Mum to Mum

Real Support. Real Stories. Real Moms.

Comment

Inspiration

Becoming a new mom opened my eyes to a whole new world of joy—but also to challenges I hadn’t anticipated. One thing that stood out was how quickly babies outgrow clothes, toys, and essentials… while at the same time, many new moms (like me) are scrambling to find affordable or accessible items.

I kept thinking: What if there was an easy way for moms with extra baby items to connect with moms who needed them?

That’s how Mum to Mum was born—a platform where moms can list baby items they’re no longer using, and new moms can browse, show interest, and claim what they need. Beyond saving costs, I also loved the idea of reducing waste and fostering community support. The name "Mum to Mum" reflects exactly that—direct, real, and caring support from one mom to another.

What it does

Mum to Mum connects moms who want to give away baby items with moms who need them. Core features include: Item Listings: Moms can post photos and descriptions of baby clothes, toys, and essentials they’re giving away. Interest & Claim Feature: New moms can browse available items and express interest. Real-Time Chat: Once interest is shown, moms can chat directly in the app to coordinate pickup. User Authentication: Secure sign-up and login for all users. Mobile-Friendly UI: Built with busy moms in mind—easy to browse and use on-the-go

How I built it

Frontend: React (with TypeScript) for type-safe, responsive user interface. Tailwind CSS for fast, clean styling. Vite for rapid build and development. React Router for seamless navigation between pages. Backend: Supabase (PostgreSQL for data, Auth for login, Storage for images, Realtime for chat). Row Level Security (RLS) to ensure data privacy between users.

Challenges ran into

Supabase RLS Policies: Setting up row-level security that allowed correct visibility across items, profiles, and chat messages took significant trial and error. Authentication Timeouts: Early on, users kept getting logged out due to an overly aggressive timeout setting. I had to debug the useAuth hook and rework session handling.

Accomplishments that I am proud of

Successfully built a full-stack, scalable web app tailored for moms—while being a new mom myself. Implemented real-time chat and user authentication from scratch. Built a clean, user-friendly UI with a mobile-first design. Solving a real challenge for new mums

What I learned

Supabase Mastery: From database design to authentication and realtime chat. Frontend State Management: Handling complex UI states in React. Empathy-Driven Design: Designing every feature with real mom life in mind—short attention spans, one-handed browsing, and emotional sensitivity.

What's next for Mum to Mum

Interest Tracking: Letting users see how many moms have shown interest in their listed items. Pickup Status Updates: Adding a "Claimed" and "Picked Up" status for better item management. Push Notifications: To alert moms when someone shows interest or sends a chat message. Location Filters: To help moms browse items near their neighborhood.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates