For Dalen Dinneen, founder of Labour and Love, the journey through pregnancy, birth and postpartum opened her eyes to both the incredible strength of the female body and the surprising lack of support many women feel during this time. Inspired by her own experiences, she has created a thoughtfully curated brand focused on gentle, low-tox support for pregnancy, birth and postpartum. With a focus on organic body care, simple rituals, journaling and water-birth support, Labour and Love was born from a desire to care not just for babies, but for the mothers bringing them into the world. Here she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the passion behind her business, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Short answer? Becoming a mother completely flipped my world upside down in the best, messiest way.
Pregnancy, birth and postpartum showed me just how incredible the female body is, and also how wildly under-supported women can be during this season. There’s so much focus on the baby (as there should be), but somewhere along the way, the mother often gets told to just “get on with it”. Spoiler: that’s not exactly helpful when you’re leaking, healing, emotional and running on very little sleep.
I was naturally drawn to a slower, more intuitive way of preparing for birth. Home felt right. Warm water felt amazing. Being able to move, breathe and trust my body mattered more than ticking boxes or rushing timelines. And once the baby arrived? Rest, softness and practical support suddenly became non-negotiable.
What I kept noticing was a gap.
There were plenty of baby products everywhere, but very little that truly felt like it was for the mother. There was very little that acknowledged the sore days, the hormonal rollercoasters, the long nights or the quiet moments where you just want something comforting – preferably without too much effort involved.
So, Labour and Love came to life.
I wanted to create something that supports women through pregnancy, birth and postpartum in a way that feels calm, natural and useful, especially for those mummas looking for low-tox options. Think organic body care, simple rituals, journaling and water-birth support – the kind of things that help you feel a little more human again.
Labour and Love is about slowing down (even when life doesn’t really allow it). It’s about trusting your body (even when you’re not sure what day it is). It’s here to remind women that they matter too – not just as mothers, but as humans moving through one of the biggest transitions of their lives.
That’s the heart of Labour and Love. Made with a lot of intention, a bit of humour and a whole lot of care.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Very slowly. Very intentionally. And definitely not with the big flashy launch I had hoped for.
Labour and Love began at home, in Mangawhai, in the in-between moments of pregnancy, postpartum and short toddler naps. It started with a lot of researching, scribbled notes, product testing and quietly wondering why the things I actually needed during this season were so hard to find.
I focused first on what felt genuinely supportive during pregnancy and after birth – simple, natural products and tools that I personally wanted to use. No huge range, no rush, just the essentials done thoughtfully and well.
And, like most beginnings, there was a definite learning curve. I learnt very quickly that labels never come out the exact colour you expect (even when you’re sure you picked the right one), that what looks perfect on a screen can look very different in real life, and that no matter how many times you proofread, a spelling mistake will somehow still make it onto social media. Usually right after you hit post. I learnt very quickly that product development takes longer than expected, packaging never arrives exactly when you need it, and that testing products at home often means reorganising your space (and apologising to your family for the takeover).
I built Labour and Love piece by piece – from my home in Mangawhai – testing everything on myself first, then the odd family member or friend, tweaking details endlessly and learning as I went. When it came time to launch, I kept it quiet. No countdowns. No pressure. Just a small, intentional offering shared with my local community and beyond, hoping that the right people would find it.
Labour and Love didn’t start as a big business idea. It started as something deeply personal – created slowly, grounded in real life and shaped by the rhythms of motherhood and home.
And honestly? That’s still exactly how it’s growing.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Honestly, the biggest breakthrough was packing my first few birth pool orders.
There was something really grounding about it – carefully preparing everything, knowing these pools were about to be part of someone’s birth story. It made everything suddenly feel very real. Up until then, Labour and Love had mostly lived on my laptop and in my head.
I remember feeling incredibly grateful, and a little emotional, that women had trusted Labour and Love to be part of such an intimate, life-changing moment. Birth isn’t just another purchase, and being invited into that space is a big deal. I also very much jumped up and down with excitement at each order, even though there have only been a few so far.
That moment came with another realisation too: perfect was never going to happen.
I could have waited forever for everything to line up – the perfect timing, the perfect range, the perfect launch. But standing there, packing those orders, I knew that starting imperfectly was far better than not starting at all.
That was when it really clicked. Labour and Love didn’t need to be finished or flawless; it just needed to exist, to support women and to grow gently over time.
That shift changed everything. It stopped being about waiting and started being about trust – in myself, in the process and in what Labour and Love is here to offer.
And honestly, that’s still how I’m building it.
And if that growth includes happy dancing over orders and fixing the odd typo along the way, I think that’s probably a good sign.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balance is… a loose concept.
The reality is that work and family blur together most days, and I’ve accepted that they probably always will. Labour and Love fits around family life, not the other way around, which means my “workday” rarely looks the same twice.
Some days I get a good rhythm going and feel like I’ve absolutely nailed it. Other days, I’ll be halfway through an email when the baby starts crying – and then the toddler decides to match the noise and starts pretend crying too, just to really drive the point home.
That’s usually my cue to stop pretending I’m in control.
I work in pockets of time, often with interruptions, snacks and background noise. I lean into flexibility, lower my expectations and remind myself that this season is loud, messy and temporary. Some days are calm and flowing; other days are pure chaos – and both count.
I’ve stopped chasing perfect balance and aim instead for a mix of intention, humour and survival. If the kids are fed, the business moves forward even a tiny bit, and I manage to finish a cup of tea while it’s still warm, I consider that a very successful day. Welcome to a life of a SAHM, right?
It’s not perfectly balanced, but it’s real life, and it’s ours.
