Lila Birth Gowns Update | Shark Tank Season 17
Caitlyn Schollmeier noticed that women arrive at the hospital to give birth and are handed thin, itchy gowns that expose them and make them feel like patients instead of people. She wanted something better, so she created the Lila Birth Gown. It’s a soft birth gown that keeps women covered while still giving nurses the access they need. Let’s find out if Caitlyn secured a deal in our Lila Birth Gowns update and pitch recap.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Lila Birth Gowns after
Caitlyn entered
In terms of a Lila Birth Gowns update, despite not getting a deal the company recieved a big boost in sales and brand awareness as a result of its
| Shark | Result |
| Kevin O’Leary | No offer |
| Daymond John | No offer |
| Lori Greiner | No offer |
| Robert Herjavec | No offer |
| Allison Ellsworth | No offer |
Shark Tank Lila Birth Gowns Pitch
- Entrepreneur: Caitlyn Schollmeier
- Business: A line of stylish labor gowns and maternity wear
- Ask: $200,000 for 5% equity
- Result: No deal
- Shark: None
Caitlyn described her brand as a comfortable and accessible hospital-gown alternative. It opens down the belly for fetal monitoring. It opens at the chest for breastfeeding and skin-to-skin.
The product has a low back for epidural placement. She framed it as a simple change that improves comfort, privacy, and medical access during labor.
However, she said the product line has grown far beyond the single gown she designed four years earlier. Lila now offers an entire range of birth-friendly hospital clothing for women of different sizes and body types.
The sharks checked their samples. Lori Greiner commented on the softness. Daymond John noted the attention to detail.
That led Daymond to ask where she sells. Caitlyn said all sales come from her website and that the business is fully direct-to-consumer. Robert Herjavec confirmed she meant her own site.
Kevin O’Leary then pushed on valuation. He pointed out that a $4 million valuation requires strong revenue. Caitlyn told him she has $7 million in lifetime sales.
In the previous year, she brought in $2.5 million, and she expects $2.7 million this year. Kevin asked about profit. She said the net margin is around 10%.
Meanwhile, guest shark Allison Ellsworth asked about her background. Caitlyn said she has worked in maternal health her entire adult life. She became a doula, then a nurse-midwife. The gown came from what she saw during labor shifts.
She added that her business took off after a TikTok video went viral while she was pregnant with twins. She sold 2,500 preorders in under two hours, all while launching the company from the NICU.
Kevin followed up by asking her customer acquisition cost. Caitlyn said it is $4.50. Lori said that the number was impressive.
Allison then asked about competition. Caitlyn told her that most other companies don’t make medically accessible gowns.
They either make robes or gowns that don’t allow proper access. Allison asked for margins. Caitlyn said the gown sells for $69.99 with a 40% gross margin.
Daymond asked if she plans to bring Lila into retail. Caitlyn said yes, retail is her next step. However, Allison questioned that strategy. She said maternity retail stores have closed across many major cities and that most shoppers now buy online.
Caitlyn said many women go to Target for maternity clothing. Then the sharks learned the company carries 200 SKUs. They were shocked.
Caitlyn explained she offers four sizes, five gown styles, and ten base colors, which creates the large count.
Daymond asked how much inventory she keeps. Caitlyn said $800,000, much of it built intentionally because of tariffs and her retail plans.
Robert bowed out first. He said he didn’t know the market well enough. Kevin followed and warned that retail would hurt her margins.
Lori liked the mission but didn’t feel it was the right investment. Daymond respected the numbers but couldn’t join because of the SKU load. Allison said the product was strong but not the right fit for her.
In the end, Caitlyn left without an offer. To find out what happened next for her company, keep reading our Lila Birth Gowns update.
Shark Tank Lila Birth Gowns Update
Our Lila Birth Gowns update found that, despite being bashed by Mr. Wonderful and leaving without a deal, things haven’t been all that bad for Caitlyn.
First, the company wasted no time turning its
We also noticed that they’ve had some big-name features, including CBS Mornings, The Bump, Medium, Yahoo, What To Expect, and Babylist.
Further, the company expanded its product line to include robes, swaddles, duffel bags, pajamas, and baby essentials.
Rather than whine about not getting a deal from the sharks, Caitlyn has used her platform to make her brand stronger and reach even more expecting moms.
We’re rooting for her and hope she returns to the tank as a guest sometime in the future, just like Allison.
You can head over to the Lila website to get a gown for yourself or loved one.
We will keep monitoring Caitlyn and circle back with more reports in our next Lila Birth Gowns update.
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Marvin Uzor
Marvin Uzor is a content contributor for Shark Tank Recap. He specializes in crafting engaging, well-researched content that delve into the latest Shark Tank stories, keeping readers hooked. He has a soft spot for his favorite Shark Tank companies, Bombas and Doorbot, known for their innovation and impact.