Here at the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants we want to ensure that our members are up to date with the most relevant and progressive products and sleep aids on the market. This month we caught up with Melissa Gersin, inventor of the Tranquilo Mat, a portable, vibrating baby mat that mimics the sounds and motions of the womb, helping fussy babies go from crying to calm in seconds.
Melissa has spent her career working as a Registered Nurse, specializing in obstetrics (Labor and Delivery, and Mother and Baby Care). Her decision to create the Tranquilo Mat was inspired by her own upbringing, having been privy to the exhaustion and helplessness her mother experienced when Melissa had colic as a baby, and how this ultimately affected their relationship.
Working as a maternity nurse in the years that followed, Melissa has seen first hand the impact that consistent crying, fussiness, and unsettledness in babies (particularly newborns) can lead to the breakdown of the mother-baby bond – and as such, became determined to save other families from the same fate.
Melissa went on to complete her ?Infant Crying Specialist? training at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which was based on Harvey Karp?s ?5S?s. ?When I took these techniques back to my patients, I saw how well they worked, but also saw they were physically demanding for parents to maintain long term?.And whilst swings and vibrating chairs existed, they only played cute lullabies and not the more effective white noise. I also noticed that these bulky devices didn?t work in all settings (e.g., medically ill babies who couldn?t be picked up and soothed), and always required the baby leaving a parent?s embrace?.
At first, Melissa thought creating a vibrating crib might solve these issues, but she realized that not every hospital used the same type of crib and that these cribs can be bulky. Instead, she saw a tremendous need for something to quickly and easily soothe fussy babies that was also soft, flexible, and easy to use in multiple settings. And so, the Tranquilo Infant Soothing Mat ? was born.
As a Registered Nurse, safety is Melissa?s biggest priority. As such, it took her close to nine months to find the right foam to use for the product that was firm enough for ?safe sleep?. The Tranquilo Mat has endured extensive trials, testing, and safety checks to ensure that all strict standards are met, and quality assured. For parents who are hypervigilant about safety, the Tranquilo Mat can also easily be placed under the crib sheet or under the mattress and still provide soothing sound and vibrations.
And the key selling points? Here are just a few…
Portable – battery operation and simple, lightweight design for total portability
Versatile – compact and flexible so it can be used anytime, anywhere
Customizable – it has a choice of vibration modes to keep baby happy
Water resistant – interior electronic components are fully protected from diaper leaks and spit up
Washable – gender-neutral khaki cotton cover is fully removable and washable
Affordable – costs less and offers better value than similar baby products on the market
The Tranquilo Mat can be purchased online here, and comes in small and large sizes, and twin/combo packs. Melissa and her team have kindly offered all members of the APSC a 20% coupon code, and 10% coupon code for your clients; which will be included in our next monthly newsletter – so stay tuned if you are a member of the APSC!
We love the Tranquilo Mat, and know that this innovation will be a great asset to any sleep consultant working with parents of colicky or generally unsettled babies.