Beyond Baby Inc. is a small business that cares for breastfeeding families in Iowa. This business was started by Liz Neighbors, a nurse, mother, and lactation professional that met some challenges as she worked to breastfeed her two daughters. There was no service in the area that catered to families that wanted or needed help with nursing, so she created Beyond Baby in an effort to meet that need for others.
Beyond Baby takes care of families from all over the area in several different ways, including prenatally, after the delivery of their baby, and for as long as they choose to breastfeed their children. Beyond Baby offers a prenatal breastfeeding class and prenatal consultations for expectant parents with questions. We then work with local hospitals and private clients to help with the feeding process once the baby is born. The most unique aspect of Beyond Baby is 24 hour access to phone calls with a professional trained in lactation for as long as the family breastfeeds. While we are not a “brick and mortar” business in terms of having a building, we are a business that travels to hospitals, clinics, client homes, and other locations to meet the needs of a nursing mother and her child.
Beyond Baby is applying for this grant because we would like to be able to care for more patients in a wider area. We care for families from all walks of life and all levels of income. By earning this grant, we could continue to help families in need at a reasonable cost that also keeps up with the demands of technology and health care. We want mothers to be empowered by breastfeeding and feel confident and competent when they breastfeed, but that goal is sometimes difficult to achieve with limited resources and technology.
Beyond Baby would like to use this grant money to purchase a computer based record system, designed to run on an iPad that we would also like to purchase. The iPad and paperless system would also allow Beyond Baby to communicate with current and prospective clients, doctor’s offices, and other professionals in an easier manner. This would also allow Beyond Baby to teach classes and seminars remotely, which could potentially expand our business and get help to families that do not have these services in a close proximity. Education for the clients of Beyond Baby is invaluable, and this would be a wonderful tool to reach a population that is growing more and more reliant on technology.
Any help that we would receive from this grant would allow Liz to work with clients from home with the technology she needs, and see more patients that may need help. And as a mother herself, Liz could work from home and spend time with her family while doing it- her husband, 4 year old and 2 year old daughters, and her infant that is expected to make his or her arrival at the end of December.