An real conversation between Krista, founder of Nunona, and Maggie Keating, mom to 17-month-old Henson.
Maggie Keating spent her twenties building a career in LA as a photographer, model, and creative director, working with major fashion brands. When she moved to Maine and later Texas, met her partner, and had her son Henson, her whole rhythm of life changed. In this candid Nümama Let's Get Real Talk conversation, Maggie shares what surprised her about the newborn phase, how she found her way to real-food nutrition after a rough run with prenatal supplements, and what she's learned about milk supply, mom guilt, and sleep along the way. This is one mother's story — not medical advice.
At a Glance
- Rebuilding a "work brain" alongside a "mom brain" is its own adjustment, especially when a career and support system move across the country too.
- Struggling with synthetic prenatal supplements — nausea, inconsistency, doubts about absorption — is common, and real-food alternatives can be worth exploring with a provider's input.
- Nutrient shortfalls don't just affect a mom's body; they can show up in breast milk too, which raises the stakes on eating enough.
- Letting go of the idea of "failure" in the first year is an ongoing practice, not a one-time decision.
- Sleep deprivation after birth is a different beast than any all-nighter that came before it, and it deserves real attention and support.
What Was the Transition Into Motherhood Like?
Krista: So first, tell us about your journey. You built a whole career in LA, then moved to Maine, then Texas. How did that all come together?
Maggie: I moved to LA at 20 to work with a fashion photographer for Revolve, right as they were taking off. I didn't know anyone there — I'm from a pretty rural area — but I knew it was my calling, so I dropped out of school and went for it. That turned into modeling for a while, then creative direction and brand marketing as Instagram and TikTok took over. After about seven years of that, I was burnt out. I wasn't feeling fulfilled by the LA lifestyle, dating wasn't working, and I wanted to be a mom and have a house — which wasn't happening for me in California. So I moved back to Maine, bought a house, and kept flying back to LA once a month for my clients. Then, about three and a half months after moving, I met my now-partner. We had Henson within a year of meeting each other, and the rest is history.
Krista: And now you're doing the work-from-home flow with clients still in LA, while parenting a toddler.
Maggie: Right, and it's been an interesting journey navigating "work brain" and "mom brain" — figuring out how to combine them in a natural flow. It's only been the last three or four months, with Henson at 17 months, that I've felt comfortable stepping back into work more fully.
How Did Maggie Find Her Way to Real-Food Nutrition?
Krista: How did you first come across Nunona?
Maggie: Honestly, I think it was a sponsored ad on Instagram — my phone was clearly listening to me. I was about seven and a half months postpartum, going down every rabbit hole trying to get my milk supply up and get more nutrition in, and feeling like I was taking all these supplements that weren't moving the needle. I didn't want another one of those wacky protein bars that just felt like sugar in my system.
Krista: What was your experience with prenatal vitamins like before that?
Maggie: My midwife gave me a whole laundry list of vitamins and supplements to take while I was pregnant, which is fine in theory, but I was so nauseous that some days I just couldn't muscle through taking all of them. There were days I'd take them and throw up. I got so in my head about it — like I was failing at something that was supposed to be simple. And then I went down the rabbit hole of learning your body only absorbs a fraction of what's in most of those pills anyway, and I was like, why am I even taking thirty of them?
Krista: That's exactly the gap we built Nunona to close — real, whole-food nutrients instead of synthetic ones your body has to work harder to process and clear.
Maggie: When I got my first pack, I remember thinking, wait, only one a day? I could snack on these morning, noon, and night. I actually Googled whether having two in a day was "overdosing" on nutrients because they were that good. And compared to homemade lactation cookies with brewer's yeast — which I'm grateful my mom made for me, but I couldn't rely on that forever — these were something I could actually keep up with myself.
A note on supplements: prenatal and postnatal supplements can help fill nutritional gaps, but individual needs vary. It's worth discussing your specific nutrient needs — and how they interact with anything else you're taking — with your OB-GYN, midwife, registered dietitian, or pharmacist before making changes.
What Did Nutrition and Milk Supply Look Like As Henson Grew?
Krista: Tell me about the seven- to eight-month mark. That's often when things shift.
Maggie: Henson just wasn't taking to solids, and he was a milk monster around the clock. I'm already on the skinnier side, so I felt like I would genuinely wither away if I didn't figure out a real, full-bodied nutritional base to lean on. Crackers, cheese, and an apple are great, but they weren't cutting it to keep up a healthy milk supply that was actually getting him what he needed. And I didn't feel like there was enough conversation in my mom circle about that specific stretch — the baby not taking solids yet, but still needing everything from you.
Krista: That tracks with what we see nutritionally. If you have any nutrient shortfalls — iron, selenium, vitamin K, B vitamins, omega-3s — they won't make it into your breast milk. As your baby starts solids and takes proportionally less from you, you still need to fill those gaps for as long as breastfeeding is their primary source of nutrition.
Maggie: It felt like an impossible task some days — am I supposed to really nourish myself well while I'm this deep in a brand-new phase and just trying to keep him alive and okay? At six months is when I noticed I started reading that nutrients "drop off" more, so I was trying to stay ahead of it.
Breastfeeding and milk supply can be influenced by many factors, including feeding frequency, milk removal, latch, sleep, stress, health conditions, and medications. If you're concerned about your supply, a lactation consultant, pediatrician, or OB-GYN can help build an individualized plan.
What Helped Maggie With the Mental Load of New Motherhood?
Krista: Now that you're almost a year and a half in, what's something you're giving yourself permission to let go of?
