When our daughter Lily was six months old, we packed up our little family and moved from Belgium to Sydney for Jim's surgical fellowship. No social support, no car, no daycare. As a new mom, that was probably the scariest thing I've ever done.
Nevertheless, from day one, I refused to let new motherhood keep us indoors. Mom-walking clubs, baby swim lessons, hiking trips, ferry rides across the harbour, we did it all. But taking Lily everywhere meant one thing: I forgot things. Every. Single. Time. A nappy here, a dummy there. More often than not, a forgotten essential meant a trip cut short. And between trips, I had to move all of Lily's stuff between hiking bag, beach bag, city bags.
Before one particularly ambitious hiking trip, I packed all of Lily's essentials into a packing cube and slipped it into the baby hiking carrier's built-in backpack. The next day I used the same cube for a beach trip and just moved it into my beach tote. A new way of packing was born.
Still, the packing cube lacked organisation and I kept forgetting things.
That's when it hit me: why can't I label the contents I want in my bag, per organised compartment? I pitched the idea to Jim, who was sold straight away. As an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon, the concept immediately reminded him of first responder trauma bags. Bags with clamshell design where everything is visible at a glance. Everything has its place, no unnecessary clutter. Labeled compartments so anyone can pack and use them without error, even under pressure.
The next week, Jim and I searched online for the bag we needed. A compartmentalised packing-cube style bag with a built-in checklist. Our searches came up with nothing. And so, in the timespan of two weeks and in a totally unexpected turn in our lives, we became absolutely obsessed with developing this new type of nappy bag.
Our first prototype was held together with tape. Literally.
We sat down at the kitchen table with paper and fabric. Our first prototype was held together with tape. Literally. But the concept worked and we knew we were onto something. Rudimentary sketches became mockups. Mockups became prototypes. And after two intensive years of product development and many evenings of thinking 'what are we even doing?'; BUBSBAG was launched.
BUBSBAG is the nappy bag we couldn't find in any store. One that makes sure nothing is forgotten, works for every caretaker, fits inside the bag you already love, and grows with your baby from day one to year three onwards.
We designed it for every parent who has ever cut a trip short because of a forgotten esssential. For every dad who panics when asked to pack for the baby. For every grandma who wants to help but doesn't know where to start. For all the active parents who want to continue their active lifestyle after having a baby.
Whether you are heading to the playground around the corner or boarding a flight to the other side of the world, your baby's BUBSBAG is ready. And so are you.
Marike & Jim
Inspired by Lily