Did you see the amazing panel of women at Club MomMe’s Fall Family Fest Event? It was a powerhouse packed panel of beautiful and intelligent moms such as the lovely Lisa Ling, Garcelle Beauvais, and Tamera Mowry! We were lucky enough to sit down with Tamera and her sister Tia for an exclusive interview about motherhood and their innovative product Milky!
NCW: How did the idea for your new products Milky! and Stretchy! come about?
Tia: I am so passionate about this project. It came about out of a ‘need’. I breastfed Cree for three months, and I couldn’t breastfeed anymore – I was devastated. I enjoyed breastfeeding so much…I remember I cried when I gave my son his first bottle of formula, because what I wanted for him, I couldn’t provide. With that being said, there weren’t products out there that I felt were practical enough for my lifestyle…I wanted to come up with a product that was practical for moms, and that is why we came up with Milky! It is a 2.5 oz. bottle, with all organic ingredients…This is something that I would have loved to have had while breastfeeding Cree, but more importantly, I feel it’s practical and it tastes great…. I think that just because you eat organic, or eat healthy food, it doesn’t mean that it has to be disgusting. I’m a true believer in that. For Stretchy! my sister and I felt…there were so many great stretch mark creams out there on the market, but they were all so expensive. Whereas Stretchy! is going for $17.99. It is practical and affordable, it smells great, and you don’t have to just use it for stretch marks. I actually use it all over my body, and it is a great moisturizer.
Tamera: My sister and I knew that we wanted to build a brand catering to motherhood, and we were introduced to a couple of products. One was a tea [Fenugreek] that we heard helped moms produce more milk. My sister couldn’t produce milk when she had Cree, and it devastated her, and she’s not the only one. There are a million moms out there who can’t produce milk and they feel inadequate – they don’t feel like they’re being a mom. To see the hope and smiles on these moms faces when they take Milky!, and it actually works…you just feel ultra-great, and you say ‘Yes, that was worth it!’
NCW: Tell me about your pregnancy? Tia: My pregnancy was not a great one. I had good moments, but there were also crazy, difficult challenges that I had to face. I think the biggest challenge was the nausea that I had. I re- member being so nauseous when I was shooting The Game in Atlanta, and I would go to the toilet and do what I had to do, and then when I was done, study my lines…this was the cycle. I was hiding my pregnancy at first, I didn’t want anybody to know, and then I had to make people laugh…my point is that… I was definitely in the percentage of women that have nausea throughout their entire pregnancy, and that was not easy, and what helped was bread. So I gained sixty pounds because that was the only thing that helped with my queasiness. My pregnancy was an interesting, challenging experience…but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Tamera: My pregnancy was great, it was amazing! I enjoyed being pregnant all the way up until I was late. Probably around the thirty-seventh week, is when I was like, ‘Ok now…when are you coming buddy?’ He was ten days late…not fun at all. I just wanted to stay there and not move. It was hard I must say… but for the most part I only had morning sickness for the first two weeks of my pregnancy and that’s it. I was on cloud nine, I felt beautiful, I felt sexy, and I felt powerful. There is something about carrying a child, your creativity heightens, everything does. It was beautiful.
NCW: Was it difficult being so open in your book?
Tia: No. I’m the real deal. I always keep it real. That is just a part of my personality…a part of my nature. I think what made it a great experience, was that I do have a sense of humor. With any type of craziness or challenge, I always try to find the funny in it. So I think that’s what helped me be able to express the reality of my pregnancy that some people don’t necessarily want to share…Some people think that ignorance is bliss, but for me, I like to know…so I can brace and prepare myself.
NCW: Was it a hard decision to let people into your lives with the reality show?
Tamera: Yeah, it was really hard for me because I am the more private one. I initially didn’t want to do the reality show at all, however, I realized that there was a huge demand for it, and it would be something interesting. What I did say, is that I wanted to do it differently…I did not want it to be like every other reality show that’s out there. I wanted to make sure that we were positive and really ourselves…that we were making a difference, and the only way that people are going to relate, is if you allow yourself to be vulnerable. You have to be vulnerable, you have to be yourself, and it’s not always the most comfortable feeling.
For Milky! or Stretchy! products visit www.needbrands.com