Meet Stevie Edwards | Occupational Therapist and Postpartum Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stevie Edwards and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stevie, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I was temporarily furloughed from my occupational therapy position at the start of the pandemic. While home, I had a lot of time to think about my personal contributions within my OT profession and was feeling a pull to consider a different practice area. Since becoming a mother, I have felt a deep sense of empathy for women who are at any stage of their fertility journey and who may be struggling: those trying to conceive, those recovering from loss, new moms who are surviving those very challenging and tender newborn days and nights, moms farther out in their motherhood journey looking to reclaim old parts of themselves while discovering new parts too. I had experienced those difficult seasons myself and felt a pull to support women during their matrescence (or journey of becoming a mother).

While sitting with a dear friend one day, we tried to brainstorm maternal health business ideas. At one point, we googled “postpartum cooking” or “cooking for new moms” which led me to a beautiful website for the leading postpartum chef in Nashville, Tennessee (Pour La Mere). An idea was born and I couldn’t wait to get started!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I provide in-cooking services to new moms in Central Ohio. The entrees, snacks, and drinks I choose for my menus are thoughtfully selected. I use high quality ingredients and postpartum superfoods to make nourishing and healing meals to support a mother’s recovery. There are so many important support services that can help you care for your new baby, my business revolves around caring for the mother.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend is visiting, I’m planning a special dinner at home! In warmer months, I love to visit our local farmer’s market and get inspired by what’s in season, this is such a fun way to get creative in the kitchen! A giant fresh salad and homemade pizza are such fan favorites that can be topped with tasty ingredients from our local farmers. I love picking up protein options from Covey Rise Farms. And I wouldn’t dare leave without grabbing a treat from Shepard Baking Co.

One of my favorite places to hang is in my very own backyard. I love sprucing up cozy spaces with tea lights, fresh flowers, and comfy pillows. I LOVE dry sparkling wine like cava and champagne, so I would definitely be offering up glasses of bubbly from my wine club subscription called We Drink Bubbles. This California-based business is female-owned and truly my favorite wines of all time come from what she sends!

If we are going out to dinner, nothing tops sharing snacks at Third and Hollywood during happy hour. For brunch, I would never turn down a visit to Kona Kraft Kitchen for their Eggs Your Way breakfast plate (don’t skip the homemade milk bread toast and ask for butter!). When we just want coffee and the best baked goodies in the city, you’d find us at Fox in the Snow.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have remained very close with two of my graduate school friends, who also have become entrepreneurs: Jesse Miller of Conscious Yoga and Wellness and Beth Johnson of Bloom Where You’re Planted. Last year, we started meeting monthly to chat about business and motherhood. I look forward to these calls so much! It is a safe space to discuss things we are looking forward to, questions about how to approach challenges that arise in our work, and to just connect with people who understand the rollercoasters of entrepreneurship and motherhood. This built-in support system has infinite love and encouragement, I could not imagine following this path without them!

Website: thewellandnourishedmama.com

Instagram: @thewellandnourishedmama