Breastfeeding Moms Get Their Very Own Subscription Box

As every mom who’s ever tried it knows, breastfeeding can be difficult. It requires patience, practice and a really good nipple cream. Also nursing bras and tanks, a breast pump, maybe some nipple shields—the list goes on. And when you’re just starting out and still trying to figure out which products and aids work for you, the price tags can start to add up. Which is exactly where the breastfeeding subscription box Colson & Joe comes in.

Florida moms Mia Leitch and Jessica Smith were inspired to start the monthly subscription box service based on their own experiences with breastfeeding. Leitch says she originally thought breastfeeding would come naturally. But after struggling to get her daughter to latch, followed by a consult with a lactation specialist who told Leitch she wouldn’t be able to provide enough breast milk to exclusively pump for a year the way she hoped to, she did a bunch of independent research to find the right advice and support products that allowed her to make her dream a reality on her own terms. By the time her son Colson came along two years later in 2016, Leitch had decided to make it her mission to support other breastfeeding moms so that they, too, could care for their children the way they wanted to.

“I tried so many things, trying to increase my supply with my daughter, with my first one,” Leitch told a local news outlet in Pensacola, Florida. “And I literally spent hundreds of dollars a month on different products, and so many of them didn’t work.”

Smith, her business partner, tried breastfeeding under very different circumstances. After having to undergo emergency surgery after her kidney ruptured, she was forced to deliver her third baby, a son, at just 24 weeks gestation. After giving birth, she was stuck on a ventilator in the ICU. Still, she managed to signal to the nurses that she wanted them to pump her and use her breast milk to feed her baby, Joe, who was recovering from a brain bleed in the NICU. It worked, and slowly Joe began to grow stronger.

Their two experiences were very different. But what these two women had in common was a lasting desire to help more women breastfeed their babies for as long as they wanted to. In her research, Leitch had talked to many women who said they simply gave up on breastfeeding after a month or six weeks because they found the process too difficult. Colson & Joe was born as a way to support other breastfeeding moms the way Leitch and Smith wish they’d been supported.

To get started with the service, moms are asked to fill out a questionnaire (Are you pumping or breastfeeding? Are you experiencing a low or high milk supply?). The company then uses that information to craft custom boxes specific to each mom/baby duo’s needs. Each kit comes with educational and how-to information on breastfeeding, including tips, tricks and interactive exercises to make the process easier. Plus, support products to help mom and baby in their efforts.

The first round of boxes went out last month.

“We’ve had some really rave reviews and some really happy customers,” Leitch said. “It’s been really nice to hear that.”

Another thing to love about this “Mommy owned, baby loved” (their motto) company? A portion of the profits goes toward supplying boxes to NICU moms like Smith. So far, they’ve already delivered more than 60 boxes to the hospital where her son Joe was born. Now that’s full circle.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.