Joeyband was created when inventor Hayley Mullins had a two-week-old baby. She was inspired, knowing the importance of skin-to-skin contact between parents and infants, to develop a device to help parents and doctors achieve skin-to-skin contact with less stress. Today, the Joeyband is used in hospitals, including the NICU and OR, worldwide and has helped thousands of new parents. We spoke with co-founders Hayley Mullins and Sarah-Almaza Cox to learn more about Joeyband.
What is your business called and what does it do?
The Joeyband is a genderless, size-inclusive, FDA-registered, patented, medical-grade device that supports skin-to-skin contact in hospitals and at home. It differs from carriers or slings in that it has been designed specifically for skin-to-skin (not co-sleeping or walking around). Benefits of Joeyband, based on data collected, may include:
- Supporting baby in proper skin-to-skin position
- Increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates
- Decreasing maternal anxiety
- Soothing compression post C-section
- Ability to support skin-to-skin in the OR and NICUs (it’s great for twins and triplets!)
- Ergonomic, hands-free comfort
What made you want to do this work?
When I was newly postpartum, I did the one thing every mother fears. During skin-to-skin contact, my baby startled and fell to the floor. My baby was fine, but it was a really scary moment, and I realized that if it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone. We got lucky; some families don’t.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
The invention came from a personal need, and once we started understanding the global market, and I brought on my co-founders, Sarah-Almaza Cox and Ashley Wade, we understood just how much the device was needed by maternal healthcare workers and patients to provide safe, immediate, skin-to-skin support.
Once an early prototype of Joeyband was in the market, hospitals immediately started reaching out, alongside the world’s largest global breastfeeding organization. The Joeyband was then featured in medical textbooks and being acknowledged alongside global healthcare leaders.
From here, we focused on creating a device that was inclusive and effective. The Joeyband hospital model is a one-size-fits-most to support workflow, and the consumer models come in three sizes (A, B, and C) for a more custom fit. It is gender-neutral and provides ergonomic support.
The data collected at the hospital level has been overwhelmingly positive. At one Florida hospital, 100% of nurses said Joeyband enabled uninterrupted skin-to-skin during transfers. 100% of patients felt more confident using it. Hospitals have reported increased breastfeeding success, decreased NICU admissions, and improved Press Ganey scores.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Our main clientele are a mix of healthcare professionals like midwives, neonatologists, nurses, and OBs who use Joeyband in their facilities. We are proud to be available for caregivers in postpartum care settings, including the NICU and OR, around the world.
The Joeyband has intentionally been designed to be as inclusive as possible. Skin-to-skin benefits anyone, so we encourage all caregivers (think parents, grandparents, siblings), including those in adaptive parenting communities, to participate.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We sell directly to consumers; however, we spend most of our time selling into hospitals as we’re heavily focused on helping to change the standard of newborn skin-to-skin care and make this practice more easily accessible. We also sell via retailers, distributors and offer packages to support the doula, midwifery and water birthing communities. To purchase directly from us, people can go to our website.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
Our head office is based in Toronto, Canada, and we do all of our manufacturing here as well. We are passionate about quality, helping to reduce environmental impact and hiring locally – we’re very proud we’ve been able to accomplish this through our manufacturing processes so far.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Answer as well.
Why do I need a Joeyband, and how does it differ from a carrier, wrap, sling, or babywearing t-shirt? Many people automatically assume that these products can offer the same solution as the Joeyband when it comes to skin-to-skin, and simply, these are all great products, for a different purpose. The Joeyband is designed for ergonomic skin-to-skin in all care settings – hospital & home. The simplified design goes on in seconds and can be adjusted easily to the OR table, a hospital bed, or your living room furniture. The adjustable velcro allows for speedy security that grows with you and your baby, while the stretchy fabric naturally mimics the womb and delivers soothing deep pressure touch. The joeyband also ensures proper skin-to-skin positioning (upright, between the breasts), maximum contact thanks to the elasticity, and most of all – comfort. There is nothing over the neck, back or shoulder to add pressure, and no knots, clips, zippers or buckles to dig into tender skin.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part is seeing how enthusiastic hospitals are about collecting data on the Joeyband and what those data outcomes are. It lets us know that what we’re doing matters and can change lives. A close second is when we see the Joeyband in action; whether we’re participating actively in c-sections, or patients have reached out to our company to send photos, or personally seeing our friends/family use the device – all of this feels really good. The worst part is all of the things you can expect when inventing a device and then building a global operation around it – building is a marathon, not a sprint, and we consistently adjust our expectations accordingly.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
As entrepreneurs, we have a lot of these. The thing that we say the most often, and it’s more of a phrase versus a joke, is, “What a great day to help some babies”.
Where can we follow you?
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube
