SNOO
Written by
Happiest Baby Staff
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Tiffany Reid spent the better part of her career climbing the ranks at legendary fashion media brands, eventually serving as Bustle Digital Group’s Senior Vice President of Fashion before striking out on her own as a brand consultant, stylist, and on-air expert. That’s all to say she’s used to rising to fast-paced, high-pressure challenges with grace, poise, and preparation! But when she welcomed her son Randi at the end of 2023, she found herself facing a whole new set of challenges, including the whirlwind of birth and early parenthood.
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Before Randi made his debut, Tiffany had gone deep on birth prep.
“We took classes, and then we did hypnobirthing, because I wanted an unmedicated birth. I had my doula, and we were all prepared,” she recalled.
But at Tiffany’s 40-week check-up, a scan revealing low amniotic fluid forced a quick pivot. She was sent across the road to the hospital, where they attempted to induce labour—a lengthy process that resulted in an emergency caesarean 32 hours later.
While Tiffany was thrown a real curveball during labour, she was insulated from some of the stress of the circumstances she faced, thanks to her hypnobirthing prep as well as her doula, Kayann Stephens, founder of Childbirth Now.
“I recommend my doula to everybody! She was a labor and delivery nurse for 20 years and then saw the system and wanted to help women in a different way,” Tiffany says. “It was amazing to have her because she already knew what the nurses and the doctors were going to come in and tell me, so she had prepped me along the way.”
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Despite the long lead-up to his debut, Randi arrived in perfect health. But having endured a day and a half of labour plus major surgery, Tiffany’s recovery was rough.
Fortunately, she was able to spend a few days healing at Boram—a postnatal retreat in Manhattan—under the care of nurses and physiotherapists.
“There’s no price I can put on how much that was needed,” she reflected. “I couldn’t imagine going straight home after three days, not being able to get out of bed, and then to have to take care of a baby.”
And then there was another helping hand waiting at home to ease Tiffany and Randi into newborn life: SNOO!
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Tiffany had heard about SNOO from several friends, but it was her OB/GYN’s enthusiasm for the bassinet that really piqued her interest.
“I think she was skeptical in the beginning, but then her daughter had used it and loved it, and she thought it was great,” Tiffany said. “So, when I had mentioned SNOO to her, she was very pro me trying it.”
Tiffany immediately appreciated SNOO’s thoughtful design and seamless usability.
“The size was perfect for our room… and the functionality of it was very easy and convenient,” she said. “It’s super intuitive. There were other products I never touched because the process of even setting them up was too complicated.”
SNOO also made it easier for Tiffany and her partner to share the load.
“I could easily pass Randi off and [my partner could] put him in the SNOO. We didn’t have to worry about the complications of swaddling him. The bands and zipper were super convenient for us.”
And when Tiffany dove back into the hustle of work life, SNOO was there to ease that transition, too.
“Randi preferred to nap on me, but then when I went back to work, I had to transition him into being able to take naps without being held by me. SNOO really helped with that part of it.”
Ultimately, SNOO provided more than sleep support. It gave Tiffany peace of mind—and a tiny bit of freedom—in those early weeks.
“I never thought that he was unsafe in the SNOO… it gave me time to do something quickly if needed. Even if I heard a little bit of crying, I felt like, ‘Okay, I can still just go to the bathroom.’ So even though I didn’t have the extra pair of hands, it still felt safe to leave him for a second.”
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Tiffany is now 15 months into her parenting journey. Looking back, she says one of the biggest lessons has been learning to let go of expectations and give herself grace.
“I would say it’s okay to mourn your past life,” she shared. “Even if you have the nanny, have help at home, you go back to work full time, there’s still a part of you that is not 100% at work…I think I needed to mourn a little bit that past person and old me. But I was so happy to do it when I finally did.”
And in a way, Tiffany found that the twists and turns her birth story took gave her a glimpse into one defining aspect of parenthood: being able to embrace the unexpected.
“I just think giving yourself grace to know that sometimes the things you plan just aren't going to go that way. That's what motherhood and parenting teach you.”
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.
