Fresh mum turns the maternity bra upside down

26 April 2005

A patented innovation has seen the old maternity bra evolve into a product that meets the needs of busy fashion and comfort conscious mums – allowing them to discretely breast feed at any time in any place, and stay covered from bust to hip.

Ask a new mum what she thinks of maternity bras and the answer is always the same – they are obvious, ugly, uncomfortable, hard to use and make you feel like a milk bar.

At 3am on a cold May morning last year (breastfeeding time) with a 6 week old baby in hand, Brisbane innovator Tracey Lucock sketched the Fresh Mums Maternity Bra Top – the solution to the list of things she hated about maternity bras and breastfeeding in public.

Tracey said: “The maternity bra is like so many inventions – it needed to evolve to meet the needs of our changing society.  Women want to look stylish, be comfortable and be able to discretely breastfeed their baby where ever they are – not in a back room somewhere.”

The Fresh Mums Maternity Bra Tops have three layers of support, pockets to hold breast pads in place, are extra-long for post-partum tummies and are designed to be worn as a tank top or as a bra.  “The most important and patented component of my design is the under-bust opening,” said Tracey.  “The old clip and drop design meant chests and tummies were exposed. The under-bust opening means mums are covered bust to hips.”

From a few small adverts last year, demand has exploded. Fresh Mums Maternity Bra Tops sales hit 1000 in just 6 months and are now sold in almost 35 retail outlets nationally with reviews underway by major department stores locally and internationally.

“Now I’m negotiating with the major retail chains, and international distributors,” said Tracey. “Mums are staggered by the simplicity of the solution, and ask why no one had thought of it before.”

Tracey’s innovation won her a place at Fresh Innovators – a national initiative to bring the work of 16 early career innovators to public attention. Following training in Sydney, the Innovators are talking to the media, schools and business about their ideas. One of the 16 will win a study tour to the UK, courtesy of the British Council Australia.  

Photos: Of Tracey and son Bailey demonstrating the new style. Available online at www.freshinnovators.org More information with images on  www.freshmums.com   A media kit including a CD of images is available.

For more information contact Tracey Lucock m: 04222 185 33 e: tracey@freshmums.com