Mother of two Marli on being a mother, breastfeeding in public and living a more conscious life

Marli posed for our SS18 lookbook with her youngest daughter and talked to us about breastfeeding in public and being a mom.

Marli is a mother of two and posed for our current SS18 collection "Good Morning Guatemala" last year with her youngest daughter, Anna. You can see the results here . Today she talks to us about breastfeeding in public and reveals what being a mother means to her.

Dear Marli, what does being a mom mean to you?

For me, being a mom means responsibility, love, freedom, protection, security, warmth, organization, sacrifice, gain, reliability... So many very contradictory feelings and values. For me, being a mom also means giving my children the opportunity, within certain limits, to become free, happy, and independent people. And always giving them the feeling that I love them and that they can feel safe. But sometimes being a mom is just tiring. My children demand a lot of energy, which I simply don't always have. But as long as you're aware of that and admit to yourself that being a mom can sometimes be stressful and annoying, everything's fine.

What did it teach you?

I find life somehow more meaningful, or rather, I live it more consciously. The responsibility that comes with it also allows you to grow. Being a mother has taught me to love in a completely different way. The love for my own child is simply indescribable. I was much more controlled and less flexible before. As a mother, you often have to do this out of necessity, and it's been good for me personally.

What has been your best mother-daughter moment so far?

Oh, that's a difficult question. There are just so many beautiful moments.
But with my two daughters, I found the moment when they consciously sought my closeness for the first time and wanted to cuddle particularly special. That's when I realized what a special bond you have with your own child and how much they need you.

Our SS18 lookbook "GOOD MORNING GUATEMALA" features beautiful breastfeeding moments of you and your daughter. How did you generally handle breastfeeding in public?

With my first daughter, Liah, I sometimes felt uncomfortable. I always carried a sling over my shoulders. With Anna, I was much more relaxed and even breastfed in public without a sling. Unfortunately, I often wore impractical clothing because I didn't like the general nursing fashion. Unfortunately, I wasn't familiar with the mara mea brand at the time.

How long did you breastfeed?!

I was only able to breastfeed Liah for 6 months. I breastfed Anna for about 9 months.

Did you plan the weaning time or just let it happen?

With Liah, I had to stop breastfeeding abruptly because I had shingles and needed to take medication immediately. There probably were other options. I just didn't do enough research.

With Anna, it was more about herself. She showed an interest in food from an early age and enjoyed eating a lot. At some point, she stopped wanting to breastfeed.

What does a typical mother-daughter day look like for you?

We are usually awake earlier than the children and have to wake them up. Then we get ready. Neither child likes breakfast very much. Liah often doesn't eat at all and Anna usually eats a little bit of vegetables. Then Anna goes to daycare and Liah goes to school. After work, my husband, I or both of us pick up the children and, weather permitting, go out to the playground. They both have a lot of energy and really need to let off some steam. In the evening we all eat dinner together. Fortunately, both are very relaxed when it comes to bedtime. I always read a book with Anna. Afterwards she listens to her night music and falls asleep quickly. Liah often does some crafts. On weekends we start the day more relaxed and usually plan what we are going to do over breakfast.

What trips have you taken with your child?

We love to travel. Ideally, we'd like to travel all year round. We travel about four times a year with the children. Both are used to flying. We prefer to travel spontaneously rather than on package tours. That way, you get to know the country and its people better. Recently, we've been mostly in Europe. But last year we also went to Marrakesh. In the fall, we want to go to Cape Verde. Hopefully, it will work out.

Last but not least: Your current mara mea companion in your everyday life as a mom and why you never want to give it up again?

My current mara mea companion is the global traveler diaper bag . We've taken the bag with us on every vacation and always have it with us here in Berlin when we're out and about with the kids. We prefer to carry the bag as a backpack. My husband likes to wear it a lot too. I've been totally thrilled with it from day one. The compartments make it easier for me to search for bottles, diapers, wipes, wallet, cell phone, etc. I always use it as hand luggage when I travel because it doesn't just have space for Anna's diapering things, but also for my little things. The carabiner hooks make it super easy to attach the bag to the stroller or convert it into a shoulder bag. Last year I took it to a festival with me, even without kids. It was super practical and doesn't look like the "typical" diaper bag. I've never liked those because they seem very "mommy".
I'd love to have them in a lighter color or colorful. But I can't decide because they all look so great :)

Dear Marli, thank you so much for your time and your honest answers about being a mother.