Meet Your Hosts

Quanisha McGruder

I am a creative writer, full-spectrum Doula, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Infant and Family Sleep Specialist who guides families through different paths into and through parenting.

I am on a mission to align and support family needs to create a gratifying experience on this parenthood journey.

With The Zzz Hive, I want to let parents know they have more than two options and also can support themselves while they support their infant’s needs.

Rocio Zunini, PhD

I am a Neuroscientist and Certified Infant and Family Sleep Specialist and a mom of two. I am passionate about supporting families in their journey with their little one’s sleep. I am a fierce advocate of infant rights (including nighttime needs) and a protector of parental mental health. My own experience as a mother and my neuroscience background led me to believe that supporting infant sleep is possible from a place of rest and well-being. When it comes to infant sleep, I am status quo shaker that likes to open up spaces for difficult but very much needed conversations in our culture.

Kristin Alexander

I am a Certified Clarity Catalyst Coach, a Certified Infant and Family Sleep Specialist and a mom of two girls. My biggest passion has always been helping women find their inner strength and supporting them through challenging times. Difficulties in my pregnancies and early motherhood required me to advocate for myself and my children, and I found that the support and resources desperately needed at this time were severely lacking. I believe that education on biologically normal infant sleep and responding to an infant’s needs are central to raising resilient children. This inspired me to adapt my skill set to focus on supporting women through various stages of motherhood.

Meet Your Speakers

Keynote Talk

Jessica Moura

Chairman of the Children’s Sleep Foundation

Awakening to Reality: New perspectives on infant sleep

Jessica Moura is from Brazil and has been in the United States for over 12 years. She came to the US to pursue her education when she was only 19. As an Army wife, after living in many states she has settled in Alabama with her husband and two daughters. She graduated from Auburn University in Integrative Health Sciences, post-graduated in Traumatic Stress Studies from Trauma Research Foundation, and in Pre and Perinatal Psychology in the United Kingdom with the International Society of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Medicine (ISPPPM). Jessica’s sleep education comes from Penn State University and she has dedicated her life to disseminating attachment-based and trauma-informed information about pediatric sleep. Since 2017, she has supported many families and professionals in her company Family Wellness International Institute. In 2020, she published her book Beyond Sleep in Brazil. She is passionate about teaching about parenting, development, and health through an interdisciplinary lens that is respectful to both parents and children. Jessica yearns for a world that understands the importance of good sleep for growth and development, but in ways that are biologically aligned with the needs of a developing infant/child. Jessica founded Children’s Sleep Foundation in 2019.

Family Wellness International Institute

Children Sleep Foundation Website

Day 1. Infant Sleep: What to Expect

Greer Kirshenbaum, PhD

How do Infants Sleep Near Adults?

Greer Kirshenbaum is an Author, Neuroscientist, Doula and Infant and Family Sleep Specialist. She is leading The Nurture Revolution, #thenurturerevolution, to change the way our society cares for infants and parents. Greer wants families and perinatal practitioners to understand how early caregiving experience can boost mental wellness and diminish depression, anxiety, and addiction in adulthood by shaping babies’ brains through simple intuitive enriching experiences in pregnancy, birth and infancy. Her book is called The Nurture Revolution

Hannah Clapham

How to Make your Toddler LOVE Bedtime (and ask for it!)

Hannah began supporting local families after a particularly sleep-deprived first year of parenthood when she read everything she could about naps and night-times with a baby. In 2020 she decided to train in holistic sleep coaching with Lyndsey Hookway and turned her passion into a career.

Hannah founded Little Nest, which offers holistic, responsive sleep support for babies, toddlers and their very tired parents.

For people looking for sleep support, there are two in-depth sleep guides which feature responsive sleep strategies for both babies and toddlers. These come in both PDF and audio format.

Little Nest also has a number of webinars on specific sleep challenges (from gentle night-weaning to transitioning to childcare) that are available to download. Check @LittleNestSleep for the latest information on each month’s live workshop information too.

