Bryley Conley’s third pregnancy didn’t go as planned — and the harrowing experience of almost losing her son changed the course of her life forever.
Spending 148 long days and nights with the “sickest baby” in the NICU changed her perspective on almost everything. When she, then 39, and her son rejoined the family, she was determined not to miss any precious moments.
Then she got her period.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Bryley, now 41, revealed the devastating impact ‘that time of the month’ had on her mental health during those weeks.
She had just come home and wanted to spend time with her daughters, who were just five and seven, and with her husband and baby in the pool, but she could only dangle her feet in it.
Mother of three Bryley Conley with her children Summer, 9, Chloe, 7, Mason, 2. Bryley never wants to ‘miss’ family moments again
The mother of three spent 148 days in the NICU when Mason was born. Doctors gave him a 20 percent chance of survival and the experience changed Bryley’s outlook on life
Bryley wasn’t a fan of tampons and was determined to find a better option for women and girls who wanted to swim during their cycle.
And so Azure Belle was born.
“Period underwear is so popular that I thought there had to be a way to make good period swimwear,” she said.
Although some brands had crept into the market, most were “ugly” swimmers that Bryley was not comfortable with.
Bryley, pictured, launched Azure Belle swimwear – after deciding she didn’t want to miss swimming with her kids just because she had her period
The mother dedicated the next six months to developing the best swimmers, receiving help from engineers in Germany and conducting dozens of laboratory and field tests to make this possible.
Now he laughs at the idea that a period will never again ruin a holiday or a fun family moment in the pool.
‘I also noticed that all the swimwear from that time was for adults, and also for teenagers. I thought: how good would it be if girls could confidently go to the pool when they have their period? They will never have to miss a swimming carnival again.’
The range for teens and teenagers is very popular, as they can swim with confidence at any time
The historic swimwear launched in July 2022 and Bryley made over $10,000 in sales in its first week.
Six months after launching the swimwear line, Bryley started paying herself – she now employs three more staff.
‘I was surprised by the growth. Within a month, our first batch of stock was completely sold out,” she said.
The teenage range is super popular and parents of children aged ten and over bought the swimmers for their daughters.
The mother of three worked in government communications before launching the company, but now finds herself spending even more time at home with her family.
Bryley was the only one Mason was allowed to see most of the time – as it was during the tough on-off-off-again Covid lockdown period – here’s a rare moment with her daughter Chloe
Bryley’s family is happy and healthy – the children are thriving and as a bonus they get to see her more often
She can adjust her working hours accordingly, so she no longer feels like she will miss precious moments.
“It was so scary to put $80,000 to $100,000 into a company; to take a break from work and just go for it,” she said.
But she would do it again.
“My husband is less risk averse than me and pushed me over the line,” she said. “We looked death in the eye and changed our perspective.”
Bryley’s son is now two years old and doing well. His sisters are seven and nine.