Feeding Mama

***words by Danette @biiwashikwe from @ekwi7tlcollective*** Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are always in relationship with the land. The lands that we are on, the lands from where we come, the lands that sustain us through the land, we are all connected. This is part of the sentiment behind the phrase, All My Relations. Erika Finestone and Cynthia Stirbys (2017) write that Birth is a ceremony binding Indigenous life to the land. In a hospital or at hom...e, in our ancestral homelands or far away, the land is always with us. From the nettle and thimbleberry leaves our aunties taught us to mix for teas, to the salmon that nourishes our growing bellies, to the water that washes away our blood and tears, to the cedar that carries our babies in baskets and cradleboards The land holds us, just as we hold our babies. To me, the idea of ‘revillaging’ invokes Indigenous definitions of kinship. It asks us to create safe spaces for Indigenous birthers on Indigenous lands Spaces where our medicines can be burned, where our songs can be sung, where our languages can be spoken, where our midwives, Elders, and helpers are held in high regard, and where the ancestors and spirits are moved to dance around us in celebration. As a Saulteaux and Cree mother, doula, and community health researcher, revillaging for me is a practice of being a good relative to my family and community; to the people, ancestors, and spirits of the lands I live and work in; and to the families I am honoured to serve as a birth worker. It is a practice of orienting myself to stories of love and abundance rather than scarcity and struggle. In my view, revillaging calls on all of us, from wherever we stand, to decolonize our relationships to land and to birth, and to step aside for the wisdom and expertise of Indigenous and BIPOC women, femmes, and LGBTQ2S+, who have been leading this work for a very long time. See more

2 years ago we launched Signature Meal Plans for birthing bodies! I can't quite believe it's been 2 years honestly. This is clearly a case of my staring at the details so much that I haven't noticed that I've been living my vision of nourishing new parents. Today I celebrate my courage in launching a food business with zero food education although I was/am well supported by BIPOC Chefs and TCM Doctors. Today I celebrate my resilience for taking each day as it came a...nd especially for making decisions when my brain just wanted to do more research :-) And although profitability is yet to be achieved, today I'm prioritizing financial accessibility of meals with a Sliding Scale based on an understanding of sacrifice vs hardship. Here's how it'll work: 1. Review the sliding scale statements (link in IG bio) 2. You decide your level based on those scale statements and let us know. 3. We don't ask questions and provide you a special code to access that level Our wish is to support as many parents as possible during the Postpartum Phase and we feel the Sliding Scale is part of that mission. . . . Image description: on a white counter sits a white ceramic bowl with a meal inside comprised of steamed salmon with carrots on top, shimeji mushrooms, and gai-lan. Feeding Mama is dedicated to providing nourishing food to aid your body’s natural ability to heal itself after childbirth.We are inspired by the ancestral tradition in China that supports new parents with rejuvenating food and we are grateful to be working and living on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded and traditional territories of the mkym (Musqueam), swxwú7mesh (Squamish), and selílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh). We donate 5% of all sales to the ekwi7tl doula collective See more

2020 Q4 Retrospective After the tremendous sales in Q3 along with the energetic launch of The First 30 Days meal plan, Q4 provided some corresponding balance in terms of much lower sales and the unlaunching The First 30 Days. Q4 sales came in at $1,683.94 which is a wee bit lower than $11,000 for Q3. The 5% donation to ekwi7tl doula collective comes to $85.00. ... And I want to point out that the 5% donation isn’t contingent on profitability. I bring this up because when companies say that proceeds go to charity, it’s not always clear how that is calculated and how much is actually being donated. Let’s normalize transparency and accountability. Feeding Mama nourished 19 customers during Q4 with the following product orders: The Glow = 7 The Immune Booster = 34 The Traditional = 17 Lactation Cookes = 13 Fertility Boosting Meal Plan (weekly) = 4 I’m also acknowledging during Q4: 1. A resuming of regular content on IG starting in November 2. working with 3 WOC on new recipes. I have so much gratitude to Tomoko Tahara (@tomokotahara), Grace Pineda (@saygraceandeat) and Angela Kwong (@angelakwonger) for sharing their passion for cooking and nutrition with Feeding Mama. 3. making more decisions based on my values and setting boundaries around cooking around Christmas week. I’m realizing that my quarterly retrospectives are different each time I post it and I’m going to be ok with that. Go to the blog for more details on my retrospective. Thanks for reading :-)

