A mom invented the HipHugger
Quinn Cummings wanted to carry her daughter securely and comfortably. She wanted something safe and cuddly. She wanted it to be easy to use, easy to fit, and easy to stuff into a diaper bag. And, after shedding her pregnancy weight, she wanted to look good again. She didn't want a padded contraption adding bulk to her finally-springing-back-to-shape body.
She loved the tight-fitting slings she'd seen in books and articles on motherhood across cultures. These slings are simple, reasonably safe and even quite flattering if worn properly but they are not easy to wrap. They are made-to-fit each day by tightly coiling a long length of fabric around the mother and the child. This isn't very practical if you're alone, inexperienced, or just want to pop out for a quick errand.
By reducing the sling to its most basic elements, Quinn and her design partner, Amy, created a loop of fabric that crosses the shoulder and holds the child just above the hip. Although it appears like a simple shape, the design is actually quite sophisticated. The pattern is seamed and contoured like a custom-fitted dress to accommodate the shapes and curves of a mother and the baby. The very first time she wore it outside, several women stopped her to ask where she'd gotten it, which was great!
But there was a problem.
The first version of the HipHugger was custom-tailored for Quinn and her baby. The distance between Quinn's shoulder and her hip were specific to her. And the baby was going to grow, which meant readjusting the size and shape of the sling every month or so. In order to make this a product for all mothers and children, Quinn and Amy needed to figure out how to make the HipHugger adjustable to fit all mothers and children without sacrificing the key elements of its unique design. It needed to be:
