Even before Kristen Kaza had twins, mothering had long been one of her talents. The event producer — best known for starting Slo ’Mo, an LBGTQ dance bash now held at Sleeping Village — proudly wears the nickname Party Mom. “I’ve always approached parties through a maternal lens,” she says. Those skills leveled up in 2022 after she developed peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition, and delivered her girls 12 weeks early. While she and her wife had their hands full with two fragile infants, Kaza also had to adapt her strategies for self-care. She added a couple of new routines — naps and Pilates — to her de-stressing habits. “I joke that I’ve been waiting my whole life to be in my 40s,” says the Logan Square resident, who hit the big four-oh in June. She recently launched Mother Lover, a newsletter for queer parents. Says Kaza: “It’s about giving yourself permission to live authentically, because motherhood changes you, no matter what.”

Rise and rest

“My wife has become well practiced in getting up a little earlier, and I’m trying to join her in that, doing a meditation or morning pages [a stream-of-consciousness journaling practice], just to have a little bit of time for myself. Rest is so important to me, and I’ll do anything to prioritize it. I wasn’t a napper until I got pregnant. Now, if I need to cancel a meeting to take a nap, I will.”

Culinary zen

“Cooking is a stress reliever. I’ve long practiced eating a balanced diet, but now for my heart, I have to be conscious of eating too much salt. I love making snacks from scratch. I roast cashews and make cashew butter, and I make my own granola and trail mix.”

Pelvic push

“I go to Club Pilates three times a week. This is the most committed I’ve ever been to a fitness practice. It’s a great workout for anyone, but I think postpartum people, especially, should try it. There’s so much focus on your core and on your pelvic health, so it’s one of the best things you can do to build back after giving birth. When I can’t get to a Pilates class, I’ll do yoga at home and sometimes the girls will join.”

Mother’s little helper

“I read before I go to bed every night. Always physical books. I’m old school. I’ll have chamomile tea. And I discovered First Curve Apothecary, a local company that makes this Underworld Potion tincture, which is awesome. I sometimes use that to help me sleep.”