant says
I remember a post on Young House Love on securing certain furniture to the wall as a means of babyproofing – maybe that would be a starting point?
MomAnon4This says
Need help with 2 maternity items:
1. Pants with POCKETS – jeans and/or casual business pants – large and/or plus/size. Not skinny jeans or leggings style. Preferably front pockets. Any advice? Will pay 3 digits – I am desperate.
2. Pregnancy bras? Nothing fits, nothing is comfortable, don’t want nursing bras, I need as few seams, wires, support infrastructure as possible, size 40 or 42 C, I think? No idea, so a good return policy helps.
ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED.
Philanthropy Girl says
Good luck with pockets. I never had much luck. My jeans in the Oh Baby brand from Kohl’s had very small front pockets. I did not have any lucky with any of my dress pants having pockets of any sort.
I purchased the Leading Lady Women’s sleep bra from Amazon. It fastens in the front (so I’ve used it as a nursing bra, although it’s not specifically marketed as one), and has very little infrastructure. The sizing is very flexible. It is very comfortable but does not provide much support – I do not care for how it looks under my work clothes, but for t-shirts/running errands/being at home it is perfect.
sfg says
Re jeans, Paige maternity has front pockets but only goes up to 34, I believe. That may work if you are a 12/14.
Meg Murry says
Target has a few pairs of jeans and non-jean maternity pants that have pockets, and go up to size 18 or XXL, like these:
http://www.target.com/p/maternity-straight-leg-pants-black-liz-lange-for-target/-/A-14713556#prodSlot=_1_10
Old Navy also has a few that go through size 18 as well – although they also have quite a few with faux pockets, so read the descriptions.
I am also very pro-pockets (I rarely buy pants without them) but when pregnant I found that anything more than the tiniest amount of change or single key caused my maternity pants to get dragged down and I needed to hitch them up dramatically every time I stood up or sat down. I also found that depending on how you carry, I was able to just go up 1-3 sizes in “regular” clothes for the first 6 months or so, which I picked up at a plus-sized secondhand/consignment shop near my house.
Spirograph says
I bought some new maternity jeans from Gap a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised that they have functional front pockets! Same with my Gap cords, so it might be a feature for all their maternity pants.
Have you tried sports bras? Some cross-front styles avoid the “uniboob” and might work with professional clothes. Plus, you can do the S-M-L sizing and not worry about getting it exact (esp since your size might continue to change anyway).
Katala says
I’m pretty sure my Gap maternity Perfect Trousers have front pockets. I’d need to check bc I can’t remember anything right now.. but I love them, they’re comfortable, look good w/ my suit jacket and are washable. Plus pockets, I think!!
hoola hoopa says
(2) I’d check out the coobie. I believe they have a plus size.
Nonny says
Even though you said you weren’t interested in nursing br&s, I would still recommend that you try Bravado if you haven’t already. I found them incredibly comfortable, soft and adjustable during my pregnancy. Worth a try….
Tunnel says
+1. The seamless silk bra is amazing.
Claire M says
Old Navy has 5-pocket jeans in boyfriend, boot cut and flared. I liked their skinny jeans (but this was almost 2 years ago) – despite the name, I actually didn’t find them so skinny – they were more like straight leg jeans. You could also try Target. I had some good luck there (though pants can be a little hit or miss).
I second the rec for the Bravado wireless nursing br-s. I loved them and couldn’t even notice the little tabs on the straps that made them “nursing.”
Burgher says
I love my Old Navy maternity jeans and the pockets are roomy. Second that their skinny jeans are more like straight leg (purchased about 6 months ago). The sizing was very inconsistent between some of the different styles, though.
They also have business casual pants with roomy front & back pockets that I like and am currently wearing. Only issue is they are the under waist type and not the full panel that I like better, especially past the second trimester. I’m not sure if full panel was another option but they had these ones in my size in the store and I needed them immediately.
MomAnon4This says
Thank you ALL for these recommendations!
I love that this is a forum where I can post my URGENT NEED FOR COMFORTABLE FASHION HELP – and also learn a lot from the more serious post about health issues below, while hitting both my “professional” and “mom” sides – what a great community, thank you all for taking posts seriously. Thanks, Kat, to you, too.
ANP says
Anyone have this dress or a reasonable facsimile? Work appropriate for a business-casual environment?
hoola hoopa says
I can’t speak to this exact one or a currently available option, but yes, something like this is definitely a workhorse for a business-casual environment.
My main advice is to get something that won’t pill and has a good amount of stretch so that it will go curve around a bigger belly instead of hang, unless you want to wear it like a tunic with leggings for the last trimester.
