Today we’d like to introduce you to Marilys Candelario.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Marilys. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m a successful HR professional and I proudly hail from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Together with my husband, Pablo, we’re breaking generational barriers and raising a first-generation family in New Jersey.
I was born into preconceived notions of who I could be, what I could accomplish, and with statistics stacked up against my mother and me. The thing is, I come from a long line of teen mothers. Of kids raising kids or leaving others to raise their kids. My own mother was just 15 when she got pregnant with me. On the one hand, there was a lot of pressure to fulfill the goals and aspirations she gave up and at the same time, the world didn’t think I’d amount to much.
Add to that a complicated childhood in a household battling alcoholism and drug abuse followed by my own experiences of sexual harassment and over the years, my sense of self-worth tanked. Maybe some of your readers can relate?
But here’s the silver lining: all those experiences evoked in me a deep fire to advocate for women and mothers. To motivate and inspire women to perceive their transformation to motherhood as a superhero strength.
I never felt this more strongly than after becoming a mother myself. After an unplanned cesarean with my first baby, I entered motherhood full of OCD and anxiety — something I’d never experienced before! It didn’t help that breastfeeding was a serious struggle. When I got pregnant the 2nd time, I was determined to do things differently. I used my voice, advocated for myself, and was able to have the VBAC and the breastfeeding experience I so badly craved. I share that story on my podcast (https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode12)
And that’s what I want for all mamas: for them to tune out the noise and tune into their intuition so they can step into their capabilities as a woman and mother. So I created Mari Vega, LLC, a platform that serves women and aspires to promote a social justice movement for American parents and I am most known for my approach to breastfeeding advocacy and for creating a campaign called #BreastIsGold (for more visit https://www.marivega.me/blog/bonusepisode).
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being a parent in America is far from a smooth road. There are inherent struggles in being a mother. Many of these obstacles, we only come to know once we become mothers ourselves. The challenges in assuming this role are often unspoken publicly because quite frankly, they can be ugly, dirty, and messy. I give light to all these struggles by breaking down the expectations in conception, pregnancy, labor, delivery, postpartum, breastfeeding, and conscious parenting on my podcast, Vida de Madre con Mari Vega.
On a personal note, pursuing your soul’s purpose with passion takes sacrifice. I have had to release my desires to spontaneously travel, limit my spending, release relationships that don’t serve me and calculate my time with extreme caution. At times, this feels suffocating. As a mom of two young children, half my battle is believing in myself and finding the time to accomplish great things for my own business. Some days are full of complete chaos and there is little to no energy left to give to my LLC. Other days I am magically connected to women of strength that push me to keep going. Somehow, someway, through my ancestor’s strength, I find the discipline to keep going.
Mari Vega Motherhood Advocate – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
In order to grasp what sets me apart, I’ll share the dynamics at play. Did you know that:
One in seven women develop Postpartum Depression;
80% of mothers report feeling exhausted or overwhelmed;
Two out of three mothers don’t meet their own breastfeeding goals; and
Even though 60-80% of women who attempt a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) are successful, doctors continue to deter women from attempting a VBAC.
It doesn’t have to be this way and mamas don’t have to go it alone. I encourage women to invest in themselves and get equipped with postpartum support because they deserve to feel confident and stand strong in their choices as a mother.
What I am most proud of is the larger impact of my work, I’ve helped over 30 women breastfeed. For every woman who breastfed for at least one year, conservatively assuming 5 hours a day, that equates to 1,825 hours of nursing or pumping in a year. Now compare that to a full-time job that, with three weeks vacation, is 1,960 hours a year. That is a lot of time and dedication! To know that those babies got their mamas milks and those mamas got to meet or exceed their goals, is why I love what I do! Supporting mamas is what I do best.
As for what sets me apart, that would be my open, honest, vulnerable approach. I hold space for the mama to mourn and grieve what she thought her breastfeeding journey would be and adjust to what possibilities still exist while putting her mental health first.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success by being in alignment with my truth, my soul’s purpose, the things that light me up. I’m fortunate to have a day job that covers our bills so this work pays me in fulfilling my mission to nurture women.
The things I look for that I consider markers for success are the kind of testimonials my clients write! Here are a few sentences that light me up inside:
One client wrote, “Mari made space for me to explore my feelings not only as a mother but as a woman and even further as a human. She taught me how to navigate change, emotions, and this new motherhood journey with facts and knowledge but also, much more importantly grace for myself. Mari’s ability to listen makes you feel at ease and meets you with vulnerability and honesty, no judgment.”
Another shared, “Simple, she is like the bra to your motherhood journey. Mari meets you where you are and helps you navigate your motherly instinct. She validates your feelings and allows you to unload, unpack and unlearn whatever you thought you knew or what you have been told in order to fall into the rhythm of motherhood. Mari is kind, compassionate and organic. She is vulnerable about her own experience while allowing you to fully express your feelings, desires and goals. She is well informed as well as honest when she does not know the answer. Mari will go above and beyond to support your needs while helping you become independent.”
Pricing:
- Free 20 minute consult for Breastfeeding questions or VBAC guidance
- $75 for a 30 minute session
- $250 for four 30 minute sessions
- $35 Breast is Gold, VBAC unicorn and Be your own Guru T-shirts (includes shipping)
- $10 My co-authored book, Diamond Mind, How to gain clarity & strength through the pressure of life’s obstacles
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MariVega.me
- Phone: 718-308-7619
- Email: hello@marivega.me
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mari_vega/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariVegaMotherhood/
- Other: https://www.marivega.me/podcast
Image Credit:
Liz Castro
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