Dr. Laura Gainche, PhD

Unlock Your Baby’s Sleep Through Objective Science

Dr. Laura Gainche Ph.D. is a Neuroscientist and a sleep scientist with a background in holistic family sleep. On her @scienceforallwomen platform, she helps Mothers turn Sleepless into BLISSFUL NIGHTS with the power of Science & Connection. She wants families to find their unique way to parent at night.

ZERO Sleep training, cry-it-out, or separation technique.

Recently, she also provides holistic sleep professionals with truly evidence-based, up-to-date sleep data to make holistic child sleep mainstream. She teamed up to create @yourscienceteam with another scientist and holistic educator.

Eric Taylor

How Partners Can Support Infant Sleep

I am a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology. My specific area of focus is children and adolescents. I am a father of 2 girls and a husband. I am also retired military serving 15 years in the US Army. I have worked in the mental health field for more than 8 years now. I have worked in various settings with both children and adults. I have worked with children who suffer from complex daily trauma. Most of whom live in low-SES environments. I have worked with adults who suffer from severe mental illnesses and disorders, as well as traumas.

My current goal is to be a barrier between children and poor outcomes. I have come to understand the best way to accomplish that goal is to provide caregivers/parents with the best possible information I can that they don’t have access to.

Tracy Gillet

The Art of Natural Parenting (and what babies need to sleep well)

Tracy Gillett is an adventure-loving mum, writer and natural parenting advocate. She is the founder of Raised Good, an award-winning blog and community that supports and empowers parents to trust and follow their instincts. Tracy was a veterinarian for many years before starting Raised Good and she loves diving into the science and making it accessible for parents. Tracy is also the author of The Lost Art of Natural Parenting, and the host of the annual Raised Good Online Summit. On her website, she offers online courses on sleep and attachment as well as a natural parenting membership community, called Gather.

Day 2. Indicators of Further Support with Infant Sleep

Kelly Merigot

Nutrition for Better Sleep: More than just food

Kelly is a sleep coach like very few others. She has a special focus on root cause issues and helps families achieve their sleep goals by purely addressing underlying issues that affect sleep.

Kelly developed a keen interest in this area after having a little boy who was a terrible sleeper and knew something wasn’t right. From oral ties, to food allergies, extreme elimination diets, poor gut health, nutritional deficiencies and nervous system dysregulation, Kelly has pretty much been through it all.

Now, Kelly helps families to achieve better quality sleep through improving and optimising systems of the body, for better overall wellness. Not a single strategy or routine in sight!

Dr. Carrie Rigoni

How Your Baby’s Nervous System Contributes to Sleep

Dr. Carrie Rigoni is a chiropractor who works with mums and babies, to optimize their baby’s brain development, and set them up for lifelong health. She loves talking about all things vagus nerve, and all the factors that can influence brain development. She has a busy practice in Perth WA and is passionate about optimizing the vagus nerve, supporting mums through periods of dysregulation, and helping mums understand what they can do to support their baby’s vagal tone too.

Dr. Carrie is passionate about using the online world to educate mothers on the power of the vagus nerve, and also offers a group coaching program for mothers and their children.

Jill Mailing

No Such Thing as a Sleep Problem: The feeding-sleep connection and other issues that affect sleep

Jill Mailing is an Infant & Family Sleep Specialist, Certified Lactation Counselor, and IBCLC candidate passionate about supporting families experiencing persistent or complex sleep struggles. She has worked with hundreds of families to normalize infant sleep and resolve underlying health concerns affecting infant/toddler sleep.

Through her practice, Supported Sleep, she saw case after case of undiagnosed feeding issues and oral dysfunction continually showing up as sleep issues that had been previously missed or dismissed by other care providers. This pattern led her to seek specialized training in lactation care, oral dysfunction, and airway health to better serve children and caregivers. Using a comprehensive holistic approach to sleep, Jill helps families identify the root cause(s) of their child’s sleep issues, find supportive providers, and advocate for support or treatment to create sustainable, long-lasting improvement.