FVNC says
Confession: husband and I took our 15 month old on a short (1.5 hr) flight this past weekend, and she did amazingly well. My husband overheard the woman sitting across the aisle from us tell her boyfriend: “Thank God they kept that baby under control.” A few years ago, I probably would have made the same comment. Now that I know it’s (mostly) luck as to whether a baby behaves on a flight or not, I want to apologize for being a jerk to new parents traveling with little ones. I wish I could go back and turn those stink eyes into understanding smiles!
MomAnon4This says
Feel free to post this over in the regular rette page so that those child-free-by-choice *might* be a bit nicer next time?!
A lesson I heard from a parent is that you know you’re a parent, or ready to be one, when you’re in this situation and instead of feeling bad for yourself, you feel bad for the parent.
Anon S says
I have another question for you guys . . . my husband and I are taking a babymoon next week. I have a voicemail into my doctor, so of course I’ll wait to see what she says too, but wanted to hear if anyone else was ever in this situation. I feel like an idiot for not checking before, but to get to our destination, one of our flights is a short (26 minute flight) in a small 9 passenger plane that is not pressurized. Google says non pressurized flights are bad for pregnant women, but I’m wondering if the short flight makes a difference. Thoughts?
anon says
If the flight is that short you won’t be getting up high enough for it to matter.
Spirograph says
+1. Is this an inter-island hop? I took one of those once and I don’t think we went above 1-2k feet. Commercial airliners are pressurized to about 6-7k feet, so probably no big deal. Enjoy your trip!
Anon S says
Ugh, really hoping my doctor gets back to me and says it’s not a problem b/c it sounds like the ferry option is a disaster. And yes, it’s an inter-island hop. Going from mainland Puerto Rico to Vieques, an island off of PR.
Newly pregnant says
Guys, I just want to squee for a moment. I’m now feeling the baby move! It’s weird and awesome at the same time. H hasn’t been able to feel it yet, but I’m looking forward to when that happens!
mascot says
It’s the weirdest feeling, no? It felt like someone was riding a roller coaster in my stomach. I had an anterior placenta so my husband didn’t feel anything but the strongest punches and kicks. As the baby got bigger, he could also feel the outline – mainly the head and butt. Hopefully, yours will get to feel more.
Newly pregnant says
Yes, SO weird! People kept telling me that it felt like “flutters” and I was envisioning things like hummingbirds and butterflies, but it’s really more like random hits on a set of bongos.
(former) preg 3L says
At the beginning, it felt like popcorn to me!
PregLawyer says
Congratulations!!! How far along are you? I’m at 15 weeks and still haven’t felt anything . . . I know that’s normal for a first-time mom, but I hope I’m getting close?
Anon S says
PregLawyer, I’m a first time mom and I’m 24 weeks now. Didn’t start feeling regular movements until about 21-22 weeks so don’t worry, you’ll get there!!
PregLawyer says
Thanks! I’m just impatient. :)
Newly pregnant says
Yes – I’m 21 weeks tomorrow. I’m started feeling random things where I wasn’t quite sure if it was movement at around 18 weeks, and then at about 20 weeks I felt like it was more definitively movement.
Katala says
Yay! It’s so fun, right? I’ve been feeling baby for about a month. Last week I ate a fruit leather (not a healthy kind – all sugar!) before getting into bed and baby starting kicking like crazy. Hubby got to feel like 5 or 6 really good ones and it was so cool to experience together.
Now my cats can feel him sometimes when they lay on my belly which is hilarious.
Spirograph says
hahaha I am convinced my cat lies on my belly or snuggles next to it in bed on purpose because of that. He doesn’t do it to my husband, and he never just sits on my lap or next to me like a normal cat. Only on top of the baby…
Katala says
Yes, mine are so much more interested in chilling on my belly now. When sleeping on my side w/ my ginormous pillow, mr. kitty loves to lay on my belly + pillow. It’s funny to wake up to him like that!
Newly pregnant says
Haha. My dog likes to drape herself across my stomach, so I am looking forward to her experiencing a kick! I imagine she’s going to be really freaked out.
anon says
Feeling the baby kick totally weirded out my dog – he looked up, like, what was THAT? Hilarious.
anon says
On this topic, how do you/did you concentrate at work with nonstop fetus movement? I am 8 months and at my wits’ end.
Nonny says
My answer: by 8 months I could not concentrate at all. Between my baby’s constant hiccups and my overwhelming fatigue at that point, I honestly did very little work the last month or so. That may not be very helpful but I think it’s realistic.
hoola hoopa says
My experience as well.
I value movement as a sign that kiddo’s doing well… but I actually do not appreciate being kicked from the inside at all.
Burgher says
Haha, I’m 8 months, too, and just cannot concentrate since I’m not super busy right now. Most of the things I was working on are tapering off and they aren’t going to give me anything new when I’ve got less than 3 weeks to go. I’m getting a few things accomplished here and there when they come up and then taking continuing education webinars the rest of the day.
