Mother Stories
At Home With Melissa Christine Geraghty & BreathableBaby
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Morgan Pansing
Sep 23, 2021
Caring for a toddler and a new baby at the same time can be a lot. SoCal-based mama Melissa Christine Geraghty knows the ups and downs all too well. And, as she explains it, being able to have peace of mind on some of the bigger issues—like having a safe sleeping set-up for a new baby—is priceless when juggling so many balls at once.
In honor of Baby Safety Month (September!), the safe sleep experts over at BreathableBaby sent Melissa two of their signature furniture pieces to add to her stunning home. The first is the modern Breathable Mesh 2-in-1 Mini Crib, which is ideal for a parent’s room or nursery. The second is the Breathable Mesh Portable Sleeper, that can be easily transported anywhere—inside, outside, or on the road—with over 30% more sleep space than a typical bassinet (it’s cradle size!).
Find out what makes these two eco-friendly products extra-safe for babies (and extra-relieving to busy parents), while getting to know this inspiring mother better.
This post is brought to you by Mother + BreathableBaby.
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"We have been living at our home for almost 4 years now. We actually closed on it the week we found out we were pregnant with my son! This is our first home we actually own, so we wanted to make sure that it was something we could raise our family in and a place to feel safe and comfortable. We love it! We have a lot of space and room for our kids as well as for ourselves."
Breathable™ Mesh 2-in-1 Mini Crib with Mattress, $299.99, BreathableBaby.
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"It definitely has different elements. It’s a traditional home, but I wanted to make it more of our vibe. We lived in a Spanish-style home prior to this, so we always had a little boho style to our space. I wanted our new home to look more open and clean with minimal but modern boho elements."
Breathable™ Mesh 2-in-1 Mini Crib with Mattress, $299.99, BreathableBaby.
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The Breathable™ Mesh 2-in-1 Mini Crib in Beech & White fits seamlessly into Melissa's warm, minimalist space.
"I love the sleek style. It’s hard to find a crib that’s functional and stylish," she says. "I also love the mini size so it can fit nicely into our bedroom. I’m not ready for her to sleep in her own room just yet, so it’s the perfect setup in here!"
This unique, Earth-friendly mini crib combines the strength and integrity of traditional wood cribs with the peace of mind made possible with BreathableBaby's patented breathable mesh sides, which offers unrestricted ventilation and zero risk of baby's arms or legs getting stuck between slats. Plus, no pacifiers thrown out to the floor below!
The design's two-position mattress height adjustment allows parents to lower the mattress as baby begins to sit or stand and lasts up to 24 months or when baby is 35” in height.
Breathable™ Mesh 2-in-1 Mini Crib with Mattress, $299.99, BreathableBaby.
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"I’d say yes and no? I always knew I wanted to eventually have a family and have kids, but I never really knew exactly when that would happen. I actually wanted to be a career woman first and have a family later. I ended up meeting my husband early on in my life, so it kind of went the opposite way. I really wouldn’t have it any other way though! I feel like we were ready in our life. We got married, lived our newlywed life and traveled, and a year later we were ready to settle and start our family."
Breathable™ Mesh 2-in-1 Mini Crib with Mattress, $299.99, BreathableBaby.
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"I’ve secretly/not so secretly have always wanted one boy and one girl. I would try to pretend that I wouldn’t care about the sex of both kids, but I really did! I think it was the same for my husband. I’m an only child, but my husband is 1 of 3 and all his siblings have one boy and one girl. Weird, right? I couldn’t wait to find out."
"I definitely think motherhood has made me think of gender differently. Having a boy first has been different from what I’m personally used to. But I truly love his thirst for adventure and spontaneity. I also now know all the different types of trucks and dinosaurs! I’ve been so used to raising my son that I was starting to get nervous about raising a girl just because it seems so different. I think what makes me so excited about raising them is to share moments with them since they’re so close in age and for them to be able to have experiences together will be so beautiful!"
Breathable™ Mesh 2-in-1 Mini Crib with Mattress, $299.99, BreathableBaby.
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"I get to experience two different sides of motherhood. With my 3-year-old son, I have a buddy that really gets to discover and experience new things. Things he learns and gets excited about. I also get to have the baby stage right now with all the snuggles and mother and baby connection. The best of both worlds, but crazy at the same time."
Breathable™ Mesh 2-in-1 Mini Crib with Mattress, $299.99, BreathableBaby.
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"Just life in general. Juggling the two, functioning, and watching them grow up too fast."
Breathable™ Mesh 2-in-1 Mini Crib with Mattress, $299.99, BreathableBaby.
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- "I’d say balance. They both need something completely different and sometimes it’s hard to do it at the same exact time. I’m trying my best, I think all parents do."
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- "Seeing my son as the sweetest brother ever warms my heart! He’s so good with her and loves to see her everyday. He talks to her and lays with her all the time, it’s the cutest! She also loves him so much! She smiles at him every time and gets sad if he walks away. So adorable!"
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With the Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, BreathableBaby set out to build a better bassinet—for room sharing or any other occasion. The new lightweight design is slightly bigger than a bassinet, but smaller than a crib, and infinitely portable.
"Aside from it’s beautiful design, it has so much room!" says Melissa. "I always find that other bassinets are not very big and that you can't use them for very long. My babies are very long, so I love that extra space. It’s also easy to move around, one of the most functional baby items I own!"
