We get this question a lot. What is Marabou? What is this strange name that you guys have? Do you mean Caribou?
When we were first brainstorming a name for the idea in our heads – a postpartum care service crowdfunded by family & friends – the Marabou STORK popped into my head.
You see, I have a Zoology degree (perfect background for an entrepreneur, amiright?). Eight years ago, I spent my last semester in East Africa. When I was in Kenya and saw a Marabou Stork for the first time, I was amazed. It was huge, yet strangely docile and chill around humans. I was in awe that something could be so ugly yet majestic at the same time. I love the Marabou, but I wouldn’t call it pretty.
When developing our idea, we envisioned the stork bringing the baby and the Marabou bringing the support for mom. You see, it’s important that more women (all women!) have the ability to rest and recover after childbirth.
Plus, there are actually many parallels between Marabou ecology and the focus of our business. The Marabou is turning out to be the perfect beacon of our company. Let me elaborate:
- They think the name Marabou is a derivative of the Arabic word murābit, meaning “quiet” or “hermit-like.” That is exactly our hope for women in the month after childbirth.
- The Marabou Stork is gregarious. It thrives surrounded by a group, just like women. During challenging life changes, we use community to get the needs of our family met, get enough sleep and nourishment ourselves, and combat perinatal mood disorders.
- Marabou incubation is 30 days, which is how long we strive to care for women postpartum!
So, we hope that by using the name “Marabou”, we bring that peace and community to the first thirty days after birth.
How does Marabou support women?
We live in culture where “bouncing back” is more valued than proper rest. As admirable as it may be for a sports star to get back on the field, the same rules don’t apply to postpartum recovery. The traditional resting period has been stolen from women through pressure to get back to their job or simply through lack of presence.
Grandmas, sisters and best friends who otherwise would have been there to help a woman transition into motherhood often live too far away to be of any help. Household chores and caring for older children inevitably fall on the mom. But she just delivered a new life! She needs rest.
Marabou Services is a unique gift registry which provides services instead of stuff. Most mom’s get too many onesies, too many baby blankets and not enough helping hands. Break out of a destructive cultural norm and start a Marabou registry today.
With a Marabou registry you can sing up for any service which will benefit you or someone you know during the postpartum recovery period.
Postpartum doulas for a first time mom
House cleanings for moms of multiples
Childcare for moms with older children!
Once your registry is created, add it to any other registry or post it to your Facebook and ask friends and family contribute to your postpartum service, rather than buying you more stuff.
More and more moms find they have to figure out postpartum alone. Is it any wonder why PMDs are on the rise? Or women are embittered by the journey of motherhood? We can change that by giving the gift of peace.
