How These Small Business Owners Support Women Through Pregnancy and Into Motherhood

Posted by Brief Transitions Admin on

Small businesses are such an important part of our economy and everyday lives. Although small business week was postponed this year by SBA, we thought it would still be a great time to shine a light on our community, and the products and services they provide during pregnancy and into motherhood.

We wanted to hear from moms that provide products or services to women during pregnancy or postpartum. What do you provide? How is it helpful to new and expecting mamas? How did you get started with your business and what are you most proud of? We asked, and they answered

Read on below to get insights, tips and resources from these amazing small businesses. And, when you're in the market for something, shop local if you can!

Stephanie Manganelli

pregnant woman standing on walkway by the river

Company: Stowaway Collection Maternity

What they do/provide: Maternity clothes

Follow on Instagram: @stowawaycollection

Follow on Facebook: @stowawaycollection

Connect on LinkedIn: Stephanie Mcinerney Manganelli

Visit their website: http://stowawaycollection.com

Kid count: 4 year old; 1 year old 

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

We dress mamas during the biggest transition of their lives- becoming a mom. When a woman feels like herself (through confidence brought about by clothes), it changes her entire outlook.

How did you get started with your business?

When I was pregnant with my first son I couldn't find anything that fit my style that showed off a bump so together with my mom, we started Stowaway Collection Maternity. We design to show off a pregnant bump and manufacture in the U.S.A.

What are you most proud of with your business?

The ability to join customers in the most important time period in their life as they grow their family and help them through it. 

Kristen Del Dosso

woman smiling in a business jacket

Company: AntiNa

What they do/provide: Anti-Nausea Organic Chew

Visit their website: http://anti-na.com/

Kid count: 2 fur babies (cats)

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

A natural and organic chewable formulated to calm discomfort caused by morning sickness safely without an expensive doctor’s prescription. Current products on the market are filled with sugar, potentially harmful to the baby, and do not address the loss of energy in a safe way.

How did you get started with your business?

I am an outdoor enthusiast that unfortunately gets Altitude-Sickness. While preparing for my Mt Whitney hike, I researched different natural solutions to address nausea and loss of energy while at elevation.

I became passionate about addressing the discomfort of morning sickness (and chemotherapy induced nausea) when witnessing friends and family struggling to not only take care of themselves, but also their families as a result of nausea. I want to help the strong, driven, family caretakers find a safe solution to keep them motivated, energized, and ready to take on the world.

Through combining the different raw ingredients used to get me to the top of Mt Whitney, I have formulated a chew that is safe for everyone while also replenishing depleted energy.

What are you most proud of with your business?

Actually going through with it!

Trust me, as a CPA and traditional Corporate Controller, who is relatively risk averse, transitioning to an Entrepreneur is TERRIFYING!

In the Fall of 2019, I took an Entrepreneurship class, as part of the UCI MBA requirements, where my idea began to be shaped into an actual business

With the combination of my professional network, classmates (Diana Ramos, OB-GYN), and family I have not only been given encouragement but also a feasible path to make my startup a reality.

I am incredibly proud of how quickly my idea is becoming a reality. I am scheduled to have formulated sample chews at the end of April to begin efficacy testing. 

Elle Wang

pregnant woman laying on a couch with a coffee table in front of her

Company: Emilia George

What they do/provide: Sustainable Maternity Wear 

Follow on Instagram: @Emiliageorgeofficial

Follow on Facebook: @emiliageorgeofficial

Connect on LinkedIn: Emilia George Official

Visit their website: http://www.emiliageorgeofficial.com

Kid count: Boy - 1

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

100% sustainable and healthy maternity workwear for expectant and new working moms. Fabrics are healthy for both moms and babies and our smart nursing detail designs enable working moms to pump freely and elegantly at work.

How did you get started with your business?

I started Emilia George when I was 7 months pregnant out of pure frustration with a lack of high quality, professional looking and functional maternity workwear. I was so passionate about this issue that I became so committed to providing solutions to moms’ maternity wardrobe.

What are you most proud of with your business?

As a 4-month brand, I’m most proud of the amount of love we have received from moms and other businesses who want to partner and list our products already. 

