California doctor's invention prevents falls from changing tables

Making sidelines pay

Doctors who branched out beyond running their practice tell why they did it, how they did it, and what you should know before you do it.
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Name: Erin Kelly, MD

Specialty: Family medicine

Location: Los Angeles

Company: Hulabye sells the Happy Changer, a fabric vest designed by Dr. Kelly that holds a baby to a changing table.

Annual revenue: The business is in its first year, and figures were not made available.

Why she started the business: Dr. Kelly has two children, and her second daughter was a particularly fidgety baby. Dr. Kelly looked for something to keep her daughter steady on the changing table. When she found nothing satisfactory, she used her sewing skills to make a vest that would wrap around the table and her daughter.

A parent or caregiver first attaches the vest to a changing table. Then the baby lies on the table wrapped in the vest. The closures are made from Velcro. When her daughter grew out of diapers, Dr. Kelly loaned the vest to her sister. When she was done with it, she passed it on to another parent. "I thought I should sell this," Dr. Kelly said. "I knew there were so many frustrated moms out there."

After her daughter started preschool, she thought seriously about turning the product into a business. She made some prototypes, giving them to other parents to test, and applied for a provisional patent. She found some pattern makers in her hometown of Los Angeles to produce additional samples. The Happy Changer, which launched Sept. 23 at the ABC Kids Expo, a trade show in Louisville, Ky., is available in eight prints from the website (link).

Why she stopped practicing: Dr. Kelly left practice after becoming a mother, but she has maintained her license. "I was not enjoying practice enough for the sacrifice I was making," she said. "I have the utmost respect for doctors. Doctors truly sacrifice a lot. For me, it was not worth it. I really wanted to start a family and be home for my kids. It was a lifestyle choice."

Words of wisdom: "I would say to any entrepreneur, 'If you have a strong interest in it, then you should absolutely do it.' It should be something that you love, and don't be afraid of what you don't know. You can always learn new things. I have learned so much."