Your Empowered Stories: Tracey from Cake Maternity

Q: Did your journey to conception go as you imagined it would? What went wrong and what went right?

I have two beautiful boys. One is almost 18 and the other is 12.

I was 32 when I fell pregnant with my eldest. This pregnancy was unexpected but a blessing. Pregnancy suited me. I felt great and embraced the experience.

We had decided to wait initially before trying for our second child as we had moved temporary to London for work and wanted to wait until we returned back to Australia. We started Cake Maternity soon after arriving back home to OZ, which also pushed back our plans. Once life settled down we decided to try for our second child.

I finally got pregnant after months of trying. We were super excited to share the news with our son Ethan and our family and friends. Little did we know that I would miscarry weeks later. This was a very difficult and sad time for our family.

Unfortunately I suffered multiple miscarriages over a 2-year period. We kept each of these experiences to ourselves to avoid having to share. It was not until I turned 38 that we finally got past the first trimester and felt confident sharing our exciting news.

Q: Did your breastfeeding journey go as planned? What went wrong and what went right?

Breastfeeding was not an easy experience for me. I expected like most women that it would come naturally to me and my baby - but it didn’t.

Both of my babies had difficulty latching and feeding effectively. As a result I got mastitis and suffered from soar-cracked nipples.

I felt a lot of pressure to get it write and persevered with some assistance from trained professionals.

In time both bub and I got the hang of it. I am happy I persisted as it is my belief that breastfeeding gives your children the best start in life.

Q: What moment, good or bad, from your postpartum journey stands out to you the most?

The feeling of pure exhaustion and isolation stands out for me most. Having children at a later stage of my life meant that I was use to adventure and having the freedom to do as I wish.

Children changed all of that for me. I was no longer an individual who could do as I pleased. I had a little person who was now reliant on me for everything. All my decisions impacted his wellbeing. I loved him so much and I wanted to be the best mother I could be. So I made the choice to focus on him and put my needs aside.

Q: What advice would you give to your postpartum self and other moms in the postpartum journey?

Looking back now. I realise that my needs should not have been ignored and that I should have taken better care of myself. I should have insisted on getting help when I needed it and taking time off to recharge and look after my mental wellbeing. 

Q: What event led you to starting your company?

The idea for Cake started when I was pregnant with my eldest son Ethan. At the time maternity/nursing bras were extremely unattractive and looked like underwear that my grandmother would wear.

There were limited styles and colours available that meant that I was often wearing bras that were not suitable for my needs.

I believed that maternity/nursing bras did not need to be unattractive and that new mums deserved to feel empowered and cared for during this difficult time.

Q: Why is your company different? What is it offering that others aren’t?

At Cake we pride ourselves on innovation. All our bras are created to fulfil a need and to make a new mothers life easier.

We manufacture the widest assortment of maternity bras in the market place. We design sports, sleep, seamless, fuller bust, birthing, flexible wired, non-wired, soft cup, padded, sexy plunge, bralettes, T-shirt and spacer foam maternity and nursing bras. All these styles are uniquely designs with specialist fabrics etc. to help ensure a great fit, durability, comfort and support.

We recognise that women come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. That is why our range covers sizes 30A- 42L and XS-4XL.

Note: The views expressed in this article belong to the author.

Thank you so much to Tracey for taking the time to answer our questions for our Empowered Stories series. You can find them on Instagram at @cakematernity and visit their website here.