From a scratchy idea — and a cut-up children’s mattress — to a fully tested, protected product that’s ready to go.
As a new mother I suffered greatly when breast and bottle-feeding my son. He put on weight fast, he had a big appetite, and I — like most new mothers — felt like I was constantly feeding in those first few months.
I enjoyed meeting friends and going out with our babies, but I would suffer for it. My elbow would ache, my shoulder would stiffen, my neck would get tight, and my fingers often felt locked in one position — gripping the weight of my son and balancing on whatever I could find for support. I later developed painful tennis elbow.
One winter’s day in St Albans, I was having a maternity-leave lunch with my sister. I was holding my four-month-old son on an armless chair, trying to eat with one hand while my right arm strained to take his weight. In that moment, I thought of BabyBean®.
Why, I asked myself — and later many others — do we have so many nursing cushions for use in the home, but nothing designed to take out of the house? As I opened my eyes to this, I began to notice how many mothers would strain and suffer, get physio, roll up a coat, use a bag, prop a knee up awkwardly twisting their hips, or use precious space under the pram by bringing out a sofa cushion.
Nine months of pregnancy, a long painful birth, and now elbow, shoulder, neck and knee problems too? It didn’t seem fair or right. I set about cutting up materials — even one of my children’s mattresses — and made what would become my very first mobile BabyBean® prototype.
Ten years later, it’s been an amazing — and at times very difficult — journey, navigating life, family, illness, Covid, and turning a scratchy idea into a fully functioning, tested and protected product that’s ready to go.
I hope you love BabyBean® as much as we do — and we look forward to launching soon!
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