Scary Mommy and Romper were media sponsors for The Collective’s “It Starts With Mom” campaign, which hosted a New York City event last week. Last week, I had the good fortune to attend an event from The Collective called “It Starts With Mom,” for which both Scary Mommy and Romper were media sponsors. The Collective is the brainchild of March of Dimes, one of this country’s most well-known nonprofits fighting for the wellbeing of moms and babies across the United States.
The Collective kicked off its second annual, bi-coastal event at New York City’s Chelsea Piers, where guests were first treated to delicious appetizers while they shopped at a Kendra Scott pop-up, wrote letters to NICU moms, got live drawings of themselves, and more. Later, guests were seated to a lunch and learn, during which NBC4 anchor Natalie Pasquerella opened the event with an honest tale of her own experience as a NICU mom, followed by a frank, moving onstage chat with March of Dimes CEO Cindy Rahman. During their chat, Rahman candidly spoke of her own postpartum experience with her son.
Michael Warren, March of Dimes’ Chief Medical and Health Officer, moderated a panel in which they discussed the necessity for improved postpartum mental health care for moms, the need for a village (especially when villages can be hard to come by) and how women need to be their own best advocates, especially while pregnant. The panel included NICU mom Danielle Olivera; women’s health expert, author and TV and radio personality Dr. Harris, RNC-MNN, DNP, IBCLC, who shared her tales of advocating for Black women throughout pregnancy; and Elizabeth Baron, a licensed mental health counselor and psychotherapist.
As Rahman noted in an earlier press release, “Listening to moms, understanding their experiences, and ensuring their voices are heard are foundational to addressing the challenges we face.The Collective is about creating a space where moms feel supported and empowered, and inspiring all of us to continue to show up for one another in big and small ways. Through this effort, we are establishing a culture where every mom feels she can seek the care she needs, and where families, communities, and organizations come together to ensure no mom has to navigate motherhood alone.” The event was a moving example of what can happen with women — and, yes, some men were there! — come together and have an open dialogue about some of the road blocks facing pregnant and postpartum women in this country. Above, a talented artist drew live portraits of attendees.
Below, guests affix color-coded flowers to a board in honor of different maternal struggles. It was an empowering, emotional day, and I’m so glad Scary Mommy and Romper got to be a part of it.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