Liz Gulliver

woman sitting on the floor with her child

Company: Kunik

What they do/provide: Community support and expert coaching for working parents at every stage - from trying to conceive through the teenage years

Follow on Instagram: @getkunik

Connect on LinkedIn: Elizabeth Gulliver

Visit their website: https://getkunik.com

Kid count: 1 (9 months) and 8 weeks pregnant

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

We offer small group coaching for new and expecting parents. You will be placed in hand selected groups of 8-10 other expecting parents, each week you will have group sessions and access to an expert coach for the group. Our coaches cover topics including: nutrition, fitness, doulas, birth prep, sleep. lactation, leave coaches, career coaches, maternity concierge - a huge range. By participating in a group you enjoy learning from the questions of others and have a built in group of peers sharing the same experience.

How did you get started with your business?

As I started my own journey I realized there was very little that was community focused and targeted specifically to the needs of working parents. Our peer network has over 1K parents from across the country, and is inclusive of all parents (adoptive, LGBTQ+, Dads, etc

What are you most proud of with your business?

I am proud of serving working parents at a time that is incredibly stressful. Both working parents and expecting parents are facing immense stress and uncertainty, I am thrilled we can support them with a virtual community and digital coaches

Lauren Curiotto

woman holding her baby girl with a bow in her hair

Company: Finding the Fabulous Inc.

What they do/provide: Finding the Fabulous is a nonprofit with the main mission to inspire girls to live bold, confident, purposeful lives; innovate the way girls are educated, mentored and supported; and impact women and girls in underserved communities.

Follow on Instagram: @findingthefabulous

Follow on Facebook: @findingthefabulous

Connect on LinkedIn: Lauren Curiotto

Visit their website: http://www.findingthefabulous.org

Kid count: 1, 6 months old

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

The impact part described above comes through our Inner Beauty in a Bag program which, among other things, provides Inner Beauty bags to new or expecting moms who are in need. Usually this is done by partnering with Pregnancy Resource Centers and our bags include beauty products, hygiene necessities, accessories and more ... all the basic things we think a woman needs to start her day feeling valued and dignified.

How did you get started with your business?

I started my nonprofit when I was 17 to provide a sisterhood of support that would equip girls with the tools, resources and inspiration needed to define success on their own terms and achieve their goals.

What are you most proud of with your business?

I am most proud to see the young women who have grown up in our sisterhood return to create an even bigger impact in our community 

Lori Mihalich-Levin

woman wearing a blazer and sitting next to a book about back to work after baby

Company: Mindful Return

What they do/provide: 4-week online course and community to help new parents transition back to work after parental leave (whether during COVID or not!)

Follow on Instagram: @mindfulreturn

Follow on Facebook: @mindfulreturn

Connect on LinkedIn: Lori Mihalich-Levin

Visit their website: https://www.mindfulreturn.com/e-course

Kid count: 2 Boys - 7 & 

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

Helps them navigate the identity shift to "working parent" and makes going back to work after baby less anxiety producing. In addition to providing high-quality content, they also go through the program as a cohort, with other new parents in the same situation they are in. 64 employers currently offer the program as a parental leave benefit

How did you get started with your business?

After my second son was born, I realized that there were *so* many resources focused on the baby, but few on the professional identity of the new parent. I set out to create what I wished had existed as a support to help me with the transition to being a working mom

What are you most proud of with your business?

That over 1,000 new parents have been through the Mindful Return program in the past 5 years, and of those whose employer was known when they took the course, 85% are still with their same employer, and 93% are still in the workforce. I truly believe the course helps new parents have the confidence to continue to advance their professional goals while having childre

Alyssa Kane

baby girl looking at camera with food on her face

Company: Alyssa Kane, MS CCC-SLP, IBCLC LLC

What they do/provide: I provide speech/language and feeding/swallowing evaluations, consultations and ongoing services. I also provide educational seminars for families, daycare providers, and professionals.

Visit their website: https://alyssakane.wixsite.com/alyssa-kane

Kid count: 2 kids; 3 year old and 1 year old

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

I provide in home evaluations and therapy for individuals who may be struggling with bottle and/or breastfeeding

How did you get started with your business?

