What inspired you to launch Bump Bestie?

I was so overwhelmed with the amount of products that parents need to welcome a baby into their lives and home. I literally spent hours researching products, reviews and crowdsourcing advice and opinions. There just weren’t enough hours to work all day and then have to spend time sifting through a dizzying amount of information at night. Bump Bestie was born to help parents navigate an overwhelming, saturated and ever-changing marketplace of baby gear and products and to make purchase decisions based on a family’s lifestyle, budget and most importantly, values.

What do you offer clients that you feel is missing in the existing parenting space? Offering judgement-free support is a key tenet of your practice, why is it so important to you?

There’s a lot of focus on supporting new moms and babies but not a ton of anticipatory support to prepare families ahead of time for life after baby. With the steep learning curve in preparing your home and life for a new baby, I like to think by educating parents, curating products and being a trusted resource (hence the name Bump Bestie ☺) I’m really there to be that sounding board and to offer reassurance that many parents need. Providing 100% judgement free support is really my way of celebrating inclusivity and choice.

What are the most common concerns or issues your clients experience during their transition to parenthood? How do you help them prepare for and overcome those challenges?

Pregnancy is a perfect time to reflect on your home environment and to assess opportunities to make healthy changes. Luckily, it’s the easiest it’s ever been to swap out products for healthier alternatives be it your cleaning supplies, beauty products and furniture but it can be overwhelming to begin the transition of detoxifying the home. Unfortunately, we live in a country where we are exposed to environmental hazards on a daily basis and the only environment we can come close to truly controlling is our home so I’ve found that a lot of clients want to make changes but aren’t very educated in the types of exposure they face and where to start. Part of my core business is working with parents to create a safe and non-toxic nursery environment and to also educate them on healthier swaps and DIY solutions applied to the rest of the home whether that’s water filters, air filters, cleaning products or skincare.

 What advice do you give every parent before birth?

To be as present as possible. To enjoy time with your partner or family, travel, read, go to movies and concerts — just to soak in those last days of life as they know it. There’s no denying that after giving birth, your priorities change and you change as a person. Preparing for the birth of a child and the first few months after delivery are the most beautiful and transformative times of a person’s life. But it’s also a challenging time – full of questions and concerns with the added stress of feeling equipped and organized to welcome a child into your home. I like to think that I take some of that stress away and provide clients with peace of mind and one less thing to worry about before giving birth.

 What are some helpful tips for mothers and their partners to practice during labor and birth?

Whether your giving birth at home, in a birth center or a hospital, I think it’s just really important to be open and flexible as you progress. A lot of times families will have these beautiful birth plans that kind of fly out the window once they’re in labor or you hear stories of moms pushing for 30, 40 hours only to end up having an emergency c-section. Everyone’s birth story is completely unique and I think embracing that things are going to come up and plans are going to change and just accepting that and going with the flow as much as possible. At the end of it, when your holding this miracle in your arms, it’s not going to matter how you got there.

What products, if any, do you highly recommend all parents invest in for labor and birth?

I think it’s all about creating your own comfortable labor environment and bringing elements that help you to relax or de-stress. The one product I think everyone should have and it isn’t a typical baby product is a Bluetooth speaker. Music is actually a fantastic labor tool and can actually lower the perception of pain and help to reduce anxiety. My son came into this world to Miles Davis and having jazz playing for me was incredibly soothing during my delivery. I tell clients to create a “Push Playlist” to essentially make labor and delivery feel a bit more enjoyable.

What’s next for Bump Bestie?

I feel really fortunate that my journey to motherhood has influenced my career path and that I’ve found a true passion in supporting families in theirs. But it’s also made me much more aware of the worryingly little progress on federal policies that support new parents. The fact that the U.S. is still one of the few countries in the world without federally mandated paid leave and that many new moms are faced with having to choose between having children and working for a company is infuriating. As a result, I’ve become really interested in expanding my support from pregnancy to also offering support in the transition back to work.