THE HUNGRY MAMA STORY
When I was in hospital for the birth of my first son in 2006, a few things struck me as odd...
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Hospital dinner is served around 5:30pm. This is great if you plan on being tucked up in bed for the 6pm news, not so great if you're busy until 8pm with visitors and up throughout the night feeding your new baby. The midnight munchies were hitting at 9pm, 1am then 4am and were only abated on arrival of breakfast at 6:30am.
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The visiting hours are extensive. For five hours every day, well-wishing family and friends would come and go, cuddling and chatting. As I was, in essence, "entertaining", it felt strange being unable to offer my guests a chockie biscuit for their troubles (especially when the hospital tea cart arrived with a hot drink and Arrowroot for me).
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The flower deliveries never stop. As I wandered past other rooms I was truly astonished at the sheer volume of flora spilling out into the hallways. Some women had so many deliveries they were forced to donate to the nurses' station and even other patients.
So, as my girlfriends began making their maternity ward debuts, it seemed logical that rather than take flowers or a gift for the baby, I would pack a bag of pregnancy no-no's, healthy snacks, drinks and magazines. The feedback was unashamed gratitude for "saving" them. And, an idea was born...
Rest assured, I didn't leave it to chance that my experience was gospel. I started talking to other new mums and found that most of them had these experiences; some receiving up to 12 (much appreciated) flower deliveries. In my research I also ascertained exactly which foods new mums missed most when they were pregnant. Not surprisingly, soft cheese and champagne were top of the list which is why these treats now reside proudly in each Hungry Mama gift.
In sharing with you the Hungry Mama story, it would be remiss of me not to credit Bizness Babes, the organisation that has guided me in getting this concept off the ground. An initiative sponsored by The Wise Foundation and actively supported by The Body Shop and The American Express Foundation, Bizness Babes provides free (yes, free!) business training to mums. This generous and inspiring program is currently available to mums in Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne. For more information visit www.biznessbabes.com.au.
Starting Hungry Mama has been a challenging and rewarding experience, unmatched by previous career highlights. With every well-received delivery, I am inspired to continue nurturing and finessing this concept. Any feedback on our products or services would be gratefully received. Please contact us via email at
cassie@hungrymama.com.au.
Warm regards
Cassie Matheson
Hungry Mama