I had worked in a variety of hospital and outpatient settings doing speech and feeding therapy. One of the most frustrating parts of my job was that many parents were getting upset that they would perform well while in therapy but once they got home they were unsuccessful. I decided that it was important to start to provide in home therapy so that I could actually see what was going on in the home and see better results in terms of carry over. I started small by getting my name out there to a variety of local pediatricians and other professionals in the area. My first client was in Hoboken and from there it just took off by word of mouth.

What are you most proud of with your business?

I am truly proud of the services that I provide families. I love helping families accomplish their goals and relieving their stress about their children's challenges

Nicole Cannon

smiling woman in blouse with necklace looking at camera

Company: Sleepy Mama Sleep Consulting

What they do/provide: Sleep Consulting for Infants and Toddlers

Follow on Instagram: @sleepymamanj

Follow on Facebook: @sleepymama

Connect on LinkedIn: Nicole Cannon

Visit their website: https://www.sleepy-mama.com/

Kid count: 3; ages 7,4,

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

I help educate new and expecting parents on proper sleep science. As babies grow, I work with parents to help solve any "sleep issues" that may be leading to long-term sleep deprivation.

How did you get started with your business?

I worked as a nanny before getting certified as a consultant and I found such a remarkable difference between the babies before they were getting proper sleep and after. Once I found a certification program, I knew I wanted to help families achieve better sleep health for both their physical and mental well-being.

What are you most proud of with your business?

The families who tell me I've literally changed their lives. These are people who were maybe getting an hour of sleep at a time and couldn't parent let alone function day-to-day. I love being able to help parents enjoy their children more because they aren't so clouded by fatigue.

Holly Flanders

woman looking at her son and smiling at the playground

Company: Choice Parenting

What they do/provide: Nanny placement and childcare coaching

Follow on Instagram: @choiceparenting

Follow on Facebook: @choice.parenting

Connect on LinkedIn: Holly Flanders

Visit their website: http://www.choice-parenting.com

Kid count: 2 year old boy; 4.5 year old boy

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

I guide expectant and new parents in finding the best suited childcare for their families (daycares, nannies, nanny sharing, au pairs

How did you get started with your business?

After many years working in the realm of childcare as a nanny, childcare/ parent coach and director of a daycare-preschool, I found that many parents were misinformed about the benefits and challenges of the different childcare options and struggled as new parents to articulate what they wanted for their children and families. I created Choice Parenting to educate parents on the children market; help them identify their parenting philosophies and expectations for their child's care; and teach them how to safely find, hire and keep a healthy relationship with a quality daycare or nanny. Choice parenting started as childcare coaching service but has grown into a full service nanny placements agency in addition to coaching.

What are you most proud of with your business?

This business has given me the freedom to do what I love and feel passion for as well as the flexibility to enjoy and be there for my own kids in a way that a traditional job does not always allow for.

Abbey Donnell

woman smiling at the camera with work and mother logo in the background

Company: Work & Mother

What they do/provide: A network of fully equipped mother's rooms, with an associated app, support community, and educational resources.

Follow on Instagram: @workandmother

Follow on Facebook: @workandmother

Connect on LinkedIn: Work & Mother

Visit their website: https://www.workandmother.com/

Kid count: 1 - 12 months

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

Work & Mother provides the space and resources to enable working mothers to continue breastfeeding. In addition to the facilities and equipment, Work & Mother provides support resources to aid in the transition back to work.

How did you get started with your business?

I witnessed too many women struggling in isolation to try to pump after returning to work. I heard countless horror stories of women having to use closets, empty offices, bathrooms, or cars to pump; stories of women being walked in on or harrassed... it just sounded horrible. I began talking with companies and realized that either companies weren't aware of the problem or their legal obligation to provide a mother with a proper place to pump, or they simply didn't know how best to accommodate. That's when I realized there was a better way to solve the problem--and to do it in a way that benefitted both employees and employers.

What are you most proud of with your business?

I've received so many thank you's from moms who struggled to breastfeed because of a lack of support in the workplace. Returning to work during a very emotional postpartum period of time, trying to prove to your company that you're all in, while also caring for your baby and trying to meet your breastfeeding goals... it's a lot. It makes me so proud that we've been able to increase corporate awareness, and to take working mothers who are breastfeeding out of closets and cars and bathrooms, and provide them with a clean, safe, and supportive environment to pump 

Leah Crescenzo

sunset on the water

Company: Hypnotherapy with Leah Crescenzo

What they do/provide: I’m a hypnotherapist and coach, who helps anxious, tired, mom-to-be's feel grounded and confident by harnessing the power in thoughts.

