meet our specialists
Owner, Pediatric Sleep & Parenting Specialist
Sara is the owner of The Mama Co-Op and a board certified pediatric RN with over 20 years of nursing experience. She is a certified pediatric and adult sleep consultant with a focus in maternal and pediatric mental health.
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She guides parents through all of the dreaded sleep schedules and routines towards a realm of peaceful, nurtured and rejuvenating sleep. Her approach advocates for postpartum mental health knowing that lack of sleep for new parents is bidirectional.
Evidence shows that there is a strong association between infant sleep problems and maternal depressive symptoms, even when known depression risk factors are taken into account. The Mama Co-Op teaches parents how to modify sleep behavior creating positive sleep associations.
Sara's background
When she first became a mom almost 25 years ago, she was still in college with one year left to graduate. And had no idea what changes were in store.
After a 23 hour vaginal delivery without an epidural, she discovered that her adorable 10 pound baby boy would need to be flown from a small town hospital to Children's Hospital Colorado because his vital signs were showing that he wasn’t getting enough oxygen. Soon after he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, Ebstein's Anomaly in 1998.
Looking back on this experience with her first baby, there were so many risk factors and symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety that she was experiencing. Yet, back then there was very little known about perinatal mental health. And there was still a huge negative stigma around mental health. That experience inspired me to become a pediatric nurse.
Over the last two decades, her nursing career has focused on teaching families in the pediatrics, ambulatory, management and tele-health settings. Collaborating with parents and offering compassionate care is her specialty. In 2019, she became a certified sleep consultant to focus on helping exhausted families create healthy sleep habits. Because she loves nursing and love pediatrics, she continues to work part time as a nurse. Her passion is truly supporting growing families with holistic and gentle sleep strategies and education about pediatric and maternal mental health.
Sara becomes a relatable source to the families she is supporting because she has been through it all herself as a mom of four. She’s currently in the last year of grad school to become a psych/mental health nurse practitioner to further support the pediatric and maternal mental wellness needs.
Sara’s married to her summer camp sweetheart and they live in the Denver metro area with their golden doodle.
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Parenting is hard but you aren’t alone in what you are going through and there is help out and resources out there. There’s just no overestimating how impactful good quality sleep is for families.
Sara's approach
"As a pediatric RN and perinatal/pediatric sleep coach, I’ve noticed that a lot of my clients are currently or in the process of overcoming postpartum mood disorders. That’s why it’s so important for me to normalize these symptoms and open up the dialogue in a safe space while offering the systems and resources that these families so desperately need. With all of my pregnancies, I experienced postpartum depression and wish that I could have had access and knowledge to all of the resources that are available now.
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Working as a sleep consultant is more than sleep. It’s about supporting the parent and the child. It’s a collaborative effort with each family that will result in peaceful sleep and ultimately, rest.
When you work with me I promise to trust you. So much of what we read and see online and hear from others is overwhelming and creates confusion. Everything we do together will be focused on helping you sift through that information and trust your gut. We will get through this together. Parenting is hard, no matter the stage, and you aren’t alone in this adventure. I see you doing your best and still feeling like you aren’t doing a good enough job. But know this, up until this point you have been doing all that you can to get through each day and there’s NO shame in that. Now, let’s get you and your family growing and thriving."
“I cannot say enough wonderful things about Sara. She is warm, kind, and incredibly experienced in her craft. Parenting is anything but a paved road - but having Sara as a resource for ALL things (seriously - she is invaluable), makes the road seem less steep. Not only is she knowledgeable, but she is incredibly respectful, inclusive, and inviting of all parenting types. She doesn't drive decisions for you - she educates, supports, and empowers you to make the best decisions for your family. I cannot sing her praises enough! What a gift she is.”
-Hannah
my qualifications
Having credentialed and experienced specialists in your corner makes all the difference.
License:
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Registered Nurse since 2005
Degrees:
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Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Regis University
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Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner candidate 2024 from Purdue
Certifications:
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CPN-Certified Pediatric Nurse
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PMH-C Perinatal Mental Health Certification
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Pediatric Neurodivergent Sleep Certification
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Newborn and Pediatric Sleep Certification
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Adult Sleep Certification
"I highly recommend! We worked with Sara as a pediatric sleep consultant for our 7 year old daughter. Our daughter up to that point, was unable to sleep consecutive nights in a row and was struggling with night wakings every night for years.
Since working with Sara, our daughter has made tremendous strides and we have not only seen her sleep patterns improve, but also her confidence.
Sleep training a young child is no easy feat. With Sara's help and guidance we feel confident we have the tools we need to help our daughter. We are so grateful we found her!!"
-Sarah L
Kira Covill
Potty Training & Sleep Specialist
Hello! My name is Kira and I am a certified potty training coach. I have been a pediatric RN for 17 years, and about 2 years ago I started on my journey to become a certified infant sleep coach and then became a certified potty-training coach. I remember being a new mom and feeling like I didn’t have all the answers, how did the other parents get their child to sleep? How did everyone else night train their children? As a certified coach, I am here to be an advocate for your child and you! Let’s make this easier on everyone- sound like a plan?
Allison Powell
Administrative assistant
Meet Alli, a recent college graduate in Planning, Public Policy, and Management. With a passion for fostering a sense of community and a dedication to helping others, Alli is excited to assist Mama Co-Op in providing impactful and life-changing support to families. Alli uses a multi-dimensional approach to solving complex problems, using relationship building and data development to find the best solution for each unique individual. In her free time, Alli loves to escape into a book and go on adventures with her dog, Phoebe.
