The True Story Behind SageAbay

From Forced Labor to Healing Wombs

If you watched the mini-documentary above, you know the heavy price my sister and I paid for cheap cotton in the fields of Turkmenistan. I started SageAbay to reclaim that narrative. I wanted to build a sanctuary where ethical, organic cotton is used to heal women’s bodies, not harm them. Every wrap we sell is handmade with love by me and my sister, who, despite losing her womb in her 20s due to the severe trauma of our childhood labor, has dedicated her life to serving thousands of moms through this work.

But my journey to postpartum healing didn't stop with just finding the right cotton. It was also about surviving my own severe postpartum trauma.

My Postpartum Awakening

After battling infertility for over seven years, I was finally blessed with my son. He was a big baby, in the 90th percentile. Two days postpartum, while lying in my hospital bed, I overheard nurses discussing whether I had delivered twins. Confused, I thought it was a compliment—but months later, when I developed severe lower back pain, I learned I had severe diastasis recti, with a 4–5 finger gap in my abdominal muscles. I was devastated.

That's when I remembered my mother's advice. As a mom of five herself, she told me to bind my belly with non-stretchy cotton fabric, just as women in Turkmenistan traditionally did.

At first, I ignored her. But eventually, I discovered the Bengkung belly binding wrap, and it changed everything. With consistent use, my gap reduced to just 1.5–2 fingers, while my mom, even after five kids, had only a one-finger gap. I was amazed. I felt held, supported, and strong again.

I knew then that other mothers deserved access to this ancient knowledge. But more importantly, because of my childhood, I knew they deserved better, safer, and more ethical fabrics than the rough, bulky muslin versions available online.

That is how SageAbay was truly born: combining the ancient wisdom of Bengkung belly binding with the deepest respect for sustainable, GOTS-certified organic cotton.

At SageAbay, our mission is simple:

• To honor the wisdom of traditional postpartum care.
• To offer sustainable, organic fabrics that are gentle on your healing skin and the workers who make them.
• To empower moms with knowledge, comfort, and confidence during their 4th-trimester journey.