we're looking at our daily pregnancy text messaging service and feeling that it should be free for those pregnant women who don't have the money but need that sort of easy-access to critical prenatal info...

it's also much more in line w/ our general philosophy (freedom of information = empowered moms).

WHAT IT IS: the service would send you a text message to your cell phone every day of your pregnancy letting you know all sorts of critical info including:

weekly fetal growth and development
common symptoms and solutions
medical tests to expect
nutrition, exercise, and health info and advice
the latest pregnancy/neo-natal research
all about labor and birth (facts, risks, and how to deal w/ it physically and mentally)
post partum info about healing and caring for an infant

but instead of directly charging the pregnant women, we make it a free service contingent on sponsorship.

so-- aside from helping uninformed pregnant teens and new moms-to-be by directly sponsoring their pregnancy, WHY else would you want to do it?

well, b/c of the SPONSOR REWARDS of course!

1. access to a totally private sponsors-only forum

2. get a sponsorship badge that let's others know how great you are! (which you can use to get more sponsors as well)

3. you'll automatically become a mod AND be able to flag ANY topic for moderation (except people in your PT, obviously)

4. opt for an ad-free version of baby gaga

basically, you can become a pregnancy sponsor by:

1. being a DIRECT SPONSOR: by paying directly for someone's pregnancy text messaging service (in part or completely). we're still negotiating w/ cell service providers, but currently, it looks like it'll cost about $2 - 3/month to send 30 messages.

2. being an AFFILIATE SPONSOR: promoting the service/program via our pregnancy sponsor links-- which, if someone else becomes a sponsor, makes you a sponsor all over again.

3. being an EDITORIAL SPONSOR: providing editorial content to our service-- which will be extending to post-partum/neonatal care text messages in the first year. there will be contests for each daily message. if yours wins it'll be included in the text messaging service and you'll become a sponsor as long as your message remains a part of the service.

4. become a SUPER SPONSOR: by doing any two (or more of the above). you'll also be a super sponsor if you sponsor more than one person at a time or contribute above $(x.xx) you'll get a badge that says you're super!


so that's what we've got so far. all of this is purely in the planning stage and up for criticism, new ideas, whatever else you can think of!

any input on any of this is greatly appreciated. if you contribute meaningfully to this thread, you'll be considered a member of our focus group and we'll give you a free editorial sponsor badge for the first month of the service.

id love to be an editorial sponsor! i think this is a wonderful idea. i dont even need a badge i just know how helpful BG was to me while i was prego and id love to pass that on!

I would be willing to sponsor someone if they truly needed it, provided the price isn't outrageous.

Sounds like a good idea Mara!

Quoting Josiah's Mama:“ id love to be an editorial sponsor! i think this is a wonderful idea. i dont even need a badge i just know how helpful BG was to me while i was prego and id love to pass that on!”

Also if its only 2-3 dollars a month i could do that too. i eat out. i can sacrifice a hamburger to help someone out!

Lol! Paying up to be a mod!

I think it sounds like a good idea, though. A great balance. between 4.99/mth and free to all.

Quoting MandiJo:“ Lol! Paying up to be a mod! I think it sounds like a good idea, though. A great balance. between 4.99/mth and free to all.”

the idea is, anyone who cares enough to sponsor a pregnancy on here, should have a say in the baby gaga community.

Quoting sooz the formula guru:“ I would be willing to sponsor someone if they truly needed it, provided the price isn't outrageous. Sounds like a good idea Mara!”

We'd setup some kind of system so that you could see who is requesting the free updates. We're thinking it'd be nice to pick someone to sponsor directly, or you could also add your sponsorship anonymously to the pool.

Quoting Mara:“ the idea is, anyone who cares enough to sponsor a pregnancy on here, should have a say in the baby gaga community.”

I know I know,   it just made me giggle.

Quoting nick:“ We'd setup some kind of system so that you could see who is requesting the free updates. We're thinking ... [snip!] ... thinking it'd be nice to pick someone to sponsor directly, or you could also add your sponsorship anonymously to the pool.”

I like this idea. I try to contribute as much as I can, and it's actually kinda hard to find charities that benefit pregnant women without a ton of overhead.

Quoting nick:“ We'd setup some kind of system so that you could see who is requesting the free updates. We're thinking ... [snip!] ... thinking it'd be nice to pick someone to sponsor directly, or you could also add your sponsorship anonymously to the pool.”

I'd consider sponsoring someone, but for some reason, I'd rather do it anonymously.

heh

C.

Quoting MandiJo:“ I know I know,   it just made me giggle.”

well, you don't have to pay to be a sponsor-- so there's that as well.

Quoting God:“ I'd consider sponsoring someone, but for some reason, I'd rather do it anonymously. heh C.”

But can't you imagine some woman getting a text that says, "Sponsored by God". *snicker*

Quoting sooz the formula guru:“ I like this idea. I try to contribute as much as I can, and it's actually kinda hard to find charities that benefit pregnant women without a ton of overhead.”

I agree.

I would definitely sponsor a pregnancy!

Quoting sooz the formula guru:“ But can't you imagine some woman getting a text that says, "Sponsored by God". *snicker*”

lol

C.

i would love to be an editorial sponsor and sponsor someone to get texts. i wish i\ would have had that during my pregnancy.