Roots Expert Spotlight: Meet Shayna Abraham, Founder & Family Advocate
At Little Seeds, we believe families deserve steady, informed, and compassionate support—especially when systems feel overwhelming or fall short. Our Roots Expert Spotlight series introduces the people who help hold families through life’s most pivotal transitions.
Today, we’re honored to spotlight Shayna Abraham, whose work bridges advocacy, systems navigation, and deeply human care for families during pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood.
A Little About Shayna and Her Work
Shayna is a mother, founder, and longtime advocate who has spent more than two decades supporting families through high-stakes transitions—particularly when educational, therapeutic, or medical systems feel complex or inaccessible.
As an entrepreneur, she has built mission-driven organizations that translate complexity into clear, ethical decision-making for parents. Her work is shaped by both professional expertise and lived experience, including her journey as a NICU parent. Families often describe Shayna as a steady, kind, and practical guide—someone who helps parents advocate with confidence during moments that truly matter.
What Drew Her to This Work
Shayna’s career has always centered on supporting families during major transitions, but the early delivery of her daughter fundamentally reshaped where she felt called to focus her work.
Experiencing a prolonged NICU stay firsthand revealed how fragmented and overwhelming pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood can become—especially when medical complexity enters the picture. That experience drew her toward supporting families during and beyond the NICU, where clear guidance, advocacy, and compassionate systems navigation can have a lasting impact on both parents and children.
Family Life in This Season
Family life right now is structured and full.
Shayna’s daughter attends multiple therapy appointments each week and is just beginning preschool, which means days are carefully coordinated. At the same time, the family makes space for simple rituals they love—like walks to local coffee shops and nearby parks that help them stay grounded and connected.
With two self-employed parents, there’s a constant balancing act. Shayna shares deep gratitude for the team of providers, caregivers, and loved ones who support not just her daughter, but their entire family.
What Parents Need More Support Around in the Early Days
Shayna sees a significant gap in preparation and expectation-setting, especially when birth and postpartum don’t unfold as planned.
Her own early parenting experience took place entirely in the NICU for four months—an experience most parents are never prepared for. She believes families need more honest conversations about what medically complex postpartum periods can look like, and how profoundly they can shape early parenthood.
She also emphasizes the importance of community. Many parents struggle with asking for help, often carrying an unspoken belief that needing support means failure. Normalizing interdependence—and helping families find or build meaningful community—can make an enormous difference in the early days.
How She Hopes Families Feel After Working With Her
Shayna hopes families feel steadier and less alone.
More hopeful. More grounded. And deeply connected to the people and resources that can truly support them through this season and beyond.
One Small Piece of Advice for New or Expecting Parents
Trust yourself and your instincts—for yourself and for your family.
You know more than you think you do, and your voice matters from the very beginning.
A Favorite Ritual During Busy Days
Years ago, a colleague shared what Shayna considers one of the most sustainable forms of self-care: going to the bathroom when you actually need to, rather than waiting until it’s convenient.
Honoring basic physical needs, she’s found, is often the most realistic and impactful form of care—especially in busy, high-demand seasons.
Tools & Resources She Often Recommends
Shayna often recommends using a simple calendar instead of a traditional baby book, jotting down small moments as they happen without pressure or perfection. This creates a low-risk, manageable way to capture memories—especially during medically complex or overwhelming seasons.
She also frequently suggests the Huckleberry app, which helps families track early details and can be especially supportive for medical families asked to recall large amounts of information.
What Support Looks Like in Her Own Life
Support right now looks like shared responsibility and trusted partnership.
It also looks like flexibility and understanding—both professionally and personally—as Shayna and her partner balance parenting a medically complex child while both being self-employed. Support means not doing it all alone, and feeling resourced enough to show up with steadiness and presence for both family and work.
Something Just for Her
Shayna loves to work out, especially lifting weights and spin classes.
These days, workouts mostly happen in the garage—but she deeply values the energy of group classes and the connection that comes from “suffering together.”
Why Community Matters So Much During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Community is essential because no one is meant to navigate pregnancy and postpartum alone.
When plans change, emotions run high, or medical complexity enters the picture, community offers both practical help and emotional grounding. Strong community normalizes asking for support, reduces isolation, and reminds parents that needing help is not a failure—it’s part of how families remain resilient and well during seasons of change.
Connect With Shayna Abraham
Website: www.preparetobloom.com
Social Media: https://substack.com/@beyondthenicu
Shayna invites families to explore her writing and work to see if her guidance and advocacy feel like the right fit—especially for those navigating pregnancy, postpartum, or medically complex early parenthood.
