When Michelle Lloyd moved to Baldwin County from New Zealand, she expected cultural differences. What she didn't expect was how differently new mothers experienced life after bringing a baby home.

In New Zealand, Lloyd said, postnatal care is built into daily life, with nurses visiting families at home and new parents regularly connecting with others nearby. After settling on the Alabama gulf coast, she noticed a contrast — not a lack of care, but a lack of connection.

"I realized that there were a lot of people, a lot of mamas, that were struggling," Lloyd said. "They didn't have family close by."

That observation became the foundation for Lloyd's work as a postpartum doula and, more recently, for Bumps and Babies, a community space she co-founded with longtime nurse and lactation consultant Scotty Thomson. Together, they are part of a growing effort to meet the needs of Baldwin County's expanding population — particularly young families navigating pregnancy, birth and early parenthood in a region changing as quickly as it is growing.

Baldwin County's population has increased nearly 13% since 2020, rising to an estimated 261,608 residents in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Much of that growth has come from families relocating to the area, often without the extended family networks that once helped guide new parents through the early weeks after birth. As the county grows, Lloyd and Thomson said, the need for prenatal and postnatal support — education, follow-up care and community — has grown alongside it.

Lloyd trained as a postpartum doula and began working with families in their homes, often overnight, helping parents recover physically and emotionally while learning how to care for their newborns. Her work focuses on rest, reassurance and practical guidance during a time when many parents feel overwhelmed.

"Lack of sleep is what goes toward postpartum depression, anxieties, OCDs and that sort of stuff," Lloyd said.

Thomson, who spent more than three decades working as a nurse in maternal and child health, said she saw similar challenges from the clinical side. Hospital stays after birth are short, and follow-up support is limited, particularly for breastfeeding parents.

"A lactation consultant may or may not be in the hospital," Thomson said. "And if you do have a lactation consultant, you get one visit over your stay — that may be 30 to 60 minutes."

She frequently encountered parents who left the hospital feeling confident only to struggle days later when circumstances changed at home. Without immediate access to guidance, small challenges could quickly feel overwhelming.

In 2021, Thomson shifted her focus to in-home lactation visits, allowing her to support families well beyond discharge. The partnership with Lloyd grew naturally, fueled by shared clients and a shared belief that new parents benefit from ongoing care and connection.

At the same time, Baldwin County's rapid growth has placed pressure on existing services, making access uneven depending on insurance coverage, work schedules and transportation. Lloyd and Thomson said their goal is not to replace medical care, but to complement it by creating an entry point where parents feel comfortable asking questions and seeking reassurance.

"The postpartum period is such a vulnerable period," Thomson said. "It takes a team to support mamas after discharge."

That belief is now at the center of Bumps and Babies, which offers prenatal and postnatal classes, support groups, yoga and drop-in lactation assistance. The space is designed to be both educational and welcoming — a place where parents can ask questions, share experiences and feel more supported.

In addition to structured classes and paid services, the space hosts free drop-in opportunities like the Milky Way Cafe, where parents can weigh their babies, talk through concerns and connect with others in similar stages of life.

"I want to be able to show these moms that things are normal," Lloyd said. "They just need someone saying that you're doing a great job."

For Stacie Douglass, a Baldwin County attorney, finding that reassurance made a lasting difference. After a complicated pregnancy and early delivery, Douglass said she struggled during the postpartum period until she connected with Lloyd.

"It was a lonely and difficult time," Douglass said.

With overnight support, Douglass said she was able to rest, recover and regain confidence as a new parent — something she believes more families could benefit from as the county continues to attract young professionals and growing families.

"I wish there had been a group like this when I was a new mother," she said. "I would have loved to have known other women with newborns."

As Baldwin County continues to evolve, Lloyd and Thomson said their hope is simple: that no parent feels they have to navigate those early days alone.

"We want families to feel prepared and confident," Lloyd said.

And for parents unsure where to begin, Thomson said sometimes the first step is just showing up.

"Don't be afraid to reach out," she said.

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.