By Naomi Parris
Pregnancy is an important time in a woman’s life as she is preparing to bring new life into the world, however during this time women’s bodies go through an immense transformation.

During pregnancy and postpartum, women’s dissatisfaction with their bodies tend to increase irrespective of how satisfied they were prior to the pregnancy. Some of these changes can be difficult to deal with or very uncomfortable.

What makes it even harder for women, is that during the time of pregnancy there aren’t many fashionable fits that they can find in the local clothing stores during these changes.

Cognizant of this, local designer Natalya Thomas has launched her ‘Mom Life’ collection 2020 under the brand Talya.
“The line is basically to inspire women. Before and after or during the process of pregnancy, you can still be a fabulous mom,” she said.
Thomas, who is expecting her second child, disclosed to the Pepperpot Magazine that she was disappointed that she could not find any fashionable pieces to compliment her body and given the hard time she had during her first pregnancy, she decided to create her own fashion designs for herself and other expecting mothers.
“[Sometimes] you just find leggings here and there, nothing fashionable – nothing unique nothing that can actually compliment a woman’s body,” she said.
She noted that after giving birth, it may take a while for a woman’s body to get back to the way it was before, or it may never completely return to the way it looked before pregnancy.

Although these changes are natural, some women may struggle with keeping a positive body image during and after pregnancy.
“Another thing is I wanted to make them feel confident in their flesh, after giving birth you have that belly, you have that tummy left so I’m also bringing in the belly band that helps support during and after pregnancy,” she said.

Thomas added that she has also added a few extra pieces to help new mommies adjust to their bodies just after giving birth.
She noted that the response from other women especially new mothers have been exceptional since this is one of the first of its kind in Guyana’s fashion industry.
“The response has been very good in terms of persons liking the idea. It wasn’t just ‘She does sell this and she does design this’ it was, ‘Okay I need this, thank you for coming up with this idea’. It was that kind of excitement coming from other women,” she told the Pepperpot Magazine.

Thomas added that there are also a few unique pieces for women who wish to have maternity photoshoots, during and after pregnancy as well as a few casual pieces that can be worn during a day outing or even to a Sunday service at church.

Thomas, who described herself as a creative, told the Pepperpot Magazine that she took inspiration from the regular clothing she would have worn before her pregnancy and added a little flavour and a few adjustments to fit the changes of an expecting mother.
“I was inspired by other pieces that I would have seen on the internet or doing research but I created my own unique touch to it. That is what makes it different, it has its own uniqueness inside,” she said.

Additionally, Thomas noted that she is working on creating her own fabric and prints for the fashion line. “One of the other things I’m working on is doing my own prints. I’m working in terms of my own artwork and I’ll be using my own materials being printed so that I can stand out, so it’s not just going to be a piece of material that you find at [a local fabric store], or Bourda market,” she said.

The young woman noted that she considers the initiative to be a women empowerment movement that will help inspire women and promote body positivity since the line is not only focused on expecting mothers.