Local mom launches app to help mothers manage mayhem -- and earn extra cash
Amanda Hausmann, a St. Louis-based attorney from Swansea, never imagined she would leave her director position at one of the Midwest’s most prestigious health systems to launch an app.
But that all changed one evening in the summer of 2024. As usual, Hausmann collapsed onto her couch after a long day of juggling full-time work and the demands of raising a toddler and an infant.
“I would just think to myself, ‘I need a moment,’ and it’s 9 p.m., but I don’t have a moment,” Hausmann said. “I have to make cookies for the school bake sale tomorrow, my daughter needs a Valentine’s Day box that I haven’t made yet, and the laundry needs to be washed for the third time because I, once again, forgot to move it from the washer to the dryer.”
While feeling overwhelmed, Hausmann repeatedly saw Facebook posts from other mothers inquiring about ways to earn extra income without taking on traditional jobs. One post in particular stuck with her: A fellow local mom said she was living paycheck-to-paycheck and needed $50 so her son could attend a field trip.
Hausmann realized she had a long list of tasks she’d gladly pay that mom $50 to do.
“Out of that moment of desperation and realizing that somebody else needs me, and I need them, I thought, ‘There needs to be a marketplace for this,’” she said.
That’s how MomMoment was born.
MomMoment, an app-based platform, connects mothers who need help with tasks like cooking and cleaning to others willing to lend a hand for extra cash. The service is currently available in St. Clair, Madison and Monroe counties, as well as other parts of the greater St. Louis area.
“Think Uber, but instead of ordering a ride, you order three loads of laundry done, an errand run across town, or meal prep for the week,” Hausmann said.
In November 2024, Hausmann quit her job as an attorney to focus full time on the business. She launched a limited liability company, contracted with an app developer, and spent five months researching marketplace apps to identify what she wanted— and did not want— MomMoment to be.
MomMoment officially launched in early summer 2025.
So far, the response has been tremendous, Hausmann said.
“Everyone I talk to says, ‘This is brilliant. I could use this,’” she said.
How MomMoment Works
Depending on their needs, users download either the MomMoment Asker or MomMoment Helper app, both available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Askers can browse profiles of nearby helpers, which include a bio, reviews and hourly rates, or they can post specific tasks along with a proposed payment for helpers to bid on.
Helpers indicate what types of tasks they are interested in—such as cooking, cleaning, organizing, personal assistance or laundry—as well as their rates. Each category contains its own subcategories.
Askers can specify where they want tasks completed.
The personal assistance category covers tasks such as vacation planning, waiting in a virtual queue for concert tickets, party planning and running errands.
All helpers must undergo a criminal background check. Starting this fall, helpers will pay a nominal fee—about $15, Hausmann estimates—for the screening. Those who sign up now are exempt from the fee.
Allowing Moms to ‘Live Life on Their Terms’
Hausmann said MomMoment was created to fill a gap in the market.
“You could hire someone to drive your kids somewhere through Uber Kids, or a babysitter through Sittercity. You could hire a handyman on Thumbtack or someone through TaskRabbit to haul furniture,” she said. “But there was nothing on the market for moms who simply need help with laundry, want their kitchen cleaned up after a hectic weekend or need someone to write those ‘thank you’ cards they don’t have time for.”
The mission of MomMoment is about more than just checking off chores, Hausmann said.
“It empowers and enables moms to live life on their terms, whether that means working a full-time job or staying home with their kids,” she said. “A working mom could work full-time without losing her mind trying to do it all, and a stay-at-home mom could earn a little extra money without taking on a full-time role.”
