The First #MomTribe Meet-Up

By Liza Esteban

Not too long ago, a younger me would say that I belong to the corporate world. I was aiming to reach my career ladder and the concrete jungle was my playground. It was easy to hang out with friends whenever and wherever. And then I got married and became a mom. My lifestyle changed and it was a complete turnaround. My husband and I decided that I would stay at home to take care of the kids. My interactions with friends are sorely limited to online conversations. That is why the idea of mommy meet ups excite me. You are a stay or a work at home mom? You're getting me, I'm sure.

Like many of you, I belong to some mommy groups in Facebook. One of which is Millennial Moms PH. The group aims to provide a venue for moms to share, inspire and connect with other moms. Imagine my joy when they said that there would be a #MomTribe meet-up. I instantly signed up, of course. The reason why I wanted to join the activity is because I would like to learn also from other moms and meet new friends as well. It's also a rare me time.

Last February 11, the first #MomTribe meet-up was held at Poetry and Prose at the Shangri-la Plaza Mall in Ortigas. It was organized by Millennial Moms PH in partnership with Sacred Cleanser. 

It was an intimate gathering of about fifteen moms. It was an afternoon of getting to know each other and sharing stories and ideas. There were informative talks and good food.

Photo from @everythinggoodph

I personally appreciate the short talks from different brands that day. First was, Gov Daswani of Sacred Cleanser on Decoding Labels. He reiterated the value of reading labels especially for the babies and the young ones. A lot of the products in the market nowadays contain some chemicals that might harm our family and being informed about what these chemicals are will come in very handy to keep our loved ones safe. That is the reason why they have formulated Sacred for babies six months and below to use. It’s said to have the gentlest formulation for the young baby skin hence, very baby friendly.

The next one is Eds Agapito of Betadine Philippines expounded on Sorethroat Remedies. I honestly thought that bacteria is the main cause of sore throat but Ms. Agapito cleared that up and explained that virus is actually the main culprit. I think their new product line which is the throat spray is very timely since all of us are prone to the symptoms plus the Manila weather is changing so it’s always better to be armed.

Mommy Lan (top), Ms. Eds Agapito (middle), Mr. Gov Daswani (bottom)

The third sharer is a mom like me, Lan San Juan - Perez of Mother Nurture on Breastfeeding and Relactation. Her breastfeeding journey is very inspiring. I am a strong believer of breast is best for our children and there were times when I wanted to just stop and give formula because it was difficult to feed and would become tiring at times but thinking about the benefits my child would get was enough to get me going. Hearing her story would really encourage you to breastfeed. Her story was about how she was able to relactate. It wasn’t easy for her but eventually she got her husband’s support and her motivation to keep on going so at the end, it was a success story.

In between the sharing and talks are the one-on-one mom chats which I really liked. It was fun and informative to learn from other young mommies like me. I realized that my struggles are also their struggles and that the joy our children brings is just priceless. I mean of course that’s an easy majority but it’s different when you actually hear it from the moms themselves. It made me truly thankful for my role of being a mother. It’s got its ups and downs but the rewards are priceless.

The #MomTribe meet-up is a regular event organized by Millennial Moms PH. So join one if you want to have some time for yourself and make it an afternoon of learning and sharing and celebrating motherhood!

The next #MomTribe meet-up will be held on March 11, 2017. For more information on how to join, please send Millennial Moms PH a message on their Facebook page or comment below.