The story behind village for mama….
This book has been an absolute labour of love and it would not exist without the collaborative effort of incredibly talented, inspiring and hard working women.
The idea sprung to mind one morning whilst I was driving to the gym. I had a coffee in hand and was listening to an interview with Dr Oscar Serrallach. From that point onward, the idea grew and there was no stopping the village for mama vision.
I reached out to Maddy a local freelance recipe developer and mutual friend (now a dear friend). She excitedly agreed to work along side me to bring the book to life. With the help of Brooke Lee, a local Naturopath and recent mama to beautiful daughter Jetta, the collection of nourishing postpartum recipes were lovingly created.
my story
I love knowing who is behind a business. There are so many beautiful businesses, books, projects and products that are the result of the love, sweat and tears of incredible women and mothers – I love hearing their stories.
So here is my story, short and sweet, and how it led me to create this book.
I have always loved cooking, I think it sprouted from my love of creating things. I graduated Fashion School and ended up opening a little yellow takeaway Mexican Cantina. It was my first business endeavour. I suppose you could say it was similar to motherhood in more ways than one. It taught me a lot, often tested me, made me immensely proud, was bounds of fun and it was exhausting. Above all, it made me realise that I love making and giving food to people. Delicious, nourishing, beautiful food.
I decided it was time to move on and sell my little Mexican cantina. I was ready for a change and decided to buy a boat and sail around the world with my boyfriend – now husband. The day it sold, we found out I was pregnant. So now we have a beautiful baby, not a boat, but that adventure still awaits us – the three of us.
I spent a lot of time preparing for my birth, my fourth trimester and motherhood. Reading countless books, listening to hundreds of podcasts and fully immersing myself in the wonderful world of birthing and babies. I had a magical home birth, a supportive fourth trimester and so far motherhood is definitely not something you can prepare for.
This book was inspired by my own fourth trimester. The book ‘the first forty days’ which was gifted to me and then re gifted to my mum. It was her willingness to follow guidelines in the book. Deliver me nourishing, warming, homemade meals daily that made my transition into motherhood feel manageable and supported.
I wanted to help pass the message on in a simple and easy way. To summarise some of the key messages that new mamas have trouble expressing to their family, friends, neighbours and so on. These loving ‘villagers’ mean well, but more often than not, aren’t aware of how disruptive their ‘good intentions’ can be.
I hope this book helps other women experience a magical, supported and well nourished fourth trimester with the helping hands of their own village. That it helps new mamas gather their village while politely building their fort. Their safe space. Their nest. Where they can rest and recover and then reemerge on their own terms. Because if you don’t ask, you won’t receive.
love leila x