Follow on Instagram: @heyleahc

Follow on Facebook: @heyleahc

Connect on LinkedIn: Leah Crescenzo

Visit their website: https://www.heyleahc.com/

Kid count: 1 girl - 10 years old

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

I help expectant mamas harness the power of their thoughts and energy to create pregnancy and birth experiences they deserve. Women have a tremendous power and we just need to be reminded of this intuitive energy to break the societal hypnosis that this time of "unknown" is expected to be a powerlessness.

How did you get started with your business?

I studied and trained in many different modalities for almost 20 years in the hopes of "feeling better". It wasn't until I began working with my mind, through hypnosis and meditation, that I began to shift out of fear, sadness and lack of potential. Hypnotherapy has impacted my life so profoundly that I am excited to be sharing it with women - moms and soon to be mothers. Working with pregnant moms is exciting because when a moms nervous system shifts so does the babies. I wish I had found hypnosis before I was pregnant.

What are you most proud of with your business?

I'm proud, and amazed, of the cumulative effect that working with pregnant women has had on not only their unborn child but also their entire family. The emotions pregnant women feel are passed down to their children. When a woman can feel calm and grounded during pregnancy and labor we have a better chance at having calm, grounded children 

Mary Clavieres

pregnant woman surrounded by women wearing postpartum mesh underwear

Company: Founder of Brief Transitions and The Transitions Collective

What they do/provide: Brief Transitions mesh underwear support women after childbirth and surgeries; The Transitions Collective is a membership community providing resources, accountability and collaboration for moms building businesses from the ground up. 

Website: www.BriefTransitions.com and www.TheTransitionsCollective.com 

Follow on Instagram: @BriefTransitions and @TheTransitionsCollective

Connect on LinkedIn: Mary Clavieres

Kid count: 2 total — 6 and 3.5

How is your business helpful to new and expecting mamas? 

Brief Transitions provides postpartum mesh underwear for women recovering from childbirth. Similar to mesh underwear from the hospital, Brief Transitions are super stretchy and do not put pressure on your midsection. They provide comfort and relief after C-section as well as vaginal deliveries. 

How did you get started with your business?

After being in labor for 20+ hours I ended up having a C-section for medical reasons. I was extremely sore from my incision and I couldn’t wear regular underwear for quite some time - they didn’t fit and it hurt to have any kind of elastic covering my incision. 

Before I went into labor one of my friends told me that I was going to get mesh underwear from the hospital, that they are life-saving and I should take as many as I can home with me. She was right and I did. I wore them as long as I could until I had to throw them out. Then, I missed them terribly. I tried to find more, but with no luck. My mom went to the store and bought me granny panties that I had to cut at the waistline so the elastic wouldn’t bother my incision too much. Yes, really.

There are few things that are truly essential after childbirth – mesh underwear is one of those things. After giving so many of my friends the same advice that my friend gave me, I wanted to make mesh underwear more available to women everywhere. For women having home births, for women whose hospitals don’t provide mesh underwear and for women like myself – who just wanted my supply to last longer.

What are you most proud of with your business?

My business started with a question to myself - why can’t I find these mesh underwear to buy? I eventually also asked myself - can I bring these to market for other women. There are so many challenges about pregnancy and childbirth that women deal with. I am proud to provide this product for women during a pivotal time in their lives. We deserve to have the products we need for postpartum recovery and it means the world to me to be able to provide a small comfort to new moms. I am also extremely proud that I attended NPR’s How I Built This Summit as a 2019 Fellow Recipient. I met other entrepreneurs and also got to learn from some of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time. It was definitely a pinch me moment. 

Which products and services have you found most helpful during pregnancy and childbirth?

Having a baby is a joyous time that can also be stressful. Helping moms navigate the early days of motherhood and supporting small businesses are both near and dear to our heart, especially during this challenging time. Let’s spread love and support each other as best as we can.

Which products and services did you love during pregnancy and postpartum recovery? Tell us in the comments below! 

From everyone at Brief Transitions, we’re sending you love and strength during this time of uncertainty. We’re here for you and can’t wait to see how we all come out of this stronger once it’s over. 

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