Event: No country for mothers
The movement uniting moms to make the system work for all new moms | 3 min read
“This film is gasoline and we are the match.”
👆Reshma Saujani introducing No Country For Mothers to Minneapolis last night.
8 weeks after I had my first baby, I joined a support group for new moms.
In our first meeting, we shared our birth stories:
- 2 moms trying to make sense of unplanned c-sections
- 1 mom worried she'd burn through her PTO for a long NICU stay
- 1 mom tag-teaming childcare with family while working from home to avoid childcare costs
- 3 who felt like they ‘failed’ because they couldn’t breastfeed
Instead of bonding with their babies, these moms were grieving the version of motherhood they didn’t get.
That’s the moment I realized this country wasn’t built for new moms.
I was most struck by the gap in our systems and confused by how little moms talked openly about the experience.
It felt unfair.
Then, I read Pay Up by Reshma Saujani. Her book validated that early motherhood is hard – and why.
Why so many moms are burnt out.
Why so many feel guilt and like they’re failing.
The policies and cultural narratives that got us here.
Why it’s not the mom’s fault. It’s the system’s fault.
This book turned me into a maternal health advocate.
That’s why it meant so much to finally meet Reshma and celebrate her new documentary with leaders in MN who are building a better future for families — through paid leave, better maternal and mental health care, connecting changemakers with decisionmakers, and mom advocacy.
Thank youMoms Firstfor creating this new narrative and movement uniting moms to make the system work for all new moms 🔥
📣 Join the movement:
- RSVP to watch the documentary near you (link)
- Advocate for paid leave and affordable childcare with your local official and employer (link)
- Share your story about what it’s really like to be a mom in America (link)
As Reshma says, “There’s nothing more powerful than a pissed off mom.”
Follow the conversation on LinkedIn.
Learn more about what I’m fighting for.
