when I found out I was pregnant for the first time I freaked the out it was
first time I freaked the out it was
first time I freaked the out it was 2009 and the economy was in serious
2009 and the economy was in serious
2009 and the economy was in serious meltdown I just lost my job at the art
meltdown I just lost my job at the art
meltdown I just lost my job at the art restoration firm where I worked in
restoration firm where I worked in
restoration firm where I worked in Chicago and no one was hiring especially
Chicago and no one was hiring especially
Chicago and no one was hiring especially not a pregnant woman so just like that I
not a pregnant woman so just like that I
not a pregnant woman so just like that I went from a 20-somethings cool City
went from a 20-somethings cool City
went from a 20-somethings cool City lifestyle to stay at home mom now at the
lifestyle to stay at home mom now at the
lifestyle to stay at home mom now at the time when I thought of stay-at-home moms
time when I thought of stay-at-home moms
time when I thought of stay-at-home moms I did not think of myself TV and the
I did not think of myself TV and the
I did not think of myself TV and the internet had me picturing this drab
internet had me picturing this drab
internet had me picturing this drab middle-aged women taking care of
middle-aged women taking care of
middle-aged women taking care of everyone else at her own expense it
everyone else at her own expense it
everyone else at her own expense it turned out I loved being a mom but I was
turned out I loved being a mom but I was
turned out I loved being a mom but I was having a really hard time pushing my
having a really hard time pushing my
having a really hard time pushing my hard edge loudmouth identity into this
hard edge loudmouth identity into this
hard edge loudmouth identity into this quiet selfless motherhood mold and I
quiet selfless motherhood mold and I
quiet selfless motherhood mold and I felt like I was losing myself as a
felt like I was losing myself as a
felt like I was losing myself as a person because the thing is moms aren’t
person because the thing is moms aren’t
person because the thing is moms aren’t cool mom jeans yo mama jokes it’s a
cool mom jeans yo mama jokes it’s a
cool mom jeans yo mama jokes it’s a thing and I really liked feeling cool I
thing and I really liked feeling cool I
thing and I really liked feeling cool I missed feeling cool now that I was a mom
missed feeling cool now that I was a mom
missed feeling cool now that I was a mom and I just kept wondering how did this
and I just kept wondering how did this
and I just kept wondering how did this happen how did I go from cool to uncool
happen how did I go from cool to uncool
happen how did I go from cool to uncool just by squeezing a baby out of my
just by squeezing a baby out of my
just by squeezing a baby out of my vagina giving birth was seriously the
vagina giving birth was seriously the
vagina giving birth was seriously the most intense thing I’ve ever done in my
most intense thing I’ve ever done in my
most intense thing I’ve ever done in my life through the miracle of my glorious
life through the miracle of my glorious
life through the miracle of my glorious female reproductive organs i created
female reproductive organs i created
female reproductive organs i created this unique special person and through
this unique special person and through
this unique special person and through the majestic power of my mom body I
the majestic power of my mom body I
the majestic power of my mom body I pushed this massive object through a
pushed this massive object through a
pushed this massive object through a very small hole to give birth to new
very small hole to give birth to new
very small hole to give birth to new life that’s pretty cool my baby
life that’s pretty cool my baby
life that’s pretty cool my baby was rad and watching her girl fat and
was rad and watching her girl fat and
was rad and watching her girl fat and chubby for my breast milk made me feel
chubby for my breast milk made me feel
chubby for my breast milk made me feel kick ass and powerful so why was I
kick ass and powerful so why was I
kick ass and powerful so why was I feeling so deeply on
feeling so deeply on
feeling so deeply on all I looked in the mirror and my
all I looked in the mirror and my
all I looked in the mirror and my reflection peered back at me exhausted
reflection peered back at me exhausted
reflection peered back at me exhausted baggy eyes bloated postpartum tummy and
baggy eyes bloated postpartum tummy and
baggy eyes bloated postpartum tummy and wearing this hideous drapey pastel knit
wearing this hideous drapey pastel knit
wearing this hideous drapey pastel knit dress why was I wearing this dress it’s
dress why was I wearing this dress it’s
dress why was I wearing this dress it’s cuz it was the only thing I could find
cuz it was the only thing I could find
cuz it was the only thing I could find that was easy to breastfeed in I mean I
that was easy to breastfeed in I mean I
that was easy to breastfeed in I mean I just had a baby of course I’m going to
just had a baby of course I’m going to
just had a baby of course I’m going to be ugly I shouldn’t care what I look
be ugly I shouldn’t care what I look
