Talking with... Kathryn Higgins

The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle. Consult with your physician or health care professional before following any of the advice contained in this article.

rom growing up surrounded by a flower, vegetable, and herb garden to creating the company Motherlove, Kathryn Higgins has devoted her life to working with plants in order to provide natural, organic, herbal products for pregnancy and beyond.

The Cradle: What was the inspiration behind creating Motherlove? 

Kathryn: In the early '70s, I was creating concoctions for baths and skin care with herbs from my gardens. I also had a teepee in the Colorado foothills surrounded by fields of wildflowers and edible and medicinal herbs, which I gathered. 

When pregnant with my first child, I made teas, oils, baths, and liquid herbal extracts from these herbs to support my pregnancy and childbirth. These creations became the "seeds" for Motherlove products. 

Throughout the 1980s I also taught several classes – wild, edible, and medicinal plant identification walks, herbal medicine-making, and body care classes. A local storeowner who attended my classes asked to carry these products I was making and giving to friends. It was time to give my newfound business a name: Motherlove, named for the niche market of products, as well as for Mother Earth, who gives us all these beautiful healing herbs. By the time I was pregnant with my third daughter in 1990, I was selling several products around Colorado, and Motherlove Herbal Company was born.

The Cradle: What is your company’s credo? 

Kathryn: Motherlove is dedicated to crafting the finest quality, safe and effective organic products for pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and babies, with integrity and reverence for our planet.

The Cradle: How are you eco-friendly? 

Kathryn: Our products use certified organic ingredients with no parabens or preservatives. 

We support organic farming. We buy recycled packaging and office supplies. Our products are packaged in recyclable jars and bottles. Our marketing materials are printed on 100 percent recycled paper. We buy wind-power credits for our facility. Our products and ingredients are not tested on animals. 

Also, Motherlove is the leader in herbal extracts to increase breast milk, and breastfeeding is very eco-friendly. Not only is it the best food for your baby, it is the most economical and environmentally friendly choice, as it takes more resources to produce infant formula, and then the empty cans end up in the landfill!