Lily and Cress in the business of nurturing new mums.
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Two shellshocked new mums meet in a mother’s group one day and become firm friends. But when they have their second babies around the same time, a new business idea is also born.
Lily and Cress is a Canberra-based curated gift hamper start-up taking orders locally, nationally and even internationally. It’s hampers are made specifically to give practical and meaningful support to new mothers—not a generic bunch of flowers or a onesie for the bub. Lily and Cress also provides hampers for mothers experiencing pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.
When Sarah Bampton had her second child, Susan O’Reilly brought over a gift box she had thought long and hard about. It had practical, nourishing and beautiful items such as iron-rich food, a variety of hot drinks, snacks, epsom salts and books on postpartum care. And it made Sarah feel seen and supported.
Lily and Cress hampers provide everything a new mum needs and nothing she doesn’t.
“Both of us received lots of gifts for the babies and some well-meaning but not particularly helpful or meaningful items for us. But there was no gift that was just for us that recognised our birth as mothers that gave us real support and knowledge to help us grow,” said Susan.
“We realised that our mothering journeys showed us that what we actually needed to thrive and survive the intensity of the ‘fourth trimester’ and beyond, wasn’t another onesie, rattle or toy. Taking our bubs home for the first time, we needed hydration, energy, comfort, and healing plus all those practical items to survive because ‘what the hell just happened?’”
“After growing a human inside and now raising them, we needed to nourish ourselves, fuel our bodies and find ways to boost energy. Once the buzz slowed down and we were meant to be ‘all over it’, we wanted someone to reach out and remind us that we were amazing and supported. We couldn’t find this wrapped up in a beautiful gift. So we created it. We wanted to harness the excitement and love that comes through gifting but change what we were gifting mums.”
The hamper collection has several options:
The Necessity Box contains handmade local soap and hand cream, nipple gel, breastfeeding pads and hydrogel breast discs, organic maternity pads, dark chocolate, energy balls, nurture tea, a voucher for online yoga and more.
The Nourish Box, designed in collaboration with nutritionist Alison Loeliger, contains a selection of healthy premixed meals, chocolate, granola, energy balls, turmeric latte mix, Altina non-alcoholic sparkling drink, trail mix and seed crackers and more.
There are smaller boxes, the Snacky Box, and the Nurture Box and the Bundle which has absolutely everything.
Sarah and Susan said each item was chosen for specific purposes (mental health, nutritional value, physical comfort) and they include a card explaining why each is included. For instance, the chocolate bar isn’t just for the chocolate goodness. It’s dark chocolate which has a higher iron and mineral count. Those gorgeous bath salts? Relaxation plus the benefits of magnesium.
“We’re also pretty sure that we are the only gift box company that sends a follow up card a month after the box arrives! We really wanted to create genuine support through our gift boxes that lasted beyond the short time of the gift experience. There’s a rush of almost everything right after having a baby: family and friends dropping by, deliveries of gorgeous foods and gifts. But the rush slows, partners go back to work, family members depart and food and gifts fade.
“That’s when women can really need that little bit of extra love in navigating motherhood. It is also when women can be at the highest risk of mental health challenges. It’s why we created our unique Connection Card which provides a link to a curated list of activities, services, groups and organisations that support new mums. Mothers can browse at their leisure and find new ways to connect,” said Susan.
The Nourish Box has been developed in consultation with a nutritionist.
Over 20 of the suppliers are Canberra locals and every purchase sees $2 donated to five mother and family-centred charities.
The addition of a Loss Box grew out of Sarah and Susan’s personal experiences and sadly that of many of their friends.
Susan’s first daughter was born still at 25 weeks and Sarah experienced multiple early losses. Neither of them felt that loss was recognised in any way near the same way birth was celebrated – and yet each outcome makes a fundamental and lasting impact on a woman’s life.
“We also saw friends and family struggle with what to do to support and help us. They were searching for something to turn to as their loved one was in pain. As with our other boxes, we wanted to create a box that gave practical and emotional support for mothers experiencing pregnancy and baby loss. So our not for profit Loss Box is our small contribution to reducing the stigma around baby loss and to provide a supportive and thoughtful way for loved ones to recognise the baby’s existence and the mother’s experience. To be understood, to be seen, to be supported and to be recognised.
“The design is focused on making space for the mother, providing physical and emotional support and to acknowledge their baby’s life that was lost. We curated this box with others who have experienced baby loss and the wonderful staff at Red Nose and Sands Australia in Canberra. And, yes, it includes the Connection Card with a tailored list of activities, organisations and material to read, watch and listen to as they navigate grief and loss,” said Sarah.
Sarah Brampton and Susan O’Reilly met as shellshocked new mums.
The box includes a candle with a bespoke label “A candle of Light. Forever Loved, Always Remembered” a lavender heat and cool pack, bath salts, the book Miles Apart: A heartfelt guide to surviving miscarriage, stillbirth and baby loss by Annabel Bower, tea, chocolate and a blank card for mum to write to her baby as a way to express grief, among other items.
The feedback to the Loss Box was overwhelmingly positive,
“For us, not separating this from the other experiences of motherhood was also important. We are mums to angels and earth babies all at the same time and you can’t carve being a loss mum away from your other parts. It’s the same fabric so we placed our Loss Box on the same platform as our other boxes,” said Susan.
As for the name Lily and Cress, the mums get asked about it a lot.
The Lily part is inspired by the native vanilla and chocolate lilies found around Canberra, while the Cress is also drawn from the Ginninderra Peppercress which is a herb native to the ACT.
“Listed as endangered, it needs protection and its ecological plan aims to increase community awareness of the plants to help conservation. We felt this connected with how we want Lily and Cress to help mothers be seen, understood and supported. By those who love them and the community that surrounds them,” said Sarah.
Since prepping their first box in April of last year, Lily and Cress has sent orders all over Australia and internationally and women who have received boxes have returned to order more for their friends and family. It is a part-time labour of love for the two public servants by day, with boxes packed and sent after hours and over the weekends.
While the learning curve has been steep as both women have had to wrap their heads around business administration, food safety, social media, registration, tax, and marketing, the feedback from mums who have expressed their deepest gratitude for the focus of love and care being focussed on them—while everyone else is fussing over the baby—has made every late night worth it.
