Feeling confident in your postpartum body with Kayli Joann, Founder and CEO of Tender Seasons.

Kristin Revere and Kayli Joann discuss Kayli’s entrepreneurial journey, which started out of her frustration with finding postpartum bras and nightgowns that made her feel beautiful. She decided to create her own line of clothing.

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Transcript

Kristin Revere and Kayli Joann discuss Kayli’s entrepreneurial journey, which started out of her frustration with finding postpartum bras and nightgowns that made her feel beautiful.  She decided to create her own line of clothing, Tender Seasons. 

Hello, hello!  This is Kristin Revere with Ask the Doulas, and I am thrilled to chat with Kayli Joann.  She is the owner and founder of Tender Seasons.  Kayli was born and raised in Michigan and still resides there with her husband and two children.  She is passionate about motherhood, and nothing gives her more joy than being a mom. 

Our topic today is all about reclaiming your beauty and the self-image you had pre-pregnancy after having a baby.  So I’m excited to dive into this subject with Kayli, who has personal experience with it as a mother and then created her business based on the struggles she had in finding clothing and nightwear that made her feel sexy and confident after having a baby.  

Welcome, Kayli! 

Thank you!  Thank you for having me! 

Let’s get into it!  Tell us about your big why for creating your business and your personal struggle in finding nightgowns and clothing that made you feel like your former self or less like that mom who is feeling frumpy and just not ready to receive visitors.  All of the things that we feel as a postpartum mom! 

Yes!  So my journey started with my first pregnancy with my oldest son.  He’s four now.  And I got pregnant and by the end of my pregnancy, I had gained 60 pounds.  So I definitely felt different.  I looked different.  I had all of the fun stuff with the puffy ankles and puffy face.  I felt miserable.  I went shopping to try to find some maternity stuff but also for postpartum, and my options were very limited.  And nothing felt like my true style.  Like, it just felt like the same style that I literally saw my older sisters wear, my mom wear, my grandma wear.  I was like, why hasn’t anybody put more effort into this?  Especially with nightgowns. 

I was going to go for a weekend getaway, kind of like a babymoon.  I want to say I was 35 weeks pregnant.  And I went shopping to try to find a maternity nightgown, and I could not find anything.  I ended up buying one that was three sizes too big.  It wasn’t even maternity, and it looked awful.  That was kind of where the frustration started.  And then I ended up having my son, and then I realized when I started breastfeeding that the nursing bra options were really not great, either.  I was packing my hospital bag, and I was looking at the bras that I had, and I had looked all over.  And I was like, well, these are really not cute, but I guess I’ll deliver in this one because it’s kind of a purple color versus just the skin color and black. 

So yeah, I had my son, and the frustrations just continued.  I didn't really feel like myself, and I know with motherhood, you’re a whole new version of yourself, but when I looked in the mirror, I had the added weight gain but also the type of clothing that I like to wear, I couldn't wear.  Either I couldn't fit it, or the breastfeeding options were not great.  Especially the nightgowns and the bras; that’s what I just kept thinking of. 

When my son was three months old, I was like, okay, if nobody is going to do this, I’m just going to do it.  I had no experience with designing or running my own business.  My dad had run his own business my whole life, but I really didn't try to learn ins and outs of that.  So I was kind of nervous, but I was like, you know what, I have to start somewhere. 

Like I said, my son was three months old, and I remember this moment exactly.  I think about this all the time.  He was in a little bouncy seat just kicking, and I was like, I’m just going to start somewhere.  So I grabbed a piece of paper and some pencils and I sat down and just drew up a nightgown, a maternity and nursing nightgown.  That’s where it all started, honestly. 

I love it so much.  And your bras are beautiful, and you’ve expanded to some baby gear.  Like, you have swaddles and cute little hats and leggings and so much more than your original vision. 

Yes. 

Did that come from feedback from your early customers on what they needed, or how did you expand your vision to be more encompassing? 

Some of it was from customers saying, hey, we’d love to see this.  We started with one nightgown in one color, and then it became the same nightgown in three colors.  Then we had a couple of other maternity dresses, and one bra that we started with.  And people really liked it, and we were like, oh, okay, this is going well!  But then with our manufacturing, we had a couple issues with trying to create the extra large sizes.  We have now been able to get this specific bra into size 3XL, but we were hearing from women that were 4XL, 5XL that they can’t fit into them, and nobody else has my size.  So that’s why we came out with our second bra, our Eden bra, to fill that need, but also so much more.  It’s the three in one, so it’s perfect for nursing, sleep, and delivery. 

