The REAL story
We are Hummingbird Infant. A company that not only loves family, but is being built and run by our family across the country.
The 'real story' of Hummingbird Infant is that Sarah has a consulting business, Innovative Zap, with a focus on connecting brands and products with what their customers really want. Initially Hummingbird Infant started as a case study for Innovative Zap. A way to prove out really getting to know the customer. Showing that caring about their needs more than your product line plan, IS the product plan. Simple, but not corporate.
I'm Sarah, the founder, and we started simply because I asked a friend, Dana, who just had a baby if I could come and observe her life at home, including her bathing routine. She allowed me to do so, along with her sleep routines, nursing, and general life. It wasn't a friend visit per-se, and I warned her their would be photos and note taking so it wasn't awkward. It was so interesting and inspiring. I walked out of there with a ton of ideas. More online and offline feedback from new parents came in during this idea generation phase. The infant product ideas inspired by true parent needs are endless and ever-changing.
Next step, decided to start Hummingbird Infant. An infant product company inspired by parent needs. For a myriad of reasons, our first product is soft, warm, loving baths.Taking the benefits of the womb and bringing it to the bath.
My sister, Kathleen, cut out our first prototype on the old family farm's kitchen table while we had a family trip home from California to Iowa. It’s what we now call the Warm Hug Bath Swaddle designed to keep babies warmer longer in the bathtub. More calm. More womb like. Less slippery, too.
We went to our niece Jessica's house, (my daughter driving gravel roads in an old farm pick up and loving it!) and tried it with her one month old baby Blake. And it worked. Jessica had never given a bath without a second set of hands. So she was thrilled to be able to share a stress-free bath with her baby. And, I will never forget my teenage daughter videoing and saying, wow mom, this ACTUALLY works. When a teenager praises, that cements it. It works.
And that excitement and the profound change of what can be a very stressful early bath time routine was amazing. It has continued with parents who are introduced to the idea of swaddle bathing or bringing warmth into the bathing environment. So, it is a bit of a departure from how you consider an early bath, but even hospitals have begun swaddle bathing because they know it’s a better standard of care.
The name, Hummingbird Infant, derives from my mom who comes to mind whenever we see a hummingbird.
And the family is now working together, too. With Jessica and her sister Melissa working with us on social media, idea generation and helping to build the brand. As they have little families of their own, the ideas keep coming. From California to Iowa.
Because the world is getting smaller, it's so much fun to work with family across the nation. I used to have a job share at both The First Years and Safety 1st, which was awesome for me as a parent, but now I get to job and task share with my sister and nieces across the nation. It's fulfilling to have a home life, a work life, and a family life intertwined.
And, we have more ideas to come! A plan to more fully engage thought leaders in our communities on colic, sleep, nursing, bottle feeding, diapering, health, bathing and more. Stay tuned!
Sarah is a birth mom, adoptive mom, wife, working mom and optimist. She is the founder of Hummingbird Infant. Sign up for our free confidence-boosting weekly Baby Buzz email for insights to help you in your parenting journey.