Iowa State pair patents new bra for nursing mothers

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FOR THE UNIVERSITY. WHEN LING CHUNG BECAME A MOM, EVERYTHING CHANGED. I THINK MOTHER IS THE HARDEST JOB IN THE WORLD. AS A NEW MOM, NAVIGATING BREASTFEEDING, LING FOUND HERSELF WITH A SERIOUS ISSUE. IT WAS REALLY PAINFUL AND I WENT TO THE DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY FOR BREASTFEEDING MOMS. A CLOGGED DUCT CAN CAUSE A TENDER, PAINFUL LUMP, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS INFECTION CALLED MASTITIS. THE MAYO CLINIC SAYS IT CAN AFFECT UP TO 1 IN 5 BREASTFEEDING PEOPLE. LING’S DOCTOR TOLD HER THE UNDERWIRE IN HER BRA WAS LIKELY TO BLAME. SHE LEFT WITH A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE. THAT’S VERY, VERY UNHEALTHY. I WANT TO TELL WHOEVER ARE NURSING RIGHT NOW, DO NOT WEAR YOUR REGULAR BRA. THE ASSOCIATE IOWA STATE PROFESSOR TOOK MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS. WHAT STARTED AS A SKETCH TURNED INTO A STITCH AND A PASSION PROJECT WAS BORN. LING ENLISTED THE HELP OF NOW FELLOW MOM AND APPAREL DESIGN PHD STUDENT LILY JUNG. THEIR GOAL? DESIGN A BRA THAT’S COMFORTABLE BUT GIVES SUPPORT. REALLY TIGHT OR LOOSE? WHATEVER YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE ON YOUR BODY IS BEAUTIFUL BUT FUNCTIONAL. IT’S ALSO SOFTER THAN THE NORMAL. VELCRO. IT’S NOT SCRATCHING THE BABY’S FACE. THIS IS DIFFERENT AND IT CAN HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEY EMBARKED ON MARKET RESEARCH AND POURED THROUGH HEALTH STUDIES. THE PAIR DEDICATED NEARLY A YEAR TO FABRIC FITTING ALONE. I FEEL ALMOST ALL OF MY FREE TIME. I STAYED IN THE PRODUCTION LAB AND KEPT WORKING ON THE PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT. SO EVERY MORNING I CAME AND JUST WENT TO THE PRODUCTION LAB. IN NOVEMBER, THE U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE APPROVED THE ISU RESEARCH FOUNDATION’S APPLICATION FOR AN APPAREL DESIGN PATENT FOR LING AND LILY’S MULTI LAYER MATERNITY GARMENT, MARKING ISU’S FIRST EVER PATENT IN THAT CATEGORY. THIS BAMBOO JERSEY IS SUPER, SUPER DELICATE AND STRETCHY AND SOFT. CALL IT A LABOR OF LOVE. THE COMPANY MUKHIN WAS BORN. THAT’S THE MEANING OF MOTHER IN MANDARIN CHINESE. I LOVE THIS NAME. THIS IS A BIG WORD IN MY CULTURE, MY COUNTRY. LING HOPES TO ONE DAY SELL A BROADER RANGE OF NURSING AND MATERNITY WEAR, BOTH ONLINE AND IN STORES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE TO BE PROUD. THAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORLD CREATED BY MOTHERS, FOR MOTHERS IN AMES ALYX SACKS KCCI EIGHT NEWS, IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. WHAT A GREAT IDEA. CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES. BY THE WAY, LING IS ALSO WORKING ON ANOTHER PATENT AND HOPES TO LEARN MORE SOON. FOR EVERY TWO PRODUCTS PURCHASED, MUKHIN DONATES ONE TO THOSE IN NEED. TO SHOP THEIR

Iowa State pair patents new bra for nursing mothers

An associate professor and Ph.D. candidate at Iowa State University are the proud parents of a new patent benefiting new moms, and it's the first of its kind for the university. After working in design for decades and teaching at ISU, associate professor in Iowa State University's Department of Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management Ling Zhang, was inspired by her own experience.Not long after her child was born, she suffered from clogged milk ducts when she started breastfeeding. "It was really painful, and I went to the doctor right away," Zhang said.After consulting with her doctor, Zhang discovered her bra was to blame."I want to tell whoever is nursing right now: Do not wear your regular bras," Zhang said. "I wanted to have something and I didn't find anything on the market."Frustrated by the lack of options for nursing bras, Zhang enlisted the help of Ph.D. candidate Lily Jiang and the two got to work. They poured over research and data in order to create a maternity garment that was beautiful, supportive, and healthy for mom. They say one challenge in the process was creating something that could provide support while also remaining comfortable throughout the body's changes in pregnancy and breastfeeding.Now, a mom herself Jiang, says this became a passion project for both of them."I think is helpful building your self-image," Jiang said. "They should wear something to appreciate themselves."The end product is something Zhang and Jiang said they're very proud of. The countless hours of finding the right fabric and fit based on research they created a babydoll nursing bra. "You can wear it for sleep. It's super soft and the fabric is bamboo jersey you probably can't find this on the market," Zhang said. "You can probably wear this forever."The design's patent was approved in November and became ISU’s first-ever apparel design patent. Zhang's own startup company MUQIN was born."That's the meaning of mother in Mandarin Chinese," Zhang said. "I love this name. This is big word in my culture, my country, and we are mothers."Zhang has another patent pending on a nursing bra she hopes is approved this year. She says all of this would not have been possible without the university's support.To shop, head to muqin-us.com.

AMES, Iowa —

An associate professor and Ph.D. candidate at Iowa State University are the proud parents of a new patent benefiting new moms, and it's the first of its kind for the university.

After working in design for decades and teaching at ISU, associate professor in Iowa State University's Department of Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management Ling Zhang, was inspired by her own experience.

Not long after her child was born, she suffered from clogged milk ducts when she started breastfeeding.

"It was really painful, and I went to the doctor right away," Zhang said.

After consulting with her doctor, Zhang discovered her bra was to blame.

"I want to tell whoever is nursing right now: Do not wear your regular bras," Zhang said. "I wanted to have something and I didn't find anything on the market."

Frustrated by the lack of options for nursing bras, Zhang enlisted the help of Ph.D. candidate Lily Jiang and the two got to work. They poured over research and data in order to create a maternity garment that was beautiful, supportive, and healthy for mom.

They say one challenge in the process was creating something that could provide support while also remaining comfortable throughout the body's changes in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Now, a mom herself Jiang, says this became a passion project for both of them.

"I think is helpful building your self-image," Jiang said. "They [moms] should wear something to appreciate themselves."

The end product is something Zhang and Jiang said they're very proud of. The countless hours of finding the right fabric and fit based on research they created a babydoll nursing bra.

"You can wear it for sleep. It's super soft and the fabric is bamboo jersey you probably can't find this on the market," Zhang said. "You can probably wear this forever."

The design's patent was approved in November and became ISU’s first-ever apparel design patent. Zhang's own startup company MUQIN was born.

"That's the meaning of mother in Mandarin Chinese," Zhang said. "I love this name. This is big word in my culture, my country, and we are mothers."

Zhang has another patent pending on a nursing bra she hopes is approved this year. She says all of this would not have been possible without the university's support.

To shop, head to muqin-us.com.

Iowa State pair patents new bra for nursing mothers

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