7News
How Aussie mum’s breastfeeding struggle sparked ‘lifesaving’ idea that is helping parents everywhere
When new mum Elysia Krstevski was unable to give her baby girl milk, she realised there was a gap in the baby market and a parenting product that didn’t yet exist.
The now mum-of-two, 34, from Melbourne, had just had her first baby, Armani, and Melbourne was in the midst of its first strict COVID lockdown when Elysia decided to accompany her husband Chris on an “essential grocery trip” for some time out of the house.
“I was very much in the early days of feeding and didn’t really know what I was doing. I’d just been struck with mastitis,” Elysia recalls to 7Life.
“When we got to the supermarket, Armani started screaming from hunger. But you weren’t allowed to touch anything. I couldn’t get hot water to heat her bottle up from anywhere.”
Desperately trying to fix the situation, Elysia said she attempted to breastfeed Armani, but “nothing came out”.
“We couldn’t get any hot water. She was screaming and screaming, it was a disaster,” Elysia says.
The situation was made even more traumatic by the fact that Elysia and her husband Chris were usually over-prepared, and so they were horrified to find themselves in a situation that they couldn’t sort out.
“That night when I got home, I thought to myself, I can’t leave the house like this again,” Elysia says. “I needed a way to heat up milk on demand.”
So named after her husband and the Macedonian word for milk, Mekė Baby’s Baby Milk Warmer is unlike anything else in the crowded baby market insofar as it’s an original state-of-the art portable milk warmer designed for use with infant formula or breastmilk.
With the $185 product, there is no need to search for a nearby café or hot water supply as you can quickly warm your milk within minutes - all with the help of the one single gadget.
“Its advanced heat-up technology ensures that essential nutrients and antibodies are not compromised during feeding,” Elysia explains.
“The dedicated temperature control processor ensures that liquids are heated slowly and precisely, while monitoring fluctuations to maintain the set temperature.
“This means you won’t get those hot spots you get in a microwave.”
Liquids in it are heated slowly and precisely. Credit: Supplied
Setting up Mekė and creating the Mekė Milk Baby Milk Warmer was in no way easy.
Elysia says she had to do “lots of testing” to ensure that the product meets Australian, New Zealand and UK standards.
“It was important to me to make something that was food-grade and that ensures the protection of the vital nutrients and antibodies present in milk, even while being heated”, Elysia says.
“By the time we launched, friends and family loved the idea. Finally, a solution for every mum, dad, grandma or grandad! We had a lot of ‘how has this not been done before?’”
Upon launching in April 2023, Elysia took a punt and contacted fitness influencer Kayla Itsines and entrepreneur Gretta Rose van Riel, both of whom were new mums.
“I told them about Mekė and to my surprise, they replied!”
Elysia adds: “My first two bottles went to two of the most influential women in Australia and the rest is history”.
Elysia took a punt and contacted Kayla Itsines, who loves the product. Credit: Instagram/Kayla Itsines
When both Gretta and Kayla left rave reviews, it wasn’t long before the Mekė Milk Baby Milk Warmer started selling out.
There are now countless glowing reviews on the website.
“Not only is it gorgeous but an actual lifesaver,” one reviewer says.
“I am writing this review mid-car feed, and cannot believe how easy and smoothly this went. Milk in, turn it on, minutes later we’re ready to rock and roll. As a first-time mum, I wasn’t sure what I’d need and what’s just a luxury/money grab, but this one is a keeper. Won’t leave the house without it!”
Another says: “The Mekė Baby Milk Warmer has been an absolute LIFESAVER!
“My daughter is extremely fussy and will only drink warm milk. When I am out and about I was always having to find a way to warm up the water for the formula but now I just take out the warmer from my nappy bag and heat up the water on the go”.
Elysia has many great plans for her business. Credit: Supplied
Many love how stylish her bottle milk warmer is. Credit: Supplied
And Elysia doesn’t have any intentions of slowing down just yet.
The mum-of-two says she has intentions of creating the “Mecca of the baby world” with attractive functional pieces for mums and dads.
In the next few weeks, Elysia will launch a new kind of baby bottle that has a built-in formula dispenser.
“It’s slick, modern and super stylish - much like everything I’m trying to do with Mekė Baby,” Elysia says.
For more information about Mekė Baby, click here
