Expecting women and new mothers are looking outside of the western medical field—to Instagram, bloggers, and curated online services—for community, culture, and consumer products that normalize pregnancy, get real about motherhood, and reject a “one-size-fits-all” approach to these life-altering milestones.
Cassandra’s Modern Parents report, published June 2016, writes that millennial parents “want to share what it’s really like to raise children and are publicly admitting their uncertainties and challenges on social media while still sharing the joyous moments.” Furthermore, they are rebelling against the “ceaseless stream of childrearing advice, content, and products” and aligning with brands that support a more “instinctive” approach.
One such brand is Storq, an online destination for modern, no-fuss essentials for pregnancy, nursing, and parenthood, including a sleek and minimal nursing bra, caftan, dress, and carry-all. Unlike its blissed-out or out-of-touch predecessors, Storq sets out to treat new moms and pregnant ladies as human. “We design pieces that look and feel like what you would normally use and wear, because dammit, you are a human being and having kids does not make you a different person,” reads its website.
“It makes sense why pregnant women have evolved wants and needs: we’re having kids at a completely new life stage where we have established identities and are looking for practical solutions,” Storq founder Courtney Klein told Ok Real. “Having your first baby at 20 is a lot different than having your first baby at 30. When I’d discuss this with pregnant women they would say, ‘I just want to feel like myself. I’m already doing this crazy thing, and to hold onto who I am as I make this huge life change would be really empowering.’”
It’s a trend echoed by Erica Chidi Cohen, doula, author, and co-founder of LOOM, a modern pregnancy and parenting hub focused on pre-conception, pregnancy and parenting, coming soon to Los Angeles. “There’s definitely a deeper interest in wellness and in the birth process,” Cohen told JWT Intelligence. “People are realizing they can optimize their birth experience. That there is a way to have—not only more community around their experience, especially as families are spread out and there isn’t this passing down of wisdom—people are looking for education, expertise, and the community component.”