Raising kids isn’t easy but the beginnings are always the hardest. Sometimes it feels like punishment but when your kid is not sleeping at night and continuously crying. Or some similar situations, where parents are struggling to get enough sleep to function properly. What if there is 24/7 support for parents in such situations? Pediatrician Sumitra Meena developed a digital platform Babynama that provides such services through WhatsApp and calls.
| Startup Name | Babynama |
| Founders | Dr Sumitra Meena and Ashish Meena |
| Idea | To provide 24/7 call and chat support to parents about child care |
| Revenue | Not disclosed, but charges for consultation are Rs 100/call, and subscription plans range from Rs 499 to Rs 3,999. |
| Date started | 2022 |
| Based in/headquarters | Delhi |
| Investments | Not disclosed |
Competitors: Camargo Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Crown Laboratories Inc, Omnicell Ltd. Walmart Health, The Mind & Company, and Utopian Healthcare.
Babynama ranks 5th among the list of 37 competitors.
The Problem: Why Does This Matter?
New parents often have countless questions about little things or changes they notice in their kid. Although this is normal, the postnatal period makes it more difficult for mothers due to hypersensitivity towards their surroundings.
It is natural but this leads to sleepless nights, tensions, and wrong decisions based on circulating myths. There is a long list of questions, but some of the common ones are about kids’ sleep, feed, poop, weight age ratio, walking, uncontrollable crying, and more.
Living in a nuclear family, without adult guidance, things become more confusing when we don’t know whom to ask, and suddenly, every situation feels like an emergency situation. The unavailability of Pediatricians after working hours adds to the list and at most times it is not possible to rush to the hospital, especially in rural areas.
The Solution: Babynama
Sumitra Meena (35) is from a village from Dausa district in Rajasthan and witnessed a similar situation during her residency. Frequently, she came across parents who were either overly anxious and came before required or too late, resulting in worse kids’ conditions. She witnessed a traumatic situation in her childhood when her sister passed away after her birth as they lacked immediate access to healthcare.
Years later, after her first baby, her husband was asking the same questions, just like any other parent does. She started a WhatsApp group in April 2022, and soon through word of mouth and sharing, the group grew quickly. Offering her services for free, Dr Sumitra managed calls and messages herself.
In 2022, she launched the platform Babynama, and ultimately her husband Ashish Meena, an IIT Bombay graduate, joined her as a co-founder after quitting his job. He brought his years of experience in startups with him, which proved useful for their startup.
Up until now, they have helped more than 2 lakh parents and provided timely care. Moreover, they helped identify early signs of critical conditions such as epilepsy, ADHD, and respiratory distress in children.
One notable experience was when an MBBS student from Rajasthan called when he found something was wrong with his child. Consultation with 8 doctors led to nowhere, but Dr Sumitra diagnosed the baby to be autistic. Soon, they moved to Delhi for therapy sessions, as it wasn’t available in their village in Rajasthan.
3 months later, parents visited Dr Sumitra and with teary eyes called her an angel, proving her attempt towards Babynama an invaluable success.
Business Model: How Do They Make Money?
From 250 members, the group soon grew to 500 in a few months and soon Dr Sumitra was handling 1000 questions/day. With an increasing number of patients, she onboarded additional doctors offering round-the-clock support.
Now, Babynama has 50 pediatricians on–board offering chat support till 11 pm and call support 24/7. Dr Sumitra also created social media pages (Instagram) to educate parents and reach more people.
She eventually introduced a small consultation fee charge of Rs 100/call. And by March 2023, they were receiving 1000+ daily queries and had 1000 members.
- Babynama offers plans starting at Rs 499.
- The Essential Care plan at Rs 1,999. It provides access to a WhatsApp group with doctors, 24/7 video consultations, and monthly milestone check-ups.
- The Holistic Care plan comes at Rs 3,999 including access to a dedicated paediatrician in a private group. You also get breastfeeding and nutrition support.
- Specialized programs like Solids Introduction Course, Baby Nutrition Program, Sleep Training Program, and Breastfeeding Training Program.
- With 7,200 paid customers, the Holistic Care program is the bestseller, and more than 2 lakh people have attended their free webinars.
Challenges/Struggles: What Roadblocks Are They Facing?
Due to lack of technology in villages and other rural areas, Babynama is unable to attain patients in those regions. Dr Sumitra is working tirelessly to take the necessary measures to reach such regions.
Future Vision: What’s Next?
Babynama aims to reach all sections of society by offering affordable services (Rs 99/month). Presently, they are developing a chatbot on their app (iOS and Android) with the help of AI, which will answer common questions.
Key Takeaways: Why Should Users Care?
From Dr Sumitra Meena’s experience, it becomes clear that sometimes an attempt to attend to the most minute needs of others can change their world. We don’t need to do something big, but starting small can also help others. There are still many such issues waiting to be addressed, where a common effort can be helpful for them and us. The situations, we went through once, there is someone right now, going through the same. We just need to be empathic towards others.
Recommended: Saurabh Bothra: The IITian Who Built a Yoga Empire
