As we approach Mother’s Day it’s a perfect time to reflect on her and everything she has done for us.
And with that, one of our moms here at KARE 11 is doing her part in making sure expecting mothers, living through trying pregnancies, are honored and pampered.
KARE 11's Zach Lashway sat down with reporter Lindsey Seavert to hear more about the basket that changed her life and is now changing the lives of other moms.
“The baskets have everything from spa toiletries, to healthy snacks, journals, adult coloring books, crosswords, anything to pass the time," Seavert said.
They’re called Bed Rest Baskets, and they basically hold everything you need if you were isolated in a room for an uncertain amount of time.
That uncertainty was reality for Seavert during her second pregnancy two years ago.
“Days after my father’s death, I found out I was pregnant," she said.
Seavert believes one life went up and another came down.
“While I was so excited to be pregnant, I also found out that it was a very complicated pregnancy,” she said.
Seavert was hospitalized and put on bed rest for more than four weeks at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital Antepartum Unit.
“It’s this little-known place where pregnant moms go to stay when they are facing very severe, stressful pregnancies," she said. "Some moms come in and they don’t know what’s going to happen to their baby, some moms do go home with empty arms ... some moms have children with very severe complications.”
Seavert, one of the more fortunate moms, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Phoebe, in August 2016.
“When Phoebe was a premie and was in the NICU ... I received this big beautiful basket from an organization," Seavert said. "They thought of everything from snacks, to toiletries, to gifts for my other child and I thought this was so beautiful and wonderful, but now I am at the end of the journey at the hospital, and wow, I could have really used all these items when I was living in this hospital before.”
Seavert said that was the conception of her passion project, Bed Rest Baskets.
“I realized there’s this need to shine a light on this maternal care and at least a basket could let someone know that you care for them.”
To date, Seavert has distributed 50 baskets. She is hoping to continue the effort.
If you would like to get involved, you can bring donations and help assemble baskets on May 20 at Lake Harriet United Methodist Church at 2 p.m. Seavert has also started an Amazon wish list.