The new parent needs as much care as the new little one just birthed. They need to rest. They need nourishment to heal. They need community who care. Give the gift of restorative meals to support recovery. .... . . photo by @schemaviolations image description: pork bone broth bag in the middle of the photo surrounded by an empty small white round ceramic container, by plastic bag of lactation cookies, by a large rectangular porcelain container. Below the photo are the words: "Nourishment for New Parents: Give organic and nutrient dense foods to new parents so they can rest and focus on bonding with baby. Order at www.feedingmama.ca" Feeding Mama is dedicated to providing nourishing food that aid your body’s natural ability to heal itself after childbirth. We are inspired by the ancestral tradition in China that supports new parents with rejuvenating food and we are grateful to be working and living on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded Indigenous territories of the mkym (Musqueam), swxwú7mesh (Squamish), and selílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh). We donate 5% of all sales to the Aboriginal Mother Centre Society. #zuoyuezi #fourthtrimester #postpartumdiet See more

I’m so grateful to Judy for inviting me to share my postpartum story which inspired the creation of Feeding Mama.

Feeding Mama is now delivering our Signature Meal Plan. Our plan includes 3 entrees (breakfast, lunch, dinner) per day, thermos of hot tea, thermos of hot broth, and 2 snacks, all designed for restoring nutrients and helping to rebalance postpartum hormones. They are gluten-free and dairy-free, with no refined sugar. These nourishing meals contain ingredients with long-range health benefits for the birthing parent. All of our dishes are inspired by the Traditional Chinese Med...icine practice of zuò yuè zi. We provide warming foods specifically to assist with healing recovery from pregnancy and childbirth. Learn more and order for you or a new parent you love at feedingmama.ca.

We are finally launching meals! Feeding Mama is now ready to offer an entire day’s supply of ready-to-eat warming food that sustains energy levels and replenishes bodies with nutrients lost during pregnancy and childbirth. Delivered in reusable ceramic and stainless steel containers, new parents receive a full day's worth of nutrition including:... > Breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees > Hot thermos of broth > Hot thermos of tea > Two snacks We are so excited to be supporting birthing parents in this way. Thank you for being a part of this journey of building this service. xoxo Mona

Bone broths are one of the most gentle and nourishing ways to help your body recover essential vitamins, minerals and collagen depleted by pregnancy and childbirth. We are so happy to announce that we are selling 3 types of broths (delivered frozen): 1. Immune Booster (chicken) 2. The Traditional (pork)... 3. The Glow (vegan) Order some broth today! https://www.feedingmama.ca/shop/

We are so grateful to be included in this list of Vancouver-based resources. Thank you Loose Lips Magazine :-)

Long-simmered, flavourful, restorative soups are a major staple in Asian cuisines, and for good reason: Depending upon the type, they have sustained populations for hundreds or even thousands of years. . Soups are a perfect vehicle for flavour and nutrition. . Zuò yuè zi (sitting the month), the Chinese and Taiwanese tradition of promoting a month of rest and restorative foods for postpartum mothers, has a strong focus on warming, nourishing bone and meat-based broths.... . The emphasis on protein, collagen, and iron-containing foods in zuò yuè zi are meant to aid a new parent with recovery, healing, and blood loss. . These can help with tissue repair, muscle and joint aches/pains, fatigue, cleansing, and preventing anemia. . By providing the body with resources to regain energy, balance, and strength after a major change, parents may fill their cup first, so they are better equipped to take care of baby. . words by Karima Chellouf See more

psssssssssst. I launched :-) And I might have launched 3 weeks ago and was hesitant to make it official here on FB. Why? It might have been a bit of fear :-| But here I am! Making it official on this platform!... We are launching with Original Lactation Cookies and am so excited to share these vegan and gluten free treats made without refined sugar. Order now!

Our Original Lactation Cookies are a tasty treat with a job. Full of the usual suspects you find in lactation cookies like oats, flax and brewer's yeast, Feeding Mama's cookies include a couple of superfood ingredients from ancient Chinese traditions: dried red dates and ginger. words by: @gloryandgutsnutrition... photo by: @ineeeda #lactationcookies #lactationsupport #vancouvercookies See more

We are launched! We are live! We are here for parents with newborns who are recovering from pregnancy and childbirth! Visit our website (www.feedingmama.ca) and get to know our team, our mission and a list of all the clean ingredients in our Original Lactation Cookies!... photo by: Anita Cheung See more

The early postpartum weeks. Exhausting. Exhilarating. . . Nurturing this new parent with food so they can focus on caring for their new little one is the central mission of Feeding Mama.

We are closer to launching.

It's coming. Soon.