Meet The Team
Hi, we’re Rebecca and Mark, a dynamic two-person team here at Thumble® Baby Care. We’re husband and wife, business partners and Mummy and Daddy to our two beautiful children.
We met at university back in 1999 and have been on an adventure ever since. We never envisioned becoming inventors but after becoming first time parents in 2013 and struggling with baby nail care, our idea for a wearable baby nail file changed our lives forever.
We work together from a lovely office in the village of Rutland and try to balance the pressures of business life with family life, with our two children at the heart of what we do. We work together growing our brand, creating new products, developing our website, arranging productions and logistics, packaging your orders and replying to all your customer needs. So, if you receive an email reply, a message on social media or hear a cheer every time we receive an order then it comes directly from one of us.
Our Story
The idea for Baby Nails® came about not long after we became first-time parents in 2013. Our son’s nails grew so quickly and were ever so sharp. He wriggled a lot (and still does!) so the thought of trying to use baby clippers or scissors was always very stressful. I’d try scratch mittens to hide the evidence of our fear, but they would just fall off and he’d scratch himself, making us feel even worse.
Whilst sat breastfeeding one day, I thought that I would try filing his long nails with one of my nail files out of the bedside drawer. He often fed for long periods, and this was also a time when he was calm and relaxed. On attempting to hold the nail file and cradle him to feed, I soon realised that it wasn’t possible to get the hold and angle right to file. What I really needed was a nail file that I didn’t have to hold, something perhaps that I could place over my thumb still leaving my hands free to care for our son.
So, after lots of google searches, discussions with Mark we decided to create our very own wearable nail file, a design started to unfold and prototypes were made.
In 2015 Baby Nails® was launched alongside our full-time careers, with our daughter on the way, a toddler in tow and in the middle of moving house.
Baby Nails® has seen many facelifts along the way. We’ve changed our packaging; our logo and worked tirelessly to get the right stick on our nail files, which we believe we’ve finally cracked! We’re sold by well known retailers, been recommended by celebrities, have global distributors, and sell on Amazon across the world. Over the last 7 years we’ve won multiple prestigious baby and business awards too.
Back in January 2020 we added scissors to our Baby Nails® Mixed Pack (we now sell the scissors separately too). Why? To give the product longevity. We found that parents gain confidence with caring for their baby's nails as they get older, and their nails get stronger. We appreciate that most people are on a tight budget so for no increase in cost we added a pair of rounded edge baby scissors which can be used throughout their childhood.
So, what's next?
As a space loving Dad, Mark was annoyed by the lack of space themed toys for babies. All the space toys he came across were very generic and didn’t excite his passion for space. So, he decided to do something about it! First came the idea for an Astronaut shaped teether toy. But along the way one teether toy turned into eight and we can’t wait to see how our Space Teether Toys are received. The attention to detail is ‘out of this world’!
We're also launching our Squiggle Strap® alongside our new Space Teether Toys. The strap is an easy to attach, adjustable food grade silicone anti-drop strap. Compatible with a range of teethers, sippy cups and toys, it can be attached to highchairs, baby carriers, strollers, baby gyms and car seats to keep your little ones items close and off the floor. It has IonPure® antimicrobial protection throughout. This long-lasting protection protects against the growth of bacteria and mould giving parents peace of mind when out and about.