In 2018, it hit me: Berlin hates babies. And mothers. Newspapers mocked breastfeeding women, calling them “dairy cows.” Cafés and restaurants shooed them out. Let’s be real — Germany has never been winning awards for child-friendliness anyway.

It annoyed me.

So I did what made sense: I designed a tote bag. Not that Berlin needed another one — every household already has cupboards overflowing with them. But this bag was different. It wasn’t just for diapers or cauliflower. It was a small act of mum-protest.

I sold it on Etsy, shared it on Instagram, and soon mum’s were slinging it over their shoulders, tagging and reposting. Years later, friends still ask if I have one left.

Has Berlin become more baby- and mum-friendly? I don’t think so. But hey — every revolution starts small. Probably not with a tote bag, but with a feeling that something isn’t right, that turns into a sentence, and finally into action.