That is so beautiful because I feel like, one, bras are expensive.  And as a birth doula and a postpartum doula, I’m always talking about what you can wear in labor, not to wear a sports bra because it might get cut off, and what might make them feel good in labor and also be able to have that skin to skin time.  As a postpartum doula, helping them plan for their return home and all about enjoying that skin to skin time, whether they’re breastfeeding or not with baby, and being comfortable.  Leakage that comes with that postnatal time.  What would make them feel good about themselves, especially because there are a lot of interruptions, whether it’s your hospital stay or coming home.  There’s visitors, family members, and you want to look and feel good. 

Absolutely.  And the craziest thing that I did not realize before I had my son was that I would be wearing a diaper.  People joke about it, but I had no idea.  It was hard enough, and being in a diaper just felt humiliating.  

And you’re leaking everywhere and sore, and you just don’t feel beautiful.  And then after you have a baby, it’s all about baby.  During pregnancy, especially if it’s your first, the mother is celebrated, and there might be a shower or sprinkle and family members are talking about your cute baby bump and so on.  And then after you’ve gone through this transformative experience, whether it’s baby one or baby five, then everyone wants to hold the baby.  The gifts are for the baby.  And the mother feels left behind.  It’s hard to even process the experience.  Like you talked about, you’re wearing a diaper; the leaking.  It’s feeling just less than in that stage where your hormones feel like a roller coaster of emotions.  You might feel weepy.  And then you look at this outfit that you’re wearing. 

The fact that you’re making women feel celebrated and beautiful in this time that they can feel a little left out is wonderful to me. 

Well, thank you!  Yeah, women and new moms are a big passion of ours.  Me and Lynee, my business partner, we felt a huge need for this.  And we also dealt with these issues ourselves.  So after we were like, okay, we’re going to do this – we were like, okay, moms need to find out about this.  We really wanted to help mothers change the narrative and to feel empowered and not to feel weak.  Sometimes for some women, it’s hard to walk.  It’s hard to move.  All of this, just after giving birth.  What you wear does make a difference, but also you want something that’s comfortable and not completely unrealistic.  That has been really beautiful, to see the community that has been created through this and all the women that we have been able to reach out to and help and encourage.  It has been bigger than we even thought.  That’s been really, really cool to see. 

Yes!  And Kayli, I feel like just the change in relationship, especially if this is a first baby, and wanting to feel beautiful for your partner and not just feel like parents.  Put some priority into the relationship.  If you’re not wearing this frumpy gown – I remember when I had kids.  My daughter is 13 now, my first child, and my son is 11.  I pretty much only had Motherhood Maternity to shop at, and I had this little gray nursing tank and robe and pant set that I wore postpartum pretty much constantly.  And I felt really frumpy in it, personally.  And now there are all of these cute gowns and robes and florals.  I just didn't have a whole lot of options back then. 

Yeah.  I had gotten a gift from someone at my baby shower, which had the sweetest intentions, and they were like, this is a dress that you can wear for delivery, and also, you could leave the hospital in it.  So I tried it on when I was pregnant with my first son, and I looked in the mirror, and it was this huge, baggy, heavy dress.  It was green.  And I started laughing and I said to my husband, I look like Shrek.  I literally look like an ogre.  

So yeah, it is true.  You want to look good for your partner, and you want to feel confident.  They can say, oh, you look amazing and all this stuff, but you have to truly believe it.  

Yes, you do! 

It’s such a mental thing. 

Yeah.  And every day, it’s trying to feel more like yourself and the woman that you are versus getting into that mom role and feeling like you exist only to change baby, feed baby, help baby sleep.  To get some normalcy back and feel beautiful and sexy and feel like you are still desirable is a huge shift.  I think that fashion and your line of bras and the gowns can make a huge impact on the little steps. 

Oh, absolutely.  And sometimes it’s as little as just wearing a bra that makes you feel cute.  Whether we realize it or not, what we wear does impact our brain and how we take care of ourselves.  With postpartum, I like to encourage moms even with the little things, like brush your hair.  Wear something that makes you feel cute.  What we really want moms to feel – and I feel like it’s not talked about enough – is that what you did was absolutely incredible, and we want you to feel powerful, empowered.  We want you to feel beautiful, sexy, and to actually believe it. 

Because of social media, Pinterest, Instagram – I feel like the postnatal phase is documented a lot more than when I had my kids.  So wanting to look beautiful in a photo of a nightgown or with a robe – I don’t want to say Pinterest perfect, but you get where I’m going with that.  There is that pressure in pregnancy and certainly early parenting to keep up with what you’re seeing online.  Now there are so many other choices fashion-wise for mother and baby.  Again, those cute swaddles and hats that you have.  If that makes you feel good, having these beautiful choices for the photos or videos, it’s another great thing to consider. 

