Actress and mom of three Sarah Wright Olsen was determined to create a space for new moms like herself, who were seeking a sense of community during those early motherhood days. With Your Zen Mama, an online platform and complementary book, Sarah allows access to her mom squad of wellness experts, midwives and doctors and helps mamas achieve a sense of balance in their busy lives. Sarah speaks to us about her breastfeeding journey; how motherhood changed her world and why she launched a skincare line.
How old are your children?
Wyatt is 8 Esmé is 5 and Winter is 22 months.
What inspired you to create Your Zen Mama and Baeo?
The inspiration behind YourZenMama.com came from a drive to find community as a new mother in a very large city. My friend and Partner Teresa Palmer and I wanted to create a space where people all over the world looking to connect on a parenting, birthing, mothering journey would have a community and a place to land. We share our stories and we have contributors from all over who share as well as midwives, doctors, health experts and more. Through years of working on Yourzenmama.com Teresa and I were able to write a book call The Zen Mama Guide to Finding Your Rhythm in Pregnancy Birth and Beyond. To share information from our mentors and everything we have learned about the time before you have a baby, to pregnancy, postpartum, pregnancy loss, breastfeeding, and the first year.
When I was pregnant with my first child I learned so much about the effects of what I eat and put on my skin and how everything that goes in my body and on my body will go to baby. I suddenly became very aware of the face wash I had been using since high school and the lotion I lathered on my arms everyday. Our company baeo.com launched 3.5 years ago! Baeo is an organic plant based eco friendly skincare line for the whole family. Our goal is to meet the needs of your family at every stage of life. We were inspired to create a line that is safe, organic, and works amazing, made with ingredients that we all know and feel good about putting on our bodies. We just launched our newest product a mineral Lip and Cheek tint in the most gorgeous color that leaves your skin and lips dewy with just the touch of blush.
“When I was pregnant and then our first child arrived we felt an amazing shift. We weren’t leaving behind an old life we were now bringing this new life along for the ride.”
How has motherhood changed your perspective on life?
I love this question so much because motherhood changed my perspective on everything. My partner and I spent almost 7 years together before we had children and before we were married. We worked all over the world, we traveled and experienced so much and we grew together. When I was pregnant and then our first child arrived we felt an amazing shift. We weren’t leaving behind an old life we were now bringing this new life along for the ride. We make choices on work and location to keep our lil family unit together as much as we possibly can but the greatest gift they have given me besides the joy of being their mama is this feeling of gratitude and constant inspiration. I want to grow and to look for all the beauty in life with them and for them. I want to have slow days in the garden or on the beach where I'm not multitasking or running from one end of town to the other. I want the balance. I lost one of my dear friends to colon cancer in 2021. She was only 36 years old and had two young daughters.. she said to me there is nothing more beautiful than this life, enjoy every moment you can and don’t take it for granted.
Tell us about your breastfeeding journey.
I always knew I wanted to breastfeed. The more I learned about the process before I had a baby the more I understood that every breastfeeding journey is different and if I wasn’t able to breastfeed or produce milk that there were other options but I wanted to do everything I could to try. I remember my mother telling me how much she loved to breastfeed and how it was pretty normal to stop breastfeeding before 1 year of age. I heard about a class when I was pregnant with my first baby that was about breastfeeding and you bring your partner along.
I signed us up and we headed to this class and I honestly feel like it was one of the best things I could have done when I was preparing for motherhood. Partners were taught how they could be helpful, mothers were taught the proper way to get baby to latch and the different things to look for if you are having any trouble. We talk a lot about breastfeeding in our book because setting yourself up with a little bit of preparation can be so helpful once you are leaking milk, covered in sweat, feeling tired in a newborn haze. I was able to feed my son for 2 years, my daughter for 3 years and we are 22 months into my 3rd and I don’t see an end just yet. Every baby had a different journey as we learned together but i'm grateful I had the milk to feed them.
What have been the most essential items (gear/clothing/accessories) to aid with feeding time?
Very cozy clothes and maternity pajamas that don't make you feel sweaty. I am a big fan of wearing loose cozy cotton in the postpartum period. A nursing pillow can help so much when your baby is little. Nursing pads (washable reusable) for leaking milk. A nursing bra for comfort and support. A carrier is a great way to breastfeed on the go or when you are doing laundry / housework or even working from home.
What is the best parenting advice you've been told?
To try and not over schedule every little thing. Meet the needs of your baby when the need arises. This advice carried me through breastfeeding, naps and parenting in general.
