Mompreneur Julie Berg is making a splash with her stylish new 3-in-1 dress that brings fashionable comfort to moms who are tired of shapeless hospital gowns
When Julie Berg gave birth to her first child in March 2012, she wore a lovely dress that she had designed, rather than a hospital gown.
It was a small yet significant touch that allowed her to feel more comfortable, concealed and confident during one of the most important days of her life.
When planning her birth experience, Berg had strongly wanted to avoid wearing the standard shapeless hospital issued gown.
“On one of the most momentous days of a mother’s life, the birth of her child, you are asked to put on the traditional unflattering, uncomfortable, ‘one-size-fits-none’ hospital gown, which has a gaping hole in the back that exposes your backside as you walk down the hospital corridors to progress labour,” she says.
“Also, many of my friends who had experienced giving birth expressed to me that during the entire process you lose your dignity as the hospital gown just simply doesn’t fit and is uncomfortable.
“I didn’t want to have an experience like this with my children’s birth.”
And she wanted to help make other moms feel more beautiful and comfortable during pregnancy, labour and beyond. So the 32-year-old Guelph resident created Dressed to Deliver, 3-in-1 birthing gowns made with soft, jersey-knit fabric that can be worn as a maternity dress, labour and delivery gown, and post-birth nursing wear.
The birthing gown has all the features of a hospital gown, with discreet access for fetal monitoring, IVs and epidural administration, as well as C-section incision inspections & healing.
Dressed to Deliver gowns are designed so they can also be worn as a maternity and nursing dress, with access for skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding.
Another plus: women can freely walk the hospital hallways without fear of being exposed and feel confident when family drops by to take photos.
Working with medical professional Tracy Tremble, Berg designed the first strap gown in 2012. She recently added V-neck and pleated neckline styles to the collection. The dresses feature an empire waist with reinforced bust for support.
“The most important factors when the gown was designed was that it was functional yet fashionable. It needed to be a product that could be used for labour and delivery, as well as for before as a maternity dress and after as a nursing dress. ”
The birthing gown comes in different colours and patterns to accommodate every woman’s body shape and sense of style and is sold in sizes from small-3XL. Black nursing wraps are also available.
Dressed to Deliver is sold at www.dressedtodeliver.com and in select retail locations in Canada.
“I believe that birthing gowns help change the face of giving birth, taking it away from a clinical setting and allowing women to maintain comfort and dignity on a day which should be one of the most celebrated days of their lives, the birth of their child.”
The mom of two, who was a top finalist for a Mompreneur of the Year award, is so passionate about her business that she now dedicates herself full-time to running it.
And when she wore an improved design of the gown for the birth of her second child in March, she provided a birthing gown for each of the labouring mothers admitted at Guelph General Hospital around the time she delivered, “because I feel so strongly that wearing a Dressed to Deliver birthing gown enhances the birthing experience.”
“The comfort these gowns bring to both mother-to-be and even their partner is something I couldn’t help myself from sharing with the community.”
Photos: Dressed to Deliver