Hi ladies!
We've been receiving loads of love from our mummy fans which is why we decided to do a special feature with the expectant mummies from our TCL family! Introducing Bert and Steph - we're sure they're familiar faces to you ladies as they are our lady boss as well as long-time staff member!
We sat down to do an exclusive interview with these two mothers-to-be and listen to their experience as first-time mums! Read on to find out more about their stories regarding their bundles of joy!
Bert's Pregnancy Journey
1. Hi Bert! Congratulations on your baby and all of us were definitely thrilled when you broke your pregnancy news! Tell us about your first reaction when you found out that you were pregnant!
Bert: I was really shocked and couldn’t believe my eyes as past tests were always negative. I remember looking at the pregnancy kit multiple times to make sure that I didn’t see the wrong lines haha. I was also due to fly for a work trip the next day so everything happened so fast for me!
2. We also want to know how your loved ones reacted to the news! Perhaps Bree was as excited as you are?
Bert: Bree was more excited than me! She was the first person I shared the news with, and I told her that I wanted to get a more sophisticated pregnancy kit (I was initially using a brandless kit to test) but she assured me that the test results were real because I had tested 2 more times haha.
3. Having a baby is definitely no easy feat! We would love to hear about your pregnancy journey thus far!
Bert: I used to hear about how tiring pregnancy can be but I didn’t think it would be this tiring! For my first trimester, I was so tired. Most days I slept around 8-9pm, almost immediately when I reached home. It didn’t help that I had very bad nausea which affected my work, appetite and mood. My second trimester has been much better. I am able to have larger meals now and puke less. I have also bought a lot of items for the baby, but it makes me happy to shop for him haha. A huge salute to all mums out there too!
4. From a strong lady boss to an expectant mother, could you share with us how being pregnant has altered your lifestyle habits?
Bert: I sleep more for sure! I didn’t use to eat a lot of fruits but now I try to have fruits at least once a day if I can. I try not to let pregnancy affect my work but I definitely had to cut down on work trips so no more flying for me until this pregnancy is over!
5. We were really moved by the short snippets of your gender reveal party! Were there any funny episodes you would like to share from it?
Bert: The star of the party was actually Jake haha but he is such a shy boy that when we tried to take our group photos together, he hid behind us and Summer was the one sitting tall and proud infront! It was as if she was the star of the show haha. But both dogs are such a dear to us, we are really happy they were a part of our gender reveal party!
6. We heard that you were rooting for a baby girl to carry on the family business! Does this mean that there will be plans for a second baby?
Bert: Well... this I can’t be sure as of yet! We’ll see. ;)
7. Can we still look forward to your #TCLOOTDs now that you have your baby bump?
Bert: Yes of course! We didn’t use to design with pregnant mums in mind but I have come to realise that quite a lot of our pieces are bump friendly. They are mostly loose fit pieces that we can accentuate the waist with a simple sash. I have heard from my friends who are mothers that they wished they could purchase maternity friendly clothes that were wearable after giving birth as well, so I am glad that some of our pieces fit the bill!!
8. Will there be plans for a mother-and-baby line in TCL?
Bert: Of course! We always knew that we wanted the line but only after I became pregnant. We believe that we have to experience being mothers ourselves to truly understand what problems mothers face when they are selecting their apparels for their kids or for themselves. With this personal experience in mind, we hope to bring something new to the baby-maternity apparel industry!
9. Let us know what you would like to say to the mummy fans out there!
Bert: Thank you to all mummy fans who have been so encouraging to me whenever I have certain issues that I am not sure about and giving me advice! I am so happy that we are on this journey together and I wish for all our kids to grow up to be healthy and happy kiddos. :) 
Steph's Bundle Of Joy
1. Hi Steph! We’re really excited to be doing this interview with you as you are one of our longest serving staff! For those who are new to TCL, could you do a short introduction about yourself?
Steph: Hello, I'm Steph and I am part of the marketing team! I started off my TCL journey as a part-timer when I was still a teenager after my A levels! It has been a good 7+ years now and I think it has been an amazing journey each time I look back!
2. It has been a really long time coming and we’ve seen you blossom with TCL into the lovely lady you are today! What’s one thing that has changed your life completely after joining TCL?
Outside of work, TCL gifted me a close circle of friends and family! I made many close friends during the whole journey and some of them are even my bridesmaids at my wedding. I also appreciate that our workplace is a place where we can work, play and relax altogether.
3. Congratulations on your pregnancy! What was the process of finding out about your bundle of joy like and what were the reactions?
I felt like something was off so I went to purchase 2 kits to test it out. The funny thing was that when I tested out the first kit, I didn't even know if it was a positive or not because the line was so faint! Tested out with the digital kit and it became clear!
The moment the word "PREGNANT" flashed by the digital kit, I felt my heart explode hahah. I told my husband about it and he couldn't wipe the smile off his face for the rest of the day.
4. We’re sure your baby has brought about many changes in your life! Could you share with us some of these stories?
Steph: At the initial stages, I think the changes were still quite minimal! I still went for my usual activities like yoga, ate pretty normally and I still went for overseas trips! But once the morning sickness set in, it was really quite bad. I had to adjust the food I ate - basically whatever I felt like eating, I gave in to the craving so that I could get whatever nutrients that the food option offered. I felt quite weak and nauseous daily and that inevitably showed up at work too.
But thankfully, everyone at office helped make things better for me and I managed to tide through that period! Exercising wise, I can't do much strenuous activities now that I am 8+ months pregnant but I switched to having evening walks or light swimming!
5. Besides these lifestyle changes, have you made changes to the way you dress? Share with us your preferred styles pre and post-pregnancy!
Steph: I opted for a lot of loose-fitting dresses during my pregnancy! I miss wearing my cropped tops and pants/bottoms but I pretty much gave up on waisted apparels once my bump started showing so that I will feel more comfortable!
When purchasing outfits during pregnancy, I tend to think of the mileage that I will get out of the outfit. Considerations of whether the outfit is nursing friendly comes to mind so that I can wear them even after I pop!
6. We have many mummy fans who are looking for maternity-friendly outfits! Which pieces would you recommend?
Steph: We have a lot of suitable outfits actually! I think my favourite throughout my pregnancy would be Eleanor Pleated Dress - it's so comfy and non-restrictive! I got the Navy when it first launched and we have new colours for it too! Others that I love would be Graciela Pleated Maxi Dress and Caily Colourblock Midi Dress!
7. Everyone is curious to know about the gender of your baby! Tell us more!
Steph: It's a baby boy! A pretty active one too given how he kicks and keeps me up at night these days.
8. With that, could you share a few words with our expectant ladies?
Steph: Enjoy the process! There're gonna be ups and downs but trust that you will be able to go through it all with grace!
For the mummies out there, we hope you ladies have enjoyed this special feature from our own TCL family! Let us know in the comments below if you would like to share about your mummy woes or tips on how to dress your bump!