As a mum of three young children, including a daughter who is PEG-fed, Jessica Barathy turned her family’s lived experience into a mission to support other families navigating complex medical care. Drawing on her background in fashion and graphic design, she founded Growing Tots, an adaptive childrenswear brand creating thoughtfully designed clothing for tube-fed children. What began as a personal solution to make everyday life easier for her daughter has grown into a purpose-driven business helping families across Australia feel more supported, empowered and understood. In this interview, Jessica shares the story behind Growing Tots, the challenges she’s overcome, and her vision for the future of adaptive children’s clothing.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Growing Tots was inspired by my lived experience as a mum of three young children, including my middle daughter who is PEG (gastrostomy tube) fed. Through countless hospital stays, medical appointments, therapy sessions and everyday outings, I quickly realised there were very limited clothing options available that truly supported the practical and emotional needs of tube-fed children and their families.
Before becoming a medical parent, I worked in the fashion and creative industry as a graphic designer, with my career beginning on the pages of Dolly Magazine and Cleo Magazine before later working with Aussie fashion royalty, Bec + Bridge. My background in fashion design and visual storytelling gave me the skills to think beyond traditional adaptive garments and create something both practical and thoughtfully designed for children and families.
I found myself constantly adapting regular clothing just to make feeding access easier while still trying to keep my daughter comfortable, safe and dignified. I wanted something that would allow quick and discreet access to her PEG without fully undressing or exposing her, and still being able to dress her the way I had always imagined.
That experience led me to create Growing Tots – an adaptive bodysuit designed specifically for gastrostomy-fed children. What began as a personal solution for my daughter has grown into a purpose-driven business supporting families across Australia who are navigating similar challenges.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Growing Tots started very organically, simply from a mother trying to solve a problem for her own child. I realised there was a significant gap in the market for adaptive clothing that was both functional and thoughtfully designed for children with medical needs.
With my background in fashion design and graphic design, I worked closely with my daughter’s medical team and developed a prototype that would assist all children with gastrostomy tubes. I spent over a year testing fabrics, refining access points and adjusting the fit to ensure the bodysuits were practical for families, comfortable for children and suitable for use in both medical and everyday settings.
What started as a personal project quickly gained interest from other medical families, therapists and hospital staff who understood the need for a safer and more accessible garment for gastrostomy-fed children. From there, Growing Tots slowly grew through word of mouth, community support and connections within the paediatric and medical space, eventually leading to our bodysuits being stocked within hospitals and paediatric centres across Australia.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough for Growing Tots was realising that adaptive medical clothing did not have to feel purely clinical or restrictive. It could be functional, comfortable and thoughtfully designed while still supporting the complex needs of PEG-fed children and their carers.
As a medical parent, I understood firsthand the daily challenges families face when trying to access feeding tubes quickly and safely, especially in public, hospital or school environments. Combining that lived experience with my background in fashion design allowed me to approach the problem differently.
Seeing the response from other families, therapists, nurses and hospitals confirmed that this was more than just a clothing product; it was something that genuinely helped reduce stress, improve comfort and support dignity for children and families navigating complex medical care.
Having Growing Tots stocked within paediatric hospitals and centres across Australia was a particularly meaningful milestone because it validated the real-world impact of the product within the medical community itself.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balancing work and family is something I’m constantly learning to navigate, especially as a mum of three children under five, including a child with complex medical needs. The reality is that Growing Tots was built around our family life, not separate from it. Many ideas, designs and decisions have come from real moments within our daily routines, hospital stays, therapies and caregiving experiences.
Running a business while parenting young children requires a lot of flexibility, patience and acceptance that balance rarely looks perfect. Some days are heavily focused on family and medical appointments, while other days I can dedicate more time to the business. I’ve learned to prioritise what matters most, create systems that work around our family’s needs and give myself grace during the harder seasons.
At the same time, Growing Tots has become deeply connected to my purpose as a mother. Knowing that the products we create are helping other families feel more supported, understood and confident in their everyday lives makes the long hours and challenges incredibly worthwhile.
