Who We Are
Close To The Heart was established by two NZ based mamas in 2018, with an aim to create breastfeeding friendly clothing inspired by their own motherhood journeys.
By 2024 the former owners had reached a place with busy lives and families that they decided it was time for Close To The Heart to move on to it's next journey. That's where we come in!
My name is Maree, and I purchased Close To The Heart in 2024. It's a brand that I was familiar with as a customer, and I know and love the products. My husband and I have two children; a toddler boy and a baby girl. We also have a cat and a dog, so our lives can be hectic at times! Not to mention the never-ending washing pile.
My journey with breastfeeding friendly clothing began in 2021, when my boy was born in the midst of one of NZ's Covid-19 lockdowns.
Breastfeeding my babies is something I am very passionate about, and we've battled some big challenges to be successful at it. One of the biggest challenges I faced was suffering from post-natal depression and anxiety. I became very deep in my own head; it felt as though my life had stopped and the whole world was carrying on without me. Motherhood can be such a lonely place, and there were times I felt that my choice to breastfeed was restricting me even further.
Enter breastfeeding friendly clothing! Suddenly with the assistance of clothing that was designed at it's very heart to make breastfeeding as easy as possible, I didn't feel stuck within the walls of my home. I was able to get out and about and find myself again, this time with baby in tow.
I'm passionate about bringing stylish, practical, and affordable clothing to the world to enable other mamas to feel as free to breastfeed with confidence as I do. I want to enable you to live your life to the fullest, whilst feeling good about yourself. I'm here for you, I am you! It's very close to my heart.