LANSING, MI -- Some Michigan moms say they never guessed bringing a child into the world would bring them into the business world.

But that's exactly what happened for some of these 'momtreprenuers,' moms who have started businesses even as they were starting their own families.

Lynn Ross owns the Mother & Earth baby boutique in Lansing. Her journey into owning a business started in 2011, when she found herself unemployed and pregnant with her first child. Looking to save money on diapers, she and her husband started a small cloth diaper business.

Now it's blossomed into a storefront in Lansing's artsy Old Town district that caters toward moms and kids who want natural products. She carries items like cloth diapers, natural cleaning supplies and toys, all made in the USA.

She's also worked to make the store a community hub. Kids can come play at the store, or take music and art lessons for under $10 a class. Moms can learn about things like babywearing and breastfeeding.

Ross's kids are now four and one and a half, and she said they're proud of mommy's store.

"We've made it kid friendly here at the store, so my boys can come hang out here if they want to," Ross said.

She's also made connections with other mom entrepreneurs. Mother & Earth carries Bare Bum Botanicals, which mom Kristy Grimes started in 2014.

"My sons have horrible allergies so we couldn't use most over the counter products," Grimes said.

But she never thought her products would sell as well as they do, and the extra income has allowed her to enroll her children, six and two, in more activities.

"My main job is being a mother. This is just a side venture," Grimes said.

When it comes to work-life balance, it's hard even for these self-employed moms to juggle.

Sherri French, of White Lake, worked in the auto industry for 17 years, moving between Europe and Asia. In 2013 she was living in China packing lunches for her kids when she realized she wanted a reusable version that was also waterproof and tough enough to stick in the dishwasher. She designed the first bags with a friend who is a plastics expert and had them produced in China. When she moved back to Michigan, she found a manufacturer in Mason.

"I never, ever thought I'd have a made in the USA let alone a made in Michigan product," French said.

The company is called Spbang, and is now available online as well as through kitchen stores and grocery chains like Whole Foods. She just launched a version that lets parents write notes or kids draw on the bags as well.

French retired from her automotive career at 44 to spend more time with her children.

"I'm not a perfect parent. But I try to have 50 balls in the air and try to drop as little as possible," French said.

Carly Dorogi of Novi was a teacher in 2009, when she was expecting her first daughter. She formed the company Sticky Bellies (r) and made milestone stickers: photography prop stickers that parents can stick on shirts for their kids and take photos of at one month old, two months old, etc.

She had some made, pictures started popping up on Facebook, and before she knew it people were contacting her for the product.

"Because there was nothing like it at the time and because it was a photography prop... it just went viral," Dorogi said.

Now her company has expanded, hiring regional sales representatives, attending trade shows and launching a photographable birthday poster where parents can write in information about a child and preserve that time in his or her life. The company's tagline is "memories made simple," something Dorogi knows the importance of as a busy parent.

Being a business owner is more work than her teaching career, Dorogi said, but she does have some flexibility. She can take a break to drive her daughter to ballet, for instance.

While mom entrepreneurs may not have lots of free time, they do make time to help out other mom business owners.

Dorogi and French are part of a Facebook group of entrepreneurial moms supporting each other. Ross at Mother & Earth has invited other moms with kid-oriented products and services to share space in her store.

Melissa Sigh is a part time music teacher at East Lansing Public Schools, but teaches music classes at Mother & Earth in Lansing as well as private lessons at homes. She's able to bring her 22-month-old son, Finley, to about half of her private employment. Working with other moms at Mother & Earth has been "absolutely wonderful," she said.

"We have a mindset of ways to support each other," Sigh said.

Emily Lawler is a Capitol/Lansing business reporter for MLive. You can reach her at elawler@mlive.com, subscribe to her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter: @emilyjanelawler.