About Babette
What the breast cancer pamphlet should have been.
Life with and after breast cancer, in plain English.
You know the pamphlet. A woman on the cover in soft focus, gazing out a window. A lot of pink. A short paragraph on “intimacy” that tells you nothing, and a phone number.
Babette is an independent media and education company for women from the day of diagnosis on: the ones who just got the call, and the ones who finished treatment and have to work out what to do with the rest of their lives. We translate medical language into plain English. Sometimes that means lymph nodes and pathology reports. Sometimes it means armpits, night sweats and a very good cardigan.
Breast cancer is why we’re here. It isn’t the only thing we talk about, because it isn’t the only thing in your life.
Who started Babette?
Jasmine Jones
Founder & Editor
- Certified Mastectomy Fitter
- Founder of Cherry Blossom Intimates and Myya
- Johns Hopkins Ward Infinity Fellow
- Forbes 30 Under 30 and Washington Business Journal 40 Under 40
- TEDx speaker
Jasmine has spent years with women in fitting rooms and hospital rooms after breast surgery, or while they got ready for it, and on video calls from across the country and beyond. She asks how they’re doing, and they tell her the truth.
The questions were the same everywhere, at a top cancer center or a free clinic. Women asked about sex, work, money and menopause, and about the things nobody had told them. Most of the answers already existed, scattered across journals and websites in language nobody could use. Babette puts them in one place.
Jasmine has not been diagnosed with breast cancer herself. What women have told her is where Babette’s questions start. The answers come from the evidence.
Our sources
Where does Babette’s information come from?
From the country’s leading medical sources, and we link every one.
- LibrariesThe National Library of Medicine, PubMed and the National Center for Biotechnology Information
- ResearchThe National Institutes of Health, including the National Cancer Institute
- JournalsJAMA, JAMA Network Open and the Journal of Clinical Oncology
- OrganizationsOccasionally, leading breast cancer organizations with a long track record
Tips and shopping-list ideas sometimes come from conversations in online groups. Medical information never does. When we quote a study, we quote it directly and don’t stretch it to say more than it does.
Some of Babette’s writing is shaped with help from AI, and every piece is checked against its sources before it’s published. Personal stories are labeled as personal stories, so you always know which one you’re reading. Read our full editorial standards.
House rules
What will Babette never do?
- We will never call you a warrior.
- We will never put a ribbon on it.
- We will never tell you everything happens for a reason.
- We will never sell your data or let a sponsor write the headline.
You don’t have to be brave here, or inspiring. You’re allowed to be furious, funny, bored and fine, sometimes before lunch.
How we’re paid
How does Babette pay for itself?
Most of it is free.
The articles, the glossary, the checklists and the quiz are open to anyone. Safety information is never behind a paywall.
The Year After is paid.
A week-by-week guide for the year after surgery, written for the surgery you had. It can be given as a gift.
Sponsors are labeled.
Brands can partner with Babette. Sponsored content is always labeled, and sponsors never decide what we cover or say.
Myya is separate.
Jasmine also founded Myya, a post-mastectomy intimates brand. Babette doesn’t sell or promote Myya’s products, and if Myya ever comes up here, we’ll say so.
Say hello
How can you reach Babette?
Babette is an independent media and education company, not a medical provider. We don’t diagnose, prescribe or direct treatment. Everything here is meant to help you understand your options and prepare for conversations with your care team, not to replace them.