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Taphs.com - Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Hi, I’mRachel Barret.

Maternal & child health specialist - translating evidence-based health information into practical, everyday solutions for modern families navigating pregnancy, postpartum and early childhood.

Maternal & Child Health SpecialistFounder & Editor-in-Chief, Taphs.comSafe-sleep & postpartum educator
Read my storyEditor’s pickstaphs.com/blog
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Years in maternal-child health

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Evidence-based guides published

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Nannies vetted & placed

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Families reading Taphs monthly

Rachel Barret, maternal and child health specialist and founder of Taphs.com, smiling in a sage-green blazer
AAP-aligned sleep guides
Background-checked nannies
Rachel BarretFounder · Taphs.com

01 · My Story

A letter from
the editor.

Rachel Barret at her desk reviewing printed baby-care guides with handwritten notes
The editor’s desk - where every guide begins

- Rachel Barret

Maternal & Child Health Specialist

I created Taphs.com with one simple goal in mind: to give modern families the support, knowledge, and trusted resources they need to thrive. Parenthood is the most important job most of us will ever do - and the one we’re handed with the least preparation.

Navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and early childhood can feel overwhelming. That’s why I’ve dedicated my career to translating evidence-based health information into practical, everyday solutions. Whether I’m helping parents understand safe sleep guidelines, curating guides on the best products for infant care, or connecting families with thoroughly vetted, certified nannies, my approach is always rooted in empathy, safety, and empowerment.

At Taphs, we believe that peace of mind is the foundation of great parenting. Every nanny we recommend is background-checked and experienced, and every article we publish is designed to make your journey a little easier. I’m so glad you’re here - and I look forward to supporting you and your family every step of the way.

Why families trust Taphs

  • Every claim traces to peer-reviewed research or AAP, WHO & CDC guidance - sources are always listed.
  • No pay-to-play: brands can’t buy a placement, a ranking, or a kind word.
  • A visible last-reviewed date on every article, with corrections published transparently.
  • Products are tested in real homes by real families before they’re ever recommended.

The road here

  1. 2012

    Where it began

    Started as a family-support educator, working alongside nurses in postpartum units and seeing firsthand how hungry new parents are for clear answers.

  2. 2016

    Going deeper

    Certified in maternal-child health education, with dedicated training in safe-sleep counseling, infant feeding and postpartum recovery support.

  3. 2019

    Taphs is born

    Launched Taphs.com to turn 3 a.m. parenting googling into calm, evidence-based answers families can actually use.

  4. 2022

    The vetted nanny network

    Built Taphs’ six-step screening process so families could hire background-checked, experienced nannies with total peace of mind.

  5. 2026

    Growing with you

    300+ reviewed guides, 500+ nanny placements, and a readership of modern families that keeps this work grounded in real life.

02 · The Taphs Standard

How every guide
earns its place.

Trust isn’t claimed - it’s built, article by article. This is the editorial process behind everything published under my name on Taphs.com.

01

Research first

Every guide starts with the primary sources - peer-reviewed studies and current AAP, WHO and CDC guidance - never with a product to sell or a trend to chase.

Sources cited at the end of every article

02

Written by specialists

Maternal-child health specialists draft the science; working parents edit it for 3 a.m. clarity. If a tired parent can’t follow it, we rewrite it.

Drafted by experts, edited for real life

03

Family-tested

Products and routines are trialled in real nurseries and real kitchens for weeks - not unboxed in a studio. Only what survives real families earns a spot.

Weeks of real-world testing, not unboxings

04

Kept current

Guidance changes, and so do we. Every article is re-reviewed quarterly, stamped with its last-reviewed date, and updated the moment evidence shifts.

Re-reviewed every quarter, dated openly

Every article carries a visible last-reviewed stamp - e.g. “Reviewed January 2026”

See the standard in action

03 · Areas of Expertise

What I help families
navigate.

Fourteen years of maternal-child health, distilled into the six areas families ask me about most. Hover any row to see where the guides live.

  • 01

    Safe Sleep & SIDS Risk Reduction

    Crib setup, wearable blankets, room-sharing - AAP guidance translated into checklists you can use tonight.

    0–12 months
  • 02

    Newborn & Infant Care

    Bathing, cord care, soothing and first routines - the practical basics, minus the fear-mongering.

    0–6 months
  • 03

    Postpartum Recovery

    Physical healing, mental-health check-ins and partner support for the fourth trimester and beyond.

    Parents too
  • 04

    Infant Feeding & Nutrition

    Breast, bottle or combination feeding - and starting solids with confidence, not chaos.

