Q&A with 100 Days Of!

100 Days Of is a project dedicated to changing the postpartum conversation by sharing 100 anonymous stories told by real postpartum women. It was created by Jordana and Lani, two mothers with a shared vision to help mothers feel less isolated in their experiences. In their own words from their website:

“Our hope is that reading these stories will remind you that you are not alone and that we have ALL been through it in one way or another. By reading these stories and engaging with us, you are now part of our tribe and we believe that moms should be non-judgy and inclusive because, in the end, we are all doing the best we can in raising these crazy little humans. ”

We had the opportunity to ask Jordana and Lani some questions and we hope you’ll enjoy the conversation as much as we did.

Q: We have loved following along since your account went live. What motivated you to start this account? How has the reception been?

A: We started this account because we both felt that motherhood really changed us and impacted us in ways we didn’t anticipate. We had so many collective “no one ever told us” moments! We were so fortunate to have each other on our postpartum journey but we realized that not every new mama out there has a safe supportive place to go so we created one. We love sharing the interviews we have conducted with hundreds of women to show all new mamas that they are not alone in whatever they are going through.

The reception has been far beyond what we anticipated. When we launched in September, we would have been excited and happy with 50 followers but we got over 1000 on the first day. Our mission is to make a profound change in the way people talk about postpartum so the fact that so many parents are with us is wonderful.

Q: Based on the stories that people have submitted, what do you think are the biggest or most common challenges that new parents face?

A: Every single parent we have spoken to has mentioned feeling lonely and isolated – whether they have a network or not.

Q: Since you started hearing from new moms, has anything surprised you?

A: No! We’ve both been through so much that you really can’t surprise us. But we are always in awe of how many moms have the same story. We all seem to have our own unique journey but with the same struggles and triumphs as our neighbours.

Q: Compared to even a few years ago, people seem to be more open with sharing their difficulties during the postpartum period. Why do you think that is?

A: We’ve seen that for women, there is a sense of feeling sick and tired with the status quo. Women are starting to give and receive permission to be their authentic selves and with that, they are speaking more freely about postpartum. There have been many high-profile women who have spoken openly about their perinatal struggles and it’s paved a path for other women to follow. But that being said, it’s still nowhere near where we should be in terms of conversations about motherhood, womanhood and mental health.

Q: Do you think things have gotten harder for moms or are people just more comfortable talking about their struggles?

A: A little bit of both. We have reached a time where we are beginning to give women permission to speak their truths but we also are so much more isolated. We live in a fully digital time so the traditional community or village we once had is even more fractured. Motherhood may not have gotten any harder but women being so isolated from their fellow peers makes the job more challenging. We are not meant to be doing this motherhood thing alone.

Q: We loved hearing your tips for what to do for a new parent when visiting. Can you share that with our readers?

A: Absolutely! For starters, no new mom needs a onesie, swaddle blanket or clothes/shoes. Babies can thrive without fancy PJs. New moms need coffee, nourishment, conversation and care. We love bringing a fully prepared meal, healthy snack options, a delivery service gift card or an Amazon gift card. If you want to think outside the box, try getting an at home blowout or manicure for the mama.

Q: Is there anything you wish you did different during pregnancy or postpartum that you know now?

We both feel that we could have asked for more support. When you’re in it as a new mom, you feel like it’s burdensome to ask for help or you don’t know what to even ask for but you need other people around so that you can recover and rest.

Q: If you could change anything about parenting in our culture, what would it be?

A: More maternal perinatal support, access and education. No parent should feel alone in their journey and we need to have better systems in place so that we can support parents raising the next generation of our world. We have to do better for them.

If you’re not already following 100 days of, have a look! Thanks to Lani and Jordana for their honest responses here and for normalizing postpartum challenges in 100 days of!