AS WE scroll through our social media feeds, images of newborns bring a momentary respite from the flood of less-than-cheery updates. In one photograph, Dad and the older siblings huddle around Mom and the newborn, their eyes sparkling with a shared sense of wonder and joy. The photo captures a scene of tranquility and harmony, but a different story lingers beneath the surface. Unseen to the viewer is the hushed strain on Mom’s face, the remnants of a profound physical and emotional journey. Her body is once again her own, but it feels far from it. There’s an aftermath to manage, and it’s often overlooked or not discussed amid the joys of pregnancy.
Beth Wheeler knows the story beneath the surface, but she didn’t until her first child was born in 2020. She said, “I had a rough, physical postpartum recovery with him. After going through it, everything from labor and delivery to the recovery itself, it wasn’t at all what I had expected or had been told about. I really wasn’t prepared.”
It’s hard when you find yourself unprepared on a good day, but to discover after coming home with your first child that you need things to support your recovery while simultaneously caring for your newborn is overwhelming.
“I spent several weeks ordering different items to help in my own physical recovery and give me some relief. Then, after a couple of months, I felt like I had finally gotten the routine down as far as what I needed and what was helpful, and I realized there was no way I was the only mom who had gotten home from the hospital feeling this way,” said Wheeler.
A realization ignited a passion for ensuring other moms have the necessary items for recovery when they come home from the hospital. Moms Loving Moms (MLM) was born.
Wheeler said, “The first couple of years, it was just my husband and me delivering kits around Rutherford County and some in other counties for friends. Then, I felt like God told me that I needed to start expanding so we could offer kits to more moms. So 2023 was an extra push to make sure we could grow and reach more moms.”
One of the moms served through the program was Briana Davis of Coffee County, who connected to Wheeler through their careers in social work in the mental health field. When Wheeler found out Davis was expecting her first child, she reached out to let Davis know she’d be dropping off a postpartum care kit for her.
“I had no idea I would need a kit. I can remember sitting in the hospital after I gave birth to my daughter. Every time a nurse would come in, I would ask for more supplies so I could stockpile my bag to take home because nobody told me I was going to need it. I knew I was going home to absolutely nothing to take care of all that,” said Davis. “So when I got home, and that kit was on my doorstep with everything I needed, it was such a blessing. I texted Beth and said, ‘Whatever I can do, I’m here to support this cause because this is really something.’
True to her word, Davis joined Wheeler, and the organization served multiple Tennessee counties in 2023. The extra push resulted in expanding the board of directors and becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. MLM provides kits to moms in Coffee, Cannon, DeKalb, Rutherford, Davidson, Bedford, Marshall, Williamson, and Wilson Counties. By the end of October 2023, the team had delivered over 600 kits.
“In the past year or two, I felt the importance of making sure that the moms realize they are all around loved and supported, and it wasn’t just a ‘Hey, here’s this box. Good luck,’” said Wheeler.
There’s no charge to moms for the kits, which have an approximate value of $120 each. Based on the type of delivery the mom experienced, the kits contain items to make sitting more comfortable and pads of varying sizes. There are products to encourage self-care, the most important of which are three free counseling sessions from Wheeler or one of their other licensed counselors. The MLM team stays in contact with the mom throughout the pregnancy and after delivery.
“We try to have the kit waiting on their front porch whenever they get home from the hospital. It comes with a letter with words of encouragement, the items, and the offer for free counseling,” Wheeler said. “Being able to have that support system and knowing that someone is reaching out and checking in and seeing how we can help is making a huge difference,” said Wheeler.
You can help MLM help moms feel loved and supported, too. Volunteers are always needed for boxing days and to deliver kits. The care recipient support team is another opportunity to serve. Financial donations may be made at momslovingmoms.com. For businesses, churches, or organizations that want to know more, Wheeler and Davis are happy to speak to the groups and share the impact the kits are making in the lives of area moms.
Wheeler said, “We consider ourselves a ministry, hoping to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these moms and showing them the love of Christ through the kits.”
What better way to show that love than by meeting the most basic needs of new moms physically and emotionally? While the likes, loves, and congratulations on the post announcing the new baby are sincere and appreciated, MLM kits meet moms on a more personal level. And like the impact the kit made on Davis, it’s a priceless gift that continues to give in an ever-widening circle.
That’s the power of love. GN