be ugly I shouldn’t care what I look like right when it came to mamang I felt
like right when it came to mamang I felt
like right when it came to mamang I felt on point but when it came to me I just
on point but when it came to me I just
on point but when it came to me I just kept wondering where did that confident
kept wondering where did that confident
kept wondering where did that confident person go who is this frumpy mom looking
person go who is this frumpy mom looking
person go who is this frumpy mom looking back in the mirror at me this is not
back in the mirror at me this is not
back in the mirror at me this is not okay we live in a world where as a woman
okay we live in a world where as a woman
okay we live in a world where as a woman you’re told from the time you’re young
you’re told from the time you’re young
you’re told from the time you’re young that you’re worth lies and how
that you’re worth lies and how
that you’re worth lies and how attractive you are two men and once you
attractive you are two men and once you
attractive you are two men and once you have a baby the cultural messaging is
have a baby the cultural messaging is
have a baby the cultural messaging is you’re done used up you look like
you’re done used up you look like
you’re done used up you look like and you’re not cool anymore here’s some
and you’re not cool anymore here’s some
and you’re not cool anymore here’s some frumpy clothes go hide yourself at home
frumpy clothes go hide yourself at home
frumpy clothes go hide yourself at home and don’t come out again until you’re
and don’t come out again until you’re
and don’t come out again until you’re done breastfeeding cuz that’s gross and
done breastfeeding cuz that’s gross and
done breastfeeding cuz that’s gross and you lose some weight cuz you’re fat this
you lose some weight cuz you’re fat this
you lose some weight cuz you’re fat this is total giving birth is an
is total giving birth is an
is total giving birth is an amazing journey if I had just climbed
amazing journey if I had just climbed
amazing journey if I had just climbed Mount Everest and lost a few fingers
Mount Everest and lost a few fingers
Mount Everest and lost a few fingers everybody would think that’s Totally Rad
everybody would think that’s Totally Rad
everybody would think that’s Totally Rad so why are my stretch marks my extra
so why are my stretch marks my extra
so why are my stretch marks my extra pounds and my postpartum fatigue
pounds and my postpartum fatigue
pounds and my postpartum fatigue something to be ashamed of oh sure I can
something to be ashamed of oh sure I can
something to be ashamed of oh sure I can hear you saying it takes actual skill to
hear you saying it takes actual skill to
hear you saying it takes actual skill to climb Mount Everest but anyone can give
climb Mount Everest but anyone can give
climb Mount Everest but anyone can give birth actually no that’s not true not
birth actually no that’s not true not
birth actually no that’s not true not anyone only half the human population
anyone only half the human population
anyone only half the human population can give birth
can give birth
can give birth and coincidentally it’s the half that
and coincidentally it’s the half that
and coincidentally it’s the half that can’t who have the loudest voice and
can’t who have the loudest voice and
can’t who have the loudest voice and female cultural beauty norms to me my
female cultural beauty norms to me my
female cultural beauty norms to me my postpartum body represented the beauty
postpartum body represented the beauty
postpartum body represented the beauty and the power of my motherhood the fat
and the power of my motherhood the fat
and the power of my motherhood the fat in my tummy provided the nutrients for
in my tummy provided the nutrients for
in my tummy provided the nutrients for my breast milk and my stretch marks
my breast milk and my stretch marks
my breast milk and my stretch marks which I still have today are the
which I still have today are the
which I still have today are the souvenir I got from the most incredible
souvenir I got from the most incredible
souvenir I got from the most incredible experience of my life so back to me
experience of my life so back to me
experience of my life so back to me looking in the mirror there I am feeling
looking in the mirror there I am feeling
looking in the mirror there I am feeling awesome and powerful but not looking
awesome and powerful but not looking
awesome and powerful but not looking like it at all I wanted clothes that
like it at all I wanted clothes that
like it at all I wanted clothes that would help me represent how cool
would help me represent how cool
would help me represent how cool motherhood and breastfeeding really are
motherhood and breastfeeding really are
motherhood and breastfeeding really are I was just learning to sew at the time
I was just learning to sew at the time
I was just learning to sew at the time so I made myself a dress which matched
so I made myself a dress which matched
so I made myself a dress which matched my edgy punk-rock aesthetic and I
my edgy punk-rock aesthetic and I
my edgy punk-rock aesthetic and I included zippers along the bust for easy
included zippers along the bust for easy
included zippers along the bust for easy breastfeeding access wearing it made me