Definitely.  When I had my second son, Tender Seasons had already started.  I started it in 2020, and we officially launched our website in 2022.  That’s when Lynee, my sister-in-law, and I started working together as business partners.  That was, by the way, the best decision I ever made. 

Yeah, it can be tough to work with family, so I’m impressed that it worked out well! 

Definitely.  And with working together, our talents just complement each other so well.  It was kind of fun because she had two kids already, and I just had one when we started.  And a dream of mine was, next time I have my next baby and I’m in the hospital, I want to wear my stuff that helps me feel cute and strong.  And so when I had my second son, I was wearing a nightgown for delivery, and then I was wearing our bras for postpartum, but during my hospital stay, I had brought several of our items, and my baby was in our hat and swaddle.  I had this dream of, while I was in labor, orders coming in and me getting the notifications on my phone.  And it was super fun having that experience that I had dreamed of come to life.  And then when family came to visit me, I did – I felt so much better.  I felt cute, and I felt presentable.  And that was huge. 

Yeah, it really does make a difference.  And setting some boundaries, limiting visitors, trying to rest.  Whether our listeners feel comfortable, now that visitor restrictions have lifted in most parts of the country – having five people in and out of their labor room or the visitors in the postpartum room, or waiting until they get home -  you never know when baby might need to feed.  With the bras, I feel like they’re beautiful, but also, they’re discreet.  If you needed to nurse in public, if you were comfortable doing that without a cover, that could be an option for you with family members or friends coming and going constantly. 

Yes, absolutely.  You definitely said it.  With being able to do it quickly in public, whether you decide to use a nursing cover or not – I’m not, but I’m not against them.  I think they’re wonderful.  It’s about each individual and their comfort level; that’s the right thing.  But one thing when we came out with our bras that was important to us was to have that easy, quick access.  When you have a crying, screaming, newborn and they’re ready to eat, you’ve just got to get it out quick.  So that’s nice.  We have our lace bra and then our Eden bra.  Our lace bra has quick, easy nursing clips, and you can do it just with one hand.  And then with our Eden bra, you just pull it to the side.  With postpartum, while your body is trying to decide, like, how much milk am I supposed to make for baby – personally, I dealt with milk leakage for a while.  Like, for several months. 

So did I, with both kids. 

Yeah, and I’d wake up in a puddle of milk.  I’m like, what just happened?  So that was one thing with our lace bra that was really important to us.  It’s leakproof.  Milk leaks are not an issue.  It absorbs the milk leaks so you’re not getting it through your shirt.  I was at my newborn’s checkup appointment, and I’m sitting in the waiting room, and people were starting to look at me.  I was like, what’s going on?  And I look down – this was with my first son.  I had through my bra, through my shirt, a stream trickling down to my lap, of milk. 

I’ve been there.  It’s the worst.  I marched in a parade once and I leaked through my shirt, and there was nowhere for me to go.  I was pushing the stroller with my son, and I was leaking, and it was hot.  The worst! 

These are parts of motherhood, and I think that finding ways to help things be more seamless is important.  Motherhood is busy, and it’s chaotic at times.  

There are so many new gadgets that I’m thankful for, for clients.  Like the milk collectors and so many more breastfeeding and pumping related gadgets to make life easier.  Back when I had kids, it was, like, bamboo pad inserts, and I would be feeding on one side and leaking on the other.  The bamboo inserts wouldn't collect enough, as an overproducer.  I am thankful for the milk collectors! 

Yes, very true!

So one thing I would love to cover with you, Kayli, is you mentioned your bras being able to support larger breast sizes.  But it can be difficult in pregnancy and in the postnatal phase to choose the right bra because our sizes change so drastically when our supply establishes, during pregnancy, when things settle as far as supply.  You can often need to purchase multiple bras in different sizes.  It can be challenging to find the best fit.  So what are your tips in handling those changes? 

So typically, we suggest size up.  But if you’re wanting something that is going to work for you while you’re pregnant and once your milk supply decides to regulate, our stuff is very stretchy, so usually that will do the trick.  But if you want to play it safe, order the size that you’re currently in while pregnant, and then size up, so that if that happens where your breasts get a lot larger when the milk comes in, you’ll have that second option for however long that takes.  If they decide to go back down, you’ll have the other one that you had in pregnancy.  But a lot of women are buying our bras while they’re pregnant, and it works all through.  I think it’s more of those extreme cases where they go up, like, three sizes when their milk comes in that they might need to get another size.  But all of our products are extremely stretchy and soft.  You’re never going to feel pushed on.  Especially with clogging milk ducts – I have dealt with clogged milk ducts in the past, and it is one of the most painful things.  What the lactation consultant told me was, you have to make sure that stuff is not pushing.  Your clothing, your bras are not pushing on your milk ducts.  That was something that was super important to us, too.  We do not want moms to have to deal with that.  

