Breastfeeding your baby might not be as simple as it sounds.
That’s the reality for mums all over Australia. There’s lots to learn when you have a new baby, and it’s pretty easy to underestimate the challenges you’ll face with things like breastfeeding.
And that’s where Mad House Mums comes from.
Taeghan Madden launched Mad House Mums in 2020 when she gave birth to her first child.
Rowdy John was born 6 weeks premature, and he spent the first part of his life struggling in the NICU. Of all the challenges that Taeghan thought she’d face with her firstborn, spending countless hours sitting by his side in the NICU wasn’t one of them. And it turned into even more of a challenge when it came time to breastfeed her little boy.
Even with 9 months of research behind her, Taeghan was totally unprepared for the reality of nursing Rowdy, and she didn’t know if she was up to the job.
But! If anything good came from those long hours in the NICU, it’s that Taeghan had PLENTY of time read up on ways she could make the breastfeeding journey easier. One piece of advice kept coming up: it’s important for nursing mums to be relaxed and confident.
That means something a bit different to everyone, but for Taeghan it meant settling into clothes that were fun, stylish and simple, but also super comfortable.
Turning Her Own Struggle Into Mad House Mums
Style, comfort and simplicity. That was Taeghan’s shopping list when hunting for breastfeeding clothes that would help her connect with her new bub. But Taeghan’s search didn’t turn up many results.
Most of the clothes on the market were aimed at pregnant women, with breastfeeding access tacked on as an afterthought. And, while there were a few brands making clothes for nursing mums, none of them really had what Taeghan was looking for.
The hunt for the perfect breastfeeding clothes stretched far and wide. When she couldn’t turn up any great options, Taeghan even got out the sewing machine and had a go at modifying her normal clothes.
It was that foray into fashion design that sparked an idea: what if Taeghan could create a clothing brand for mums just like her?
And so, Mad House Mums was born!
Founded as a brand that offers fashionable, practical and bloody comfortable breastfeeding clothing, Mad House Mums was a company on a mission. The clothes Taeghan designed were things she wanted for herself – but it wasn’t long before she found plenty of other mums who shared her fashion sense!
When we were getting started, it was all about building a brand that made breastfeeding comfortable without sacrificing on style. No more oversized maternity clothes. No more “making do” with normal clothes. No more outfits that screamed I AM A BREASTFEEDING MUM!
The focus was on style and comfort, and we think we’ve done a pretty great job so far. Most of our pieces are designed around an invisible side zip. It’s perfect when you need access for breastfeeding, but it hides away in the fabric when it’s not needed, so no one would ever know that your clothes are designed for nursing!
What the Future Holds for MHM
Building Mad House Mums has been a journey. It began with Taeghan trying to find some wardrobe staples that suited her existing lifestyle, and it has quickly become a huge part of her life.
The brand is growing and the collection is always expanding. Taeghan is constantly working on new designs and searching for the materials and tech that make MHM clothes perfect for every part of life.
And this was all done around Taeghan’s day job and a busy schedule raising her two little bubs. That’s right, Pyper came along in the middle of this whole journey, and Taeghan doubled the number of reasons she had to make MHM a success.
Even though we’re moving fast, MHM is still a brand that’s designed by mums, for mums. Taeghan has big plans to expand the range and offer more and more breastfeeding accessories that can support new mums everywhere.
But. No matter what happens, Taeghan is still committed to the comfort and style that MHM was built on, and she’ll be incredibly humbled by every breastfeeding clothing Australia wide customer that comes along for the ride!