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A Baby is Born, an Idea is Born.
When Claire Ekelund gave birth to her second daughter in 2003, she was
proud to be an active nursing mom but recognized that, once again,
nursing in public was going to be challenging. Like many nursing moms
on-the-go, Claire was quickly reminded of how difficult it is to
gracefully feed a wriggling baby and hold a blanket in position. She
searched high and low for a solution, but found that nursing covers on
the market at the time were clinical, impractical, and difficult to
find. Leaving the room to feed Baby in privacy seemed the only
alternative, yet this was not always an option.
Claire decided to create her own nursing cover, the Hooter Hider (dubbed
so by an outspoken male friend): an easy-to-use, machine washable,
multi-purpose stylish cover designed with Baby and Mom in mind. The
difference between the patent-pending Hooter Hider and other nursing
covers is the rigid neckline allowing Mom and Baby unobstructed eye
contact during feeding and other thoughtful features such as a
small-item storage and clean-up pocket made from the softest terry
cloth. Mom sees Baby...Baby sees Mom...discreet...on-the-spot
cleanup...perfect!
Thoughtfully crafted and stylish, friends and family -- along with
strangers in the park, restaurants and soccer games -- took notice and
asked where they could find their own. It wasn't long before
business-savvy Ronnie, Claire's husband, decided this was the perfect
opportunity for the couple to work together. They created a company
from the ground-up by providing parents with baby products original in
design and superior in quality.
Hooter Hiders was an immediate sensation and gained overnight publicity
and fame. Highlighted in popular magazines such as US Weekly, People,
Fit Pregnancy and VanityFair.com and owned by Hollywood mommies Gwen
Stefani, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Liv Tyler, Mira Sorvino and
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Hooter Hiders were in demand!
All Grown-up.
For almost 2 years the company was called Hooter Hiders. However, as
the business grew, Ronnie and Claire felt the company needed a more
refined name to reflect the sophisticated elegance and good taste the
company strives to embody: Bebe au Lait. The already loyal following of
Hooter Hider fans, however, called and emailed, "It will always be the
Hooter Hider to us!" One customer called just to make sure that the
Hooter Hiders logo would still be available when she had her baby -
which she was yet to conceive!
For that reason, the beloved name was kept and now the same
fashion-forward nursing covers sell under two brand names: Hooter Hiders
for the tongue-in-cheek and Bebe au Lait for mommy chic. All fabrics
are hand-selected and expertly designed with chic moms in mind.
Breastfeeding is something to be proud of. Bebe au Lait allows modern
moms to do so wherever and whenever, in style.
The Owners.
Bebe au Lait is privately owned and operated by husband and wife team
Ronnie and Claire Ekelund. Claire, who is a native of England, came to
the United States with Danish-born Ronnie when his international
professional soccer career called him stateside. Now, with two
wonderful daughters, the Ekelunds are happy to call the beautiful town
of Los Gatos, California, home. |
