The lingerie line - called 'Hot Milk' - was developed by Lisa Ebbing and Angela Crosbie when Miss Ebbing struggled to find attractive underwear during her pregnancy, but when a catalogue of their range was distributed online by Breastmates.co.nz controversy struck when a handful of complaints came in.

Women contacted Breastmates saying they were offended by the overly sexy images that had arrived in their inboxes, calling the photographs 'soft porn' and demanding to know why one woman was shown being filmed.

Ebbing and Crosbie believe that the complaints came from the fact that it was pregnant women shown in the seductive poses, saying "The problem is not that we have a risque campaign, it's that we have a risque campaign with a pregnant woman."

Several women who received the catalogue have voiced their support for the Hot Milk range, saying they wished attractive maternity underwear had been available during their pregnancy, and experts in the field have suggested that glamourous bras and pants could give a confidence boost to women suffering post-natal depression or even encourage ladies to breast-feed their newborns for longer.

The partnership behind the brand say that their colourful coordinated sets of underwear and pretty nursing bras are intended to empower the pregnant women at a difficult time in her life:

Whilst mums-to-be seem to be embracing this message, the recent controversy suggests that Hot Milk have a way to go before their opinion is widely accepted and it becomes possible for a pregnant woman to express her sexuality without causing offense.

Source: The Bay Of Plenty Times

See also: Hot Milk Lingerie