Yeah, it’s very uncomfortable.  That is amazing.  So is there anything else that you would like to highlight from your product line? 

We came out with a baby balm a couple years ago because my son was dealing with diaper rash.  And nothing was working for him.  The rash just kept coming back.  I tried all of the diaper rash creams and pastes; you name it.  So we came out with our baby balm.  It was originally called Baby Bum Balm, but then our customers were like, hey, I’m actually using this all over my baby’s body.  It’s working great for eczema, cradle cap.  So we kind of rebranded that and decided to make it an All-Over Baby Balm.  That was a complete game changer.  My son’s diaper rash went away right away within 24 hours.  It never came back.  I used it all the way until he was potty trained.  This has been a very popular product because moms are using it for all these different things, and it’s helping with a lot of stuff.  My youngest deals with eczema, so I’ve used this on his skin and it helps him so, so much.  With this formula, it’s all organic.  Everything is very clean ingredients.  I’m trying to remember off the top of my head every single ingredient, but one of the main ingredients, our oil is infused with calendula flower.  Calendula is extremely healing and has been known to help with burn scars and all sorts of different things.  Having that in there, it does this hydrating and nourishing and healing all in one.  It has been something that moms actually love and keep coming back for more.  It was life changing for me and my household. 

Again, solving problems!  You couldn't find the right products, so you created it yourself.  That’s what moms do! 

Yes.  That’s another thing; I want to encourage moms that you can do whatever you put your mind to.  Just because you have a baby or children, don’t feel selfish for trying to follow your dreams and to be doing things for yourself, as well.  I know a lot of moms will feel selfish for doing anything for themselves after they have baby.  Everything inside them is like, take care of the baby all the time.  Baby, baby, baby.  And everyone, including your partner and your children, are going to be – they’re happy when mom is happy.  So I feel like it’s important to take the time to do things that help you take care of everyone else because you can’t pour from an empty cup. 

Right.  So true.  Excellent.  Any final tips for our listeners, Kayli?  Anything about balancing motherhood or preparing for the postnatal phase; anything you want to suggest? 

Give yourself grace.  Give yourself time.  And try to find the beauty of your changing body because for some reason, the minute you have your baby, people are like, oh, you’ve got to get the baby weight off.  You’ve got to do this.  Hide the stretch marks.  That’s something that we’re not okay with.  We encourage women to be healthy, but also, that starts with a healthy brain.  Loving and embracing your changing body – if you have stretch marks, okay, cool!  Look, you have something that shows what you did.  You grew a human.  And that’s absolutely incredible.  So kind of changing things in your brain, to look at that and be like, wow.  And say to your body, thank you, instead of just squeezing the parts that are a little fluffier than they were before.  I think it’s important to realize that it’s beautiful.  Everything that you’ve gone through in creating a human – it is beautiful.  That’s what I want mothers to know.  Just give yourself grace and be kind to yourself. 

Beautiful.  So how can our listeners connect with you, Kayli? 

We’re on social media.  We’re on Facebook and Instagram.  We are also on TikTok.  But the best way to reach out to us – if you just want tips on sizing or if you have any questions or you just want to say hi, probably the easiest way is to send us a message on Instagram.  We also have a couple email addresses as well.  Tenderseasons.lynee@gmail.com is a good one if you want to contact Lynee.  Both of us love to hear from our customers, and we do not mind when customers are like, hey, I’m this size; what size do you suggest?  Or they’re like, this is my first baby; I’m worried about sizing for when milk comes in.  Some people are nervous to reach out to brands because they’re afraid that their messages won't get a reply or that they’re bugging people, but with us, we love hearing from our customers.  So do not feel bad; we love hearing from you.  It makes our day when we hear from our customers, honestly. 

I love it so much, and everything that you’re doing at Tender Seasons.  Thanks for sharing your founders story with us, Kayli! 

Of course, of course!  Thank you for having me!  This has been such an honor. 

It has been my pleasure, and I look forward to chatting with you again soon! 

IMPORTANT LINKS

Tender Seasons

Birth and postpartum support from Gold Coast Doulas

Becoming A Mother course

Buy our book, Supported