The Story of the PeaPod
The original homemade PeaPod I created before Kaia was born.
I was 36 weeks pregnant when I felt a strange sense of urgency, like time was running out for me to finish my first PeaPod. I had planned to make two for my hospital bag, but as I stared down at the finished one, I realized this was something I had envisioned long ago.
Shortly after beginning my career as a NICU nurse, the focus in neonatal care started to shift toward developmental care, safe sleep, and improving long-term outcomes. Our NICU therapists began educating us on proper positioning and swaddling. Some nurses prided themselves on the tightest swaddle or the snuggest bundle. It was almost an art form. But we soon learned that what looked comforting wasn’t always developmentally appropriate.
We began using some of the first sleep sacks to model safe sleep before discharge. I didn’t love the design, but it sparked something in me; a desire to advocate for developmentally appropriate care and design. That spark eventually inspired me to pursue my Doctorate and become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.
As I continued working, I noticed that the culture of swaddling hadn’t changed much. I found myself educating both nurses and families on the importance of proper swaddling and positioning, but I knew there had to be a simpler, more intuitive solution. Parents love dressing their newborns in the hospital, yet as a provider, I knew those outfits weren’t practical for daily exams and assessments.
That’s how the PeaPod was born , from the idea of creating a fashionable, safe, developmentally appropriate, and provider-friendly solution.
I never did get to make that second PeaPod. My daughter, Kaia, arrived almost four weeks early. But she did get to wear her custom PeaPod, both in the hospital and at home.
What began as one handmade sleep sack has grown into Nurture Works, where my mission is to make newborn care simple through trusted education and thoughtfully designed products.
The PeaPod wasn't created to reinvent newborn sleep. It was created to make safe sleep simpler. Every zipper, every stitch, and every design choice reflects what I've learned as a NICU nurse, pediatric nurse practitioner, and mother. My hope is that each time you zip your baby into the PeaPod, you feel a little more confident, a little more supported, and reminded that newborn care doesn't have to be complicated.
