Wilmington nonprofit works to support new moms after they give birth

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Being a mom is hard and one organization is working to make it a little easier.

Alex Richardson is a mom of two. She says it was an incredibly lonely time for her and, as an extrovert, she needed community. She realized there was a need for a community and guidance to necessary resources.

Last January, she launched 4th Trimester Mission. A nonprofit focused on connecting moms with resources they need after they give birth.

“A lot of resources that women need are not being referred to them, like mental health support, pelvic floor physical therapy, the use of postpartum doulas,” Richardson said. “There’s so many resources that are available and we’re working to kind of bridge that gap between leaving the hospital and that one visit you get postpartum.”

In addition to connecting moms with those resources, 4th Trimester Mission hosts “New Mama Meetups” twice a month to create a community and help moms build relationships with people in the same stage of life.

Another program offered is a home visit. New moms will be visited at their homes with a meal and a goodie bag. Moms can decide if they want to have company or just have the meal dropped off.

For moms like Liz Wolfson, 4th Trimester Mission has been life-changing.

“There are so many resources that you don’t realize that you need and they’re all there,” Wolfson said. “It’s like how do we not know about this stuff and how do people find out about them?”

Another mom impacted by 4th Trimester is Ema Rickman. She says the organization also brings her the comfort of being in the sisterhood of motherhood.

“Having those people who are in the same stage of life as you and who are going through similar things….confiding with each other and sharing that with each other and seeking out support with each other,” Rickman said.

For more information on 4th Trimester Mission, visit their website.