- Mainichi no Tamahiyo" is an application that delivers necessary daily information for moms and dads-to-be.
- It also offers a wide range of features, such as expert advice, a community where you can encourage each other and receive information from your seniors, and a growth record that can be used from the pregnancy period onward.
- New features are being added all the time, such as the start of a feature that allows you to keep track of baby feedings, diaper changes, and other care
For moms and dads-to-be, pregnancy and childcare are days of joy and anxiety. There are many moments when it is difficult to judge what is right and what is wrong when it comes to taking care of a child who has never experienced physical changes before and who cannot yet speak. The application "Mainichi no Tamahiyo" was developed for such parents and won the Excellence Award in the "BabyTech® Award Japan 2021 Pregnancy and Fertility" category.
This application, developed by Benesse Corporation, which has published "TAMAGO CLUB" and "HIYOKO CLUB" since 1993, is an information magazine for mothers and their families who enjoy pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare, and provides support for 1,000 days from pregnancy to childcare. We interviewed Ms. Kyoko Matsumoto, leader of the company's "Mainichi no Tamahiyo" application team (* titles omitted hereafter), about her thoughts, commitment, and vision for the future.
(We spoke to...)
Benesse Corporation
Mainichi no Tamahiyo app reader
Kyoko Matsumoto
We deliver useful information to you every day as your child grows up!
Editorial:Thank you very much for your time today. First of all, could you tell us about the concept of "Mainichi no Tamahiyo"?
Matsumoto:It's nice to meet you too. Mainichi no Tamahiyo" is a smartphone application that supports mothers and fathers for 1,000 days from pregnancy to the child-rearing period. By simply opening the app from your smartphone, you can track the status of your baby, join a community of people in the same month of delivery to support each other, and keep a record of your child's growth.
Editorial:You have a variety of useful features! By the way, what is the 1000 days from conception?
Matsumoto:It refers to the period between pregnancy and the age of two years, and this is the period of greatest change. For mothers, dietary precautions and lifestyles change depending on the time of pregnancy (early, middle, and late stages). Our publications "Egg Club" and "Hiyoko Club" provide information necessary for childbirth and childcare, but we decided to develop this application because we thought it would be useful to support families through the daily changes.
Editorial:So that's how it happened. Indeed, it is good for first-time parents to have reliable information in the midst of many changes in their lives.
Matsumoto:With the growing trend toward nuclear families, there are many cases where there is no one close at hand to consult, and many mothers and fathers are anxious about the situation. We would be happy if "Mainichi no Tamahiyo" could be of help at such times.
Editorial:I see. From here, I would like to talk in detail about what you can do with "Mainichi no Tamahiyo. First of all, the top screen shows an illustration of the baby's current condition, which is very easy to understand!
Matsumoto:When you open the application, the design makes it easy to see how your baby is doing. The app is designed so that when you open it, you can easily understand the baby's condition at a glance, such as the number of weeks of pregnancy, the countdown to delivery, and the number of days since birth. (e.g., morning sickness symptoms will peak), and what to do (e.g., obtain a mother-child handbook).
Editorial:Below the illustrations, it is also useful to find information about the baby's condition and "advice for moms and dads".
Matsumoto:Thank you. Advice for moms and dads is provided by experts in their fields, such as obstetricians during the pregnancy period and pediatricians and childcare professionals during the child-rearing period.
In "Dad Mode," you can check on the current status of the baby, as well as how to treat mom and what actions to take for the birth of the baby.
Editorial:I see. By registering as a couple and checking the app with each other, we can have a conversation about the baby's condition and what we should do in the future.
Matsumoto:Yes, it is. For men, it is often difficult to understand mom's condition because it is not about their own body. By checking the app at such times, they can understand what they should do from a father's perspective, such as knowing that "Mom is in a back pain period" and can care for her, making it easier for them to participate in childcare. We hope that the app will help people prepare themselves to become fathers and welcome their new families.
Editorial:What other features would you recommend?
Matsumoto:There is also a community of moms and dads who share the same birth month. These are also popular and used to discuss their problems and encourage each other.
Editorial:That is a nice feature!
Matsumoto:Childbirth is one of the biggest events in one's life, and I thought it would be reassuring to have a community of peers with whom I could share the hardships and joys of my life.
In December, we started a community for information exchange among senior and junior members of the same class, which we call "horizontal ties. We are having a lot of fun exchanging information on pregnancy and childcare goods that have been good for us to use.
