We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren (Hays) & Megan (Dalton) a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren (Hays) & Megan (Dalton), looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

In the heart of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where the delicate balance of hope and fear intertwines, I found my calling as a NICU nurse. Day after day, I stood witness to the silent struggles of mothers navigating the tumultuous journey of having their newborns in critical care. Despite the unwavering dedication of medical teams focused on the tiny, fragile lives in their charge, I saw an undeniable gap in the support system—a gap where the emotional and psychological needs of mothers often fell through. It was in these moments of quiet observation, amidst the beeps of machines and the soft whispers of encouragement, that I recognized a profound truth: while our efforts were tirelessly centered on the babies, the mothers, too, were in dire need of care. They faced an array of challenges, from the lack of bonding with their newborns to the trauma of delivery or the sheer weight of the NICU experience itself.

Compelled by the stories of these women, whose strength and vulnerability touched my heart, I decided to go back to psychiatric nurse practitioner school. My goal was clear: to better serve these remarkable women who, in their most vulnerable moments, deserved hope and understanding. Armed with a deeper knowledge of mental health, I am now dedicated to bridging the gap in our support system, ensuring that while our smallest patients receive the medical attention they need, their mothers are also receiving the psychological and emotional care they desperately need. My mission is to stand as a pillar of support for every mother, guiding them through the shadows of uncertainty towards the light of hope and healing.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I (Lauren) am a mama of three precious little men who turned my pain into purpose by using personal and professional recognition of the void in mental health care for mothers into a career shift. My personal experience with postpartum anxiety sparked the passion deep in my core to make a difference, to use my voice, and to help people avoid the pitfalls I came into and what drove me to pursue a career in mental health. After the birth of my second son, I was completely numb to life happening around me and fixated on the intrusive and catastrophic thoughts that plagued my life for over a year. I have struggled with anxiety in the past, so I thought I was prepared to recognize if I was struggling but this presented differently. I had the support system I always yearned for. Friends and family supporting me. I worked in healthcare alongside other mothers in neonatal intensive care. Truly, I was set up for success with a new baby at home. Yet, it was the darkest and most isolating time of my life. After opening up the conversation about personal mental health struggles, I realized it was common among sisters, best friends, and coworkers struggling in silence in their journey to and through motherhood. Women right alongside me navigating loss, infertility, postpartum mental illness, traumatic deliveries, and more. After healing and finding tools and support for my debilitating struggle with postpartum anxiety, I became a psychiatric nurse practitioner and partnered with the business and marketing expert of our team, Megan Dalton, and we co-founded The Matrescence.

The Matrescence is a digital support platform (private app) for women, created to educate, empower, and encourage women to and through motherhood. With intimate community support and mental health education, we help mothers navigate the fog and thrive in this joyous (and somewhat tumultuous) season. Each of our offerings comes from a desire to sift through the overwhelming opinions of today’s digital world and curate an intimate and personalized experience for each woman who comes to this space with a promise that all guides and support will come directly from experts. The community platform will serve as a safe space to talk about the hard stuff and to connect with other women walking alongside you through various experiences in motherhood. We currently offer a private digital community experience that is a membership-based model. Within the platform, users can find expert-curated guides and resources (i.e. lactation consultants, pelvic floor physical therapists, obstetric neonatal pharmacists), peer support calls, actionable mental health activities including journal prompts, affirmations, and attainable self-care practices. We also offer exclusive discounts and access to teletherapy, pre/postnatal fitness classes, and mother-baby products.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met my business partner, Megan, through a serendipitous introduction by our husbands. As we journeyed through the milestones of growing our families side by side, our bond deepened, rooted in mutual understanding and support. As I ventured back to school fueled by a vision for a future practice that truly catered to the needs of mothers, that a profound conversation with Megan sparked the idea of The Matrescence®. We envisioned a digital sanctuary—a manifestation of the supportive space I had always imagined—designed to meet moms exactly where they are: on their phones. The Matrescence® goes beyond the traditional constraints of time and financial barriers inherent in our healthcare system, allowing us to embrace, empower, and serve a broader community of women. It’s here, in this digital haven, that we extend our support, offering a warm, welcoming embrace to every mother seeking guidance, understanding, and a community that truly cares.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?

We bootstrapped our original concept with personal funds between the founders. After we launched our social media page and revealed our vision for The Matrescence® App we began gaining traction and support from mothers and business leaders. Our proof of concept was working on a small scale and we earned a grant in the fall of 2022 through Hello Alice + Tiger Global Capital that allowed us to rebuild our app. To this point we still own 100% of our company and funnel all of our revenue back into the business so we can continue to evolve and scale.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thematrescence.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thematrescence/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-matrescence/
• Other: App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-matrescence/id1576425396 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/TheMatrescence/

Image Credits
Hannah DeVries of Portrait Novella