How to Dress as a Mum Without Losing Your Identity 

Petition to make a Melannah podcast??

This felt like listening to a podcast, really enjoyed it. You have such great chemistry ❤

“Grown” feet post partum: our post partum pelvic floor exercise instructor told us it’s possible, but it does not have to stay this way! She showed us a couple of exercises to train our foot muscles. Most of them involved us standing on a rolled up towel and tipping/stepping to the front/side/back and balancing on one foot (still on the towel). What’s also nice: she showed us: standing, with a tennis ball (or similar) under one foot, and rolling the ball under the foot with a bit of pressure, especially where the painful and uncomfortable spots are, basically massaging the foot…

I am sat watching this feeding my 2 week old as a first time Mum. I found this chat so useful and also calming. Thanks both x

I’ve recently started vacuuming sealing my old clothes for storage - takes up way less space, but they’re still there in case my size changes again or something comes back in style!

Hannah, you are definitely a fashion youtuber (along with your many other youtuber identities) ❤ you are the definition of personal style and I love watching your fashion videos and seeing what you’re wearing :) it isn’t always my style but I love and appreciate it as your style :)

this has such cozy vibes! i relate to a lot of this discussion, but from the context of disability. a lot of fashion pieces that feel the most "me" are often in opposition with what I need to accommodate heslth stuff. for instance, i really love jeans and structured trousers, but uave abdominal and pelvic pain means that something tight around the waist is reslly uncomfortable. i love layering/sweaters/button downs, but having temperature regulation issues means that I often find myself resorting to a basic t-shirt so I don't overheat. and the body abd size changes make all of that even more challenging while trying to be sustsinable! I feel like I'm still really on a journey to discover my personal style and this conversation was really nice to hear even though I'm not coming from the parenthood lense. love both of yall 💛

I am not a parent and not planning to be any time soon but content like this is so helpful for getting more understanding of what my parent friends might be going through or feeling. Love it ❤

I had such a hard time with body image after my second and basically gave up on fashion completely. My uniform for about a year post partum was my maternity nurse scrub bottoms and a couple of oversized graphic t's i had bought to get me through my 3rd trimester. Accepting that my body had changed and I was a new size and embracing a new wardrobe made such a difference for my mental health❤

As for sustainable Nursing wear, I found a brand called Milchshake. It is organic and made in Germany. They have Hoodies with diagonally blocked colours and between the colours are zips. They look great and nobody expects them to be nursing specific!

This is such a good conversation. I am extremely lucky in that my personal style was already pretty much exclusively “matching jogger and hoodie set in a fun color with chunky sneakers” which is ideal for my current phase of life (mom to an unbelievably active almost-eight-month-old gal who can *walk and climb stairs* send help.) And even still, I totally had to deal with this postpartum when I constantly felt like a milk, sweat and spitup covered mess and was always wearing my husband’s t-shirts, ugly pj pants and the messiest possible messy bun. Taking the five minutes to put my hair in a nicer style, throw on more elevated comfy clothes, and maybe apply some eyebrow pencil makes me feel instantly accomplished and is so motivating for the day.

Still took a lot away from this even though I'm not a parent

Investing in a bunch of Black Milk clothing turned out to be a massive win for me. I have Crohn's and I've had a baby so having a wardrobe of stretchy nylon has been amazing. It's so comfortable and really accommodating, even with breastfeeding and changing sizes. These days I am trying to lean more towards secondhand and eco stuff but it is great that I've been able to wear the same things for many years without having to keep changing every time my body changes.

I appreciate SO much how you always use the correct anatomy word for everything, in a time where we always hear modified terms (I guess for monetization? or prudishness?) it's so refreshing

This!! This is the talk I long to have with other mums ❤ The understanding between two breastfeeding mums!! I literally cut up a big T-shirt in the middle because I couldn't find anything to sleep in that would cover my shoulders so I don't freeze 🥶

Great seeing you guys back together! Hadn't noticed you stopped wearing makeup until Melanie mentioned it. Love to see a video about it, as it'd be interesting to know why and if it affected your body image/self confidence ♥

I took so much note when you were talking about bras because I stopped wearing them years ago and now I need nursing bras and I'm LOST 😅

I have 3 kids under 5, all my outfits are super casual. In rare moments when I am going out I dress up and feel like I put in a costume of another person. But I really value being comfy!

Thanks for showing where the zips are on your breastfeeding dresses! So useful

Also not a parent, but relate to some of this sooo soo much after my endo and endo cyst diagnosis and surgery! Stuff I fit into before I got very big with the cyst, even after surgery no longer fit, and endo belly bloat is a real issue! So I also live in the stretchy Lucy and Yak trousers 24/7!! So comfy and fit me at a variety of sizes 😁

Always great to hear from Hannah and Mel 💛💚

Loving this collab!

