Every Woman Real. Every Woman Whole.

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EVERY WOMAN REAl. EVERY WOMAN WHOLE.

 

If becoming a mom has meant some surprising things for you as a woman and you'd like a little more support, we've got a place for you.

Totum, which means "whole" in Latin, is devoted to acknowledging the woman as she enters motherhood.

 
 
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You’ve Got This, Mama.

Our cookies are nutritious and tasty, helping mothers increase their milk supply, energy and sense of satisfaction, and providing the nutrients and support a mother needs during a magical but trying time.

 
 

Motherhood Inspiration + Advice

 
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“We Belong Together” Tees

A tee shirt perfect for nursing moms and anyone who wants to combine style and message. 30% of proceeds are dedicated to supporting the rights of immigrants and people of color.

 
 

We Want to Hear From You!

Totum was founded as a platform for your voice. We share real stories in hopes that they bring comfort and empowerment to other women. Read about our Story Submission Process here.

 
 

Female Founder Collective

Totum Women is a proud member of Female Founder Collective, a network of businesses led by women, supporting women. By purchasing from Totum, you are empowering female-run business and creating a solid foundation for our girls to keep leading.

 

@totumwomen

Happy Valentine’s Day to every mama everywhere. We love you. You’re incredible. Even if you don’t feel seen or acknowledged by anyone else today, know that you have purpose and worth beyond what you will ever see. You are loved.
Hi new friends. Thanks for being here. Our mission is big: to help women feel whole as they journey into motherhood. It's more than a cookie. . But when I was having so many emotions after our first baby and saw my milk supply crash when my anxiety rose upon return to work, I wanted someone to hold me. I wanted my grandma. Because she's gone, I wanted an old fashioned cookie. Lactation products weren't doing it for me because they just didn't taste good. . It just so happened that my company at the time @indiegogo was headquartered in San Francisco. My husband's Uncle Robert lived there and would host me when I traveled for work. He used to be the COO of @mrsfieldscookies. I'd just recovered from mastitis and told him I wanted to make the perfect lactation cookie with his help. . Robert's married to a man and has never had children of his own, so the lactation bit was lost on him. I'd studied up on natural milk-making foods, and Robert lent his knowledge of how to make a soft, old fashioned cookie with real food and no preservatives. Thus, our treats were born. . Friends, colleagues and neighbors loved them and urged me to sell them. It took me 6 years to finally go into business for myself. And the result is this labor of absolute love that's now Totum, which means "whole." . You see, I believe that new mothers deserve more. We deserve to be treated as sacred, vulnerable and magical, just as we treat our newborns. We've been reborn as women and deserve more support. Our cookies are one way we offer that support and love, tangibly. And there's more to come. We love you, women, moms, friends. Thanks for being here.
Push. Surrender. Repeat. While this certainly applies to labor, this message is imperative for continuing to make progress in your career, without losing your mind. • Research has shown that alternating between deep work (pushing) and cognitive rest from that activity (surrendering) may help the brain develop creative solutions to problems • Our mind is still working and thinking about what we immersed ourselves in even if we are not presently focused on it. • This is good news for us go get ‘em moms who don’t get those huge chunks of time anymore. • For optimal productivity, alternate between 60-90 minutes of full immersion in a task before taking a cognitive break. This time frame lends itself nicely to laser focus during nap time or school hours followed by a “break” to be completely present when the children are around. That full immersion in activities with our children is critical to being a mindful mama. -- Read more, linked in bio. From our friends Daya Alexander Grant, Ph.D., M.S. @dr.dayagrant and Lauren Gallagher, Ph.D. @laurengallagher_phd 📸 @guybourdinofficial
Nobody told me that I needed to practice pushing. Nobody told me that I should skip the narcotics after delivery. Nobody told me that I could take an enema to move past my pain. (whoops there went my 2 male followers). @betterpostpartum . 👇🏽👇🏾👇🏿👇🏻 Most doctors don't encourage a style of pushing that works with, not against, the connection between our breathing and pelvic floor health. I was encouraged to hold my breath (known to some as "purple pushing") such that even though I'd labored without the assistance of medication and had labored successfully at home for hours, I worked against my body and ended up with an episiotomy in order to assist our first baby's delivery. • Not only that, but I was told that I "needed" to take narcotics after delivery in order to stave off the pain from the episiotomy. After laboring like a warrior and watching our son crawl up to my breast to feed, (amazing, I'm not making it up!) I was worn out and stopped thinking for myself. I took the Vicodin, and I ended up unable to get up from lying flat on my tummy for the first week after I brought the baby home. When my OB called my room to check on me before discharge from the hospital, I raised my concern and described the pain on my perineum. She told me that it was normal and that I'd be able to run in a few weeks. Huh? I felt so ignored, confused, and ashamed. Why did I feel so weak and wounded after an amazing birth and start to breastfeeding? • In tears, I asked my mom to take a look at my pelvis. There, she found a fist-sized bruise where our baby had been pushing against my body. And I had not made a bowel movement for a week. My husband, a veterinarian, said, "if you were a cat, I'd give you an enema." Well, I gave myself that enema, and it was like angels came down from the heavens and sang new life into my pelvis! • I've shared this story with a few friends and have been delighted to know that they learned how to push, that narcotics post delivery are a choice, and that an enema postpartum may save the day. Also, I skipped narcotics after my subsequent deliveries and had much happier, speedier recoveries. #nobodytoldme @betterpostpartum
This position led to beautiful bonding, rest and wellness for me with our second and third babies. @normalizebreastfeedingofficial has great information on how to successfully feed in this position. Check it out. • What’s your favorite feeding position, mamas? 👇🏽👇🏾👇🏿👇🏻
Anyone else having trouble stringing together a full sentence this morning? #extra #mondayfeels #mood #superbowlhangover #didntevendrink 📸 @lauraiz
Did you feel empowered by your birth story? I was thrilled to snatch this shirt from @thelittlemilkbar_ to participate in their #igavebirth campaign with @empoweredbirthproject because 1. I love both of these accounts and the women behind them and 2. Giving birth, each time, was the most transformative and empowering experience of my life. • Our first son was born 4 hours after we arrived at the hospital. I'm proud to say I labored entirely without medication, though I almost gave up when I went into transition.  Pushing was the absolute hardest, led to an episiotomy, and my recovery was rough - constipation due to post-labor narcotics that I avoided with subsequent births, a massive bruise on my pelvis, all of which were only cured when my mom and husband figured out why I couldn't get off the couch without intense pain.  My recovery experience, coupled with other experiences that left me feeling shocked at how little resources there are for women postpartum, led to me finally launching Totum last year. • Our daughter was born 2 hours after we arrived at the hospital. I gave birth on all 4s after almost giving birth on the toilet 🤦🏼‍♀️. Her birth and recovery were by far my easiest, mostly because I had an amazing nurse who encouraged and equipped me to move around, even through the most intense parts of labor and transition (wave upon wave of contractions just before the baby is ready to be pushed out of the birth canal). • Our second son was born about an hour after we arrived at the hospital. The doctor broke my bag of waters. And our baby had shoulder dystocia and the cord wrapped several times around his neck. I’ll never be sure if this happened from my bag being broken from the doctor’s expediency or if it would have been worse had she not intervened. As it happened, she quickly saved his life and delivered him safely into the world. My physical recovery was ok, but feeling like myself again took a long time. • There's way more to say, even after having written the longest IG post ever!  I'd love to hear your stories.  Join the movement #igavebirth and share your story, too!