I was working 16 hour days and juggling two under two before I suffered a crushing burnout, here's what I wish I knew

• Mum of two reveals how she suffered burnout and ‘postpartum depletion’ 
• Difficult experience led to her quitting her job but sparked business idea  

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A woman has revealed how suffering from a crushing burnout made her realise she was dealing with ‘postpartum depletion’ and that many other mothers experience the same thing.

Frida Aalgars,38, quit her high level marketing job after finding herself working 16 hour days and juggling bringing up her two children, one of whom has health issues, along with all of the other stresses that mothers face.

‘I realised I was depleted after having two under two and I found I had very little resilience at work. I was anxious and overwhelmed, I found myself crying easily, which is not like me. This coincided with my youngest having a number of health issues so I was spending sleepless nights with him at the hospital then having to jump on a work call when we got home,’ Frida explained

‘I was burnt out, I was depleted and I wasn’t coping. It wasn’t sustainable.’

After leaving her role and taking some time out to focus on her health, Frida said she realised many women were in a similar situation to her and this sparked a business idea for a postpartum supplement.

Frida Aalgars has revealed how a crushing burnout led her to realise she was depleted after having two children under two and juggling a career with the demands of modern motherhood

In the thick of it: The mum of two revealed how having two kids under two and a busy job led to her suffering with postnatal depletion and eventually she suffered a crushing burnout

What is postnatal depletion?

Dr Oscar Serrallach is credited with first using the term ‘postnatal depletion’ in his book, The Postnatal Depletion Cure, which was published by Goop in 2018.

Serrallach describes it as ‘a syndrome of accumulated issues including deep fatigue, hyper-vigilance and a feeling of being overwhelmed.’

‘1 in 2 mothers will experience postnatal depletion in their first seven years of Motherhood, that’s because the emotional and mental load is heightened with children under seven years’  Dr Oscar Serrallach

‘As I recovered I realised that my story is not unique so many people are burnt out and feeling the burn. I thought, how can I use this experience to help other women too. There is this misconception that the postpartum phase is immediately after birth but really it is years. Having worked at one of the biggest health and beauty brands in the country, I had this really strong calling.’

After taking a number of different supplements as part of her own recovery, Frida said she noticed ‘there was a gap in the market for a postpartum supplement specifically for women feeling depleted from not only the demands of pregnancy but also from the demands of modern day parenting’ and she turned to her doctor, Dr Oscar Serrallach to collaborate.

‘Dr Oscar had helped me in my postpartum periods with both of my children. After having my first baby and with my family overseas and my husband’s not living close by, I was completely lacking support. I was overwhelmed, my baby wasn’t sleeping and at at the sixth or seven month mark, I felt like I wasn’t coping,’ Frida explained.

‘I went to see Dr Oscar and he said “it’s not that you’re not coping, you’re depleted and we will sort it.” He told me that women can feel depleted for up to seven years after having children and sometimes even longer. It was such a relief to know that I wasn’t failing and that this was happening to many women.’

Frida invested her family’s savings on starting her company

What is Flow State?

Flow State is a 5-in-1 multitasking supplement, to relieve fatigue, support energy production, calm the mind and support healthy mood balance; plus supporting your hair, skin & nails.

In addition, it also supports hormone health, cognition, heart health, immune system health and supports the female reproductive system.

Flow State contains 16 Practitioner-Grade Actives. For a full list of ingredients click here.

Flow State is made in Australia and doesn’t contain Gluten, dairy, soy, artificial colours, sucralose, benzonates, GMOs, animal products, lactose, sulphites, tree nuts, peanuts, palm oil or phenylalanine.

WARNING – When taken in excess of 3000 micrograms retinol equivalents, vitamin A can cause birth defects. If you are pregnant, or considering becoming pregnant, do not take vitamin A supplements without consulting your doctor or pharmacist.

The recommended daily amount of vitamin A from all sources is 700 micrograms retinol equivalents for women and 900 micrograms retinol equivalents for men.

This medicine contains selenium which is toxic in high doses. A daily dose of 150 micrograms for adults of selenium from dietary supplements should not be exceeded. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Vitamin and mineral supplements should not replace a balanced diet.

After turning to Dr Oscar again after having her second child and feeling burnout and depleted once again, Frida says she told the health professional she wanted to create ‘the ultimate supplement for mothers.’

‘I was so tired of taking 10 different supplements and quickly realised that some supplements have insignificant doses of lots of different things and lots of filler. I wanted to create something convenient, with evidence-based doses of ingredients and without fillers.’

Frida decided to invest her family’s savings, money they had earmarked for a house deposit, on starting a business The Tenth Co, and after 18 months of development, postpartum supplement Flow State went on sale in January 2023.

Flow State is a multitasking supplement to relieve fatigue, support energy production, calm the mind and support healthy mood balance as well as supporting your hair, skin and nails.

Thriving, not just surviving: The mum-of-two now runs

In addition, it also supports hormone health, cognition, heart health, immune system health and supports the female reproductive system.

Frida describes the response to the product launch as ‘amazing’ and reveals that despite planning to sell the first batch of the supplement across a two year period, ‘we actually sold out in just four months and now trying to keep up with the demand we are continuously doubling our orders,’ she said.

‘The messages I have received and the feedback from customers has really been really phenomenal. It makes it all worth it.’

In fact, many happy customers have left glowing five star reviews on the brand’s website with some mums saying they are ‘obsessed’ with Flow State, while others shared they wished they had ‘known about the supplement earlier’ in their postpartum journey.

And the gamble of using her family’s house deposit to start her business paid off as Frida says she The Tenth Co’s success has exceeded all expectations and has enabled her to buy the home for her family.

‘I had my journey to get here, which was quite dark at times; but knowing now that my own lived experience and struggles led me to creating The Tenth; knowing that we are having a direct impact on mothers and their families everyday – feels pretty special. When we feel good as mothers, it has a ripple effect around us,’ Frida said.

‘My driving force behind The Tenth is clear. Women – whether in postpartum mum life or pre-burnout work life – should no longer accept ‘exhaustion’ as the norm. We deserve to thrive; to be and feel the best versions of ourselves, no matter how many toddlers, deadlines, or life things come our way. We have to take care of ourselves properly.’

To find out more about The Tenth Co’s Flow State and Frida’s journey click here.

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