Revolutionizing the Necessary Practice of Skin-to-Skin Care with New Borns

Being a new parent is far from easy: there are so many things to worry about, so many challenges, and things can sometimes spiral out of control. Breastfeeding, postpartum for new moms, preventing infant falls, and so much more are all worries that come with being a new parent. The market is flooded with products that claim to solve these issues and concerns but in reality, you can never be certain that you’ve chosen the right solution. In response to some of these worries there is a product for new parents, both mom and dad, and it’s simply brilliant.

The guests on today’s episode, Hayley Mullins and Sarah-Almaza Cox, are the co-founders of Joeyband. Joeyband is a baby sling made of yoga pant material clinically proven and designed for prolonged skin-to-skin care in all new born care settings- something every baby needs and deserves. Joeyband™ is the only product in the market that can be used directly on the Operating Room (O.R.) table during repair, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Labor & Delivery (L&D) unit. This product has been around for a long time, and the impact it has had on babies is simply incredible. Stay tuned to find out more about Joeyband and the ways it can help mothers, fathers and babies connect even more.

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TOPICS COVERED:

• Meet Hayley Mullins, the inventor of Joeyband and Sarah-Almaza Cox, the co-founder of the company that makes Joeyband.
• Joeyband is a product designed for skin-to-skin infant fall prevention and breastfeeding support, as we learn from Hayley.
• Infant falls are far more common than we realize, and the goal of Joeyband is to prevent these falls while keeping the baby safely attached to the parent.
• As soon as the girls launched their website, people became interested and they realized they were onto something big in the healthcare space.
• Since Joeyband is a non-sterile product, Dr. Dweck wonders whether it can be used immediately on the operating table, or only after the delivery.
• As Sarah explains, it is especially important to place the baby on mom after a C-section, and this is where Joeyband can make things better.
• Another question by Dr. Dweck focuses on the difficulties that can arise when babies sleep in the same bed as their parents, and Hayley states that they do not recommend co-sleeping with Joeyband unless you are being observed.
• Rachel steers the discussion in a new direction: where do they stand in terms of product development, manufacturing, and distribution?
• Joeyband is used in many hospitals across North America, and they have collected lots of interesting data on topics such as increased breastfeeding, reduced falls, improved patient satisfaction, and so on.
• Sarah adds that they are based in Canada and that everything is made within North America, which they are very proud of.
• As Rachel wants to know who pays for the product and where does money changes hands, Sarah explains that hospitals are currently covering the costs, but their goal is to have insurance cover it entirely.
• Can men use Joeyband?
• Hayley explains that during the first day of baby’s life dads should have 30 minutes of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact.
• Sarah also emphasizes that, apart from dads, Joeyband can also be used by physically disabled parents.
• Joeyband is made of yoga pant material because many new moms wear yoga pants all the time, and the material is soft, stretchy and breathable.
• While she was practicing obstetrics, Dr. Dweck used to see many anxious postpartum mothers, and one of their most common fears was dropping the baby.
• The Joeyband team is fully supported and surrounded by medical professionals who help them adjust the product and adhere to clinical guidelines.
• When it comes to educating parents, each product comes with instructions and tips for using Joeyband.
• For those interested in the product, there is a website that they can visit and gather all the necessary information.
• As for the funding, the Joeyband team decided not to take external funding in order to maintain greater control over their business.
• HOT FLASH: Newborns are dropped in hospitals during delivery much more commonly than reported. It seems that reports from the UK show there is a drop rate of 50 babies per day during delivery.

 

QUOTES:

“Where the product really came from was one of those horrific parenting moments that nobody thinks they’re going to have.” (Hayley)

“We don’t recommend co-sleeping with it unless there’s somebody there to observe you.” (Hayley)

“It’s a brilliant idea, and obviously your initial response was from the kind of people that you’d want to see it from, and it sounds like there’s clinical support.” (Rachel)

“One of the things that I love is that it’s manufactured directly in Canada. The quality of the product is high, we’re bringing jobs, and locally our environmental footprint is low.” (Sarah)

“The question that’s burning me right now is whether mean wear this because, you know, skin-to-skin is skin-to-skin whether that’s slightly hairier skin or not so much.” (Dr. Dweck)

“Thirty minutes of uninterrupted skin-to-skin with dad that first day of baby’s life actually rewires his brain to bond with the baby.” (Hayley)

“Because of the simplicity in the design that Hayley invented, it’s perfect for parents who may have a physical disability as well.” (Sarah)

“I remember trying to make sure that my baby would live in between pediatrician appointments for my first kid. That was my goal, to keep them alive week after week because you really don’t know what you’re doing.” (Rachel)

“We made a conscious decision not to take external funding just because we would be able to be in control of our business a little bit more.” (Sarah)

“Babies held skin-to-skin cry twelve times less than babies that are not skin-to-skin” (Hayley)

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Joeyband www.joeyband.com

Hayley @Linkedin

Sarah @Linkedin

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