Although most moms will say the discomforts of pregnancy are well worth a happy, cooing baby after nine months, the physical toll of having a child doesn’t end when the baby is born. Breastfeeding can cause skin irritation, such as cracking and bleeding. When new moms decide to wean their babies, the pain of engorgement (which occurs when milk is not expressed), can be, quite literally, a pain.
While weaning her third child, Dr. Somi Javaid, a local obstetrician and gynecologist, knew there had to be a better way or prevent this discomfort. And on a walk around the soccer field with fellow mom Kim Howell, the pair realized they could combine Howell’s marketing prowess with Javaid’s medical know-how. Together, they launched
Mamadoc.
“In the past, there was a a pill that would make a mother’s milk milk dry up,” Howell says, but this medication is no longer FDA approved. Physicians like Javaid typically recommend breast binding, sports bras and even cabbage leaves to ease discomfort, but these methods leave a lot to be desired.
Javaid began developing a lactation compression bra, which the pair named “Nox.” Along the way, the business partners fell in love with bamboo fabrics, whose antimicrobial and antifungal properties made them an ideal fabric for Mamadoc products.
Today, Mamadoc-branded products include the Nox compression bra, Belly UpIt (a back support band designed to ease pain during pregnancy), PregHose compression stockings and ice/heat packs designed for use with the Nox bra. A dual-purpose hospital gown and nursing garment, the Blossom Gown, is in the works. The jersey garment looks like a dress, but opens in the back, is designed without metal closures for operating room compatibility and has shoulder snaps for easy-access nursing.
So, if you’re a mom in need, Howell says Mamadoc products can be purchased locally at the Christ Hospital gift shop, Boutique 280 and Blue Cocoon, as well as online.
By Robin Donovan
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