Seeking feedback on my startup in postpartum health

DanielleG·Oct 17, 2020

Hi Elphas,I would be so grateful for feedback on my startup (still in very early stages). I had a very healthy pregnancy but was not at all prepared for the postpartum struggle. I had the works - hernia, severe diastis recti, tearing, 60 lbs weight gain, and very painful breastfeeding journey. I felt completely lost what to do - my post baby checkup was 15 minutes with a nurse. Nurse was wonderful and my obgyn was great but I don't feel like even they have the resources to guide women. I was told to "Google some exercises for my diastis recti". As you can imagine- nightmare! So much conflicting information and very little data on what is actually clinically effective.I am working on a couple different solutions to this problem; but at this stage I would love to hear if anyone had a similar experience and any resources you used? Any other companies in this space? How did you deal with the postpartum recovery process?I am more focused on postpartum vs. breastfeeding support but definitely open to hearing on this front as well.Thank you all so much! This is a huge help to hear from other women and hopefully impact the recovery process!

sarabates·Oct 17, 2020

Hi Danielle,I had a very similar postpartum experience, which inspired me to start my company, MamaMend (https://www.mamamend.com/). There are actually quite a few start-ups tackling this space, and I'd be happy to chat more offline about the current landscape. DM if that'd be helpful!

DanielleG·Oct 17, 2020

That's so awesome! I would love to chat. Will DM you!

MeeVang·Oct 20, 2020

Wish I would have known about this earlier! I just had my first baby this year and felt like I was navigating uncharted territories by myself. This is a great resource to keep on hand for my next baby and share with amongst my friends. Thanks!

sarabates·Oct 21, 2020

Thanks so much, Mee Vang! It is definitely a tough time to navigate on your own, and I'm happy to know we'll be able to support you next time!

Iynna·Oct 17, 2020

Hi Danielle.Echoing Sara, there are companies in the space though they look at the problem from different lenses! Check out Mahmee (not postpartum only but they do tackle ) and Bodily.Because post-partum encompasses a lot (can range from physical, mental to emotional changes and challenges) I'd probably focus on one aspect as a starter?

jennordhem·Oct 18, 2020

+1 on bodily. i like their approach.

DanielleG·Oct 17, 2020

Thank you! I will check them out!

sophiayenmd·Oct 17, 2020

I would love to be a resource for postpartum contraception.

DanielleG·Oct 20, 2020

Thank you @sophiayenmd!

jennordhem·Oct 18, 2020

I had awful preeclampsia postpartum (10 days to dial in meds in the hospital) and it would have been great to have a resource to go to.

DanielleG·Oct 20, 2020

Thanks for sharing your experience. You are a strong mama. Preeclampsia is no joke. As someone relatively healthy, I don't think I ever realized that I could actually die or have serious side effects from pregnancy. That for me was the biggest eye opener.

jennordhem·Oct 20, 2020

yes exactly. i went from having no issues getting pregnant, zero nausea, no back pain to *bam* gestational diabetes (luckily resolved just with diet) in my second tri and pre-eclampsia that started just days before my delivery. It was gnarly. Both were genetic and I’m incredibly healthy.

ChristineTran·Oct 18, 2020

HI Danielle! That's a great startup direction. There must be support for moms in the postpartum area. I hate that my post baby checkup was also less than 15 minutes. It's like we're an afterthought once the baby arrives. From my readings and experience, the US is horrible in this area.I can dm you my experiences if you're interested. Perhaps I can also be a resource too.

DanielleG·Oct 20, 2020

@ChristineTran That would be great! Please do. Every story really helps me refine further. I'll DM you with my email too!

JRShraybman·Oct 18, 2020

Oooo such a great idea! I don’t have personal experience, but have been with several relatives and close friends who had pregnancy and postpartum issues. It’s such a tough experience and I commend you for creating a solution or resource to help others. While I may not be a topic specific resource, if you have any questions about your legal framework (forming a business, formalizing partnerships and other relationships with investors or team members, or securing branding and other intellectual property), we’re here for you! Feel free to reach out anytime: [email protected] or 305.204.1835.Wishing you all the success!

