Hi everyone,

You’ve found me (and if you don’t know me, welcome! My name is Christine Nieves) and I want to share a personal journey with you. As many of you know, I'm a passionate advocate for social impact and community antifragility. My life's work has taken me through various paths, from disruptive health innovations and climate leadership to directly impacting initiatives that support economic mobility in Puerto Rico. But my most profound journey has been that of motherhood. With three beautiful daughters and now expecting my first son, I've come to realize the deep importance of community support during postpartum. 

Our son, Ilán, will be here any minute between now and approx. August 17th. His name, meaning Oak tree and Spirit/Force (vital source), stems from our beloved, fragrant Ylang Ylang backyard tree. Ilán has bestowed upon us a mission we didn’t think we could muster — raise a family of 4 little children (in these times) and do it courageously, joyfully and authentically. 

We have three very excited older sisters (Malí, 5 years old, Chiara, 4 years old, Sofía, 2 years old) who are also manifesting their uncertainty somatically and behaviorally with colds and big feelings. They can sense the change coming. It’s such a delicate process because their developmentally appropriate needs for safety, belonging, and feeling seen are significant—and our culture moves at a pace that inevitably and tragically delivers a deficit of mothering. This is why we made the intentional decision to shift our focus professionally and economically, and create a path that interrupts family and historical trauma while being present with our children according to their developmental needs. This has been the most significant investment of our lives to date, and we know what we have learned can be a gamechanger, not just for young families, but the world at large.

The Postpartum Debt

It is said it takes a village to raise a kid. And yet, while we are more connected digitally than ever, many of us feel isolated and fragmented. I remember the day I read these heartbreaking words from a colleague working in tech who felt forced to return two work: “I was promised a village…” Her longing and pain pierced my heart, because hers was my pain. This is the story for new contemporary mothers in the United States (and western cultures), where postpartum support is often lacking. Research shows that early childhood adverse experiences and maternal stress can have lifelong impacts on health, well-being, and society. Just take a look at a recent US public health crisis release on maternal health. Comprehensive postpartum support significantly benefits both mother and baby, promoting better mental health, quicker physical recovery, and stronger bonds. The extent to how well a mother can bond, nourish and protect her baby directly affects the baby’s brain architecture, nervous system development and attachment style - leading to impacts on learning, relating to others, relating to self and to the world at large. In short, how we are carried in the womb and enter this world leaves an imprint for life lodged in our subconscious underpinning 95% of our choices by the time we are 35 years of age.

However, the reality is that many mothers - including yours! - very likely did not receive the support they needed during this critical time, leading to feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Today, this is even more acute because families are spread out thousands of miles apart, busier than ever, with little to no infrastructure, paid leave or caregiving support. Even if we magically had infrastructure and paid leave, we would still have to reclaim and remember the ways of caring and nourishing a mother who just gave birth with specific nutrition, treatments and care. 

We have inherited a multi-generational postpartum debt that is no one's fault – older generations did the best they could with the knowledge and tools they had–  and yet, this is EVERYONE’s inheritance. I am no exception. 

Our Collective Vision

We have an opportunity to change this narrative and create a modern hybridized village that supports mothers and their families. And you are invited to join. If you think it is time to create a loving community that is raising future humanity, integrating the most compelling evidence we have about how to bring up a world of mind-heart centered adults who are securely attached, know how to regulate their nervous system and understand their role and power to transform ancestral trauma into limitless potential, then I invite you to join me. 

Join me in reimagining and recreating a loving village that is both in-person and long-distance. By coming together, we can address the deep pain of loneliness and separation and foster a community where mothers and babies are truly supported and cherished.

Here's how you can shift the paradigm:

We have big big plans for the future, but first things first.  We need all hearts on deck to ensure the arrival of Ilán is a safe one. And we need you in whichever way feels meaningful and joyful to you:

1.Join in Person: Experience the blessing of welcoming a new baby by signing up for our care calendar. You can help before or during postpartum by preparing freezable meals, cleaning, organizing, or joining the support crew once the baby arrives (meals, groceries, laundry, dishes, taking the girls out to play, caring for our pets, etc.). This will ensure our daughters have calm and rested adults around to connect with, while also opening up space for Luis to bond with Ilán and carve out time to compose music for his upcoming concert tour in October. 

Go to calendar

2. Expert Care: I know baby registries and baby showers are hugely satisfying, and while we accept gifts, the most valuable support we need right now is expert postpartum care. Postpartum care used to be a communal effort; with family and friends ensuring the mother was well-nourished and free from household responsibilities. The knowledge of how to nourish the mother to full health and the initiative/mandate to do so without being asked has been forgotten from our collective memory (and this is my honest apology to all of you, mom friends, whom I didn’t support because I didn’t see your struggle.). You can help us recreate this support system by contributing to the fair-wage employment of a specialized postpartum caregiver for me. This will allow me to rest, recover, and focus on bonding with my baby and being present for my THREE daughters. Do this in lieu of a baby shower gift. For every $2,000 we collect, we secure a week of support and most importantly - we transform a generational debt into future generations of thriving humans. As a thank you we have created special gifts for your contributions (more below).

Join Our Modern Hybridized Village

We feel like we are entering a new paradigm and we want to build from a place of abundance and joy. Join us because you love us, because you believe in a more loving way to live, or because you simply want to support a new mother. Your support will make a world of difference, and we would be thrilled to share everything we learn along the way and join your own journey in the future to reciprocate. 

Thank you for being part of our lives and for considering this request. Let's create a new reality together, one where mothers and babies are truly supported and cherished.

With all my love,

Christine and family