Hannah, you are totally a fashion RU-vidr and more so, very cosy and inviting one! My daughter is almost 2 years old, I came back to work about 6 months ago and I’ve been on a fashion LOW and rediscovery journey (still am!). Your videos are so inspiring and igniting the love for fashion and showing my personality this way - thank you so much for this! ❤ I absolutely love your channel and what’s important - it makes fashion more doable for me, it’s not scary unrealistic, but encouraging and motivating 🫶

What another great colab! Loved it x

The Molke bras! 😘 Absolute gamechanger!

Clip down tops are soooo helpful! A button dress or just a top and trousers over it

I am 3 months pregnant right now & I KNOW I am going to be returning to this video after my sweet baby is born. I loved this chat & learned so much while also feeling like the friend who is in the room with you two. Thank you ladies for this ❤️

Please have a podcast I could listen to you two all day

I have a 6month old and Im loving this chat. I have not dealt with my old clothes that don't fit yet because I dont know how my body will change and I am afraid of not having outfits as my body fluctuates 😅 And the breastfeeding outfits, it stresses me OUT!

okay i thought i was the only one who was having issues w that uniqlo bag digging in like that - glad im not the only one!

I used to love mini dresses and heels, but I cannot chase and capture a fleeing toddler in either of those items. Motherhood has got me in elastic waist trousers and fitted T-shirts, dungarees and jumpsuits, with trainers, flat boots or flat sandals because my toddler is a runner and I need to be able to chase after her 😅

This is SO helpful as I figure out what clothes I want to thrift/make/buy for the last three months of pregnancy and postpartum, thanks!

Yay Hannah and Melanieeee ❤

The body neutrality in this conversation was 🤌🏾

I’m TTC and have worked with kids my whole professional career and this was both enlightening and incredibly affirming ❤

My daughter is 16 months and i am still not even close to my pre-preg size. Baggy shirts for nursing is basically my go-to. I miss dressing like "me" but its hard to do now

I’m almost 34 weeks pregnant with my second and so aware that my self esteem last time was linked to how I looked and whether I’d made an effort (for myself) to look presentable. Just bought a few comfy but nice looking loungewear items so I feel less slobby and hopefully feel nice!

Omg I loved dungarees in that first year!! They can be structured and baggy at the same time and I need that structure to feel like a person. I relate to almost everything else in this convos though. I used to love floral dresses before and it does feel too mumsie when you have a baby or a young child... Which is so confusing too. That some things I used to love atheistically feel too soft for me as a mom now. Like I have to rebalance the kind of feminine/masculine vibe of my wardrobe.

The solution to the button down , boob flashing issue is to wear a crop top underneath! Spent most of my mat. leave wearing this and still gravitate towards it now!

Thanks!!

Not a mum, but absolutely loved your collab 😊 And the ending was judt glorious as I am going to have a sound of music movie night tonight ❤

I always like your collaborative videos , but this really said For You! ❤

I went up and down several sizes throughout the last two years due to mental health reasons and I so agree, it is so difficult saying goodbye to favorite pieces all the time. Most of my clothes are second hand so I was feeling a bit less bad going in and out of the charity shop and exchanging clothes again and again. But some pieces I altered, because I didn't want to let go. ❤

The one-handed nursing bra struggle is real! If you can’t undo it with one hand it’s a terrible nursing bra.

My feet getting bigger is the thing I’m most upset about. Not only is replacing them super expensive but my feet widened and finding shoes that fit is almost impossible.

Great talk, I share a lot of yours observations, great vibe, I loved to watch your conversation after another day of parenting.❤ I was really good in shopping clothes for myself online before baby, now I need to try everything on, and sending some items back is another thing that you have to remember about.Body is constantly changing postpartum and it is so hard to dress yourself in the way that is comfortable but also you still feel like a part od civilized world.

I also bruised my ribs when starting using underwired bras again! Post breastfeeding I don't fit my pre pregnancy bra anymore. So for mother's Day this year my husband took me to a bra shop to get an entirely new bra wardrobe 😱 sports bras, sexy bras, bralettes, tshirt bras, the lot. It's so nice to have bras that fit properly again and hold my boobs up and make them look good again. As comfy as my maternity stuff was, I didn't feel as good as I do with my underwires for day to day

Love this! 💛

The thing that drove me mad in pregnancy and now in my early breastfeeding journey is the fact that you have to order clothes online because none of the high street stores have any clothes in store to try on… Given how much my body has changed, I have no idea what size I need, and having to send loads of clothes back has been really disheartening. I’ve now found a couple of tops I’m happy with for BF on Amazon, but I’m yet to find trousers that are comfy and loose enough while also being slightly flattering (and not leggings!)

