HadleyStilwell, a maker of stylish clothing for breastfeeding mothers, especially those who go back to work, is pleased to announce that it will donate 5 percent of every online purchase to Best For Babes, an award-winning organization dedicated to helping moms beat the "Booby Traps" to breastfeeding – the cultural and institutional barriers that prevent moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals.
The donation program will kick off the first week in August in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, an annual effort by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) to promote the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in all maternity facilities.
HadleyStilwell was borne out of a desire to help working moms breastfeed longer after the company's founder, Holli Harris, personally experienced the challenges of pumping and working. In addition to designing a line of well-tailored clothes, Harris also runs webinars and in-person classes that coach moms on techniques for successful breastfeeding and managing working and breastfeeding.
"It's easy to see why so many mothers give up on breastfeeding when they return to work, " Harris says. "I feel an affinity with Best For Babes because they understand that the challenges to breastfeeding are multi-faceted. It's far deeper than legislation issues. Cultural change needs to happen. It feels natural to be contributing to their success, and in turn, to promote breastfeeding worldwide."
Best For Babes, co-founded by Bettina Forbes and Danielle Rigg and based in Little Silver, New Jersey, is dedicated to doing for breastfeeding what the 1991 Demi Moore/Vanity Fair cover did for maternity. Their mission is twofold: 1) Give breastfeeding a makeover — market, brand and mainstream it, acting as a catalyst to elevate this cause on par with Komen, Juvenile Diabetes and others; and 2) Shift the focus and pressure off of moms and onto the "booby traps" — the cultural and institutional barriers to breastfeeding successfully—helping to remove those barriers through positive social pressure. They are harnessing the power of celebrities, corporations, foundations, fashion, advertising, the medical community and the media to bring about a culture change that embraces, celebrates and supports breastfeeding moms.
Indeed, seeking to eliminate one of the "booby traps," HadleyStilwell clothes aim to remove the daunting barrier of having to get undressed in a semi-private place to nurse or pump, and help to save precious minutes in a jam-packed schedule, through unique designs that allow quick and extremely discreet access to breasts with low skin exposure.
Pieces such as the Signature Dress, Signature Shell and Signature Swing Jacket can be worn just as comfortably in board meetings with a scarf and high heels as with leggings and flats on the weekends. In addition to the double knit Signature pieces, HadleyStilwell's Crossover Shirts in basic and fashion colors also integrate with both work clothes and jeans. Newer additions to the collection include satin nursing pajamas – because breastfeeding and luxury can be synonymous - and a fleece nursing shirt that doubles as loungewear and outerwear. All of the clothes are made with fabrics that are comfortable yet durable, and everything is machine washable.
The entire HadleyStilwell collection is available online at http://www.HadleyStilwell.com. The website also has a section called Milk Notes which provides advice ranging from managing milk supply to managing career as a new mother. It includes a chart of the breastfeeding phases; tips on presenting the business case for breastfeeding to your boss; and the art of pumping in a car. Visitors to the site can also sign up for weekly Milk Tweets via Twitter, through which Harris shares vetted sources for new mother information.
"Now more than ever, the stars are aligned for giving women the education to make an informed decision about breastfeeding and for having the right tools to more easily stay committed to it," Harris says ." Between the impact of the Internet, and social media especially – the power of which Best For Babes has impressively harnessed - to the availability of breastpumps and breastfeeding-friendly clothes that busy mothers need, to breastfeeding now being covered under the new women's coats medical reform bill, the time is right for a big picture shift in attitude towards breastfeeding."
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), a global network of individuals and organizations
concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding and founder of World Breastfeeding Week, has been doing educational outreach since 1991. Their Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding provide a supportive pathway enabling women to achieve their breastfeeding intentions and guiding the training of healthcare workers in breastfeeding support. World Breastfeeding Week this year commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration that called for implementation of the Ten Steps in all maternity facilities.
Aside from World Breastfeeding Week, WABA has impacted breastfeeding worldwide with guidance ranging from educational videos on teaching breastfeeding to new mothers, to the issue of breastfeeding with HIV, to breastfeeding in emergencies such as the Haitian earthquake.
About HadleyStilwell
Launched in February 2009, the HadleyStilwell collection is for breastfeeding, working mothers that are looking for well-tailored pieces that integrate with their existing wardrobes. With just a quick change of accessories, women can achieve their professional look for the boardroom, without sacrificing comfort when they're relaxing at home on the weekends. HadleyStilwell clothes are the wardrobe staples women reach for – from the new, nursing mom who needs quick access to breasts for pumping, to the mother of young children who may find herself frequently running from desk to after-school activities each week.
About the Best for Babes Foundation
The Best for Babes Foundation was established in 2007 to give breastfeeding a makeover by using mainstream marketing and branding to inspire, prepare and empower moms, and to reveal and remove the barriers that keep most moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals, despite their best intentions. The Best for Babes Web site offers breastfeeding inspiration, help for moms who don't want to breastfeed, a ground-breaking checklist for expectant moms, important information about navigating the "booby traps," as well as opportunities to donate and become involved.
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