Meet our Gugu Guides! These expert moms in our community are here to provide wisdom, solutions and experience to help you make the best decisions about products and services for your growing family.
About Summer
Summer ranked top 200 BEST sleep consultants by tuck.com. She is an International Certified Newborn Care Specialist and Sleep Consultant. Summer is part of the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants (IACSC).
Summer started her career in 1996, working as a nanny in Washington D.C. She is a sleep correspondent for NPR News and Parent.com, and has been seen on AzLiving and is a regular on Independent talk radio 1100 KFNX. Summer is an Amazon Best-Seller Author, known for “Women Who BossUP.”
Summer is passionate about babies and has created a Sleep Consultant Program with over 238 students in 6 countries. Summer works with newborns to 6 years old and specializes in sleep training singles and multiples, also working with reflux and colic. She has worked with families in many different capacities through in-person, phone, text, and virtual support.
Summer lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband of 23 years and 2 children Ethan 20, and Sophia 19.
Find out how she does it all, and check out her top 3 gear picks for babies. Follow her on @summers_sleep_secrets to learn more!
How do you balance your work and mom life?
I’m very structured so when my kids were little we had plans to go to zoo and parks on my days off from work. We had the kids from infancy on a daily wake up and bedtime schedule. This was followed until their teen years. Once the kids were older they were responsible for chores and that helped my husband and I especially since I worked nights as a newborn care specialist and needed to sleep during the day. I balanced life with a regular routine.
Describe your baby and toddler gear style.
Budget, minimal gear style.
What’s been your biggest obstacle as a parent and what did you do to overcome it?
My obstacles were postpartum depression. I didn’t realize I had it until my 2nd was 15 months old and when I went to my OB-GYN for a check-up she asked one sentence- How are you doing? I burst into tears. It was crazy up until that point I really didn’t realize my feelings of depression. My doctor prescribed a medication that I took for a few months and I also took a vacation alone for 2 weeks after I realized I needed a break. Fortunately, my husband was supportive and helped me through my depression.
Top 3 Gear Picks
Swaddle Sleeves
As a newborn care specialist, I have a few favorite products. This is my top transition swaddle!
SlumberPod
The SlumberPod is a game-changer for my clients. Read more about it here.
Yoga Sleep Mini Sound Machine
I love the Yogasleep Mini Sound Machine. I suggest my clients use the brown noise instead of the white noise.
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Check out Summer’s episode on the Gugu Guru “What Worked for Me” Podcast >>
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