Hey, Ren here - nurse, midwife, mum of 3 wild but wonderful boys + founder of Lila Jasmine.

After more than a decade in healthcare, I craved a creative change. In late 2018, we purchased a small retail business in the baby and child sector, which eventually inspired what you see today - a brand dedicated to nourishing families through 4th trimester education and our milk-supporting lactation bars.

When our first son, Eli, arrived in 2010, I was working as a paediatric nurse and starting my second year of midwifery training. I naively thought I was well-prepared for motherhood, but the moment Eli was placed on my chest, the enormity of it hit me. I looked at Jeremy and asked, “What on earth do we do now?” That moment planted the seed for my passion: raising awareness about the importance of the 4th trimester and helping women feel prepared and supported during this transformative time.

After the birth of our third son, a friend left a care package at our door—delicious raw slices beautifully wrapped in a box with a ribbon. That simple gesture pierced my grateful heart, and the convenience of the slices fueled my busy days. I ate them in the car on school runs, at 4 p.m. when I realized I’d skipped lunch, and at 2 a.m. during late-night breastfeeding.

One evening, inspiration struck [as it often does for Jeremy and me] while we were relaxing in the hot tub. The memory of those muesli bars sparked the idea for Lila Jasmine. We set out to create a nutritious, on-the-go snack for busy mums - one that not only had a great nutritional profile but also genuinely tasted amazing. Working with food technologists, we developed a range of dairy-free lactation bars featuring ingredients traditionally known for their galactagogue properties. Today, our beautifully made bars are perfect for gifting or enjoying anywhere, anytime.

While I’m the face and voice you’ll see most often, Lila Jasmine is truly a family effort. Jeremy, once our baker, continues to be the ideas extraordinaire, while our three boys cheer us on [and occasionally sneak bars from the stockpile]. Although we’ve passed the baking torch to a boutique manufacturer here in New Zealand to keep you well-stocked year-round, everything else about Lila Jasmine is still us - a family dedicated to nourishing mums and celebrating the beautiful chaos of motherhood.

Renata Lardelli - Founder, Nurse, Midwife and Mum to Eli, Sebastian and Xavier 

When Renata isn’t dreaming up new ideas for Lila Jasmine, you’ll find her soaking up the sun [she’s a sucker for sun patches] or indulging in anything caramel. While she wishes she were a runner, walking is her go-to most days, and she loves the challenge of her Reformer Pilates workouts at home. She has an ironic mix of an awful memory and an uncanny ability to hyper-focus! Renata would rather clean than cook, but when she does bake, her chocolate cookies are legendary...you can find her recipe HERE!