THIS STARTUP IS USING AI TO HELP WOMEN IN THEIR JOURNEY TO MOTHERHOOD

As a product manager at Change Healthcare, a Nashville-based healthcare company, Padmini Janaki was working on a project where she had to talk to pregnant teens in the US. This was to learn more about the kind of products they required in their motherhood journey. While talking to them, she realised a significant lack of awareness among girls about pregnancy and the needs of their own during this crucial time.

“I talked to girls in their teens who were pregnant and wanted to raise the child by themselves. But my question was–are they aware of what they are agreeing to or what could be the consequences of this on their mental and physical health?” she recalls.

After arriving in India in 2020, the idea that women in a developed country like the US might not be fully aware of their bodies lingered in Janaki’s thoughts. This made her curious about women’s awareness about their health in India.

During the same year, while interviewing Indian women for her book ‘Myths and Millennials’, she found a common problem–the decision to get pregnant is not a choice for most women in India.

“Though times are changing now, the decision of having a child is not solely a woman’s choice,” she says.

“Women should have complete awareness of their emotional and physical readiness for the journey into motherhood. Moreover, I believe women deserve access to authentic information, sparing them the same challenges I faced,” she adds.

To help women make well-informed decision about venturing onto their motherhood journey and supporting them from start to end of their pregnancy, she started Mind and Mom in 2021.

The Chennai-based startup provides mothers with the necessary guidance throughout their journey of pregnancy. It offers features like a fertility tracker, baby growth tracker, wellness studio, customised diet plans, and more. It provides access to fertility centres for couples as well.

“Mind and Mom helps women to make well-informed decisions before and after their pregnancies, and own their fertility journey,” she tells HerStory.

Venturing into healthcare

Born in Madras, Janaki always thought that her mother’s health problems were a consequence of poverty. Growing up, she observed many other women who looked malnourished and were not taking care of their health.

“I figured that women’s health is under-served worldwide. Rich or poor, Indian or American, every woman is going through a different health issue, and not many are worried about it. They have normalised being unhealthy and not taking enough care of their health,” she says.

Right from childhood, Janaki wanted to bring about a change and support women’s health in some way. But she did not know the way through.

After completing BSc in Visual Communication from Ethiraj College, she did a certificate course in User Experience from Human Factor International and UX Mint. She also worked as a senior product manager at PayPal.

“Deep down I always wanted to work in the healthcare sector. After working for PayPal for some time, I got the opportunity to work in a healthcare company and I grabbed it,” she says.

Supporting motherhood journey

Mind and Mom offers health plans for women who want to be mothers and for pregnant women as well. It has a 30, 60, and 90-day plan, which includes physical activities and lifestyle changes curated by AI. There are sessions on mindfulness, nutrition, and more available on the app.

The startup also has an AI-powered chatbot Mimo, which can help in tracking the ovulation phase or period cycle and more. This chatbot is available in Tamil and English over WhatsApp.

“The chatbot can be used by people who might not want to use the app as it is also available in regional language,” she adds.

The startup's basic health plans are being provided by AI. Janaki explains that by providing essential information to the app, it can offer suggestions for suitable exercises and recommend appropriate nutritional needs according to the individual.

The app also has a fertility calculator where women can track their fertility based on which they can decide if they should try for a baby naturally or go to a fertility centre. Additionally, the startup provides pregnant women with a labour pain calculator which can help identify when they are in labour pain and need to see an expert. Through the app, one can also get information about the tests they need to undertake at different stages of their pregnancy.

All these AI-generated plans and calculators are free to use. However, one need to pay to get a customised plan made by an expert. The team also connects women to gynecologists for further advice, if needed.

“AI is being used to suggest basic exercise and nutrition plans. It is not replacing the need for an expert, but it is acting as an enabler,” she adds.

If needed, the startup also connects women to IVF clinics near their location. These clinics are selected based on their success rate and workflow. The startup connects women to a reproductive health specialist, and after the tests and scans, a treatment plan is formulated by the specialist.