The sturdy, non-toxic, Greenguard Gold certified Sleeper offers 30% more sleep space than typical bassinets (it's "cradle size") and is extra safe thanks to its mesh sides for maximum ventilation and visibility.
Ideal for babies from birth to 6 months, the Sleeper is made from sustainable New Zealand pine and composite that are compliant with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) mission to improve air quality. It is finished with non-toxic paint that’s free of lead, phthalates, and formaldehyde.
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, $249.99, BreathableBaby.
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"Be prepared to not sleep again. Ha! Also, go in with no expectations. I personally think the second kid is so much more chill because they go with the flow and are used to having another child around. I also think if something didn’t work for you the first time, try it again. I wasn’t able to successfully breastfeed my first, but I tried again for the second time and we’re still going strong."
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, $249.99, BreathableBaby.
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"I think moms need friends always, now more than ever. I think regularly checking in, maybe FaceTime once in a while or if you’re ok with visitors, it’s important to see each other. Food is honestly the best gift you can give those first few weeks or also just being there and watching the baby so she can shower is great too! Moms need to be able to feel like they haven’t been forgotten just because they had a baby."
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, $249.99, BreathableBaby.
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- Playful big brother Logan (a.k.a. LJ) is 3 years older than baby sister Blake Lilah.
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"Absolute mayhem! My 3-year-old procrastinates sleep, it’s terrible. If my husband gets home from work before bedtime, we’re able to split the duties. If not, I try to juggle both. A lot of times I’ll put my daughter in the portable sleeper so that I can get my son ready for bed next to us. Bedtime is such a process, but it gets done!"
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, $249.99, BreathableBaby.
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"Very! I know it's changed so much and it keeps changing! But I think it’s important to practice baby safety and safe sleep. It’s one of the things that you just can't be lax on because it’s so important!"
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, $249.99, BreathableBaby.
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Baby Blake getting dotted on in her safe, mesh-sided
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper.
All BreathableBaby products are independently tested to meet or exceed safety standards set by ASTM International and the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, $249.99, BreathableBaby.
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"I was born in Canada, but we moved here when I was two and I grew up here in Los Angeles. I was an only child so I learned to be very independent and self-sufficient. I’m full Filipino and both of my parents were immigrants."
"I’d say sometimes it was hard because I wanted to grow up with more American standards than Filipino standards. Now that I’m all grown up, I realize it is important to have both and it makes me the person that I am today."
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, $249.99, BreathableBaby.
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"Yes definitely! I think good table manners are important, so I’m trying to incorporate that right now with my toddler. I also think it's important to raise our children to love and respect everyone the same. Not that that wasn't incorporated into my upbringing, but it was less talked about during that generation."
"I’m also trying to pass on Filipino traditions to my children. I’m lucky to have my mom close by, so we’re constantly eating and cooking Filipino food. I keep asking my mom to teach my son Tagalog since I only understand it. We shall see!"
"My husband's side is Irish, so we also try to celebrate those traditions as well. I think it’s important for my kids to know their cultures and history. It’s who we are and I want them to appreciate what makes them special and unique."
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, $249.99, BreathableBaby.
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"It’s changed so much. I’ve been acting since I was in college and it was a huge priority for me for quite some time. During my acting career, I started to content create and found such a passion for it. I started to really get into beauty and skincare and that ultimately made me feel like I found something that I truly loved to do."
"When I became a mother, I realized how much of a priority my kids were over anything else. My son needed me and I felt like I could always go back to everything else. Luckily, I’ve still been able to create content while being a mother."
"When I was pregnant with my second, I decided that it was time to put my acting career on hold. I realized with my first how fast time goes and how these first couple of years are so precious. I feel like my kids need me and I need them. I think it’s hard to juggle all of it whether you decide to be a working mom or not. I feel fortunate to be able to find a passion in content creation while being home with my kids, everything else I feel like I can always go back to later."
Breathable™ Mesh Portable Sleeper, $249.99, BreathableBaby.
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- "It was definitely hard at first having everyone home 24/7. I felt like I ended up working the most when we were in quarantine and I was able to figure out a good work schedule with my husband home. When everything opened back up again, I felt like that was another adjustment since I my husband went back to work and I wanted to socialize and take my son out for activities. I think the key is to do what you feel is best for your family and what you think is safe for you and your kids. I find it best to schedule my work during nap times. Snacks also make things easier too and baby wearing!"
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- "I’m very lucky to have help. My mom and her partner are able to watch my kids sometimes so I’m able to get away with some 'me time.' My personality needs that personal time, I can't live without it. I think it's important to have some quality time alone just to relax and reset. If you don't have help, I think it's important to express that you need 'me time' to your significant other and set a date/time for you to have that!"
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"OMG so many, and I know mamas need their beauty! I’m really into hydrating my skin and hair since we’re getting into fall. Right now, I’m loving Biossance Squalane oil, Herbivore Botanicals Cloud Jelly Serum, Jose Maran’s Argan Facial Oil, and Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask."
"For hair, I love all Briogeo products, Josie Maran’s Argan Hair Oil, The Ouai x Byredo Leave in Hair Conditioner, and The Ouai Curl Creme. And for non-toxic and clean hair growth products (perfect for postpartum), Vegamour!"
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- "Spend quality time with family, every moment. Also TRAVEL! I plan to travel so much with the kids once it’s safer."
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For more on Melissa and her family, be sure to follow her on Instagram at @melissa.christine.
To get your hands on the crib and sleeper featured in this story, head over to BreathableBaby.com.
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