Mammojo, quality breastfeeding friendly active wear.

Want to get active post birth but struggling to find the gear supportive enough to exercise in, functional enough to breastfeed in and stylish enough to leave the house in?  You are not alone…

Melita Shirley is a mother of 2 lovely little boys…with another bub due this month and co-founder of Brisbane-based Mammojo, a breastfeeding-friendly active wear line, lovingly designed for new mums and their hungry offspring.

For her 3rd Pregnancy Melita, decided to train with me, so I was very interested to hear about what inspired her to create Mammojo Lactivewear® range and what experiences she had as a new mum trying to return to exercise post birth.

The newborn fog clears….

After the birth of my first child and the slow passing of the newborn fog, I became more and more ready to get back into exercise – something that I really enjoyed pre-baby.

I’d maintained a moderate level of fitness during pregnancy with walking, swimming, pregnancy Pilates and yoga and was really keen to pick up on some of these activities now that I had a little bundle in toe.

Two to three months after giving birth, life was pretty good – my body was healing well to the point I had the all clear to exercise, I was starting to scratch together more than two hours sleep straight (hallelujah!) and my little shadow was thriving. I’d researched local exercise options for postnatal women including some Mum ‘n Bubs classes and was all fired up to get started.

The first foray back into exercise

The first class was an absolute nightmare! I’d fed my baby 10 minutes before ducking out the door but within 15 minutes of arriving, he was already frantically searching for a feed. Having worn my pre-pregnancy activewear in order to support my postnatal body while exercising, I really struggled to feed him. Reefing my sports bra to the side was desperately uncomfortable and didn’t allow him to latch or feed properly. In addition, lifting my top in order to access the milk bar made me feel exposed and self-conscious of my postnatal tummy. I ended up having to sit under a tree partially covered by a poorly-planned, too-small muslin wrap and remove one arm out of my thoroughly restrictive sports bra to soothe my now hysterical, insatiable baby. What I was hoping would be a pleasant escapade, venturing back into the outside world and getting some fresh air and vitamin D culminated in me half undressed in public, and both of us highly stressed !

My research began

I started researching what post natal activewear existed on the market and was disappointed to find that, frankly, there wasn’t much available. Sure, there were a few breastfeeding sports bras but I didn’t just want a crop where I’d still needed to lift my shirt up. I also needed extra support for my now massive milk mams and my weaker postnatal core. I certainly wasn’t keen on the beige nana feeding bras either.

After this disappointing search, I contemplated giving up breastfeeding altogether before realising how crazy that thought was. Surely, new mums shouldn’t have to choose between living an active lifestyle and breastfeeding their babies? Surely the two activities weren’t mutually exclusive?

After talking to some other mums about this, I realised I wasn’t alone. And so, fuelled by caffeine and sleep-deprived delirium, I set about designing my own breastfeeding-friendly activewear, or Lactivewear®, if you will.

The result

Today, I am so excited that through Mammojo new mums are empowered to be active, breastfeed and be stylish with a range of practical, comfortable and downright good-looking breastfeeding-friendly gear. We have created three tops in varying degrees of support for a range of exercise requirements, all featuring a built-in shelf bra, so no more top-lifting required ! Hoorah!

In addition, our range offers a fantastic nursing friendly hoodie for cooler weather. Mammojo also offers some terrific post maternity bottoms: from the core-compressive tights in two lengths to support the post-birth tummy to quite possibly, the most delectably comfortable yoga pants you will ever wear, perfect for exercise, yoga or just lounging around.

For low impact exercise/every day wear

The Hannah breastfeeding yoga tank is our most relaxed breastfeeding top, suitable for lower impact activities such as Pilates and yoga. The nursing friendly shelf bra provides light to medium support, coupled with a looser-fitting over layer and cowl back feature. Adjustable cross over straps are both stylish and practical. Highly comfortable and extremely lightweight, some of our mummies find this top also suitable for pregnancy.

For low – medium intensity exercise

You can’t go past the Emily racer top for low-medium intensity exercise, a versatile breastfeeding tank, made from the highest quality Italian performance fabric. This top incorporates a supportive feeding friendly crop and a semi-fitted over layer. Extremely lightweight, moisture-wicking, comfortable and breathable, this is a great choice for active and everyday wear. Offering four-way stretch for support, excellent shape retention and being ultra chlorine-resistant, this top also doubles as swimwear when worn with our matching bikini briefs. Winning!

For medium – higher impact exercise

We recommend the Dimity compressor top for medium – higher intensity activities such as more aerobic-based exercise. This patent-pending, core-supporting top has helped many women to recover from ab separation issues through the compressive, yet comfortable luxury performance fabric. Featuring an inbuilt feeding friendly shelf bra and adjustable straps, this top is designed to look good and encourage the recovery of postpartum tummies. Coupled with the matching bikini briefs this top also doubles as swimwear. Where do you sign?!

As always, I recommend exercise during and after pregnancy should be undertaken following medical clearance and under the guidance of a Certified Pregnancy and Postnatal Trainer.

Fun & Discount time !

Grab your 15% DISCOUNT on ANY Mammojo Lactivewear® range by using BFAB15 at the checkout and watch the Lactivewear® video below …it is hilariously AWESOME !

Learn more about returning to exercise post pregnancy where I join Melita LIVE on Facebook