DanielleG·Oct 20, 2020

Thank you so much for sharing!

loriettanmuse·Oct 19, 2020

Hi Danielle,I think this is a pretty good idea to tackle some of these problems — echoing what @iynna and @sarabates said, there are a few startups starting to come up in the space and one I know that's gaining a lot of ground is Mahmee. One area I would say might we worth exploring further is with regards to the mental challenges that often arise. I haven't had any personal experiences myself, but some of my godchildren's parents did and I was there with them through it — most of them struggled with the mental changes, and in some cases with postpartum depression. I remember that navigating that, along with actually taking care of the newborn, was very difficult for them. Hope this helps.

DanielleG·Oct 20, 2020

Thank you for sharing. Yes, postpartum depression is real and an extremely import topic.

ruthann·Oct 19, 2020

Hi Danielle,I am an Ob/Gyn physician with a big interest in innovation and digital health. Please contact me to bounce off ideas if you'd like.Ruth Ann Crystal, MD

DanielleG·Oct 20, 2020

Thanks Ruth! I'll DM you. It would be great to connect. Thanks so much for offering your time.

lauraspiekerman·Oct 22, 2020

Have you seen Every Mother? https://every-mother.com/They are focused on diastasis recti.

DanielleG·Oct 23, 2020

Yes, they are awesome! Love their message.

DrBrittanyBarreto·Oct 23, 2020

You should join the femtech virtual network and post this question there too =) http://femtechfocus.mn.co/

DanielleG·Oct 23, 2020

Thank you! I will!

cyson78·Oct 23, 2020

This is something I thought about after my baby last year. Very healthy pregnancy but postpartum hit me so hard and now that I'm finally in a place where I feel semi-normal again after 10 months, I'm starting to realize just how much it affected me. I didn't even get a post baby appointment, I had a video call asking if anything was still uncomfortable. And I think I honestly got more help googling than I did from my healthcare provider.

DanielleG·Oct 23, 2020

Thanks so much for sharing. I completely agree. I was shocked that after 9 months of being told never to "WebMD" my symptoms and come straight to my OB with questions about my pregnancy, that this was their postpartum advice. Meanwhile I'm trying to figure out why I can barely balance and my back pain is out of control. With your first, there is just no frame of reference for what is supposed to be a normal and when you should seek help.

cyson78·Oct 23, 2020

Yeah I think that I had to take a step back, breathe, and I googled and only used trusted sources which for me was a combination of WebMD, Cleveland, Mayo, American Pregnancy Association, Pediatrics Association and KellyMom which was a popular go to resources for a lot of my parent friends. I thought about spinning up a blog just to talk about my pregnancy because the one thing that brought me sort of back under control was just reading other moms experiences whether it was my friends or random moms on social media - especially instagram. While I don't want to rely on social media as my source, sometimes the medical providers just don't give you what you need so the source of truth is better said by those who actually experienced it. I had a lot of balancing problems and I think because I didn't have any help with my newborn, I ended up dropping 30+ lbs even though everyone was telling me they gained weight. I had a lot of balancing issues and fell down the stairs twice. It was bad. And all I was told by my medical team was "just take it easy, sit, relax." Which I thought was unhelpful because if you've ever had a child, how on earth do you relax? I ended up googling because between the balancing issue and lack of sleep, I also had this horrible grinding pain in my hips and the only way I can describe it was if somebody were to try to crush me from top down, my bones are grinding up against each other but with no relief in sight. I had a coworker tell me his wife went through the same thing and he warned me that the few days after I give birth I would swell to an incredible amount and then suddenly sweat it all out and to not call the emergency room unless I started turning colors. Had I not had that warning (Because it did happen), I would have panicked with a newborn. I started passing on my experience to friends who got pregnant after I did and they had the same issue - no one warns you or tells you what can or cannot happen and what is or is not normal. It has definitely been quite the journey and it's not over yet for me.

DanielleG·Oct 26, 2020

Thank you so much for sharing. That sounds harrowing. My sister-in-law warned me that after I gave birth I might start shaking/shivering without control and that it was completely normal. Nuts that we hear this stuff from friends and family but not our doctor.