MomAnon4This says
Wonderful! A pregnancy book I have has a special blessing or 2 for that moment. I know it’s “science” but it’s also a minor miracle – amazing!
really anon for this says
So I’m not site what exactly I’m looking for, but I thought I’d put this out there to see if anyone has any suggestions.
I had a fairly traumatic vag1nal delivery of my daughter about 16 months ago. Labor went pretty well until she got stuck on my tailbone and had to be vacuumed out. I ended up with a very broken tailbone, severe tears, and a beautiful dd. It took 5-6 months before I could comfortably sit or move because of my tailbone so we waited a long time to try to dtd. When we finally did try at about 6 months it was horribly painful and I couldn’t manage it. Finally by about a year I could manage, but it was roughly equivalent to doing it with a chef’s knife. So painful. I finally went to a doctor and he said that I probably had a bad reaction to the dissolvable sutures and everywhere I tore is now a different type of tissue and that’s what hurts. He did a series of painful chemical peels to try “resurface” the tissue to no effect. His next suggestion is to cut out all of the bad tissue and hope it heals better next time. This sounds horrible to me, but there don’t seem to be any other options.
Now at 16 months things are maybe a little better, but far from good. I usually end up sobbing. My husband is traumatized from lack of s x.
I think I’m going to try to tough it out and try for a second asap. This will be painful, so I really need to get knocked up fast. I’m hoping that magical pregnancy hormones heal things, or at least that I can just go through getting cut open once after the additional damage from the second delivery. Does this sound crazy? I’m already dreading the pain of ttc. I really don’t want the surgery (what if it makes things worse?) but I want another child and happy husband.
eh230 says
Seriously, go to a specialist now! Your doctor does not know what he is talking about. There are a lot of skin v disorders, and you may have one. I have lichen simplex chronicus. It is basically ezcema in v area. When you have sensitivities in that area, s x hurts! Also, tearing during birth does not give you different tissue. Your tissue can thin and tear easily. Sometimes use of estrogen cream can help thinned tissue get stronger. I still tear a lot, but good advice and creams from the right doctor make a world of difference! If you are comfortable sharing, what state are you located in, I may be able to recommend a good doctor.
Also check out the book When S X Hurts by Goldstein. There is a kindle version. There is a wealth of knowledge by the best docs in the country.
As for babies, I have two. I had my disorder before having kids. I had c-sections with both because the doctors said there was a chance that vaginal delivery could make things worse. I specifically asked my doc if we should just let me tear with the second in hopes that i could be stitched up in a better way, but he highly advised against it. The one good thing is that pregnancy is a god send for my disorder. During both pregnancies, everything completed cleared up. If you want to talk offline, let me know, I know how hard it can be!
Newly pregnant says
I’m so sorry. This sounds like an awful situation. I don’t have a lot of advice, but have you seen other doctors besides this one who recommends surgery? I wonder if there is another alternative, like massaging the tissue. I don’t want to try to link to this because of moderation, but if you google “Healthy Tipping Point” “episiotomy” and “scar” she has a post or two about similar issues. She was faced with the option of re-cutting/stitching the episiotomy or trying massage first. She opted for massage and it helped her.
eh230 says
Boo, I just wrote you a really long comment that somehow got eaten.
First, I am really sorry to hear what you are going through, but get a new doctor asap! There are a lot of v skin issues/disorders you could have, and chemical peel is not a treatment for any of them! You really need to see a specialist.
I have a Lichen Simplex Chornicus, which is basically eczema in the v area. It causes itching, skin irritation and tearing. Please read When S x Hurts by Goldstein (also available on Kindle). It is written by the best v docs in the country and details the various disorders. If you are comfortable sharing the state you are in, I may be able to suggest a specialist in your area.
I have two kids, and I had my disorder pre-kids. I had c-sections with both. My docs advised that tearing with a v delivery was just too great a risk and would likely make things worse instead of better. There are treatments that can help, and luckily for me, symptoms completely went away during pregnancy. I can give you some ttc tips too that might help you get through it if you are interested.
If you want to talk offline, let me know. I know how hard it can be to go through this!
Anonymous says
I am so, so sorry. I’m also sorry this is so long!
I had a similar but less severe experience with my first. I had very, very bad tearing that corkscrewed deep. It was awful by itself, but then didn’t heal correctly. I had surgery first, which was a nightmare, then two cauterizations. The cauterizations worked beautifully (they gave local anesthesia first, did they for you?), but the second was 7 mo pp and I still had pain for 12 mo pp. Frankly, that area has never the same, but it was good enough to have normalcy and subsequent children. It’s pain-free, but also positive sensation free.
