Pregnancy can do cruel things to the female form: the stretch marks, extra “tummy padding”…and did we mention those hips? After my first daughter was born, I didn’t notice a tremendous change in my figure (hardly an hourglass one to begin with). But after the second girl, whatever beauty I had acquired during those nine months was gone for good. All I had left was a pair of hips that wouldn’t slide into my favorite jeans anymore. Perhaps if I’ve had the HipSlimmer after she was born, I wouldn’t have cursed myself on a daily basis. I recently checked out this post-pregnancy corset at a baby products convention and was admittedly a bit skeptical. Could this lingerie-inspired device truly get women’s hips back to their pre-baby bodies? I wanted to get the scoop. Turns out it’s the hormones that are the culprit; they’re released while you’re pregnant in preparation for childbirth. Once you’ve delivered your not-so-little bundle of joy, and your hips are still malleable (and you’re feeling relatively good), you can wear the HipSlimmer either over your clothes or at night, if you’re especially modest. It’s designed to apply slight pressure to your hips, and ultimately return them to their..ahem “previous condition.”

In a Nutshell: Wearing the HipSlimmer every day for a couple of months might seem like a big commitment for some, but if your shape means that much to you, make like a Victorian and lace up. You might just be able to get your Calvins back on again…

Remember the famous jingle ‘Calgon, take me away? where the mom stole a few moments for herself behind closed doors to indulge in a bath?  If it feels like your life is headed in this direction, join the club! But seriously, that Calgon lady had the right idea. Here’s the modern day version in its own little bottle: Happy Mama Body Wash. This delightful bathtime treat may have been designed for expectant moms suffering from queasiness, but it doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t appreciate the invigorating scent of ginger and grapefruit. One squeeze of this stuff in your morning shower, and you’re ready to take on the day…or at least, whatever portion of it before that cup of coffee kicks in. We’re big fans of Earth Mama Angel Baby not just because their products are made with good-for-you organic ingredients, but because it’s important for MOM to have some TLC every now and then.

In a Nutshell: Whether you’re carrying a baby-to-be around or a toting a toddler, a little pick-me-up like this body wash goes a long way to help you de-stress and breathe easily.

You may have been doing 100% baby-related stuff since you found out you were expecting. But just because you’ll be someone’s mom soon doesn’t mean you have to forget about your likes, too. Better yet, why not share them? If sweet tunes are your passion, let your baby-to-be take a listen to your playlist. bellybuds wearable speakers are the latest way to bond in utero and introduce your child to the sound of music. Dubbed as ‘audio in utero to go,’ these speakers are the ticket to enjoying your time with your baby before she officially arrives. Simply affix the speakers to your growing belly by applying a dab of the hydra-gel adhesive on the bottom of each one. Then, connect them to your iPod and crank up the volume (well, not too high). Since developing babies can begin to hear as early as 5 months, you’ve got plenty of time to get her up to speed on everybody from ABC to ZZ Top.

In a Nutshell: It’ll more fun acquainting your little one with the Black Eyed Peas than pureed peas. Be prepared to experience a lot of kicking!

When you’re trying to get pregnant, waiting for a positive result can feel like an eternity. Now, with First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test, it doesn’t have to be painfully slow. This patent-pending at-home pregnancy test, which hit store shelves this week, can detect whether or not you’re pregnant up to six days before your missed period — that’s one day earlier than any of the other tests currently on the market. The test works by detecting a pregnancy hormone at lower levels than usually necessary. Like usual, simply hold the strip in your urine stream, wait three minutes and you’ll see two pink lines for pregnant and one line if you’re not.

In a Nutshell : This test will buy you an extra day of less fretting and more time to celebrate. Now you’ll have more time to start shopping for those little booties.