One prospective mom’s take on Motherly’s inspirational gathering in New York last week.

“It takes a village.”

I’ve heard this phrase in just about every context in my life, but hearing it at Motherly’s Becoming Mama event last Saturday gave it new meaning.

The event, held at the beautiful WeWork Now space in NYC, was the perfect mix of informative panels, fun interactive stations, and networking opportunities for pregnant and postnatal moms in the tri-state area.

I’d like to start with a disclaimer that I’m not a mom, nor am I pregnant. But I just celebrated my one-year wedding anniversary with my husband, James, and we’ve started outlining our future baby plans. Though I’ve attended my fair share of baby events throughout the course of my career, this one felt different because I was seeing it through the lens of being not only a Pipette team member but also a prospective mom who might join this group of powerful women in the near future.

Upon walking in, I was greeted by the lovely Team Motherly, as well as delicious smoothies from Daily Harvest—I’m officially obsessed with their Banana + Greens smoothie! There were fun little stations upstairs including the most adorable nursery furniture and photo booth from Crate & Kids and bra fittings from Motherhood Maternity. The restrooms included a diaper changing station with fragrance-free Baby Wipes from Pipette and super-cute diapers from Abby + Finn. Pipette also included our Baby Oil, Baby Balm, Baby Lotion, and Shampoo & Wash in the restrooms as product testers. At the end of the event, all the products had been conveniently taken from these stations, which we took as a sign that the guests all loved our products!

On the main floor, guests gathered around a stage adorned with floral arrangements in Motherly’s signature purple.  The event kicked off with a beautiful Intention-Setting Ceremony led by the amazing doulas and educators from Birdsong, where we all set the intention of seeing the joy available to us in every moment. We passed around purple yarn and tied it into bracelets to symbolize the community united in supporting one another in this journey of motherhood. The first panel, “Navigating the Fourth Trimester,” highlighted the physical and emotional challenges that come with having a baby, and the importance of self-care and a support system to prepare for the first 3 months of postpartum. We then had a lunch break and enjoyed the most delicious sandwiches from Bluestone Lane. (Yes, I went back for seconds!)

The event continued with our sponsored panel, “Baby Steps to a Cleaner Lifestyle,” featuring our very own Caroline Hadfield, President of Pipette. The panel focused on the surprising lack of regulation surrounding baby products and the importance of advocating for safer standards. Some easy tips for a cleaner lifestyle included looking for fragrance-free products and seeking out certifications that make it easy to identify products with safe ingredients (fun fact: all Pipette products are EWG Verified™!). The third panel was appropriately titled, “It Takes a Village,” with a discussion on learning how to prioritize yourself after you have a baby. The last panel, “The Motherhood Advantage in the Workplace,” centered around changing the conversation so we think of motherhood as a workplace advantage, not a penalty, and to demand more from corporate culture and governmental policies.

All the panels were tremendously informative and featured a variety of perspectives and tactics from real moms. I appreciated how each mom interpreted the concepts in her own unique way, embracing her individual experiences while sharing the common trials and triumphs of motherhood. What I loved especially about the event was how open and vulnerable women were, and their willingness to ask for help and accept support.

Sitting next to me during one of the panels was Chris, a beautiful young woman who was 7 months pregnant with her first child. When I asked her how she was feeling about giving birth—if she was excited, anxious, or a combination of the two—she answered, “I’ve never been so excited to meet someone in my entire life.” Seeing the joy and anticipation in her eyes instantly made me want to support and help her on this beautiful journey of motherhood. I believe this is a taste of the “village” everyone talks about. Your village can be a friend, a family member, or even a stranger sitting next to you in a panel discussion. I’m incredibly thankful to Motherly for including us in this transformative event for prenatal moms, postnatal moms, and prospective moms like me. I know I’ll never be fully ready for the experience of pregnancy and motherhood, but knowing that I’ll have my own “village” when the time comes gives me assurance that I’ll be just fine.