Lunapads Blog

Organic Bikini Lunapanties

Welcome to our next installment of our International Women’s Month celebration! This time it’s for Moms-to-be.

Here’s lovely photo of one of our longest-term (pun intended!) collaborators, the lovely Emira Mears of Raised Eyebrow and The Boss of You, taken mere hours before the arrival of lovely little Lena at our recent Lunapanties photoshoot.

We have 3 sets of 2 Organic Mini Pantyliners, so anyone out there who is currently expecting, comment below to tell us where you are, how many weeks you’re at, and what your favorite thing about being pregnant to be entered. Winners will be announced in our April newsletter.

Organic Mini Pantyliner

While I’m here, check out the blog of one of my favorite pregnant gals: the one and only Chloe Jo Berman of the fabulously green Girlie Girl Army. If you’re expecting and wondering about eco positive diapering choices, I have just written a guest blog post for GGA about cloth diapering and more - check it out!

 Good luck, and don’t forget to smile at a pregnant gal today!

I recently attended the ABC Kids trade show in Las Vegas and had a fantastic time. I know that Vegas isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (and to be honest, I wasn’t sure it was going to be mine), but I made so many great discoveries and connected with so many fabulous people that the craziness didn’t bother me a bit and I am already looking forward to going back next year.

In case you’re planning a Vegas adventure, a few tips for you: the Springs Preserve is (literally) an oasis of sanity. Encompassing hiking trails, a botanical garden, historical site, desert education center and wonderful restaurant, it was a great way to start our trip and remind us of the desert’s history and ecology.  While we were there we had the good fortune to attend a yoga class, which led us to an eclectic yoga studio (it doubles as an art gallery) near our hotel where we were able to attend more classes. The studio is housed in a fascinating rabbit warren of art studios and galleries, next door to an awesome vintage and vintage-style clothing store. Thanks Corey and Shelley for the workouts!

As for the show, I am always impressed by the tenacity and ingenuity of entrepreneurs, and there was no shortage of them to spend time with there. There was a strong Vancouver contingent, and I loved having the opportunity to spend time with former fashionista days colleague turned Mompreneur Wendy from Pumpease (a hands-free pumping support she invented), Diane from Moboleez (an ingenious baby hat/nursing privacy accessory), and Sandy from LeDuck distributors.  Other esteemed colleagues I connected with included Rachel, Jeff, Jenn and Amy from Bumgenius cloth diapers, Kim from GDiapers, Sarah from the online natural parenting resource Mindful Mama, and superstar Mom bloggers Sommer from Green and Clean Mom and Jennifer from the Smart Mama.  Thanks for the cupcakes, Mommy needs a cocktail (home of the best Twitter line of the show: “Abusing hashtags since 1996”)!

Hard to believe you can pack even more into a mere 4 days, but I also found time for a highly “wow” tour of Zappos.com (see photo (click to enlarge): let’s just say that I’m no longer worried about having a messy desk!) a gorgeous Cirque du Soleil show, and quality girlfriend time with one of my all-time BFFs - woo hoo!

Dear Lunapads,

Thank you so much for sponsoring our event! We had a great turn out and feel we’ve really opened a lot of eyes. The women in attendance absolutely loved the gift baskets and the door prizes were flying faster than we could put them out. Overall, it was a huge success.

Many women in attendance didn’t know what a doula was or the many benefits of hiring one to attend your birth. Some were skeptical that you could have a midwife safely attend your birth outside of the hospital setting.  More than a few women left the event with very important breastfeeding education and the encouragement to say “breast is best” and “I am going to try it this time around”.

Your support really means a lot to all of us in our small birthing community. When women are educated about their options and have the aid and tools to succeed, great things can happen. Many of these women now know that doulas and midwives are options available to them, and that breast really is best. Some will seek the care provided by the more natural side of the birthing year and beyond and others may not, but at least all of them left knowing they have other options available. If nothing else, they can pass this information on to another woman who may not know that these options are out there.

After all the work that was put into planning this event, I am very excited to tell you that it will not be the last! I am praying that we’ll have your support again for our next event and will keep you posted on our progress. I hope this event has brought your company business and I look forward to working with you again.

