Sunday May 10, 2009 is a date that's firmly etched in the memory of Jennifer Reich. It was Mother's Day, a day made special by quality time spent with her two sons, Austin and Tyler. That would have been enough. But on this day, there was something more: A life-changing decision took root. Reich was going to launch her own publishing company.
Reich says Hellertown-based Momosa Publishing LLC takes its name from the "fast-growing, long-living mimosa tree." It's also a maternal mash-up of the drink of the same name. "Let's face it," she says, "most moms could use a stiff drink now and again!"
The seed for Momosa Publishing had been planted years earlier, when Reich, an Allentown native and Dieruff High School graduate, was struggling to come up with an effective way to coax one of her sons to go to sleep. "The record number of wakings was 11 in one night, or at least that's when I stopped counting," says Reich. Her pediatrician, a mother of four, took pity and called her after-hours one night to offer her personal advice on how she made the magic happen with her own children-and it worked. "That really resonated with me," says Reich. "I thought, 'If someone is a doctor and also a mother, she as all of this wisdom. They're experts-squared!' "
She mused to herself about how that kind of professional but relatable advice could be compiled and disseminated as a helpful companion to both new moms and moms who who've been in the trenches for years. Still, Reich didn't connect the dots until a friend who worked for a New York City-based publishing company asked her if she had any ideas that could be turned into books. "That was my 'Aha!' moment," she explains.
Reich drew up a proposal, but publishers encouraged her to partner with a doctor to have a better shot at success. Luckily, Reich had just the person in mind. She first encountered Kentucky's Dr. Rallie McAllister when she was doing freelance work for Emmaus-based Rodale. She interviewed McAllister, a family physician, for a piece about healthy healing foods and was struck by her warm personality. "I remember thining, 'This is one of the nicest doctors I have ever met in my life,' " she recalls. "I was so impressed by how kind and generous she was." And McAllister's credibility in the medical community didn't hurt, either. She penned a nationally syndicated newspaper column called "Your Health" that appeared in more than 30 newspapers in the United States and Canada. She's also the mother of three sons.
In fact, it was McAllister who made the suggestion on the decisive Mother's Day that the two women branch out on their own and form Momosa Publishing. At first, the prospect of going it alone seemed overwhelming, and more than a little daunting. But the two plunged in. "Of course we can do this," Reich recalls telling herself. And they did. They established a website, mommymdguides.com, and, after interviewing more than 60 mothers who also happen to be doctors from across the country, they had more than enough material for their first book, The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, which was published in 2010. "It took nine months to create, just like a real baby." Reich laughs. It's only fitting, then, that getting their hands on the bound and completed version of the book was a labor of love unto itself.
As Reich remembers it, there was a lot of excitement, when the delivery truck pulled up outside, loaded with their precious courage. One problem: No one thought to bring a pallet jack to unload the stacks of heavy books from the truck. Reich recalls hearing cries of "Push! Push!" coming from inside the trailer. "The books had to be 'birthed.' " she laughs.
The Momosa gals and their trusted advisers have been churning out one Mommy MD Guide after another since then, tackling topics that range from morning sickness to giving birth to surviving the toddler years. Once weighing in at 500-plus pages, the guides have become slimmer as of late, and more hyper-focused on a specific topic, like allergies or breast-feeding. But the well of knowledge in which Reich and McAllister pool their resources has only deepened.
Reich says they've never had a hard time enlisting experts to offer helpful advice. In many cases, the doctors will happily volunteer for the assignment, and even do some digging on their own, bringing family members or other medical professionals from their communities into the circle. "A lot of its word of mouth," Reich says. Their go-to list of doctors has surpassed 150, with hundreds of children and grandchildren among them, meaning these experts don't just talk the talk, they also walk the walk. "The books talk about enjoying the celebrations of parenting, not just surviving its challenges," Reich explains. "Instead of lists of dry, boring tips, the advice is presented as easy-to-read anecdotes and stories."
Another plus for women navigating the travails of motherhood: The Mommy MD Guide aren't afraid to name names. The experts discuss specific brands, products and stores they've found helpful. And the intrinsic fear factor that's universally programmed into mom DNA is kept to the wayside. "The books' tone is calm and reassuring." Reich says. "Our books are filled with useful information about common complaints and celebrations of parenting that most moms will face not focusing on unusual symptoms and problems that only a few moms will encounter." An the Mommy MD Guide don't take themselves too seriously. "One thing that delights me the most is that the women take it all in stride, and have such a good sense of humor," Reich says.
The books have found an audience across the country, and soon, perhaps, around the world. "The foreign rights are being considered by 13 publishers in ten countries right now," Reich says. "We just signed our first deal with an Indian publisher."
Momosa not only doles out advice to moms; in some cases, it also cuts them paychecks. Reich says the company depends on more than two dozen freelances - many of them local mothers - to help with the every-growing workload. And there's a good chance the staff will grow in the years ahead, because, while Momosa will continue to tackle the many challenges of raising babies and young children, it's also making it a priority to branch out. "People ask all the time when we're going to publish a teen book," says Reich.
While that particular topic is on the back burner, Reich says she's dedicated to digging into subjects that support Momosa's mission: "We help moms raise healthier, happier families." As Reich sees it, that means helping to nurture a well-rounded woman beyond the rewarding but rigorous demands of family and motherhood. "I'd like to get into sports and fitness, and maybe self-help books," she says.
But she can already cross children's books off of her publishing wish list, thanks to her two young and enterprising sons. Written by Austin, 9, and illustrated by Tyler, 11, The Adventures if the Rabbits in the Magic Kingdom was inspired by a family trip to Disney World. "We were talking one day about how cool it would be to live in the Magic Kingdom," says Reich. Barnes and Noble snatched up more than one thousand copies of the book right out of the gate, and Reich is hopeful it will be the first in a series for her enterprising offspring. She's eager to draw in other talent as well. "We're always looking for new authors to work with."
Reich says she is delighted to be in a position to help other wordsmiths realize their dreams, less than a decade after she was standing in their shoes: a woman and a mother with a bright idea, and a passion for helping others. "It's been the most amazing journey that's taken us to places we never thought we'd go. Our words are helping people lead better lives."