Yes! I'm not fashionable but I like looking nice. Wore pretty much only h&m nursing tops, with a sweater over that in winter for the 4 years I breastfed my children. Hated all other nursing bras because I found them so uncomfortable. I have a weird combination of saggy, heavy boobs and small waist and most sizes didn't fit at all, didn't give support or were too tight. I am so happy to be down to 2-3x breastfeeding per day, mostly for little guy to fall asleep, so I could go back to all my normal summer clothes 🎉🎉

So like when are you starting a podcast together because I could listen to you two chat together for hours

The point where you mentioned about shoes not fitting anymore spoke to me! I have a few pairs of shoes/boots that I love but my feet are bigger since having my son 2 yrs ago and they no longer fit. I'm gutted!

I haven’t breastfed for 1.5 years but I’m struggling to see any reason to ditch my nursing bralets to go back to my old underwired ones 😂 They’re sooo comfortable. Not a Primark girlie in general but I got my nursery bralets from there and they are a great budget friendly option.

Loved this! You might also enjoy Hannah Louise Poston's video on dressing for a changing body 👌👌

I ended up pumping way more than breastfeeding, and I have been living in my 3 pumping bras for months. Don’t know what I’d do without them.

If you get the magnetic nursing bras slide them! I couldn't do them to start with but once I started sliding them it was great! And they look kinda sexy which helped me feel cute again!

Love seeing you two together. I found Mel through the vlog you once did on the set of an Erica Lust production. It’s so cool to see you through different stages of life, growing up together

Jeans are mean in general. Flowy dresses with elastic Waist follow you on many sizes journey. My favorite Summer dresses have no boob access, so I got cheap dress and a skirt. I'm also a public breastfeeder, but with small boobs it's not such a big deal.

I love the stretchy seraphine breastfeeding dresses - they have really good boob access and coverage. And they were very close to my usual style too.

Team big boobs here 🙋‍♀️ I'm breastfeeding a nearly 5 month old and coming into winter in Australia I watched your autumn/winter video to be prepared 😅 I use the singlet underneath tip so my midsection stays warmer and it covers my belly which helps me feel more secure 😁

♥️♥️♥️♥️

My mom’s feet went back to her original size when I was 18 😅

I dealt with hemorroids by sitting on my breastfeeding pillow 😅

Washed this throughout the night feeds ❤

Would love a video on not wearing makeup anymore.

Resonated with a lot of this with a Vinted order sat downstairs of baby clothes and a breastfeeding friendly top! Currently breastfeeding an 8 week old while watching. I’m on the hunt for essentially a new wardrobe that is not just summer and breastfeeding friendly (agree on not being so keen on button downs and faffing with a tent over my head etc) but also sling friendly ie just boob access at the boob… Some more thoughts: - please can a brand make mum and me tops that are in the cute patterns the snazzy baby clothes are in? Like not garish but just not sooooo boring!?! - please can breastfeeding tops not be predominantly navy black or generally BORING. (Seraphine, I see you but needs to also not have me looking like I’m at a wedding or the office, softer materials and more playful!) - can everything not be striped!?!!! (Looking at you Jo Jo Mama!) - can someone make clothes that could work at soft play and be at least one of breastfeeding and maternity!?! - I’d love any ideas on a capsule wardrobe for this phase of life???!! I am just trying to buy things that work for bumps and boobs and buy high quality but second hand (thank you Vinted) but there isn’t loads about as Seraphine is still relatively new. - please can the brands use good quality material and breathable stuff so it works for the demands of childcare and can be passed or sold on and not end up in landfill (looking at you Shein, more colourful but poor fitting and polyester)

Keep some basic clothes of every size.

I love wearing skirts, but also I wanna roll around on the floor without exposing my underwear.

Mel, if you’re a C, then my C’s are an AA😅😅

Am I the only one here thinking it's harder to dress when breastfeeding than being pregnant? 😅

It surprises me that you’re still friends with Melanie after she went on those anti Covid and anti vaccines rants constantly a couple of years ago 🙃

So nice to watch the two of you together! I don’t even have children and have no plan ever having any but I would listen to you chat about absolutely anything 🩷

hey

You both are amazing mom’s and hope you have fun and relaxing trip Hannah and enjoy ur girls trip Melanie Murphy 🍄‍🟫🪷🌞🍄🍄🌞🪷🍄‍🟫🍄‍🟫🌹🌻🪻🪻🌹💛💛🌹🌻🪻🪻🌹🥀🌼🖤🥀🌼🪻🪻🌻💛🍄🍄🍄🪷🌸🌸🪻🌹🌻🌼🌼🌻🌹💛💛🥀💖💖💖💘💘💙💚💞🌈💗💗💖🌺💖🖤🖤🌹🌹🌹💛💛