Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Grossman.
Lisa, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After graduating from college in 2004, I was hired by a recruiting agency, and I worked as a recruiter until 2010. I always felt passionate about finding a career where my sole purpose would be to help other people. My father was diagnosed with cancer, and I got exposure to the nursing profession during his surgeries and treatments. In 2009, I started completing prerequisite courses so that I could apply for nursing school. In 2011, I was accepted to Mount St. Mary’s College and started the Accelerated Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
In 2012, I graduated from MSMC, earning my BSN, and passed the NCLEX exam which is required for licensure as a Registered Nurse. I was hired at Centinela Hospital to work in the Adult Medical and Neurological ICU, and I gained a lot of experience in the most critical situations. In late 2013, I moved on and began working as a Clinical Research Nurse in the area of oncology. While this area of nursing was the hardest emotionally, it was rewarding for me both personally and professionally.
After giving birth to my first child via emergency cesarean section, I was in awe of the nurses that took care of me and decided to switch gears. I was hired to work at Cedars-Sinai on the Mother/Baby unit. I gained a lot of my current skills and knowledge base while working at Cedars-Sinai taking care of postpartum mothers and newborn babies. I was also trained to provide breastfeeding education and lactation support and I gained a lot of hands-on experience in this area.
Late last year, in 2017, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression after giving birth to my second child. It was a difficult time for me, and it also delayed my return to work and made finding care for my baby difficult. As the cloud lifted and I felt like myself again, my husband and I decided that I would start South Bay Baby Care in hopes that I could educate and support new parents just as I had done before but in a different capacity.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
South Bay Baby Care is still fairly new. It has been challenging starting a new business while balancing my family and personal life. I am not a “business-minded” person, so I have had to teach myself how to think differently.
I built my website myself, which was well beyond my scope of creativity. I didn’t sleep for most of the weekend while I built it! I am constantly working on things for the business because I know that I can always make improvements and there is always something I can be doing better. I have also had to learn as I go because this is uncharted territory.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about South Bay Baby Care – what should we know?
I believe that what I am doing with South Bay Baby Care is something new. Registered Nurses don’t typically start businesses. My business model focuses on providing private and personalized education and care services in the comfort of the home.
The information and care that I provide all comes from my experience working on the Mother/Baby unit as well as from training I have received from the American Heart Association for CPR and First Aid and the Center for Breastfeeding’s Certified Lactation Counselor training. The education and care areas of my perinatal services are broken down into two: Before Baby and After Baby.
During the before baby educational session, I provide a comprehensive, personalized curriculum that covers postpartum care and recovery, newborn care and breastfeeding. For example, if a client tells me that she has a cesarean section scheduled, then we focus solely on c-section delivery and recovery. If clients have specific questions relating to a diagnosis, such as gestational diabetes. I personalize the curriculum so they can understand what happens once the baby is born and the testing that will be required. It is their session and can be tailored to their needs as they see fit.
The After Baby session takes place once the baby is born and mom and baby have been discharged from the hospital. This session is more hands-on but still educational at the same time. The majority of the time clients have asked me to assist then with breastfeeding education and assistance with latch-on techniques, but I also assist with breast pump setup and sanitization of pump parts, pre/post feeding weight comparisons so we can determine how much the baby is taking during the feed, bathing baby, swaddling and soothing and sleep routine guidance. I created a sleep routine guide that details the physiology behind infant sleep cycles and needs. I offer this as an add-on service and assist parents in establishing routines with the goal of working toward longer sleep stretches at night when deemed safe for baby. I’ve assisted clients with bottle-feeding and even babywearing!
The session is tailored to meet the individuals’ needs. I am also certified by the American Heart Association to teach general and certification courses in the areas of CPR, Airway Obstruction, AED and First Aid. I have had a number of families and groups of friends hire me to teach private CPR and First Aid classes.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First and foremost, my husband has been a tremendous instigator and supporter of South Bay Baby Care. I cannot thank him enough. I most certainly would not have been able to start the business without him.
As I mentioned previously, I experienced postpartum depression after having my second son, and before South Bay Baby Care was even a thought. Once I recovered from it, and the idea came about, I confided in my psychologist, Dr. Vivian Credidio about the idea. She was beyond supportive and encouraged me to move forward and to keep moving forward every step of the way!
Two OB physicians have been supportive of my business and have been referring their patients to me. I am so very grateful to Dr. Freya Marshall and Dr. Alexandra Bujor for their support!
My friends and family have all been so supportive which has meant so much to me. My parents have spent extra time watching the kids so I can accommodate my clients at the time that works best for them. My “Mommy” group, known as the “Rogue Moms” really encouraged me to go after my dreams and let me practice my CPR teaching skills on them!
At Cedars-Sinai, I was trained by two amazing nurses, Annie Aivazian and Lenore Skydell, and received great support from our unit director, Anna Greif. I am confident that I would not be where I am without them.
My business wouldn’t be what it is without the support of all of these amazing people.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.southbaybabycare.com
- Phone: 3106509722
- Email: lisa@southbaybabycare.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southbaybabycare/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthBayBabyCare/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SBBabyCare
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/south-bay-baby-care-manhattan-beach-2
Image Credit:
Courtney McCain
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