That’s the tops! Mother wins £100k prize for t-shirt that allows no-fuss breastfeeding
DISCREET and fashionable, it could be the answer for mothers who want to breastfeed when they are out and about.
The zip-up t-shirt is the creation of 34-year- old mother of two Lauren Hampshire.
She felt there was nothing available for mothers who want to stay stylish but feel self-conscious about feeding in public.
So she set up her own business, The Milky Tee Company, following the birth of her second child two years ago and her design has won her a £100,000 entrepreneurial award.
Mrs Hampshire, originally from Northern Ireland but now living in Maidstone, Kent, came up with the idea of a breastfeeding t-shirt with a secret zip while at home looking after her two daughters, Sophia, now five, and Sienna, now two.
She said: ‘It was an idea I had when I was breastfeeding my youngest daughter after feeling there had got to be an easier solution for mums who felt self- conscious to feed their children in public.
‘I couldn’t believe that in 2016 there wasn’t a better option. Both my daughters were feeding often and I sometimes felt like a human milking machine. My youngest daughter was exclusively breastfed and would refuse
‘Fashionable and comfortable’
a bottle, so I had no choice but to feed in public. She would feel uncomfortable when I covered her with a blanket and would pull it away.
‘I had always been a t- shirts and jeans person before having my children but felt my options were limited to frumpy or old-fashioned maternity wear. I couldn’t find any clothes that fit the bill so I decided to make my own. ’She designed the breastfeeding t- shirts with her mother-in-law, a former midwife who was very handy with a sewing machine, and together they created the Milky Tee brand.
The top hides a zip under the arm which can be opened for feeding as well as helping to keep self-conscious mums covered up. It is made with chemicalfree fabric to protect sensitive skin.
Mrs Hampshire said: ‘As I was breastfeeding my self at the time, I got to test the design.
‘It’s been a long process to finally get the t- shirts to market, but we have now been up and running around three months. People are ordering from everywhere, Spain, Dubai, America and even Australia.’
The design has been so successful that Mrs Hampshire received the PayPal International Award at a ceremony in London, winning £100,000 worth of support for six months. She has also received a huge amount of support from her businessman husband, Andrew, 34.