Everything You Need to Know About the Taking Cara Babies Drama

Some parents on social media are calling for a boycott of Cara Dumaplin, creator of the popular sleep training program Taking Cara Babies, after news broke this week that the influencer and her husband donated to former President Donald Trump's campaign.

Here's a breakdown of what's going on and what parents are saying—plus Dumaplin's side of the story:

Who Is Cara Dumaplin?

Dumaplin is an Arizona-based mom of four, neonatal nurse, and certified pediatric sleep consultant who founded Taking Cara Babies in 2013 to help new parents tackle sleep deprivation and other common issues.

The uber-popular sleep training program boasts sleep courses for newborns and toddlers up to the age of 2, e-books, and private consultations that help parents of little ones get their kids to sleep—finally.

• RELATED: Sleep Training Your Baby: 7 Tips for Success

Dumaplin's well known for her sleep wizardry, though it's the @takingcarababies Instagram account—that currently has over 1.3 million devotees—that most moms and dads are familiar with. Her easy-to-follow tips and relatable posts are why so many parents are eager to shell out anywhere from $79 to $319 for the Taking Cara Babies classes.

What's All the Drama About?

Things blew up in the parenting space this week when news broke that Dumaplin had donated to the Trump campaign dozens of times over the past few years—totaling $1,078—including as recently as December 2019. It turns out that there are also several 2020 donations to Trump by Ludwig Dumaplin, who appears to be Dumaplin's pediatrician husband.

Parents really started buzzing when other influencers—like baby gear expert @thejamiegrayson who has over 111K followers—started sharing screenshots of the donations.

"You cannot take cara babies if the person you're supporting puts them in cages," Grayson, who described himself as "a very liberal homosexual male," wrote in an Instagram post on January 19. "We live in a time where our money is used to support our values. People tell me that I should keep my mouth shut when it comes to politics and that my platform isn't the place for it. They tell me they will no longer follow me because I use my platform to express my political voice. Well now you have found someone you can go follow if you still support the man who thankfully leaves office tomorrow."

Here's What Parents Are Saying

In a clear reflection of the state of the country right now, parents are divided on the controversy—and on the issue of boycotting Taking Cara Babies.

For many who oppose Trump and the policies set forward by his administration, unfollowing Dumaplin and her company is a no-brainer, especially because they want to avoid their money going to causes they don't support.

What Cara Dumaplin Wants You to Know

"When your baby is up in the middle of the night and you're exhausted, that's the most important thing in your world—not who is in the White House," Dumaplin said in an email to Parents. "For me, helping babies sleep is more important than debating politics."

And while Dumaplin won't comment on why she stopped donating to the Trump campaign in 2019, her husband's support of the former president, or elaborate on the aspects of the Trump administration that she agreed and disagreed with that she mentioned in her original statement on the controversy, she'd like those who are currently boycotting her to know that Taking Cara Babies was built to serve all parents. "I'd like to believe that we as parents have more in common than not—even if we voted for different people."

"My business is about helping babies get sleep and parents reclaiming the joy of parenthood that's often lost due to sleep deprivation," says Dumaplin. "And for me, that means all parents—no matter who they are, what they believe, who they love, the color of their skin, where they were born, or who they voted for."