As an avid magazine reader from an early age, I always thought of magazines as informal guides to life.  Magazines always had something I could relate to.  However, when I became a mother I found there was no magazine for mothers like me, a magazine with good practical motherhood advice, articles about children, articles about life, plus my secret passion, fashion!

I just could not believe that no one had thought about mothers like me.  Some would say there are fashion magazines for that.  However, fashion magazines overlook mothers; (I don’t recall Vogue having an article on how to get my toddler to bed…).  The mother magazines I came across seemed to forget that mothers are women.  The majority of the articles were about children, but what about mom and her needs?

Out of my frustration I decided I would go for it and start a magazine.  What I found was that I was not alone. Flaimahmy Magazine officially launched July 30, 2009.  In these five (5) short months, without any advertisement whatsoever, thousands of women (and men of course!) have checked out Flaimahmy from over 80 countries!

Now, in this day and age of the internet thousands may seem small.  For me, however, this is a major accomplishment!  It means that you, our readers, love us enough to continue reading and also are passing the word.  For this reason, I want to personally thank each of you, our national and international audience, for making Flaimahmy Magazine great!

As we enter into the New Year I want you to know that Flaimahmy (Fly-Mommy) Magazine will continue to deliver great articles and more exclusive interviews. With readers like you Flaimahmy will continue to experience amazing growth.

We at Flaimahmy Wish All of You a Happy and Prosperous 2010!

Flaimahmy…Redefining Motherhood

Thank God for a warm October or I would have been quite cold in my $3 Old Navy flip flops on the ride home from the hospital.  While I did have pre-hypertension that caused severe swelling during my pregnancy, my experience is not all that uncommon.  And while swelling is a part of the reason that your feet expand during pregnancy, there is something else going on.

The pregnancy hormone relaxin loosens the joints in your pelvis so that your baby can make its way into the birth canal.   Relaxin also loosens the ligaments in your feet causing them to spread.  So while my feet may now need a size 9, they didn’t actually grow, but they did expand a full half size.   The bones aren’t as tight as they once were.  Swelling caused by pregnancy will go away after childbirth but feet spreading is permanent.

During the latter months of pregnancy, a nice comfortable pair of shoes is a necessity, especially if you are experiencing swelling (also called edema).  Here were my staples:

• Flip Flops:  Flip Flops with a sturdier sole.  They weren’t as confining as a sneaker but had the support of one.

• Uggs:  When the weather became chillier, I lived in my Uggs.  Fashionable or not, they were comfortable, warm, supportive and easy to slip on and off.  Besides, did you see the new cable knit Uggs?  Adorable and so versatile!

• Open-Toe Pump Slides:  For a dressier occasion, I always chose my 2″ open toe pumps.  They didn’t have the pressure of a stiletto and looked dressy enough to wear with a nice outfit.

After pregnancy, it’s recommended that you wait six weeks before you start buying any new footwear.  Allow for any swelling to reduce before you re-size your feet.  In fact,  you just might want to wait till you’re finished having children before you spring for that pair of Louboutin’s!

Tip 1:  Extend the life of your non-maternity wardrobe

Don’t give up your pants just yet!  Take a hair elastic and loop it through the button hole of your pants .  Use the open end to attach to the button.  Wear a long shirt, tunic, or jacket to camouflage your “make-shift pants-extender.”

Search your closet for all wrap dresses, extra large clothing, and anything with a little stretch!  You probably have more than enough clothing already to make it through your first and second trimesters; you just don’t know it yet.

Take a little time and search your closet thoroughly.  When I was pregnant I discovered a drawer full of cute t-shirts never worn because I thought they weren’t fitted enough.

Tip 2: Don’t buy any maternity clothes until you need them

Many women rush out as soon as they find out they are pregnant and buy a ton of maternity gear. You shouldn’t do this because there is no way to predict what size you will ultimately be during your pregnancy.  As you begin to no longer fit your non-maternity wardrobe that’s when you should shop for maternity wear.  So save your money until you need to spend it!

Tip 3: Shop maternity sales

If you haven’t noticed already,  maternity clothes can cost a pretty penny.   Of course,  being the bargain hunter I am I made a great discovery. Maternity stores stock their clothes just like regular clothiers, seasonally.  Search the sales racks!

If you follow Tip 2 then you will be searching for clothing you can wear immediately, meaning if it’s on the sales rack it is still in season.  I went to The Gap while I was pregnant and ended up leaving with about 10 items (all $5.00 dollars or less), and ended up passing all of it on to pregnant family and friends!

Tip 4: Buy stylish practical items that can be worn after baby gets here

Long tanks, tunic shirts, bubble/tulip & maxi dresses are all in style right now, and they are perfect for baby bumps.  So go ahead and shop in the non-maternity section.  You will probably surprise yourself with what you find and you will be very happy with how fabulous you look.  And the best part of all, you will have some cute comfy clothes to wear after your baby gets here!

Follow these tips and you will be a very Fly Mommy-to-be!

Happy Shopping!