In the heart of Edina, Kathryn Wagner and her daughters, Juliana Wagner and Christina Laughlin, weave a tapestry of love, healing, and empowerment that extends far beyond the boundaries of their hometown.
Here is their story and how they combined their strengths to create &mamatoo, a postpartum care organization.
Kathryn, a dynamic woman who has embraced many roles, has always prioritized motherhood above all else. With an innate drive to provide the best for her family, she took the entrepreneurial plunge in 2019, creating safe, nurturing products that would lay the foundation for their family business.
Juliana, the youngest of the trio, recently embraced motherhood herself with the birth of her son this past June. With a rich background in Reiki, Ayurveda, and therapy and energy work, she embodies a holistic approach to wellness. Passionate about supporting women and their reproductive health, Juliana integrates her knowledge of herbs and minerals into therapeutic efforts.
Christina, fueled by her lifelong dream of motherhood, has journeyed through life wearing many hats. “From the very moment Juliana was born I knew I was meant to be a mom and I spent my entire life waiting for that to become a reality," she says. In the meantime, my siblings became my world and I gave them every ounce of love I had.”
As an American Sign Language interpreter and the program director for Edina Football Association's youth flag football program, she showcases her diverse skills while nurturing her passions.
Christina’s heart truly came alive when she welcomed her son, Jett, in 2020, and even more so when her second son, Dashel, was born in October 2023.
And so, through the women’s own experiences, both joyous and challenging, the first seeds of their organization, &mamatoo, were sown.
&mamatoo took shape after a heartwarming yet challenging event in the trios’ lives: the birth of their cousin and nephew, a micro-preemie. It was then (in 2019) that Kathryn began crafting the aforementioned baby products, starting with a diaper rash cream that evolved into a multi-purpose salve lovingly dubbed “magic cream.” Fueled by this, Christina led the expansion of their product line, creating postpartum care baskets — because mothers also deserve to be celebrated and pampered.
Thus, &mamatoo was official: a campaign to uplift mothers by creating the concept that alongside presents for the newborn, loved ones should also bring something special for the mothers. With heartfelt care baskets dedicated to moms, the trio have made it their mission to ensure new mothers experience the love and support they deserve in the postpartum phase.
In the beginning, this was the sole mission of &mamatoo. However, this journey took a critical turn with Dashel's birth. With an undiagnosed heart defect called Coarctation of the Aorta, Dashel faced immediate health challenges that turned the family’s world upside down.
The emergency room became a familiar place as he received urgent care after a critical situation on the fourth day of his life. His journey through two open heart surgeries and the support from the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit was the turning point that fueled the trios’ passion for also helping families in the NICU.
“Being postpartum in the NICU and heart unit is unimaginable,” Christina says. “And honestly, my needs felt so irrelevant and so neglected, but my body, I truly believe, only kept going thanks to those care products my mom made.”
This experience inspired the launch of &mamatoo’s “A Dash of Love” NICU Care Baskets, a heartfelt initiative to support NICU families during their toughest times. Through these care baskets, they provide essentials and comforts to families navigating the uncertain waters of having a child in critical care.
“After coming home with Dashel from months in the hospital, I had a heavy heart,” Christina says. “Being able to create the NICU baskets slowly lifted that weight off my chest because I was able to help other women and families that were going through a similar situation.”
The NICU baskets were launched this past spring, and so far the trio has received only positive feedback.
“These baskets, just like our postpartum ones, can be donated by a loved one, friend work colleague, businesses and even strangers with a heart of gold,” Christina says. “We then work with the hospitals' social work team to drop off each basket. &mamatoo is fully funded by generous donors, and through the purchase of our care products and handmade breast milk jewelry, which is our most recent product launch.”
Through the jewelry process, mothers can turn their breast milk into a lifelong keepsake and all proceeds go directly back into the organization.
“It’s a special way to honor your experience,” Christina says. “We make necklaces, bracelets, prayer beads and more.”
Christina continues, “The NICU baskets and jewelry are just the start of our ideas for the new products and programs. We are excited for what’s to come.”
And just like that, the mother-daughter trio demonstrates that out of adversity can come tremendous strength and community. By merging their talents and experiences, they have created a legacy that empowers mothers, spreads love, and ignites hope in the face of challenges. As they embark on this journey together, they are not just a family — they are a beacon of compassion and resilience, reminding us all that love, healing, and transformative support can change lives.