All The Best,
Jennifer Fitzpatrick
Better Birth Doula Services

A friend sent me a link to this article by feminist author Katie Roiphe a couple of weeks ago, entitled “Get your kid off your Facebook page” and as a feminist, Mom and Facebook user it caught my attention. When I first glanced at it I thought that it was going to be about the risks of posting photos of your kids on the internet in general, for fear of pedophiles viewing them. Was I ever wrong.

Roiphe’s premise is essentially that the phenomena of women posting images of their children as their personal profile photos, rather than being a simple, benign, loving act, is in fact indicative of a far larger problem of women choosing to “hide” behind their children, intentionally abnegating their pre-Motherhood accomplishments and independent identities. And to think that I have been interpreting this as “hey, look how cute my kid is”, or “I just had a baby”, when in fact these women are actually opting out of the effort of “the whole excruciating business of being yourself” - whoa!

I should admit in fairness that Facebook has long intrigued me from a sociological  perspective - how is it redefining the meaning of friendship, and what does how we use it say about our identities and how we choose to express them to others?  The friend issue has interested me in particular, as prior to Facebook I would not have thought of people that I have never met or even had much contact with as capital-F Friends, in the way one does about those with whom we have shared major life experiences, or even just a regular cup of coffee and pleasant chat.  And yet here I am, and grateful for it, appreciating the insights into wider lives than just the typically professional connection that we had previously shared.  I have a lot more friends out there than I realized, awesome!

Friends (at least those who become Moms) in Roiphe’s world, however, become almost unbearably tedious in their maternal transformation, with their endless discussions of infantile bodily fluids and obsession with keeping up an incessant flow of attention towards their irritating offspring. Heck, even women who once had interesting and meaningful things to talk about like their careers and current events are now reduced to pandering, unkempt bores whose company is shunned by men at dinner parties.  The shame, the shame!

I have several friends, including men, on Facebook who have chosen a multitude of images of things and people other than themselves (including, but not limited to: Harvey Milk, a Sri Lankan beach, an assortment of superheroes, movie stars, household pets, random objects, and yes, their kids) to represent them on Facebook and elsewhere.  These images can be humorous, or indicating a milestone, such as the cover of a recently published book - not them, and yet clearly part of their message or one of their accomplishments.  How many readers out there “donated” their profile picture space or status updates to show their support for Barack Obama in the last US election? I myself am guilty, having posted images of myself with both my daughter and husband. Is this all I am? Not so much. Does it convey a crucial aspect of who I am in the world of which I am extremely proud? You bet.

I think that’s what saddened me the most about the article - an unwillingness to honor, or encourage being proud of something about ourselves other than what our resumes say.  It always wounds me a bit when feminists take aim at other women in this way, particularly using such gross exaggerations (Roiphe apparently doesn’t know any men who do the kid Facebook thing, or attend dinner parties where parents may happen to discuss something other than their kids.)  Why is it such a bad thing in Roiphe’s eyes to be proud to be a Mom in this way?

And last but not least, rather than remaining cognizant that hey, after all it’s just internet social networking (what your Mom would say, am I right?) she makes it sound like some rampant social pandemic.  Drivers licenses and passports might be next, so don’t go playing around with your Facebook image too much, or you might wake up one of these days not even knowing who you are anymore.

In Vancouver, while there are many lovely stores to purchase mama, baby and earth friendly products, one of my favourites is Little Earth, located right beside my midwives clinic.  Run by Mariska and Flavia, Little Earth carries unique, high-quality childrens clothing and toys, as well as consignment clothing for mamas-to-be and children.

In honour of Mother’s Day and to thank the amazing Mamas who have supported them, Little Earth will be hosting a Free Mommy Make Over Day.  So, if you are a local Vancouver Mama, consider treating yourself to some pampering.  While you’re there, please consider doing some shopping that day for the little ones in your life, as Little Earth is generously donating 10% of all sales on this day to our very own Pads4Girls program! Deets below…

Join us for a day of well deserved pampering and treats!

