Victoria's Secret doesn't sell maternity nighties, so former salesperson Rebekah Stivers decided she would.

"Pregnant ladies want to feel sexy," Stivers says. "I'm not a mom. I listened to the market."

Stivers, of Minneapolis, launched upscale line Whoa Mamma in 2007 and sold lacey sleepwear and bra and panty sets to a few online stores and boutiques. All the while, she kept her job as a risk consultant.

Then Target came calling, and everything changed. Stivers created a second, less expensive line of sleepwear for the discounter called Glow Chic. It is now available at Target.com. Glow Chic's two-piece maternity sets — bra and panty, chemise and panty, top and lounging pant — sell for $49.

The partnership is new, but solid enough for Stivers to quit her day job. She is currently shopping her more expensive Whoa Mamma line, including fancy nursing bras, to upscale department stores.

— Allison Kaplan


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