Why This ER Nurse Knew She Needed SNOO
As an emergency room nurse, Miranda Cozad, 28, is no stranger to long hours and get-it-while-you can sleep.
'I work from 3pm to 3am and have an hour commute each way to the hospital,' says Miranda. 'That means, I can only grab about 6 hours of sleep between shifts.' So, the idea of getting even fewer ZZZs had a pregnant Miranda worried.
'This job is exhausting enough!' she says. But then Miranda talked to her best friend who works at another hospital.
'She told me to get SNOO,' says Miranda. 'Since she is the most practical person I know and her 18-month-old has slept an impressive amount since the beginning, I knew there had to be something special about this bassinet.'
Initially, SNOO’s cost gave Miranda and her husband Skyler pause. 'It is a large purchase, but in the end, we prioritised SNOO, not only for the hope of more sleep, but because of the safe sleep swaddle,' says Miranda. 'You cannot put a price on the safety of your child.'
Miranda knows this from experience. As a nursing student she came face-to-face with the consequences of unsafe sleep. A small child was brought into the ER after falling from their parents’ bed while co-sleeping. The little one got stuck between the bed and the nightstand and the outcome was not good.
'I still think about that family,' says Miranda. 'I know many choose to co-sleep and accidents like that do not happen every day, but one time is too many and it is just not worth it to me.'
When baby Emma Elizabeth burst onto the scene in late September after two grueling days of labour, the Cozads were over-the-moon...and already exhausted.
'After such a long labour, I experienced a whole new level of sleep deprivation—and desperation!' says Miranda.
Then, Emma wanted to cluster feed all night...and sleep all day. 'She was completely backward, and I was completely exhausted,' says Miranda. 'I thought working a 16-hour shift in the ER while 9 months pregnant and short staffed during a pandemic was exhausting. Boy, was I wrong!'
Bleary-eyed and yearning for familiar comforts, Miranda could not help but dream about finally getting home with her new family—and finally getting some rest. ('Looking back, SNOO would have been so helpful in the hospital!' she says.)
When Emma came home, Miranda finally got to see if SNOO lived up to its hype.
'Emma looked so small in SNOO! I was a little nervous that she was jiggling too much, but felt better after consulting the Happiest Baby website,' says Miranda. 'Then we just stared at her and waited for SNOO to work its magic—and it did!'
In fact, it only took a day or two in SNOO to reset Emma’s sense of day and night.
'Everyone’s sleep almost instantly improved, and I think we owe a lot of this to SNOO,' says Miranda.
It is just been getting better. At just over a month old, Emma sleeps great at night and for naps. She is sleeping so well that Miranda recently woke up in a panic, wondering if her baby was okay.
'She had been asleep for 6 whole hours at under a month old! I was so shocked!' she says, laughing that she woke her sleeping husband to share the happy news.
Ever since that night, 6-hour stretches have been Emma’s norm. 'She is eating well and gaining weight, so I feel good about letting her sleep this long for our sanity as parents,' she says.
'I thought I knew what I was getting into with SNOO, but honestly, I was still surprised,' says Miranda. 'Emma loves SNOO so much! She does not fuss when I put her down and swaddle her in, despite being a baby who loves to reach and kick and stretch during the day!'
Miranda is also shocked by how well-rested she feels.
'I fully expected to be a walking zombie, but I honestly feel fully functional—at least most days!' she laughs. 'SNOO really helped put us at ease as new parents—knowing that Emma is sleeping soundly, we can get some real rest, too.'
Looking ahead to when she returns to work, Miranda feels like her baby will be in great hands.
'I feel completely confident leaving Emma home with the help of my husband and my mum, who lives down the street,' she says. 'It is so nice knowing she has a place where she can sleep safely and get plenty of it, since sleep is so important both for a developing baby and parents!'
View more posts tagged, real stories
Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Submit your questions here.