breastfeeding access wearing it made me
breastfeeding access wearing it made me feel badass and smart as how that I
feel badass and smart as how that I
feel badass and smart as how that I could easily integrate breastfeeding
could easily integrate breastfeeding
could easily integrate breastfeeding into my life while still maintaining
into my life while still maintaining
into my life while still maintaining hard-edged loudmouth me I wanted to
hard-edged loudmouth me I wanted to
hard-edged loudmouth me I wanted to empower other women to embrace the
empower other women to embrace the
empower other women to embrace the awesomeness of their postpartum selves
awesomeness of their postpartum selves
awesomeness of their postpartum selves to I taught myself fashion design and i
to I taught myself fashion design and i
to I taught myself fashion design and i launched my company leche Libre to
launched my company leche Libre to
launched my company leche Libre to create clothing for mamas so they can
create clothing for mamas so they can
create clothing for mamas so they can easily and confidently breastfeed in
easily and confidently breastfeed in
easily and confidently breastfeed in total style without losing their edge if
total style without losing their edge if
total style without losing their edge if women feel beautiful in my clothes
women feel beautiful in my clothes
women feel beautiful in my clothes that’s awesome but my main goal is to
that’s awesome but my main goal is to
that’s awesome but my main goal is to make them feel powerful it is not okay
make them feel powerful it is not okay
make them feel powerful it is not okay for any woman or mother to be made to
for any woman or mother to be made to
for any woman or mother to be made to feel ashamed of their body or uncool
feel ashamed of their body or uncool
feel ashamed of their body or uncool after doing the most powerful thing a
after doing the most powerful thing a
after doing the most powerful thing a human being can do and we all need to
human being can do and we all need to
human being can do and we all need to put our middle fingers up against any
put our middle fingers up against any
put our middle fingers up against any cultural judgments which limit our
cultural judgments which limit our
cultural judgments which limit our abilities to love ourselves and it’s not
abilities to love ourselves and it’s not
abilities to love ourselves and it’s not the mom jeans which bug me I love mom
the mom jeans which bug me I love mom
the mom jeans which bug me I love mom jeans what bugs me is the fact that the
jeans what bugs me is the fact that the
jeans what bugs me is the fact that the term has come to represent this idea of
term has come to represent this idea of
term has come to represent this idea of being middle-aged and giving up on how
being middle-aged and giving up on how
being middle-aged and giving up on how you
you
you look I see a new generation of women who
look I see a new generation of women who
look I see a new generation of women who are rejecting the idea that how we look
are rejecting the idea that how we look
are rejecting the idea that how we look will be defined by the desires of others
will be defined by the desires of others
will be defined by the desires of others a generation of moms who own our
a generation of moms who own our
a generation of moms who own our and love our bodies no matter what our
and love our bodies no matter what our
and love our bodies no matter what our age or size we dress for how we want and
age or size we dress for how we want and
age or size we dress for how we want and we need our clothing to be functional
we need our clothing to be functional
we need our clothing to be functional for being stylish dynamic women and
for being stylish dynamic women and
for being stylish dynamic women and loving nurturing moms at the same time
loving nurturing moms at the same time
loving nurturing moms at the same time so I say it’s about time that we reject
so I say it’s about time that we reject
so I say it’s about time that we reject this idea that women moms aren’t cool
this idea that women moms aren’t cool
this idea that women moms aren’t cool because we’re no longer as sexy as we
because we’re no longer as sexy as we
because we’re no longer as sexy as we were before and it’s about time that we
were before and it’s about time that we
were before and it’s about time that we rebrand motherhood as cool because we’ve
rebrand motherhood as cool because we’ve
rebrand motherhood as cool because we’ve gone through an amazing birthday and
gone through an amazing birthday and
gone through an amazing birthday and we’re proud of it so next time
we’re proud of it so next time
we’re proud of it so next time you hear anything that makes you feel
you hear anything that makes you feel
you hear anything that makes you feel bad about how you look just ignore that
bad about how you look just ignore that
bad about how you look just ignore that because your stretch marks are not
because your stretch marks are not
because your stretch marks are not what impede your cool they’re what
what impede your cool they’re what
what impede your cool they’re what define it
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
you
you [Music]
”
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