There will be professional make up artists, hair stylists and Indian head Massage all for you!  10 % of all sales on this day will be donated to Pads4Girls.

You can pre- book to secure your spot, but walk-ins are always welcome.
Where: Little Earth
When: Sat May 9 noon-4 pm
Who : Beautiful Mama’s and Mama’s to be
How :  Pre-book 778-737-7004

littleearthvancouver@gmail.com

Since meeting one another, Madeleine and I have shared many special moments both personally and professionally.  The summer of 2002, for example, was amazing:  Madeleine got married and I gave birth to my first son, Aiden.  Buying our own office space in 2007 was another important business milestone.  This past week saw another major highlight:  spending time with Peggy O’Mara, publisher and editor of Mothering magazine, and hosting a fundraising tea party in support of Pads4Girls with her as the guest of honor.

As Madeleine referenced in an earlier post, we bumped into Peggy last month at a trade show.  Knowing she was coming to Vancouver for the Healthy Families Conference, we invited her for tea at Lunapads.  As we planned the event, we also learned Peggy had no particular plans while visiting Vancouver, so Madeleine and I took it upon ourselves to be her host and show her our beautiful city.  After picking her up at the airport, we headed to Tojo’s, one of Vancouver’s most creative sushi restaurants (Peggy lived in Japan for several years in her teens) and, over a delightful west coast meal, we chatted about being moms and entrepreneurs. What immediately struck me was that despite her celebrity status (in my eyes, anyway!) Peggy is just like us: a devoted mother and mission-based entrepreneur with whom we share similar goals and business challenges.

The next day, we transformed our bustling office into a open meeting space.  Held as a fundraiser for our Pads4Girls program, 30 women, mostly mompreneurs in the birthing or baby industry, gathered to hear Peggy speak.  Madeleine and I savored the incredible energy that built up as each woman arrived.  We listened to Peggy talk about her career’s humble beginnings on her farm in New Mexico, raising four young children, and how she purchased and grew Mothering magazine to where it is today.  If you want to read more about Peggy’s story (and other inspiring passages) I highly recommend you refer to the Mothering site here for archives of Peggy’s editorials.

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Suzanne and I were in Anaheim CA a couple of weeks ago, where we attended the Natural Products Expo West trade show. It’s a busy place that can be a bit overwhelming, but there was no shortage of inspiration to be had.   One of the major highlights for us was running into Peggy O’Mara, founder of Mothering magazine. 

I hadn’t seen Peggy since I attended a workshop she was leading 3 years ago at Hollyhock.  It was a very special time for me, and I was joined there not only by my then-5 month old daughter Gigi, but also by my Mom Pat.  Peggy held the space for our stories, joys and fears, and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect with one of the most influential figures in the natural parenting movement.

Peggy and Mothering have been huge sources of inspiration and information for Suzanne and I as Moms, and we are very excited that she will be here in Vancouver delivering the keynote address at the Healthy Families Conference, April 18 and 19 (co-sponsored by our friend Bridgitte from Natural Pod natural toys.)  We are trying to line up a visit with Peggy here at Lunapads as well, so stay tuned!

We love Facebook for a ton of reasons: connecting with customers and friends chief among them.  That said, it’s long been a bone of contention for us as well as the thousands of breastfeeding moms and their supporters that photos of nursing moms and their babies are removed by Facebook, particularly since there is no shortage of busty gals being featured in the advertising.  Suzanne is already an accomplished lactivist: check out her post about a nurse-in that she attended earlier this year.

There are some groups that you can join to protest this sad reality - “Hey, Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!” being the most popular.  Today, December 27th, has been designated by Facebook lactivists as Mothers International Lactation Campaign.  Any Facebook users who also support breastfeeding can either post their own photos or choose from thousands that have been posted in these groups, as well as “donate” their status update spaces to read “Hey, Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!” for the day.  Please join us in this virtual protest!