Suzanne Gunn

Supporting Autistic, ADHD and Highly Sensitive Infant and Child Sleep

Suzanne is a lived-experience Neurodivergent Sleep Educator and Consultant who supports families with their children’s autistic, ADHD and PDA sleep-related challenges. She works with the family to bridge sleep support with nervous system regulation and decoding behavior through the lenses of PDA, trauma, anxiety and the ultimate need for connection.

Suzanne co-hosts the podcast Nurturing Neurodivergents with Jess Guy, Infant Sleep Scientist where together, they nurture fellow neurodivergent parents and caregivers by sharing experiences and conversations, and exploring what it is to be late-diagnosed neurodivergents.

Kaili Ets

Reflux Is Common, Not Normal! How to support your baby’s reflux

Kaili Ets is lovingly known as the Holistic Baby Guru. She has a passion for normalizing and bringing clarity around baby sleep, development, reflux, and more. Wife and mom of two, Kaili understands the importance of trusting your mama instincts. She is on a mission to help mamas tune into their intuition and feel like the confident super moms they are. Her wit and humor make her an approachable authority on all things baby-related, as she provides down-to-earth advice that makes everyone feel like they can do this parenting thing!

DAY 3. Sleep Training: What you need to know

Paula McDowell

Sleep Training Culture: What is it and why do we need to divest from it

Starting her career as an Early Childhood Educator, Paula has always been interested in child development and supporting families.

After having her son in 2019 and falling prey to the anxieties brought on by the sleep training industry, she decided to become a certified Baby Led Sleep & Wellbeing Specialist. Since then, she’s helped hundreds of families release the pressures of sleep training culture and embrace a collaborative/intuitive approach to sleep.

Carly Grubb

Sleep Training Culture Then And Now

Carly is the founder of the Australian registered charity, Little Sparklers which furthers the work she began through the free peer support group she created in 2017, The Beyond Sleep Training Project.

Carly is a passionate advocate for babies and families, and helping new parents find their way through an often overwhelming and deeply vulnerable time. She believes in the power of lived experience and peer support in improving parental confidence and well-being.

Carly has recently stepped back from her Managing Director role with Little Sparklers after 6.5 years volunteering in the role. She has handed over big plans for improving the support and options available to families in the crucial life stage for parents and infants, to the brilliant Little Sparklers team with Elise McMahon as the CEO. Carly lives in Mount Isa, outback Queensland with her husband and three wonderful young children.

Jessica Guy

Sleep Training is Safe and Effective.. or is it?

Jessica is a Holistic Infant and Family Sleep Specialist and child development PhD candidate. She started Infant Sleep Scientist to deliver science-based sleep education and strategies for responsive parents. Jessica works with families all over the world and translates science and shares content on her Instagram page @infantsleepscientist

Lyndsey Hookway

Five Biggest Myths in the Baby Sleep World

Lyndsey is an experienced pediatric nurse, children’s public health nurse, IBCLC, researcher, responsive sleep/parenting advocate, and the author of 6 books. She has worked with children and families for more than 20 years within in-patient pediatrics, pediatric ambulatory care, NICU, and the community.

Lyndsey is a PhD researcher at Swansea University, exploring the needs and challenges of medically complex breastfed infants and children. In 2019 she founded the Breastfeeding the Brave project to raise awareness of the unique lactation needs of sick children in the pediatric setting.

Lyndsey is the co-founder and clinical director of the Holistic Sleep Coaching program and Thought Rebellion. She is a respected international speaker and also provides regular training, advocacy and consultancy to both NHS and private organizations.

Brittany Chambers

Crying in Capitalism

Brittany Chambers, MS, IFSS. She founded Good Night Moon Child to reconnect parents to their instincts and to replace outdated, fear-based sleep philosophies with education and empowerment.

Britt is an Infant and Family Sleep Specialist informed by neuroscience, evolutionary biology, anthropology, and psychology. In addition to her sleep education, she has a bachelors and masters degree and has spent hundreds of hours hands-on in preschool and kindergarten classrooms, participating in the unfolding of early childhood education. Her work keeps maternal *and* infant mental health at the center and incorporates cross-cultural modalities, including meditation, energy medicine, nutrition, herbalism, movement, breath, astrology, CBT, and somatic therapy to address mind, body, and spirit well-being. When she’s not counseling families on sleep, she is with her daughter and husband playing somewhere outside under the California sun.

