How could a baby make you cry? Sleepless nights, crying baby, endless diapers, being peed upon? Many mothers may cry with their babies, but for me, a strong independent woman, I never thought it would be me. Not until baby number three! That’s when I had a meltdown. He’s the most adorable precious baby, smiling and perfectly quiet, happy and content especially when he’s with me. It wasn’t until I decided that it was time to integrate the baby bottle, because I would have to return to work soon. Then, the very first night I offered him a baby bottle; I saw and felt a frustrating change in my little one. His rolling cry melted my heart, making me sob. Each time I tried to insert the baby bottle nipple into his mouth his cry grew louder. I knew, “it” just wasn’t momma. I tried bottle after bottle, day after day and he screamed, turned red and tensed up his entire little body rejecting the bottle. It was almost like he couldn’t feel the baby bottle nipple at all. He was hungry and I knew it, so I’d give in and breastfeed, because in no way did I want to torture my baby, leaving him with a rumbly tummy.

Nursing was very natural for him, he’d taken to my breast immediately after delivery. It was all that he’d known in the outside world. I had a sense of guilt trying to give him a bottle. As the time drew closer for me to go back to work, things began to feel uncertain for me, and my stress began to rise. I asked myself a serious question, “what if he doesn’t accept the baby bottle”?

After getting serious with the fact that he might not take a bottle, I thought about running back and forth from work to feed. The worry and fear of my baby being hungry was stressful. The fact is, my schedule would be disastrous! It made me so uneasy. Traffic, bad weather, or one long meeting could easily derail my plans for the perfect feeding routine. I know for myself, as a well-adjusted adult, what happens once past the point of being merely hungry. I turn into a raging smile turned upside down. I couldn’t imagine a baby feeling this way and thinking his mommy wouldn’t fix it. So, right then and there, I decided that I was going to fix it! Working in aerospace, I believe anything can be made. I never intended to make anything from scratch, I didn’t have that kind of time, but a modification I could do. I studied my pumping sessions watching how my nipple is drawn in and out of the pump flange. With each pumping motion my nipple was longer. Clearly making a back and forth motion. When I contacted manufacturers I asked about what they had available and how fast they could get it to me, and if they could make nipple modifications. I had to fix the problem for me and my baby.

I should have known a one off would come with a platinum bill. I was urged to order a large quantity of this special nipple to bring the price down. After a little thought I was sure it would benefit other crying mothers-I mean babies (LOL). The defining moment occurred when I looked at my 14-year-old son and said, “We are going to sell baby bottles”.

He assured me that I have had these great ideas before, but rarely carried them out. That hit me in the face like a ton of bricks, it was true. I was determined to prove to him I could make this happen and make things better for me and my baby.

The manufacturer went to work on my vision, and thankfully, my baby accepted one of the variations. We finally had a nipple he would take.

I successfully returned to work, with a new baby and new bottle line (LUX Baby Bottle). Without knowing it, at the time, but I had been inspired to start this company by my two sons, and encouraged by the determination of my 4-year-old daughter who is never afraid.

I kept a key phrase in the back of my mind from the book, Who Moved My Cheese the question was, “what would you do if you weren’t afraid”? My answer, “whatever it takes to fix this for my baby”! So if you have ever cried with your baby--dare to do whatever it takes to fix it, because babies/children can be your greatest inspiration!