    0–24 months
  • 05

    Toddler Development & Play

    Milestones, gentle boundaries and sleep regressions - what’s typical, what’s not, and when to ask for help.

    1–3 years
  • 06

    Finding & Vetting a Nanny

    Interview scripts, red flags, trial days and contracts - hire childcare with your eyes wide open.

    All ages

04 · From the Blog

Editor’s picks from
Taphs.com.

Three guides I hand to new parents most often - each one researched, family-tested and stamped with its last-reviewed date.

View all articles on the Taphs blog
A sage-green wearable sleep sack and white crib sheet arranged for a safe infant sleep setup
Safe Sleep
7 min readReviewed Jan 2026

Is It Safe to Swaddle a Baby at Night?

When swaddling helps, the hip-safe way to do it, and the exact night you should stop - answered with AAP-aligned guidance.

RBBy Rachel BarretRead the guide
A professional nanny reading a picture book with a happy toddler on a cozy sofa
Childcare
11 min readReviewed Dec 2025

How to Choose the Right Nanny for Your Family

My personal interview script, the five red flags I never ignore, and how to run a trial day that reveals everything.

RBBy Rachel BarretRead the guide
Newborn essentials flat-lay with a glass bottle, muslin swaddle and wooden baby brush
Newborn Gear
9 min readReviewed Jan 2026

The Only 12 Things You Actually Need for Month One

A minimalist, pediatrician-informed registry edit - what earned a place in real nurseries and what stayed in the box.

RBBy Rachel BarretRead the guide

05 · Vetted Care

Every nanny,
checked like family.

Handing your child to someone new is one of the hardest things a parent does. That’s why peace of mind isn’t a feature of the Taphs nanny network - it’s the whole point. Every nanny we recommend is background-checked, certified and experienced, and every placement begins with a supervised trial day in your own home.

Meet our nannies

6-step screening · 214-point checklist

1 in 9 applicants accepted

The Taphs vetting path

Six gates between an application and your front door

  • Identity verified

    Government ID checked and confirmed in person before anything else begins.

  • National background check

    County, state and national registry screening - no exceptions, no shortcuts.

  • Experience confirmed

    A minimum of two years of infant or childcare experience, with documentation.

  • CPR & first-aid certified

    Current pediatric certification is required - and re-verified annually.

  • Reference calls

    Structured calls with every past family, using the same questions every time.

  • Trial-day observation

    A supervised session with your family before any match is ever made.

214-point safety checklistRefreshed quarterly

06 · Notes from Families

Peace of mind, delivered.

“Rachel’s safe-sleep guide was the first thing that actually made 3 a.m. feel manageable. Clear, calm, and zero judgment.”

Maya P.

First-time mom · Portland

“We found our nanny through Taphs in two weeks. The vetting paperwork alone was worth it - we slept for the first time in months.”

The Okonkwo Family

Parents of twins · Austin

“Every guide reads like advice from a wise friend who happens to read all the research so you don’t have to.”

Dana & Chris R.

Parents of two · Chicago

07 · Frequently Asked

Asked at 3 a.m.,
answered here.

The questions families email me most - about how Taphs works, how we vet, and how to trust what you read.

Ask me anythinghello@taphs.com

Taphs is a maternal and child health platform founded by Rachel Barret. We publish evidence-based guides on pregnancy, postpartum recovery and early childhood, review infant-care products honestly, and connect families with background-checked, experienced nannies.

Every guide is researched against peer-reviewed studies and current guidance from the AAP, WHO and CDC, drafted by maternal-child health specialists, and re-reviewed each quarter with a visible last-reviewed date. Taphs supports - but never replaces - care from your pediatrician or midwife.

Every nanny passes a six-step screening: government ID verification, a national background check, confirmed infant-care experience of at least two years, current pediatric CPR and first-aid certification, structured reference calls with past families, and a supervised trial day before any match is made.

No. Placements and rankings are never sold. Products are tested in real family homes before we recommend them. We may earn a small commission when you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you, and it never influences what we recommend.

Guides are written by maternal and child health specialists, edited by working parents for real-world clarity, and fact-checked against primary sources. Every article lists its references and shows when it was last reviewed.

Email hello@taphs.com with your question, topic idea or correction. Reader feedback shapes our editorial calendar, and any correction is published transparently with a dated note on the article.

One email · every Sunday

The Sunday Check-In.

One evidence-based tip for your family’s week - safe-sleep refreshers, gentle routines, honest product notes. No noise, no guilt, unsubscribe anytime.

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