Mombox: Postnatal Care Kits for New Moms

Recently, Peter Boyce of General Catalyst highlighted the importance of a founder’s personal investment in the problem their company addresses. Kate Westervelt exemplifies this principle.

Westervelt is the founder of Mombox, a thoughtfully assembled collection of postnatal recovery items specifically designed with the needs of new mothers in mind, rather than focusing on the baby. The company has successfully secured $500,000 in an angel funding round, with contributions from Wayfund, TBD Angels, and individual investors associated with companies like Facebook, Amazon, Uber, and Drizly.

The concept for Mombox originated from Westervelt’s own experience following the birth of her first child. She discovered a lack of easily accessible products crucial for her physical recovery, a challenge compounded by the demands of caring for a newborn.

A typical Mombox contains organic overnight pads, a peri bottle, a perineal ice pack, specialized post-pregnancy underwear, and other items intended to promote both physical and emotional comfort. Mombox also provides options for a C-section recovery box and a more comprehensive Deluxe Mombox.

Currently, Mombox is offered as a single purchase, with the majority of sales being gifts. However, the company plans to expand its offerings to include a subscription service, informative content, and a platform connecting new mothers with relevant healthcare professionals during their first year of motherhood. Westervelt describes this future development as a comprehensive support system available around the clock, enabling mothers to receive guidance from lactation consultants, pelvic floor therapists, and other specialists as needed.

“A prevailing misconception, fostered by a historically male-dominated healthcare and wellness sector, is that postpartum recovery concludes after six to eight weeks,” Westervelt explained. “In reality, the body undergoes a significant transformation known as matrescence – akin to adolescence – involving changes in the body, hormones, and identity, a process that extends for at least twelve months.”

She further noted that standard medical care typically involves only one postpartum check-up, leaving mothers largely unsupported thereafter. Mombox intends to provide ongoing support throughout the first year of motherhood, with the ultimate goal of tailoring the Mombox experience to each mother’s individual circumstances, such as breastfeeding versus formula feeding, or being a stay-at-home versus working parent.

“A significant obstacle is the long-held belief that the child’s needs must always take precedence,” Westervelt stated. “Mothers often prioritize their infant’s care to the detriment of their own wellbeing. The key is to empower mothers to recognize that they are central to their family’s health; when they are well, their babies thrive.”

Westervelt has developed Mombox independently, functioning as the sole employee, following her previous roles as Managing Lifestyle Editor at Wayfair and Director of Content Strategy at Purple Carrot. Remarkably, Mombox has achieved 100% year-over-year revenue growth since its launch, relying entirely on word-of-mouth marketing.

The newly acquired funding will be used to build a team and explore new marketing approaches to accelerate growth and ultimately realize Westervelt’s vision of a complete support platform for new mothers.