Look! This 'Bagong Nanay' Shirts Aim To Help New Moms Overcome Postpartum Struggles

'Motherhood Is Going To Change You, And You May Or May Not Like It.' That was the title of my Smart Parenting Story, published in April last year, where I talked about overcoming postpartum struggles. Thankfully, this story inspired moms to step forward and bravely talk about their experiences, and contribute to normalizing postpartum stress, anxiety and depression. 

As part of the Smart Parenting Mom Squad, I was empowered to continue my mental health advocacy. One of the concrete results is this collection of statement shirts designed to encourage new moms in their postpartum journey.

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For moms, by moms

For this project, I partnered with Studio Maria, a brand that celebrates motherhood and self-love, run by creative mompreneur Chesca Susmerano. Amid the pandemic and through IG messages and emails, we came up with a new collection of positive, witty, and relatable statement shirts that raises awareness on what it's like to be a Bagong Nanay. With the mission to inspire, these Bagong Nanay shirts echo my blog's mission to build a community where Bagong Nanays empower Bagong Nanays.

Last December 27, we asked the Bagong Nanay Community and Studio Maria for Mamas (almost 8,000 mom members combined) to complete the sentence: “Bagong Nanay ka kung…” We received a total of 100 entries sent by real moms all over the Philippines - ranging from “Bagong Nanay ka kung Cocomelon is your jam,” to “Bagong Nanay ka kung malamig na lagi ang kape mo.” 

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We had a hard time choosing the top 5, so in the spirit of collaboration, we asked the moms and their communities - husbands and allies, including the Smart Parenting Mom Squad, to vote for the top 5 statements that we will feature on the shirts. On January 15, we launched the shirt collection on studiomaria.art through Instagram Live. We also shared mental health tips for Bagong Nanays. 

Unique shirt collection for the Bagong Nanay

The fruits of this collab are these uniquely hand-drawn and carefully printed shirts by creative mompreneur Chesca Susmerano, founder of Studio Maria. The content were inspired by the entries of real moms from the Bagong Nanay and Studio Maria for Mamas Community.

With every shirt, we hope to make at least one mom smile, and remind her that although being a new mom may not be easy, she is not alone.

Buy it on Shopee

Bagong Nanay x Studio Maria shirts are now available on Studio Maria. 

When shopping through the website, use the discount code BAGONGNANAY to get 15% off.

Also available on Shopee and Lazada at P600 per shirt.