Kyle
The first thing I thought when I heard the name of this Scottish startup is, what in the world is a Tummy With Mummy and what is Tummy Time. Well Tummy Time is the activity where babies essentially lay face down on the floor and scoot around on their tummy’s or play with toys in this position.
It turns out that Tummy Time is an essential part of the development of a baby’s motor skills and the most critical time for this to occur is between zero to 6 months.
Well sometimes Tummy Time doesn’t work out. Parents are often scared that the baby will hurt themselves on a hard wood floor and sometimes it doesn’t really look comfortable to see a new-born facedown, you worry if they are ok.
Tummy With Mummy is a patented product made by Scotish startup called TWM Productions. Tummy with Mummy is a baby seat that allows baby’s to play in the Tummy position with a parent or loved one or by themselves. It keeps the baby’s in the best position for Tummy Time and then it folds completely flat for storage and to fit in the trunk of a car.
TWM Productions is actually part of the Entrepreneurial Spark program which provides resources to growing startups in the UK. Tummy With Mummy’s co-founder Dave Abrahams says that Entrepreneurial Spark actually instills North American values in some of the UK startups.
Check out our interview Abrahams below. He tells us all about this new startup that was actually followed by his mum and is now a family business.
What is TummyWithMummy?
Tummy With Mummy® is the world’s only foldaway (portable & storable) baby seat which has a built-in angled tummy time platform. It comes complete with a safety harness & soft ‘fleece’ mat. Perfect for encouraging bonding, and infant, development at home or on the go.
Who are the founders and what are their backgrounds?
TWM® is a family business started by Gerry, a mother to five children and a grandmother to five grandchildren. Gerry has now been joined by two of her sons, Dave & Mike on her exciting journey.
Where are you based?
We are based in Scotland (UK), where the telephone, television, the pedal bicycle and the condensing steam engine locomotive were invented; not bad for a country which has only a 5.2 million population. Hopefully we will be on that list some day.
What is the startup culture like where you are based? Do you have access to all the resources you need?
It’s extremely difficult for us, especially with a product that the world has never seen before. However, we have been fortunate enough to be part of Entrepreneurial-Spark (www.entrepreneurial-spark.com
What problem does TummyWithMummy Solve?
In the UK, tests last year showed that around 48% of infants who started school had under-developed motor skills – directly related to a lack of tummy time.
Tummy Time is one of the most important exercises that your child can do between birth & 6 months. It helps to build the physical, social & emotional development and motor skills in those precious early months. Tummy With Mummy® gives babies a complete work-out.
Many parents worry about their infants being face-down on the floor – and the babies themselves fret because they feel insecure and frightened so far away from everything and everyone. That is the main reason parents don’t practice tummy time with their babies.
Who is your target user?
Babies from birth to 6 months can get the best benefits from our angled tummy time platform however, our seat can be used safely by infants and toddlers up to 36 months.
What is your secret sauce?
What looks like a solid baby seat actually folds flat for easy storage and popping in the back of the car for taking on trips. It’s genius – and it’s patented!
What’s next for TummyWithMummy?
We have a range of designs, products and add-ons still to come from the TWM® team. Watch this space!
Linkage:
Here’s TummyWithMummy’s web page
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