About Us
The story behind ZB — Zahra Batool
A tiny beginning. A lifelong promise.
Zahra Batool was not created from a business plan. It was born from a mother’s fear, a family’s prayers, and one very small baby who changed the purpose of our lives.
“We know the fear behind your questions, because we once asked every one of them ourselves.”
15 February 2024, 8:14 a.m.
My daughter, Zahra Batool, was born on the morning of 15 February 2024 at exactly 8:14 a.m., weighing only 1.5 kg. It was the best day of my life and, in the very same moment, the most frightening.
I had imagined the first cry, the first touch, and the first time I would hold her against my chest. Instead, she was taken to the NICU. For some time, I was not allowed to see or hold her. My baby was only a few rooms away, yet the distance felt endless.
I waited for every update. I watched the faces of doctors and nurses before they spoke. I prayed over every silence. I kept asking the questions every preemie mother knows too well: Is she breathing comfortably? Is she warm? Is she in pain? Does she know that I am here?
The week that changed us
Zahra spent one week in the NICU. Seven days may sound short on a calendar, but inside a NICU, time moves differently. Every monitor beep feels louder. Every gram matters. Every calm breath feels like a gift.
Her body was so tiny that the tubes, wires, blankets, and even her cap looked enormous beside her. I learned a new kind of motherhood — loving my baby through glass, celebrating numbers on a monitor, and trying to stay strong while feeling completely helpless.
There were moments when I wanted someone to sit beside me and say, “I understand. I have been here too.” We had medical care, but emotionally and practically, the journey could still feel very lonely. That loneliness stayed with me.
Coming home — with joy, fear, and a feeding tube
When Zahra was finally discharged, we brought her home with a nasal feeding tube still in place. Bringing her home was one of our happiest moments, but the fear did not disappear at the hospital door.
Feeding, warmth, hygiene, sleep, and every small movement required extra care. We learned to notice the smallest changes. We measured progress in grams, peaceful breaths, completed feeds, and quiet nights. Things that may look ordinary to others felt like enormous victories to us.
A problem no preemie parent should have to face
Among all the serious worries, we discovered another problem that may sound small until you experience it yourself: we could not find clothes that properly fit our daughter.
Regular newborn clothing was far too large. Sleeves covered her hands. Neck openings felt loose. The clothes swallowed her tiny body and made an already delicate situation harder. We searched, asked around, and looked for options, but premature and low-birth-weight baby clothing was almost impossible to find in Pakistan.
My mother eventually found one small garment somewhere. There was no collection to choose from, no suitable range of sizes, no thoughtful design, and no alternative. It was simply one piece in one available size. She bought it because we needed something — not because it was truly right for Zahra.
That experience hurt. Parents of premature babies are already carrying fear, exhaustion, medical instructions, and financial pressure. They should not also have to accept “whatever is available” for something as basic as clothing their child with comfort and dignity.
That is where ZB began
Zahra became our inspiration, but the purpose quickly became larger than our own family.
We began working on Zahra Batool to serve the preemie community of Pakistan — parents who are too often overlooked, families who are forced to improvise, and tiny babies whose needs deserve to be understood rather than treated as an afterthought.
We wanted to build the support we once searched for: thoughtfully sized clothing, gentle fabrics, practical designs, and choices made specifically for small and delicate babies.
Designed from lived experience
Every decision behind ZB comes back to the realities we lived. A preemie baby is not simply a smaller newborn. Dressing can involve feeding tubes, sensitive skin, careful handling, frequent checks, and a parent who is afraid of causing discomfort.
That is why we think carefully about fit, softness, openings, ease of dressing, and sizes that begin where ordinary baby brands often do not. We are still learning, listening, and improving, but our direction is clear: every product must serve a genuine need.
ZB is not here to replace doctors, nurses, or medical advice. We are here to make one part of the journey gentler — and to remind parents that someone sees them.
To every preemie mother and father
To the mother waiting outside the NICU, frightened to ask for another update: I see you.
To the father learning feeding routines while trying to keep the whole family strong: we see you.
To the parents searching for one outfit that fits, wondering why something so basic is so difficult to find: we have stood where you are standing.
Your fear is real. Your exhaustion is real. The milestones other people may consider small can mean the whole world to you. You are not overreacting, and you are not alone.
Every baby’s medical journey is different, and no outcome can ever be promised. But Zahra’s story is our message of hope: with love, attentive care, professional medical guidance, patience, and support, tiny beginnings can grow into beautiful futures.
One day, the baby you are afraid to touch may be running into your arms.
When we look at Zahra today, we do not forget the incubator, the feeding tube, or the fear. We remember them — and we turn that memory into service for another family.
Our promise
We are building ZB in Pakistan, for Pakistan’s preemie and low-birth-weight community. Our promise is to keep listening to parents, keep improving our designs, and keep working toward a future where no family has to struggle to find something made for their tiny baby.
Every piece carries Zahra’s name because every piece carries her story — a story that began with fear, grew through care, and became a promise to serve.
With love and hope,
Ayesha, Zahra’s mother
Umair, Zahra’s father
The ZB — Zahra Batool family