Boston Avenue shop caters to versatile, transitioning bodies

NEDERLAND — Amy Martin said she spent most of her pregnancy in baggy T-shirts — maintaining the look using her husband’s clothes in the “between stage” of having their son, Bryce, and fitting back into her pre-pregnancy clothes.

Martin, 28, said when she was pregnant, she wore her work uniform during the week but stuck with T-shirts on the weekend because she couldn’t find a “dressy” outfit that flattered her shape or complemented her personality. One maxi dress does not make a wardrobe, she joked.

Martin, who moved to Nederland from Batson 10 years ago, said her pregnancy and postpartum wardrobe woes inspired her to research what other new mom essentials she might be missing out on. She found enough to spur her into opening her own store, Then Comes Baby Maternity — located at 1220 Boston Ave. in the back room of Chatzkies Home Decor, etc.

Then Comes Baby Maternity, which will host several celebratory opening events Friday, offers versatile clothing Martin said she wished she could find when she was pregnant — but currently sports as a walking mannequin in her store — and a line of assorted items Martin said mothers may have never thought about seeking out on their own.

“My first priority is bringing in high-quality pieces, things I know are made to last and can be used for other purposes once mom and baby grow into new stages together,” Martin said. “Because us moms, especially brand new moms, don’t know what to look for or aren’t sure what’s going to be important in the next stage (of development).”

The right-hand side of the shop is designated for clothing, mainly “pieces that work for maternity clothes as well as transition clothes after pregnancy,” Martin said.

“I really wanted to focus on bringing in quality, unique pieces that are either strictly dressy or can be dressed up and down,” she said. “I usually try to get three of each piece — once those are gone, they’re gone. Some are a little more pricey, especially the European pieces, but I mix in pieces that are less expensive. Even people who can’t afford a ‘big’ thing still want to dress up and look pretty during their pregnancies.

“I also have some more edgy pieces for our more fashion-forward ladies. They’re either asymmetrical or don’t accentuate the bump like we’re used to seeing, but many of these can be used as transition pieces after birth. They’ll look more like a tunic while you’re pregnant and more like a dress afterward.”

Martin said she’s partnered with several businesses to bring their creative solutions inside her store, including cloth diaper covers with interchangeable pads, linen ring slings that breathe easier than their more common cotton counterpart, statement necklaces made from teething beads, and a multitude of mommy-aid necessities.

“I’ve partnered with Down to Earth by carrying their mommy and baby stuff,” she said. “All of these items — belly butter, nipple cream and butt paste — are organic and can double for other ailments when you outgrow the need to use it specifically for those first years as a mom. And of course, I carry some of their famous bath bombs — ‘Unwind and Soothe’ and ‘Pain Away.’

“I have these bamboobies washable nursing pads, belly bands but the real gold mine — not as in expensive but just in personal value — is this Mom-Ez Maternity Support band. As your belly grows, you get this tremendous lower back pain. This wraps around, lifting the belly up to take some of that pressure off your back. If you keep the receipt for this and go to your doctor for a prescription, most insurance companies will actually reimburse you.

“I have these nursing scarves that double as carseat carrier covers, so it can cover mom while she’s nursing and then cover the carseat when baby wants to take a nap. This one is a huge problem solver, because if we’re not specifically wearing a nursing shirt, what do we do? We pull our shirts up to feed baby, and that leaves our whole sides exposed. This convertible scarf actually covers more like a dress, so it fixes that privacy issue.”

Martin said her list of supplies she carries in-house is still progressing. She said she wants to add more plus-size maternity clothes, “pretty” nursing bras with matching underwear to sell as sets, and a line of birthing gowns.

She also said she wants to add regular events, keeping up with Chatzkies owner Jill Tassin. Tassin already has events specifically planned for Martin, beginning Friday.

The Nederland Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Bureau will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for Then Comes Baby Maternity at 2 p.m. Friday, which Tassin will follow with a social — equipped with cocktails and “mocktails, for any mothers to be” — from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Martin will host her own event, a maternity fashion show, at 5 p.m.

Then Comes Baby Maternity is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

For more information, call the shop at (409) 225-3912.

Twitter: @crhenderson90