My first son, Hudson, was a November baby. I still remember the panic I felt as my husband headed back to work a few weeks after he was born. I was now fully responsible for this little being all on my own, and I immediately felt overwhelmed. I had gone from seeing dozens of colleagues every day to being all alone. It didn’t help that the weather was getting colder and we only have one car so it was harder to get outside, harder to see friends, and harder to meet other new moms. I wish I had the Working Momkind community during that maternity leave. It really would have helped to know that in that November alone, Ingrid and countless other moms were going through the same thing. They were also trying to figure out the most joyful and isolating struggle of their new lives and their new identity.
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When Ingrid’s son was 1 week old and her family left after their initial visit, she felt incredibly isolated, overwhelmed and alone. During a feed on those sleepless nights she pulled out her phone to find something that would help, but she found nothing. Where was a group of women who were actively talking about the sleepless nights, the worries, and the sore nipples? Ingrid decided to do something about it. She created @workingmomkind, an online community focused on bringing moms together to cheer each other on and lend a hand when it’s needed most. A community free of judgment and far away from perfect but offering the support that Ingrid and hundreds of thousands of moms need.
What inspired you to start Working Momkind?
I would say that it all started after the birth of my son. I’m originally not from New York. You deal with such a big physical and mental change from the moment that you leave the hospital and you finally come home. Now you have a little tiny human that you have to take care of. I just couldn’t find the type of support that I was looking for and needed. And so I said- you know what? Let me just build something. When I started Working Momkind I was hoping to create a circle of support, but I never thought that building something like this would actually build so many tiny little circles of support for moms all over the place. It’s such a good feeling to know that I wasn’t alone and I am not alone now and there’s so many women that feel the same way.
How do you feel like you’ve changed now that you’re a parent?
As a parent, you’re constantly learning and growing. Becoming a parent is such an insane change. Not only have I grown as a parent but I also grew as a woman. I don’t think I would have had the inspiration and courage before I had my son to found a community like Working Momkind. So even though parts of it feel a little daunting, It’s an amazing change and I would do it all over again. Actually, I would do it all again as long as I could take a longer maternity leave of course.
What do you think is the number one thing that you wish employers would do for expecting parents?
I would love for employers to realize and acknowledge that we have lives outside of work and I think the pandemic unfortunately has brought that to light in a positive way. Employers need to be prepared to cater to parents, whether it’s a woman that is about to have a baby or a partner that needs to go on paternity leave. We need employers to ensure that the parents that they employ can also be supported.
Bridget Garsh
Co-founder & COO
Bridget is mom to two little boys, Hudson and Brooks, and a champion of working moms everywhere. NeighborSchools itself was borne out of Bridget’s challenge to find high-quality yet affordable child care, and the realization that so many parents struggle with these same issues every day.
Read more from Bridget, follow her on IG, and check out her new series, Work Like a Mother.