DAY 4. Parental Wellness and Infant Sleep

Sepideh Hakimzadeh

How to Tend to Your Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Well- being in Early Parenthood

Sepideh Hakimzadeh, LMFT, is the founder of Whole Mother Therapy, a group practice that specializes in working with people through all stages of pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood. This includes support for preconception and fertility challenges, pregnancy and infant loss, and abortion.

Whole Mother Therapy is an inclusive practice that provides therapy for individuals and couples, and offers several support groups for parents and parents-to-be wherever they are in their journey. She is also the founder of Seemorgh Mystery School where she guides and mentors women to connect to the Earth portals, their power and voice and ancestral visions.

Quanisha McGruder

How Postpartum Doulas Support Overnight

Hi, I’m Quanisha McGruder! I am a creative writer, full-spectrum Doula, licensed massage therapist, and Infant and Family Sleep Specialist who guides families through different paths into and through parenting.

I am on a mission to align and support family needs to create a gratifying experience on this parenthood journey.

With The Zzz Hive, I want to let parents know they have more than two options and also can support themselves while they support their infant’s needs.

Michelle Cruz

Staying Sane While Parenting Multiples – A Nurture Story

Michelle has been in the reproductive space since 2019. Supporting families pregnant and planning their births. Protecting Fat & BIPOC in the most vulnerable of spaces is a core value. She knows firsthand what it’s like to be a recipient of medical bias and racism. Her passion and bubbly personality will stick with you. Her home is a mix of science and unique people. She is married with 3 kids.

Education is important to her and she strives to bring reproductive education into every home. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t impart learning, encouragement, or growth to a community member, client, or friend.

Saloni Shah

Nurturing Parents: How to cultivate your support network

I am an Early Childhood Educator, Infant and Family Sleep Coach, Motherhood Studies Practitioner, and a Mama. When I became a mother, at the start of the pandemic, we found ourselves isolated and our values in conflict with the prevalent sleep training culture. My training with Dr Greer Kirshenbaum and Dr Sophie Brock led me to a world of nurture for babies and parents, and a deeper understanding of the experiences of mothers in patriarchal societies. My passion and professional motivation has been to create a safe space for babies, children, mothers and families to feel seen, heard and supported. I am an advocate for supporting parents as they nurture their babies (day and night), sharing education around biologically normal infant sleep, and helping mothers create support networks in their postpartum journey. My aim is for families to feel supported and empowered as they swim against the cultural tide.

Talia Shapero

Reset Your Sleep: Strategies for improving YOUR sleep and well-being after having children

Talia is a certified Adult Sleep Coach, Consultant and Sleep Educator. She is also trained to deliver Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Insomnia.

Talia helps people with issues falling asleep, staying asleep, having refreshed sleep, feeling tired during the day as well as other sleep-related problems. She helps her clients understand how their sleep patterns, behaviours, lifestyle choices and other conditions may be impacting their sleep and helps them apply evidence-based solutions that are simple, specific, achievable and long-lasting. Talia has a private practice and is affiliated as a practitioner at Inspired Wellness and with Inkblot Therapy’s EAP program. She has a background in teaching and education, specifically in the early years child development field.

While Talia works with all groups of adults, she has a particular passion and interest working with parents as she sees the transition to parenthood being a significant trigger for sleep issues. As a former insomniac whose sleep worsened while supporting her infant’s needs, she is empathetic and motivated to help parents get the rest that they require and deserve!

Naianna Robertsson, PhD

Mindfulness in the thick of it: Neuroscience-based tools to support parent and infant in the early years

Naianna is a mum of two, neuroscientist and meditation and mindfulness teacher. As a researcher and educator, she is driven by the conviction that each of us has the potential to rewire the brain to unlock its unlimited potential and intensify focus, manage stress and anxiety, improve resilience, self-awareness and emotional intelligence. She holds frequent talks, courses and workshops on infant brain development, rewiring the brain with the use of different meditation styles, breaking past cycles and self-healing for parents.

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