Here is a great list of resources for those who would like to learn more about the importance of breastfeeding.  On a personal note, I could never have succeeded in nursing my daughter (let’s just say that it can be harder than it looks!) without the support of everyone from La Leche League volunteers to my husband, midwife, doula and business partner.  The long-term value of this early attachment, not to mention the nutrition, is priceless.  We need to do everything we can to support it, including normalizing images of breasts doing what they’re designed for.�

Talk about not being in Kansas anymore! It’s been over a decade since I last visited New York City, but I had the good fortune to be there earlier this week, just in time to attend (and be a gift bag sponsor for) a benefit party for the New Space for Women’s Health, co-hosted by Ricki Lake and progressive sex toy retail leader Babeland. The New Space is a freestanding center for birth, breastfeeding, and women’s health care, opening in midtown Manhattan in early 2010. Being there was a huge thrill (how could you not get a thrill in a room full of sex toys?)

For starters, it’s not every day that you get star-struck, but whether you’re a fan because of Hairspray camp or The Business of Being Born, a pro-natural childbirth documentary, Ricki Lake is simply stunning in person, and having an opportunity to thank her personally for her work was an honor.

Speaking of being honored to meet famous people, Claire Cavanah (along with her business partner Rachel Venning) is one of the foremost pioneers in the now well-established world of feminist sex toy business (Lunapads and Babeland both started in 1993, a happy coincidence.) Their sex-positive, joyful and educational approach has brought revolutionary pleasure into the lives of hundreds of thousands of women. I am always excited to meet progressive women entrepreneurs, and having a few minutes to swap stories about business and birth with her was a highlight of my trip. In photo: Claire, Jayne (see below) and yours truly!

It struck me at the party that as illogical as it seems, we don’t make the connection often enough between sex and babies. Babeland’s support of the New Space was a refreshing reminder of their beautiful connection. Speaking of which, one of the most interesting people I met that night is a bit of an expert when it comes to both. Jayne Freeman (aka Mamarama) is a witty New Yorker with plenty to say about everything from pelvic floor exercises and natural childbirth to not being strictly truthful about the tooth fairy with kids. Check out her amazing assortment of videos, and stay tuned for her upcoming series about re-heating the family bed post-baby!

Last but not least, I had some great conversations with some of the Babeland staff. Their openness and genuine passion for their work reminded me of the gals here at Lunapads. Thanks for a great evening, ladies, and keep up the good work, everyone!

Way back before we had kids (6+ years ago) we often used to take the Lunapads show on the road, attending trade shows and festivals on a fairly regular basis. From local New Age/Women’s/Eco/Wellness shows to major US natural products trade shows, you could find our smiling faces expounding the virtues of natural menstrual products to anyone patient enough to listen - it was hard work, but often lit up with wonderful connections with customers and colleagues.

This year we have made a commitment to be a little more “out there” in our community and as a result ended up attending 2 major events this weekend - the annual Doulas of North America (DONA) conference, and the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. I’ll share a bit about DONA, and Suzanne will tell you about Folk Fest (as it’s known locally) in a subsequent post.

Having both been attended by Doulas in our births, Suzanne and I were only too happy to meet several hundred of them! For those of you who may not know, Doulas are highly skilled and compassionate professionals who attend Mothers through their pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum stages. You can learn more about their role and services here.

Not surprisingly, several of our Doula friends were also in attendance, and it was a great opportunity to reconnect. I’m sure this is true of many places, but in the past few years, Vancouver has seen the emergence of a wonderful community of Midwives, Doulas, La Leche League leaders and other breastfeeding and attachment/natural parenting advocates etc. and their devoted clients and supporters. Here’s a nice photo of me and Nikiah Seeds of Mama Goddess Birth Shop in front of the Mama Goddess and Lunapads displays. Other treasured colleagues at the conference included Sarah Juliusson of Mama Renew and Dancing Star birth), Sarah’s business partner Jennifer Lee Koble, Bridgitte Alomes of Natural Pod natural toys, Paula Violi of Baby Buddha slings, Amanda Spakowski of Luna Birth, Aimee Sturley of Adar Birth Services and Wendy Armbruster of Pump-ease breast pump supports.

Love you gals - keep up the great work!