Why we started a website about feeding dresses

Breastfeeding can throw many challenges at a new mother and one of these challenges is how best to dress. We set up breastdress.com to help breastfeeding mothers find feeding dresses that are not only practical but also make them feel like them again.

In our first blog post, we sit down with breastdress.com's founder and discuss motherhood, breastfeeding and online shopping. 

Before we get started, here's a quick introduction to our founder, Francesca...

Most recently, Francesca Lowen was working as an internal communications manager at a British manufacturing company in Shropshire. That was until maternity leave took her away from the office and into the land of motherhood. 

What is breastdress.com?

breastdress.com is a website for breastfeeding mothers. It brings together the best breastfeeding dresses in one place.

You'll find beloved UK brands such as Rixo and Boden alongside high street retailers like Zara and M&S. Click on the product listing and you'll be taken to the retailer's website to complete the purchase.

Bringing breastfeeding dresses together in one place helps cut down browsing time. We have specific breastfeeding filters to help you refine the listings so you find exactly what you're looking for. 

How does the shopping experience differ from regular retailers?

We say "Sourced by us, sold by others" because each product we talk about takes you through to the trusted retailer's website. We don't sell feeding dresses, we curate a selection of dresses for breastfeeding mothers. 

We take the legwork out of online shopping. 

What are your goals for breastdress.com?

I want breastdress.com to help breastfeeding mothers start to feel like themselves again. Becoming a mother chips away at your identity. From my own experience, the way I dress is a huge part of my identity and when I feel uncomfortable in my clothes it takes a toll on my mental health. 

So I'm here to help new mothers find clothes that work for them postpartum and while breastfeeding, but I also want to help them feel like their best selves again. 

What's the main reason behind setting up breastdress.com?

Throughout my pregnancy I tried to keep shopping to a minimum. I didn't want to invest in a whole maternity wear wardrobe that would be used for three months (if that). So I found a pair of jeans and a couple of tops for a total of £10 on Vinted. That purchase saw me through the larger months. And I was very smug about it.

Roll on breastfeeding and things got tricky. My usual loose dresses and fitted tops were more than unpractical, they were completely indecent to feed in. Flashing your knickers to feed your baby in the park is not ok. I needed a wardrobe overhaul. Feeding dresses for mothers was my first Google search.

And this is where my problem lay. I wanted practical but I didn't want exclusive postpartum dresses. In my book, clothes are an investment. If I'm buying a summer dress, then I want that dress for multiple summers. 

Besides my problem with the longevity of the items, I found nursing dresses to be awkward and boring. Moving several layers aside to let my baby latch wasn't working for me. I needed a dress with easy access to breastfeeding. And only non-maternity breastfeeding dresses.

Seeing many Reddit threads on this same problem, I realised it wasn't just me feeling this way. And here is where I came up with my solution - bringing together a good selection of dresses a breastfeeding mother could wear all under one URL.