Hannah Love

Hannah Love, a baby sleep and parenting expert with over 25 years of experience, is dedicated to helping families find joy and balance in the often chaotic world of parenting. As a best-selling author and qualified Paediatric Nurse, maternity nurse, and Nutritional therapist, Hannah has a wealth of knowledge and a compassionate approach that resonates with parents worldwide. In this interview we hear Hannah’s story.

Can you share your journey of entrepreneurship from the time you decided to start your business to where you are now, considering the significant milestones of trying to conceive, pregnancy, and post-partum?

I started my business in 2008, the same month that I had my first baby, Oliver. At the time I was a trained Paediatric Nurse, Nutritional Therapist and Nanny/ Maternity nurse. I was nannying for a family when I fell pregnant and they didn’t want me back with a baby. I set up my business and once Oliver came along I found a part tome nanny job which he came with me to when he was 5 weeks old.

In 2012 I left my part tom nanny job to work full time for Yummy Baby, got married, fell pregnant again and raised Oliver (who was just starting school) and Ella along side building my company. I didn’t have any maternity leave and remember taking calls when I was on the way home from hospital 24 hours after my c-section.

Henry came along in 2015 and again I worked up until I was going into theatre (literally) and then from the moment I came home. I was on 24/7/365 calls for the families I worked for and juggled my 3 babies pretty much childcare free along side my business helping and supporting other parents.

What were the unique challenges you faced as a female entrepreneur while going through the process of trying to conceive, pregnancy, and post-partum? How did you navigate these challenges?

Lack of maternity leave, not being able to take time off, juggling baby and working. Luckily, I had been working as a nanny and maternity nurse for many years. Flying round the world with the families, had taken care of many newborns and even a family with 9 children.

I was also a sleep specialist so my babies slept independently form day 1, I knew when they would nap so I could book in calls and my husband took over when he got home so I could support families and catch up in the evenings.

How did you manage your business responsibilities while dealing with the physical and emotional aspects of pregnancy and post-partum recovery?

It could be a struggle. Especially in the first trimester. I remember ‘working from bed’ many days. Not being able to function, answering calls at 3am when my baby had only just gone back to sleep. Pumping, cooking and taking calls simultaneously and taking my lap top to soft play on many occasions! I had 3 c sections so recovery was trickier but luckily I could take most calls form my bed and there wasn’t much I couldn’t do from my phone.

Did you experience any changes in your entrepreneurial mindset or approach during pregnancy or after becoming a mother? If so, how did these changes manifest?

Yes! And clarity on how to help others. I honestly thought I would breeze into motherhood. I’d been practising the job for over fifteen years, been in sole care of over twenty-five babies, and spent weeks sleeping overnight with newborns in the same room as me. I was a trained paediatric nurse and I struggled.

I definitely had a new found respect for new parents, I had been supporting them for years but this gave new perspective and the experiences I have as a mummy, working parent, business owner I put into my business every day. 

What support systems or resources were most beneficial to you during your journey as an entrepreneur navigating pregnancy and motherhood?

My experience, husband, I had an occasional childminder with Henry who used to take him for an hour from when he was 3 weeks old so I could make some calls outside. Soft play, parks with fences around them. Back then there was very little resources for parents like me. Luckily things are changing which is why I was keen to help here. Pre pandemic I felt embarrassed if my children spoke in the background, or god forbid , cried! Now it’s normal for working parents to have children with them 

Oh and my cleaner, I wouldn’t have survived without her!

Reflecting on your experience, what are some successes or achievements in your business that you attribute to your journey through trying to conceive, pregnancy, and post-partum?

Helping thousands of families with this juggle. I have a community of 40,000 and help them for free every day. My book, I am a number one best selling author (The C.A.L.M Approach to baby sleep), my husband giving up his corporate career to work with me so we have flexibility as a family but most immortality helping other families relax and enjoy life with their baby.

Conversely, what were some of the biggest obstacles or setbacks you encountered as a female entrepreneur during this period? How did you overcome them?

It was lonely, that was my main negative. To help I volunteered at Home Start Charity and also become the head of the PTA at my children’s school. There is also a lot of negativity about my profession mainly due to there being no legislation and people giving terrible advice. I am passionate about changing this and showing that sleep specialists can be kind, gentle, supportive and educated.

In hindsight, what additional support or resources do you wish you had access to during your journey through entrepreneurship while being pregnant and a new mother?

More maternity leave, more maternity pay, the option of furlough in the pandemic, help with childcare costs, my husband having flexible working (which he did in the end which was amazing). Co working spaces with childcare- my goodness that would have made a HUGE difference to my mental health, ease of working, company for the babies and me too.

How did you balance the demands of entrepreneurship with the needs of your child during their early years? What strategies or techniques proved most effective for you?

Getting them sleeping well and independently, having them settle at bed time so I could work in the evening, sleeping through so I could too, settling for anyone so others can help if needed, getting them used to independent play. But also giving them the attention they needed when awake and needing me.

Looking ahead, what advice would you offer to other female entrepreneurs who are either considering starting a family or are already juggling entrepreneurship and motherhood?

Plan for good sleep, everything is so much easier when you and baby are sleeping. Ask for help (I wasn’t good at that), cherish the time with your baby as it goes too fast, housework can wait or get a cleaner. Look into co working, reach out to others, consider childcare and time block!