Spill It! Introductions, please!
Hi! I’m Suzie Devine, women’s health RN and founder at Binto. I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and went to school with Neely and Chloe (go Owls) before heading off to UVa for college. After college I worked at the bedside as a NICU, postpartum and then IVF and fertility nurse specialist. When I finished my masters degree program at UPenn in 2016 I left to launch my own business and birthed - pun intended - Binto. Today my days consist of research and development of health products to support women’s health, managing a growing team, and raising my little baby. Mom life and start up life are no joke but I love it!
Can you tell us how your company, Binto, came to be?
The spark came from my time working as a fertility nurse. I was working as a nurse at Penn Fertility and seeing my patients go through so many ups and downs as I was giving them these intense fertility drugs to be pumped into their body. I knew there had to be a better way to focus on full body health rather than just taking medications and hoping for an outcome. Our bodies are all so nuanced! We need to be taking care of it all in a nourishing way—body, mind, emotions are all intertwined working as one machine. You wouldn’t keep pumping gas into your car and never change the oil right? We have to take care of ourselves first. So, I started Binto to get my patients the nutrients they needed on a daily basis to help the full machine run synergystically with their treatment. I didn’t love any vitamins and supplements out there that contained fillers, preservatives, gluten etc., so I sought out making my own with only the best ingredients we actually need. From there, it started to embody other women’s health needs and now, we run the gambit of women’s health from first period through post meonpause.
What’s the one piece of advice/ information you wish you could tell your younger self about women’s health?
Over the years at Binto we get countless women reaching out about how we helped them with a “no one ever told me” moment. My “no one ever told me” moment came about 5 years into operating Binto. I can’t believe it took me that long! While trying to get pregnant in 2020 I learned that I have endometriosis. Looking back, it makes sense, but at the time I was shocked. My advice for women now: if you feel a symptom, if you know in your gut something is off, speak up. Always listen to your body and find a doctor who takes the time to listen to your concerns and takes your daily symptoms seriously.
Binto’s instagram is such a great resource! What are a few facts about women’s health that you wish were common knowledge but surprisingly aren’t?
Thank you! I feel like Instagram and social media are constantly changing, but we always strive to be educational no matter what.
My 5 facts about women’s health that might suprise you:
- Periods should NOT be painful. Some mild cramping, yes, but if you struggle with severe cramps and pain, you need to talk with a provider.
- You do not need to “detox” from hormonal birth control pills. I always see false information about the pill and it’s very harmful to females who use this and really need it. The pill is not bad! The medication does not stay in your system after stopping it. It may take about a month for your normal period to start, but that is not the pill…it’s simply your natural ovulation cycle getting started again. To piggy back on this one, the pill does not cause infertility.
- Postpartum hot flashes and dry skin are a thing! We talk a lot about mental health postpartum, but I feel like no one ever talks about these two symptoms for new postpartum moms. You will sweat a lot and your skin will be super dry. It’s all normal and should even out in about a month.
- We will all go through perimenopause and it sucks. I wish we talked more about menopause. It’s a part of the reprodutive lifecycle just like getting your period when you’re a teen!
- Find a family medicine provider and an OBGYN. It’s good to go in for yearly check ups with your family doctor. Don’t forget to get blood work done every year, skin checks and vision checks.
You started Binto in 2016 before marriage and children. Has motherhood shaped your vision and/or goals for Binto in any surprising ways?
Absolutely! I feel like I’m more invested in Binto, and more motivated than ever before. Binto is my first baby and will always be a top priority. I think becoming a mom forces me to focus a lot more during the day when I am at work. They say mothers are very time efficent and it’s true!
Even before becoming a mom, trying to get pregnant and navigating infertility and pregnancy loss completely changed me and my relationship with Binto. I left my job as an IVF and fertility nurse to start a company focused on supporting women - primarily with infertility - and here I was - living the experience that so many of our clients deal with. I truly believe this makes me the best founder for Binto - and for innovation in the fertility and reproductive health space.
For other ways that motherhood has changed me? I really want to launch some new postpartum and baby products in the next year! I feel there’s a lot of room for growth in this market.
What’s next for you and Binto?
Great question! Right now we’re working on launching several new products and services over the next 12 months. It’s exciting to see all my dream products come to fruition. As for the next five to ten years? I hope Binto is the name that owns the women’s health market and I know we can get there with hard work and our amazing team.
Spill it! Can we take a look inside your diaper bag right now?
I feel like I always throw things into a tote which is why my N&C is perfect! I love that my diaper bag is more of a bag for me than for my baby :)
Pearse is 6 months so I feel like I’m trimming things down these days and risking it a little more -
- A diaper
- Some honest wipes
- Binto’s balm - great for my baby’s bum and great chapstick for me
- Stuffed animal for Pearse and a few teethers - he is teething hard!
- Mommy’s bliss little gums
- Hand sanitizer
- Some claw clips for me (I always use the J.Crew tortoiseshell one)
- My N&C wallet - I’ve had it for 5 years and it’s still in perfect condition
