Meet Cindy #ViitaVoices

This week we had the pleasure of chatting with mother, coach & healthy lifestyle advocate, Cindy Monette. Want to learn more about her? Keep reading!

What’s your name? Cindy Monette

How old are you? 28 years old

What do you do for work? I have my online business helping women prioritize themselves by choosing an active lifestyle & moving from home with the help of my support and the community I offer. My mission is to help women realize their full potential & live their dreams while prioritizing themselves.

You’re a mom! Congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about your postpartum experience? Becoming a mom literally changed everything for me. I was really looking forward to becoming a mother, but when Ellie came into our lives, everything turned upside down. I didn’t understand anything about my life anymore. I wanted to get my previous life back because we were comfortable just the two of us. I didn’t know how to take care of her and I was panicked. I found the transition so difficult and blamed myself so much since she was here with us, happy & healthy. Why would I want my pre-baby life back? Well, because it’s normal to find the transition difficult. Only, we talk about it so rarely that we feel bad for thinking this way and finding it difficult. We need to normalize that it’s okay for parents to feel that way. Little by little, I gained confidence & came to enjoy every little moment with her. My connection with Ellie was getting stronger & stronger & my love for her was growing every day. I felt bad for not feeling an immediate connection with my baby at birth. It's OK to talk about it, we HAVE to talk about it. The connection came with time & quality moments together. I would not change anything in this beautiful story. It’s ours & it’s filled with love, adaptation & learning.

What are some postpartum aspects that should be discussed more often & openly? There are many, too many postpartum aspects that should be addressed more often! We don't talk enough about postpartum experiences. All the attention is put on pregnancy for help, advice, follow-ups and so on, but nothing concrete on postpartum issues. We should simply be happy that we have our healthy baby with us! Why cry & find it difficult when our baby is finally here with us? I hear this type of comment far too often. Here is what I would have liked to hear in order to better appreciate my postpartum journey & live it more smoothly: Yes, our bodies change, yes hormones changes a lot of things,yes we are tired, nope, we may no longer be the same, yes, we have an enormous emotional and mental load, but YES, we are normal mothers nonetheless! Yes, you have the right to find it difficult & lose yourself a bit throughout your parenting journey. You are not alone. Yes, you are just as important as your little one. Take it one day at a time, be gentle with yourself, do what makes you feel good, prioritize time for yourself, take a few minutes for yourself, you deserve it. You are doing your best and that’s what matters. It's more than OK to feel like this newborn has turned your life upside down because it’s true! You now have someone counting on your 24/7 & this transition is life changing! Beautiful, but challenging! Allow your emotions to come and go & allow yourself to everything fully.  Life does things well & every day you will gain confidence in yourself & your baby. You are the best mother for this beautiful being. You know your baby better than anyone. Be proud of yourself and the woman you are becoming. Love yourself as much as you love your baby, they need a present mother who loves & admires herself.

What are the Viita values ​​that speak to you the most? I love the fact that Viita highlights feminine power as well as our individual differences. We are all unique and beautiful & Viita makes us feel that way both with their products & social media presence. Raquel speaks from her heart & we truly feel an authenticity behind the brand.

Why was it important for you to switch from disposable to reusable products? I want to do my part by progressively incorporating more eco conscious gestures into my daily life! Moreover, I had been thinking about it for a long time, but I didn't dare since I didn't really know how it worked. I tried Viita underwear & immediately fell in love with the quality and the message behind the brand. Other than doing my part for the environment, it was also important for me to reduce my use of tampons to avoid the toxic effect they can have on my body. It was time to find a solution! 

What other actions do you take to live a more eco-friendly life? I have made a lot of changes since 2020 for a more eco-friendly lifestyle. I started with Viita for my period and then I started using natural products that I can refill for tasks around the house, reusable diapers for Ellie, and I’ve made changes for cleaning, washing, cooking too! Everything in the hopes of promoting an eco conscious lifestyle! Small changes go a long way!

What has been the best part of using Viita during your postpartum recovery? The best part about using Viita during my postpartum bleeding is that I didn't have to worry about anything but taking care of Ellie. No worries about overflowing, staining, or constantly changing uncomfortable pads. Comfort above all, especially during my postpartum journey! 

Where/how can we connect with you? You can connect with me especially on my Instagram account, @cindy.monette, via stories and posts, but also on my Facebook page Cindy aims for health, as well as on my website, cindymonette.com.

Thank you for this lovely inspiring and motivating chat Cindy! We should make the effort to adopt a similar mindset as her. Let’s work together to create a better world.