About Us
The Story of Emme
My name is Nikki and EMME was inspired by my daughter Emelia (Emmy).
Emmy came into this word in a big hurry near the end of 2021, at only 24 weeks and 2 days gestation. She weighed a tiny 686 grams. It was then that we began our journey through the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with our amazing micro prem little girl.
I won't go into too many details, but things were pretty rough, and as first time parents my partner and I had to have conversations with doctors that no parent should have. We saw our little one in many dire situations that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. We spent so much time at the hospital that the doctors and nurses joked we could be given a degree in Neonatology!
Our little Emmy was a fighter and she made it through many circumstances the doctors didn't believe she would survive, reaching milestone after milestone. We got to the point of moving from an incubator to an open cot which was very exciting, and meant it was time for her to wear her first clothes!
Weighing only 1.3kg at this point, it was VERY difficult to find clothing to fit her. Normal premature sized items were far too large to even consider. It was suggested we could use dolls clothes, but that was not practical - premature babies have fragile and easily irritated skin, and the material and less than perfect finish on dolls clothing meant they were out of the question for us.
It was then that I realised we needed more clothing options in New Zealand for our small or premature babies. Clothing for those babies born weighing between 2.2 and 3.6 kg (5 and 8 pounds) was limited, let alone items for babies weighing less than that! Clothing practical for use in NICU was even more limited - it is very difficult to dress a baby that has breathing support, leads and lines connected to them.
I have a genuine desire to help those families with tiny little ones, and thought something I could do (without actually getting a degree in neonatology!), was to make it easier for parents, families and friends, to find affordable, adorable and practical clothing, accessories and gifts for premature babies, for the hospital and beyond.
As Emmy has grown, it only seems natural for our little business to grow with her. I have a passion for horses and riding. In my younger years I always thought if i was to run a business it would be horse related. So when I failed to find horse riding pants in tiny sizes for Emmy to wear, I thought 'Why not get some made. I could sell them in Emme, so other equestrian families can enjoy them too!' Em isn't doing too much riding at the moment, but does seem to enjoy being outside with the horses! So when she gets a little bigger those jodhpurs will be get lots of use I'm sure!
We love seeing you here - thank you for joining us on our journey! Please share our website and social media with your friends!