Whitney Batteast  is a wife, mother of three, and the visionary founder of Pickles & Popsicles, Inc., a Mississippi-based nonprofit reimagining what postpartum support looks like for Black mothers. After experiencing complications during her 2019 pregnancy and feeling the gaps in care firsthand, Whitney turned her pain into purpose. She left her career in higher education at Tougaloo College, to build what she wished had existed for her: an organization centered on rest, recovery, and real support for mothers during the often overlooked fourth trimester.

At the heart of her work is a belief that the postpartum period is one of the most significant and most neglected transitions a person can go through. Whitney has dedicated  her career to changing that. Under her leadership, Pickles & Popsicles has become a trusted resource for postpartum education, mental health support, and maternal self-care. The organization now collaborates with more than 20 organizations in 10 states through its expanding network. Pickles & Popsicles developed the Mommy R.E.S.E.T. Program, a five-session postpartum education and wellness series that guides mothers through physical recovery, emotional health, support-building, healthcare navigation, and identity. 

At the heart of her work is a belief that, “You shouldn’t have to sacrifice being a ‘person’ to be a mom.” She created the Mommy R.E.S.E.T. and Postpartum Boxes to help women begin their healing and self-care journey and developed the empowering Forgotten Mama series, Navigating Motherhood through Maternal Self-Care, to guide mothers in reclaiming rest, identity, and community after birth.

Whitney’s mantra, “We know it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to be a Mom,” reflects her commitment to building that village one mother, one box, and one conversation at a time.