Maggie: The idea of failure. I was so hard on myself this first year, feeling like I wasn't adequate in the role. I'd do twenty things in a day and then lie there at night thinking about the five I didn't get to. But doing laundry with a screaming baby is worthy of a gold medal — it rewires your brain into fight-or-flight in a way you're just not used to. I think there's this instinct, especially for women, to believe we should naturally be phenomenal at this because it's "what we were born to do." That's backwards, and it makes us way too hard on ourselves.
Krista: What did that look like practically, day to day?
Maggie: Cooking was a huge one. Henson loved to be held and did not want to be put down, so something that used to take thirty minutes turned into an hour and a half, and I'd be completely burnt out by the end of it. My partner and I talked a lot about what I actually needed — whether that meant a chef, or help with meal prep. I never thought food and eating would be the hard part of having a kid. I was so hyper-focused on him that I'd realize at 2 p.m. that I hadn't eaten anything all day.
What's the Biggest Myth About the Newborn Period?
Krista: What do you think is the biggest lie social media or society tells people about the newborn or postpartum period?
Maggie: That it's this blissful bubble where everything is rosy and the baby is sweet all the time. During pregnancy you build up this romantic version of it in your head because you're excited and still in your nesting phase — everything feels easy because they're not here yet. Then you're two months in and realize you haven't left the house. I had moments of real joy in that baby bubble, but also intense hormonal and lifestyle shifts underneath it. I had to step back from social media around month two or three postpartum because I kept playing the comparison game — how is she doing this so easily, am I doing this right. There's a great community out there, but it's a fine line between feeling supported and feeling like you're constantly not doing enough.
What Does Maggie Wish She'd Known About Sleep?
Krista: What's one thing you'd want every postpartum mom — or soon-to-be postpartum mom — to hear?
Maggie: Sleep is so important, and I heard that a lot beforehand but had no idea what it actually meant until I was in it. I came from a career where I could run on three hours a night for weeks and be totally fine. But that was before my body had gone through delivery and this complete hormonal shift — I wasn't prepared for that reckoning. I wish there'd been a bigger PSA about really paying attention to how much sleep you're getting, whether it's quality sleep, and where your support is — your partner, your family, your friends — checking in and making sure you actually get that hour to nap. It changes everything about how you talk to yourself in your own head and how you show up day to day while you're healing.
Favorite Flavor
Krista: Last question — favorite Nunona flavor?
Maggie: That's tough. Peanut Cacao chocolate is up there, and so is the Cashew Blueberry. My first order I just stuck to flavors I already knew I liked instead of getting the variety pack. It wasn't until I tried a variety pack later that I realized they're all genuinely good — now I tell everyone to start there so they can find their own favorites.
Key Takeaways From Maggie's Postpartum Experience
- Rebuilding a sense of self and routine after a cross-country move and a new baby is its own adjustment, separate from the demands of the newborn phase itself.
- Struggling with synthetic prenatal supplements — nausea, inconsistent absorption, difficulty keeping up with a long list — is common and worth discussing with a provider.
- Nutrient needs don't disappear once a baby starts solids; they shift, and gaps in a mom's diet can show up in her milk supply.
- Letting go of "failure" as a mental framework is an ongoing practice in the first year, not a single decision.
- Comparison on social media can quietly erode confidence in the newborn stage; stepping back, even temporarily, can help.
- Sleep deprivation after birth is different from any prior experience with little sleep, and it deserves real, ongoing support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal to feel unprepared for the mental and emotional load of new motherhood, even with a strong support system? Yes. Many parents describe feeling underprepared for how demanding the newborn and early toddler period is, even when they have help. Feeling both grateful and overwhelmed at the same time is common. If distress feels persistent or unmanageable, reach out to a healthcare or mental-health professional.
Why might a baby's nutrient needs affect what a breastfeeding mom eats? If a nursing parent has nutrient shortfalls — including iron, selenium, vitamin K, B vitamins, or omega-3s — those gaps can be reflected in breast milk. As a baby starts solids and takes proportionally less directly from breastfeeding, the parent's diet still matters for as long as breastfeeding continues to be a meaningful source of the baby's nutrition.
Is it common to struggle with taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy? Yes. Nausea, difficulty swallowing multiple pills, and inconsistency are common concerns during pregnancy. If a prenatal supplement routine isn't working, talk to your OB-GYN, midwife, registered dietitian, or pharmacist about alternatives or adjustments — don't stop or change supplementation without guidance.
What can help with milk supply concerns as a baby grows? Milk supply can be influenced by feeding frequency, milk removal, latch, sleep, stress, health conditions, and medications. A lactation consultant, pediatrician, or OB-GYN can help assess supply concerns and build an individualized feeding plan.
How can nutrition support postpartum recovery? Regular meals, hydration, and adequate nourishment support overall well-being during postpartum recovery and breastfeeding. However, postpartum depression and anxiety are medical conditions that require appropriate screening and care, separate from nutrition alone.
What is Nunona? Nunona is a real-food prenatal vitamin, postnatal vitamin, and lactation support snack, made as a whole-food option for women during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and breastfeeding. It is intended as a convenient nutritional option, not a treatment for any medical condition.
When to Seek Support
Contact a qualified healthcare professional if you're experiencing persistent postpartum sadness or anxiety, intrusive thoughts, trouble functioning, concerns about infant feeding or weight gain, painful breastfeeding, or worries about milk supply. For immediate safety concerns or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call or text 988 in the United States, contact emergency services, or go to the nearest emergency department.