Before launching Kindred Bravely, I was a high school math teacher; I’d never even thought of designing clothes or starting a business. Becoming a mom opened me up to the idea of creating something and ended up changing my life in more ways than I ever expected.
After my second son was born, I knew I didn’t want to return to teaching. I loved the work, but I wasn’t getting enough time with my boys, and I needed something different. I wanted to be there for every moment and watch them grow up.
When I was still breastfeeding my second, I really wanted a comfortable pair of nursing pajamas. After looking at all the stores nearby and searching online, I found a few options, but nothing was exactly what I needed. At the same time, my husband was looking for a business idea, and one night I suggested nursing sleepwear. “Moms want to feel stylish and put together because sometimes we never make it out of our PJs. They just have to be cute, stylish, comfortable, and actually work for breastfeeding."
We researched the idea, and I got to work creating my perfect pair of nursing pajamas. After we launched, I began hearing from moms who loved how comfortable they felt, and they all wanted to know where they could find a bra that felt as amazing as the pajamas. So many women aren’t wearing bras that fit or feel comfortable.
“Moms want to feel stylish and put together because sometimes we never make it out of our PJs. They just have to be cute, stylish, comfortable, and actually work for breastfeeding."
I knew I could help solve this problem, and I began designing bras and even more clothes that would bring comfort to moms: underwear, loungewear, and more. I was thrilled with each item I designed, but I wanted to do more for these incredible women than just give them comfortable clothes.
As a first-time mom, I needed all the support I could get: family, friends, lactation experts—they all helped me along the way. Without their help, I might never have continued nursing my children, and Kindred Bravely might not exist.
Since I knew that having a supportive community made a huge difference in my motherhood journey, I wanted to create that type of support and connection for our customers as well. From our blog to our social posts to our emails, we strive to make moms feel seen and heard – both for the job they’re doing as parents and for who they are outside of their role as moms. We all need to be reminded that there isn’t one right way to raise children, and we’re doing a wonderful job.
Our goal is to help moms find comfort – whether that means getting a comfortable pair of pajamas, reading a blog that reminds her how amazing she is, or finding support through our community.
WRITTEN BY
Deeanne Akerson