"When we had our kids here, we found that we were just a little lost," says Simone Miller of her and friend Nina Binkowska's experience having their children in Toronto hospitals.
Now, four years later, Miller and Binkowska are hoping to make the first few days of new motherhood a little less overwhelming. They're doing it by showering new mothers with gifts the day they give birth.
The two friends started
Mom's Day One last February and officially launched the nonprofit's signature initiative—the Mom’s Day One Box program—on November 1. Now, new mothers who have their child at St. Michael’s Hospital or North York General Hospital, are provided with a gift box complete with free product samples and list of resources for new moms in Toronto.
"We both have young children, I have a four year old and a three year old and Nina has a four year old and a 13 year old," says Miller. "We really wanted to get back out there and do something, but we wanted to do something that would actually make a difference. And we wanted to find something key to both of us and we thought, you know, we're moms. I have a background in education and Nina has a background in marketing and advertising. And we thought we should use that experience to do something to support new mothers. We're also both immigrant mothers—she's from Poland and I'm from Jamaica, and we both felt lost when we had our children in Canada. So we thought this was a great idea to support moms to give them information as well as as gifts."
The Day One Box program is only a month-in but already more than 300 boxes have been delivered, with more than 17,00 packed and ready for shipping. The feedback had been pouring in.
"The mothers are happy, the nurses are happy," says Miller. "When you get a gift on day one, it's really special so I've heard that the mothers are absolutely raving."
So far, Miller and Binkowska have 15 partner companies on board, including Huggies, Aleva, Mother's Choice and Dyson, who provide free product samples. They've also teamed up with Toronto courier company
Speedy Transport Limited, which is delivering the boxes to the hospitals free of charge.
Mom's Day One also worked closely with Nick Eliades, publisher and editor-in-chef of
Oh Baby Magazine, who shared contacts and advice.
Miller expects the program grow beyond this current trial, expanding not only to other hospitals in the GTA, but eventually Canada-wide.
The two women also want Mom's Day One to be about building a community of new mothers. In January, Mom's Day One will begin hosting free workshops on topics important to new moms.
"We want to work on using our website and using our boxes to get moms together. And it will all always be free, that's what new moms deserve."
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Simone Miller, Co-Founder, Mom's Day One Inc.