Drawing from her own personal experience as a pumping mom, PumpEase™ and Snugabell creator/owner Wendy Bell has developed a product and company that offers quality support to pumping moms and now has a new line of maternity/nursing wear, the Toni Top line.  Along with a beautiful giveaway opportunity for Leakies, Wendy answers a few questions, sharing her passion, mothering wisdom, and how she overcame a breastfeeding challenge in her own journey.  I’m so grateful for the support of PumpEase™ for TLB and all Leakies and hope you enjoy the interview and giveaway.

Wendy with hubby Mike

TLB:  What should TLB readers know about Snugabell?

Wendy:  Snugabell designs and manufactures maternity, nursing and pumping products for moms that are not willing to sacrifice fashion for function.  Our products include PumpEase, the world’s ONLY fashionable hands-free pumping bra, PumpEase Organic, the world’s ONLY organic hands-free pumping bra and the Toni Top “bump, breast & beyond” clothing line.  Our mission is “to support moms’ decision to breastfeed through education, community and beauty”.  Alongside The Best for Babes Foundation, whom we have proudly supported since 2009, we work hard to help beat The Booby Traps – the cultural and institutional barriers that prevent moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals.

TLB:  What inspired you to start your company and as you’ve added the Toni Top and pencil skirt to your product line, what are your plans to continue growing

Wendy: When I was pregnant with my first daughter, a friend of mine asked me if I was going to pump.  I asked her why I would need to (we get a full year of maternity leave here in Canada).  She said that she pumped so that her husband could also feed the baby.  I discussed it with my husband, and we decided this would work well for our new family.  I didn’t have too many pumping sessions under my belt before I was online searching for something to hold the pump flanges for me.  Not only was I bored silly sitting on the couch unable to do ANYthing else, as soon as my daughter was born I developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which made it painful to hold the flanges for any more than a few minutes.  I found a few products, all of which were ugly and none of which I was willing to part with my hard-earned money for.  With my (at the time) nine years experience in the apparel industry, I considered what would make a “better” hands-free pumping bra and sewed the first PumpEase prototype.  After encouragement from family and friends, I decided to do a small manufacturing run and build a website.  It was a no-brainer to produce the PumpEase in pretty prints – women like pretty things whether she is seen in them or not!  I naively thought this product-based business would provide some “passive income” and compliment my service-based CAD Pattern Management business nicely.  Little did I know it would grow to where it has in four short years.

Our plans for the future include continuing to expand the Toni Top “bump, breast & beyond” maternity, nursing and hands-free pumping clothing line beyond our current six styles (3/4-Sleeve Top, Tunic, Dress, Pencil Skirt, Maxi Skirt and Palazzo Pant) and continue to build our international business via distributors.

TLB:  How do you balance family and growing your business?

Wendy:  Actually, I don’t strive for balance anymore.  I don’t believe it exists and in fact believe the term “life balance” is yet another dangling carrot designed to make women feel inadequate .  You never hear a man that works 40, 60 or 80 hours a week pining for “life balance”.  My husband and my girls know that I have a business and that it is busy.  Sometimes one or the other gets more or less attention than it deserves and so be it!

TLB:  What was the most challenging experience you faced in your own breastfeeding journey and how did you get through?

Wendy:  I had amazing pregnancies, births and breastfeeding relationships with both my girls.  Not to say that I wouldn’t do anything different if I could do it all over again, as I would – I’ve learned *so* much since I’ve started the business.  If I had to choose the biggest challenge I guess it would be the misdiagnosed thrush that I had with my second daughter.  I found out only last year, when I took my CLE training, that it was most likely actually a staph infection (the stats are that 75% of staph infections are misdiagnosed as thrush).  The doctor didn’t take a culture and thus we were treating something that we didn’t have and it took forever to clear it up.

Wendy with her family

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Wendy is giving away a Toni Top and pencil skirt to one very lucky winner.  The Toni 3/4 Sleeve Top retail value = $66.00; Made in Canada; 95% modal, 5% spandex jersey knit.  Toni Top Pencil Skirt, retail value $56.00; Made in Canada; 95% modal, 5% spandex jersey knit, 66% rayon, 28% cotton, 6% spandex rib knit.

The Toni Top is designed for all stages of a busy mom or mom-to-be’s life – from pregnancy to nursing and beyond weaning. It even works for hands-free pumping! When you wear the Toni Top – you feel A-MAZE-ING. You know those garments that once you put them on, you are constantly stroking the fabric? THAT”S the Toni Top. It will quickly become one of THE favourite pieces in your closet.

• get triple bang for your buck – wear the Toni Top during pregnancy, nursing and beyond weaning
• it features a shaped front hemline that will provide coverage for your growing belly
• it has no special openings for nursing – just good design – a hallmark of our products
• it features easy nursing access, providing ample coverage as you gain confidence nursing in public
• it has a flattering wide-set sweetheart neckline which broadens your shoulders and thus slims your waist
• it features 3/4 length sleeves to keep you comfortable
• it’s made from a luxurious modal/spandex fabric that feels heavenly against your skin
• it features a heat transfer care label thus eliminating irritation to your neck
• it was designed by an expert – a nursing mom that has over 17 years experience in the apparel industry

The Toni Top Pencil Skirt can be worn with the waistband rolled up to cover your belly or rolled down part or all the way. Rolling the waistband can also be used to control the length of the skirt a few inches – perhaps exposing a little more leg for a night out on the town? Wear the Pencil Skirt with the 3/4 Sleeve Top for a 2-piece dress – so versatile! It will quickly become a staple of your wardrobe.

• get double bang for your buck – wear the Toni Top Pencil Skirt during pregnancy and beyond
• it has no unflattering maternity panels – just good design – a hallmark of our products
• it’s made from a luxurious modal/spandex fabric that feels heavenly against your skin
• it features a heat transfer care label thus eliminating irritation to your skin
• it was designed by an expert – a mom that has over 17 years experience in the apparel industry

Currently Leakies can find the Toni Top and Toni Top Pencil Skirt website http://www.snugabell.com/products/toni-top (soon to be on Amazon.com and in retailers this fall).

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 Good luck to everyone!  Please use the widget below to be entered and have fun browsing snugabell.com.  The giveaway is open from April 12, 2012 to April 19, 2012.  A big thanks to Wendy for her ongoing support of TLB and all breastfeeding women, please be sure to visit their Facebook page and thank them for their support of TLB and this giveaway opportunity.

This giveaway is open to international entries.

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