The Inspiration Behind the MEMEENO Band

When I started MEMEENO almost two years ago I was told,

“No one would buy belly bands”. Impossible!

“It’s something that our grandmothers used on us but no one uses these bands any more.” Impossible!

But a couple years later, parents have been buying MEMEENO bands and responding positively to the results of this ‘old-fashioned’ way of caring for babies and soothing them. The reason that belly banding is a world wide practice that has been used for centuries is because of one simple thing: it works. That’s it! And I’m so happy to have designed a modern band for the modern mama and her baby that continues to work on countless little ones. 

I was also told to reconsider the name of our label, MEMEENO.

“It sounds, well, like the word mean,” someone said. 

“Are you sure about the name?”

I still get a lot of questions about why I named the label MEMEENO. I explained that I wanted a one-word label that was short and easy to remember. I also explained I wanted the name to mean something to me and inspires me to continue the work of helping mamas care for their babies. So, I chose a simple name that has deep meaning to me because it is the combination of my two kids’ nicknames, Mimi and Ameeno = MEMEENO. Mimi, is short for Mariam, which is Arabic for Mary. Ameen means “trustworthy” and I always want our products to be true to the meaning of his name, trustworthy, dependable and authentic.

Back to Mimi, who is my first spark of inspiration. She was born only 3 lbs and 2 months premature and lived in the NICU for her first month of life. When she came home at a delicate 4 pounds, she was fussy, gassy and colicky. I had way too much breastmilk that would cause her to suckle in air and milk in gulps causing a myriad of gas and intestinal issues. She'd cry all night long for what seemed to be no reason at all. I tried everything to keep her from crying out in pain and grunting, while raising her knees to her chest when I put her down to sleep....A dear friend gifted me a belly band with string ties to wrap around her belly, saying that it would help her ease into life outside the womb. And, guess what? It did! She cried less and slept more. I was simply amazed!

So amazed, in fact, that shortly after having my second child, Ameeno, I felt the need to share this open secret and help other mothers who may be looking for solutions to calming and caring their newborns. So I worked hard on designing the MEMEENO band and later belly bloomers to do just that. 

And the feedback has been amazing! Michelle Leon-Gibson, Certified Child Sleep Consultant (Family Sleep Institute)  tried it for her son and recommends it to others. Here's what she had to say.

"I am a mom of 3 and with my first baby, 13 years ago, I struggled a great deal with my baby's gassiness! I tried everything to soothe his poor tummy and the pain he was in broke my heart! It also caused him disrupted sleep and this caused even more fussiness because now we had him overtired and in pain and it was a mess! Fast-forward 13 years and I have my 3rd baby. This one was super gassy, as many babies are, but I had to find a solution. I remembered using folded receiving blankets and wrapping them around my first son's belly years earlier, so I tried that this time. I used over-the-counter stuff, changed my diet to affect my breastmilk, tried some supplements that claimed to help my breastmilk, and a whole bunch of other things to soothe my poor guy's belly! I was on social media in the middle of one of our painful night wakings and somehow ended up finding MEMEENO products. I didn't even hesitate to purchase. The purchase arrived within a week and even included a hand-written thank-you from the owner, Alie! I ordered the wrap and the baby bloomers. I was so upset I had not thought of making this product 13 years ago when I had my first child and had made a makeshift version of the wrap! Alie is brilliant! It did exactly what I wanted it to do - helped with a light compression on my baby's belly to get that gas moving (lots of toots coming out!) and kept the tummy warm and toasty to comfort him. I am so happy I found this wrap! Now I know that my sleep training efforts will not be negatively impacted by my baby's gassiness! Thank you MEMEENO!"

Here's what a couple other mamas have said:

"The material is super soft and the giraffe pattern I got is unisex so I can use it for future children. My daughter (3m) seems to love it. When I have it on her she fusses less and naps peacefully...it really is like a warm hug for her! Also, when she’s gassy it help ease it out without her getting frustrated and upset which is amazing! Im very happy with it!"
                    - Jessica D.

"My son was born with an umbilical hernia and it just kept getting bigger because he’s always struggling to pass gas or poop. I got this hoping it would help keep it down and it helped a lot! It also helps him pass gas easier."
                     -Jalina H.

I’m so happy that some people told me “No” years back because when they said no, I said GO! And off I went.

If you have used any MEMEENO products please let me know your feedback. I love receiving comments and suggestions from mamas (and papas). 

Also, we are gearing up to release our new Swaddles which I am sooo excited about! They have an extra special super power that no other Swaddle on the planet has! The secret will be out soon....Stay tuned for sneak peaks at our new prints releasing in September along with more matching products! 

A lot of warmth, and a little hug from MEMEENO to you!