photo credit: Melanie Gordon

I met Lindsay at a shopping social at Toronto Yoga Mamas. I was there with my daughter Edie, and Lindsay had overheard me saying her name. Being a mom to an Edie herself (the name is more rare than you may think!), she came over to introduce herself. I had a chance to check out her postnatal care packages that day and thought they were a fantastic idea. Months later we reconnected on a Facebook mom’s group (I LOVE the online communities) and she updated me on what is going on in her life. Lindsay is raising awareness around post-natal wellness, and it is an important conversation to have, so I wanted to share her with you. 

Name: Lindsay Forsey
Kids: Edie, 4. Leni Mae, 18 months.
Company: Tenth Moon Mothercare

What is the story behind Tenth Moon?

Tenth Moon delivers postnatal care packages to new moms. And by new, I mean fresh, not necessarily first-time. People often overlook mama’s needs in the excitement of a new baby, but women deserve serious TLC after giving birth. Our packages are filled with healing baths, nutritious snacks, and personal care must-haves, all bundled up with a new mom’s needs in mind. It’s pretty much the best gift ever, or so I’m told. (Cool fact: If you follow a pregnancy by lunar cycles, about 29 days, most babies are born in the 10th moon.)

How did the idea for Tenth Moon come about?

My postnatal experience with my first baby was nothing like what I had imagined. After having an emergency caesarean, I struggled with migraines and developed thrush (a yeast infection on the nipple), which made breastfeeding really painful. Those first days and weeks after Edie was born are still vivid in my memory and I don’t know how I would have coped without the care of my husband and my mother.

Tenth Moon was born as a sort of pay-it-forward project. I started making mini care packages for friends who had babies – I’d bring them granola and an herbal sitz bath, for example – and they loved them. Then friends started requesting them for other friends. That’s when I saw the opportunity to spread the love to many moms and began developing the business. I launched Tenth Moon in 2014, just before Leni was born.

What motivates you?

My kids, my clients, and feminism.

Life zips by with little ones around. My girls remind me every day that time is precious and I want to spend mine following my heart and turning ideas into reality. The stories shared by women who receive our packages let me know that the work I’m doing through Tenth Moon matters. Maternal health is a human rights issue and the soul of Tenth Moon is about taking care of mothers. It’s exciting that as the business grows, I’m able to use it as a platform to raise awareness around postnatal wellness.

What is the most challenging part about being an entrepreneur / working mom?

Not succumbing to the sleepy-time fairy dust my four-year-old sprinkles around her room at bedtime. My youngest is still at home, so sometimes my days are more blocks and finger paint than marketing strategy and SEO. It can be hard to work after my kids have gone to bed, but a lot of good stuff happens between 8 p.m. and midnight.

What is something that you think people should know about you?

I’m in the beginning stages of founding Canada’s first nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women to advocate for their own postnatal wellness, and to raise awareness around the importance of maternal health.

What do you think is the most important thing a new mom can do in terms of postnatal care?

Ask for help. Motherhood is not meant to be a solo mission. As much as it takes a village to raise our children, so it does to care for the mothers who bring them into the world. Talk to your partner, family and friends about how they can support you. (Make a meal, snuggle baby while you nap, hold you tight when you’re overwhelmed with it all.) Taking care of mothers may not be ingrained in North American culture the way it is in others, but our desire to help one another is innate. Sometimes people just need a nudge.

Why is maternal wellness so important?

Maternal health affects the whole family. Women who are loved and supported in their postnatal experiences are better able to cope with the inevitable challenges they’ll face. Having a strong support network can also help a woman recognize more complex issues, such as postpartum depression. Maternal wellness is community wellness.

How can we all learn more about you!

www.tenthmoonmothercare.com or on Facebook, facebook.com/tenthmoonmothercare

Outdoor Voice

Welcome to Outdoor Voice, the blog for parents from Hip Mommies. We feature products of course, but also share reviews, host giveaways, and have moms that are doing great things share a bit about themselves. We are huge into Mom Crushes, parenting hacks, tips, kids, DIY recipes and more for the modern Canadian family. Want to participate? Send us an email!

Jennifer Myers Chua

Jennifer Myers Chua

Creative Director

email me: [email protected]

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Tenth Moon Mothercare

Want to learn more about Tenth Moon Mothercare?

www.tenthmoon.com

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Toronto Yoga Mamas

looking for prenatal yoga, prenatal training and all things mom & baby?

www.torontoyogamamas.com

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