Obviously the second delivery was terrifying, but I barely tore and only needed one easy cauterization. We had comfortable s*x at 6 wk pp. It was a completely different experience. They did mention the option of an elective c-section because of my past experience, too.
I am so extremely sorry that you’re facing surgery. I really can’t recommend enough going under general anesthesia. Medically, it makes sense to use local and not assume the risks of general, but it’s psychologically traumatizing. I really wish that I’d been under. Plus, well, the local anesthesia didn’t work completely on me and since I was in an outpatient clinical setting and not a surgical setting, there were no other anesthesia options besides biting down on something and moving forward. Let’s leave it at that.
I also recommend seeing at least one other OB. I wish that I had gotten third opinions sooner. All OBs are trained to handle these circumstances, but it wasn’t until I finally got to one who informally specializes in them that I found actual recovery. See several and find out what they would do. The magical OB for me came through the reference of another OB, who was also a referral from another OB.
I’m not an expert, but I recommend resolving it before having #2. Subsequent pregnancies are physically stressful to that area due to weight/pressure alone. TTC and delivery aside, I would expect the pregnancy to be painful as-is. That said, a doc give me topical lidocaine for s*x in the time between tissue recovery and pain resolution. Estrogen (premarin) was also helpful.
That said, my SIL had similar issues with her sutures and went on to have 2u2. I’ve never asked specifics, but she knew that the more she healed, the less she’d be willing to risk it all again. I shudder to think what TTC through delivery/recover of the second was like, but she stands by that decision. To each their own.
When it’s done, I can’t stress enough the importance of seeing a physical therapist who specializes in post-partum issues. They are hard to find, but well worth the hunt.
I feel like you probably are already, but be open with your husband about how your feeling, physically and mentally. In the first year or so, I was so focused on being physically healed that I didn’t realize how deep my psychological pain was. It wasn’t until we worked through that that we were able to have a normal s*x life. (On that note, I encourage you to get creative in the bedroom until you can have intercourse).
Good luck. I’ll be thinking of you.
pockets says
No advice on the medical issues, but if you want to get knocked up again and s*x is painful, can you go to a fertility specialist for IUI?
pockets says
IUI = intrauterine insemination (not sure if that would get moderated). Think turkey baster.
Ciao, pues says
pregnant/ BF – un-friendly shopping quest!
I am nearing the end of a long, lovely year and a half of buying clothes for a body that was either carrying a child within or nursing a child, and want to buy myself a new dress to celebrate the return to clothes that need not be practical. What would you buy? Really anything without an elastic waistband, wrap-style top, pull-down or pull-up friendly sounds divine. Ideas? Anyone doing something similar?
MomAnon4This says
Hidden zipper in the back… remember those? Maybe even something needing someone else’s help to zip up or button on or take off, hint hint. And an expensive fabric that you won’t leak on :) Ah…. enjoy!
hoola hoopa says
Great suggestion.
Yes, I do the same after weaning each one. Mine were mostly spontaneous purchases. Things that I saw, thought ‘nope, no nursing access,’ and then realized ‘who cares’! Favorites are a sheath, an eileen fisher style dress, and a tank maxi.
Enjoy!
(former) preg 3L says
I posted a while ago (maybe a week ago, I honestly don’t remember) about thinking I was going to have to wean soon. Truth be told: I don’t want to wean because I don’t want to have to make a decision about it. I want to just keep pumping at work 2x/day until the milk isn’t there anymore. DD is almost 11 months. Am I crazy? Will there come a time when I’m ready to stop?
I’m having a terrible day. STBX says I owe him for the ($6k) hospital bill when our daughter was born. Never mind that I was pregnant for 10 months and delivered a child.
Sarabeth says
Sorry your ex sucks so much. You are not crazy to want to keep pumping. If it feels like the best choice for you and your daughter, that’s all you need to know.
CHJ says
I felt the same way about pumping, and I didn’t have all the life upheaval that you’re going through. There’s no hard rule that you have to quit pumping at 12 months. I know people who continued pumping through 18 months and others who sent b’milk in sippy cups to the toddler classroom. Do what feels right to you and don’t worry about it.
Ultimately, I pumped through about 14 months. I treated myself to a gym membership across the street from my office when I stopped so that I could still take a mental health break during the day.
And STBX is the worst. How petty and controlling. Bleh on him.
Anonymous says
I am a lurker who only chimes it in seems to say something along these lines in pumping threads: keep in mind that it is not necessary to keep pumping past 1 year in order to keep breastfeeding. In all likelihood you can stop pumping at work and your body will adjust such that you can continue to nurse during the day on weekends and at night and morning during the week.
You are absolutely not crazy and should keep your nursing relationship as long as it is beneficial to the both of you. I think you have gone through enough trauma this year that you should do whatever makes you happy and keeps you sane with regards to nursing!