Editorial:The ability to keep track of growth after birth would also be useful.
Matsumoto:By keeping a good record of the baby's life, it is possible to visualize the number of diaper changes per day, the daily rhythm of life, etc. It is also good for the family to look back on past records and feel the baby's growth together.
Editorial:It's a nice service. By the way, are there any other services or applications similar to "Mainichi no Tamahiyo"? If so, I would like to know how it differs from other services.
Matsumoto:As far as we are aware, there is no other service with this many features and a similar scale. As of September 2022, "Mainichi no Tamahiyo" had 437,000 monthly users, making it one of the largest user populations.
Editorial:I see. Please tell us about the feedback from those of you who are actually using the system.
Matsumoto:We have received comments such as, "It is helpful because I can easily check reliable information," "It is a good opportunity for me and my wife to have a conversation," and "I appreciate being able to exchange information with other mothers in the room. Also, the top page of the app is updated when the date changes, and we have received comments such as, "I look forward to the moment the date changes! I look forward to the moment the date changes!
Easy-to-see screen, easy-to-operate. Simple and easy to use.
Editorial:It is great for busy parents to have reliable information at their fingertips in an easy-to-understand manner. So far, we have asked you about the features of "Mainichi no Tamahiyo" in detail, but now we would like to delve deeper into the development process and the details of the application. May I ask again about how the application was born?
Matsumoto:We have been sending out information on pregnancy and childcare for some time, but we felt the need for more detailed and timely information. We had previously had an email service and similar apps, but it was only in 2019 that we made a major renewal to include a community that can be used continuously throughout pregnancy and postpartum.
Editorial:What points, if any, did you focus on in the development process?
Matsumoto:We were particular about the ease of viewing the top page so that the status of the baby can be seen at a glance. We also used a warm pink color for the mothers' page so that mothers in the difficult pregnancy period can relax and look around.
Also, to reduce the amount of effort required for registration on the care record page, we have devised a way to see what has been done at the touch of a button.
Editorial:You have devised a system that is easy to see, easy to use, and easy to operate.
Matsumoto:We also update the information displayed with the date so that it can be viewed every day, and in the room (a community function where synchronized mothers can chat), we have devised ways to encourage good communication (automatically sending out posts from the management, setting up a heart button, etc.). We are also working on the room (a community function where synchronized mothers can chat) to encourage good communication.
In the future, we will be working on specifications that will allow even more moms and dads to connect.
Editorial:Can you tell us why you applied for the "BabyTech® Award Japan" in 2021?
Matsumoto:For mothers and fathers, the pregnancy and child-rearing period is a difficult time with little information and connections, not to mention physical changes. We have applied for this service because we want more people to know about it as a service that can reduce such burdens, even if only a little.
Editorial:Thank you very much. Finally, can you tell us about your future goals and service development?
Matsumoto:We will continue to work on the application to make it even more useful for moms and dads by adding more community themes as well as pursuing the usability of the application while checking each of the many comments and requests we receive daily from our users. We will also continue to work on adding more community themes and making the app even more useful for moms and dads.
Editorial:Thank you very much for your time today!
After the interview
Pregnancy and child-rearing are rapidly changing. I thought it was wonderful for all people raising children to be able to access so much useful information in an easy-to-understand format for free. What impressed me even more was that "Mainichi no Tamahiyo" not only transmits information, but also creates communication and connections among couples and mothers. I think that, due to the ongoing trend toward nuclear families and the Corona disaster, mothers and fathers with small children have fewer opportunities to express their concerns and thoughts. I thought it was wonderful that "Mainichi no Tamahiyo" made it easy for them to open up about their feelings and understand their partner's situation.
Tamahiyo in Everyday Life" Official Website
https://st.benesse.ne.jp/app/tamahiyo/
(ENDS)
Interviewing and writing:Misako Tateoka
From an IT company, she switched careers to the editing and publishing industry. Currently, I work as a freelance editor and writer, editing and writing in a wide range of fields such as travel, gourmet, and social.
What is important is "to convey valuable information to readers in an interesting and easy-to-understand manner.
He has been involved in the production of numerous magazines, including TRANSIT, FRaU, and Metro Minute.
BabyTech is always stimulated by all the services and products that I wish I had when I was a child! I am always inspired by the things I encounter at BabyTech. My hobbies are traveling, cooking, and aikido.
