Our Story

Meet the Barski family, who reside on the beautiful islands of Hawaii.

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Our story.....When Woombie Founder Karen Barski's third daughter Bella'Mar nearly suffocated from a swaddle blanket in 2007, the desire for a safer swaddle was created. As an RN and mother,  Karen applied her maternal and nursing "eye" combined with safety practices and regulations, comfort, and developmental needs of her newborn. In 2007 the peanut shaped Woombie swaddle was born.

After nearly 18 years, Woombie continues to grow with over 800 SKUS and 30 patents worldwide. Woombie holds over 22 awards for design and innovation, helping baby transition from "womb to world", all while allowing the developmentally appropriate "hands over heart" technique-  all while keeping safety, comfort, effectiveness, ease of use and hip health in mind. 

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As a parent, we all know how difficult the transition from birth to 6 months can be… sleepless nights, confusion, just not knowing…..feeling overwhelmed, trouble feeding baby, Colic issues and of course—the wonderful hormonal shifts that make us laugh, cry and scream all at the same time.

Most parents are taught about the comfort and benefits that are achieved from swaddling, which has been practiced for thousands of years. What we don’t know from the get-go is how difficult swaddling can be- especially with a squirmy baby. Wrapping, rewrappingevery 10 minutes or more.  Origami! My little Bella was a strong baby, with a strong startle reflex and a super hunger.  She came 5 weeks early – looking for food as soon as she made eye contact with me.  She wanted to sleep at night, and boy did I want that too…but due to her super startle paired with mighty-mouse strength, she unraveled herself within 15 minutes…ALL NIGHT LONG. After unraveling herself, her rooting reflex initiated and she then brought her swaddle wrap right up over her face and mouth, trying to eat it. One night I found her red and sweaty with the swaddle wrap up and over her face. Scary….not good for the air flow to say the least. I tried every baby swaddle available, every brand i found in every major store nearby…and nothing worked for her.  What  frustration….

Even as a seasoned parent, there are still new issues arising, as every baby is so unique. We needed to keep our daughter Bella safe and comfortable.  Getting up every 2 hours during the night can be draining for not only mom, but everyone in the house – both emotionally and physically. Every bit of help is a gift and a savior! As a RN and mother, I sought after different products that would work for the baby and myself on a few different levels. First, to swaddle the baby for her safety and comfort, to both prevent her from scratching herself and also prevent startle reflex. It needed to be comfortable and to stay put! Velcro almost always detaches as baby stretches during the night, and blankets unravel and may overheat baby, or end up over the baby’s face contributing to an unsafe sleep situation. I needed something that would stay intact and snug, but at the same time, allow the baby to stretch out if she needed to, where the fabric would then automatically re-conform to a snug cocoon-like or peanut shape afterwards. After searching every store and website for a swaddle product that would “stay put”, on went my creative hat.   I sewed and sewed until Bella was “contained” with a gentleness.  No “arms pinned to the side swaddle”, a stretchy but effective peanut, which was ergonomic to her shoulder, waist and hip curves. It did help that I was an RN with some understanding of body mechanics and essential movement.

Our first prototype

Our design was inspired in 2007 due to the incident with Bella, and after almost a full year of prototyping and feedback from friends and family, the Woombie was born in 2008. 

Parents love Woombie because of its easy IN/OUT design, stay put zipper which will not open or unravel and its unique 4 way stretch material. In a nut-shell, Woombie helps to maintain the comfort levels of both baby and parent, easing undue stress and promoting a more  peaceful environment, which is greatly, greatly needed and appreciated during the first few months  of life during transition from the womb. Needless to say, I wish I had  the Woombie with my 2 daughters before Bella.  It has helped me, my husband  Stash and our babies Bella, Bryce and Brody tremendously!  So many new parents and babies are achieving a smoother transition from womb to 6 months after using the Woombie. Read our testimonials, you will be amazed!

Karen Barski Designs is a family owned business which was built with the love and safety of babies in mind – with a sensitivity towards mom’s and dad’s needs too.  All of our products are geared towards the theme SWADDLE, SOOTHE, AND SLEEP. We are Environmentally conscious, as all of our products are manufactured in an eco-friendly factory and manner. No harsh chemicals, no flame retardants. We practice strict compliance per CPSIA standards.  Strict safety testing using CPSIA standards and testing in a CPSIA third party accredited  testing facility are top priority.  If we do not pass testing, we do not sell products.

Do our products comply with current safety standards? Absolutely!

Our products have been tested by a CPSIA approved 3rd Party Accredited Laboratory and have passed in all of the mandatory and regulated areas:

The following are our testing standards:

Less than 90 ppm lead, no phthalates

Hazards (zipper torque, snap strength, small parts, points)

Flammability

Safety (monofilament thread)

Lead in Surface coating and substrates

Formaldehyde

Zipper strength

Product labeling

Colorfastness/Appearance after laundering

TOG appropriateness

Skewing/torque

Dimensional stability

I know you will for love our products!

Thank you for trusting your baby with KB Designs! Congratulations on your new bundle and God Bless!

xx~ K. Barski,RN/BSN, Mom’Preneur & Owner of KB Designs, LLC