Having a baby can mean you're inundated with information, most of it about the baby.
But what happens when a mom needs to take care of herself? She can turn to L.E.A.P.S.
The support group, which stands for Love, Encouragement and Pospartum Support, started in September 2016 with regular meetings hosted at the Ever'man Educational Center in Pensacola.
"I felt like we needed some kind of resource for new moms," said Evangeline Schepper, one of the L.E.A.P.S' founders. "Our intention was to have a group that was open; it's not therapy, it's not advice-centered. It's social support. Moms learn about taking care of babies, but not to take care of themselves."
Schepper had just given birth to her second child when she started the group.
"I suffered from some postpartum disorders," she said. "It became incredibly vital and gave me an outlet to talk and learn coping mechanisms, which is how I got interested and then got trained as a postpartum group facilitator."
Soon after the group started, Schepper said it "exploded" with interest. Each meeting usually has a guest speaker who explores a specific topic such as postpartum fitness, but Schepper said the group is not about self-promotion. Outside the group, moms interact on a closed Facebook group to chat or plan playdates.
Sometimes, a meeting can be more fluid.
"A topic can depend on the moms who show up," she said. "We follow their lead and dig deep into whatever they're dealing with."
As word traveled about the group, more moms from outside Pensacola started to attend and eventually showed interest in starting their own groups.
"We had one mom who was coming from Navarre, one from Alabama and another from Panama City," Schepper said. "Eventually, moms said they wanted to bring it to their communities. I think it's really incredible. We'd like this to grow and grow."
This year, L.E.A.P.S. is growing to include groups in Valparaiso and Navarre. All moms from all walks are life are welcome.
"Our mission is for moms to moms to leave each meeting feeling better about themselves and leave with some tools in their back pocket," Schepper said. "If we can achieve that, then we reached our goal."