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Will Baby Sleep at Daycare?
As working parents, part of your return from maternity leave will include looking for child care options. Do you have a family member that will look after your baby? Nanny? home-base daycare? center-based daycare?
One thing you may want to consider is what your child's sleep will look like while in daycare or with a caregiver. You can begin preparing baby for daycare naps by ensuring they have the skills of sleep. If you are planning to send your child in childcare before they are 6 months of age and rolling both ways, you can practice sleep shaping until they hit that milestone. Once they pass that milestone, you can consider sleep coaching to help you baby learn sleep skills. I suggest talking with your care provider about what rules and regulations they may follow and if you work with a sleep coach make sure to share that information so your sleep plan can include those sleep suggestions for optimal sleep.
When figuring out what to look for in a daycare for infants there is a lot to consider. When you are pregnant (or even planning for a child) you should start looking around as soon as possible because many places have LONG waitlists.
Things to look for when choosing a daycare:
If you are wondering what do parents look for in a daycare, here are some things you might like to consider when looking for childcare. Some of this information may be available online while others you may want to make a list to interview Daycare providers.
Distance from home and work?
Who will be doing the drop off and pickup?
What is the availability of care and waitlists?
Do parents or the daycare provide meals?
What supplies do parents need to provide?
What are the hours?
Are there any weeks the daycare is closed for vacations?
What's their accreditation?
What is the cost?
What is the experience of the teachers and staff? Is there a lot of turnover?
How are sick kids handled?
What are the daycare essentials for infants?
What is the daycare nap time policy?
When thinking about sleep specifically, I want you to know it IS POSSIBLE to teach your child lifelong healthy sleep habits while utilizing daycare. Daycare sleep training may look a bit different than the schedule you have on days your child is home, and THAT'S OK!
Sleep Questions for daycare checklist for parents
Do you need a daycare sleeping mat?
Will your child sleep in a crib or on a cot?
Will your child be able to use a sleep sack?
Will your child be able to use a lovie?
Is the room dark or lights dimmed?
Will your child be able to use a sound machine or some type of white noise?
Is there set times for your child's nap or do they do naps based on your schedule?
No matter what the situation is, together we can co-create a sleep plan that will work for YOUR child, YOUR family and honor YOUR goals.
I have client's reach out to begin sleep coaching as early as possible to get their baby "on track" before they start daycare (or Sleep Shaping for newborns who are under 4 months and not rolling yet). One of my recent client's Lyssa is no longer sleep deprived getting up every 2 hours and she was able to confidently go back to work knowing her son has lifelong healthy sleep habits.
Watch Lyssa's story here!
I have many client's who have had to delay putting their child in daycare or leave them with a nanny because of their sleep struggles. After Sleep Coaching their child is THRIVING in daycare and the parent's can work Guilt-free knowing their child is safe, happy and well-rested!
Watch Kirutika's story here!
The periodical named, First Things First, have a great article on "Smart Talk" with Your Infants to build your child's brain in ways that promote healthy development and learning. Click here to check it out!
Are you preparing your child to start childcare? Could you use some support getting their sleep on track? Are you interested in an alternative to cry it out?
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!
Tart Cherry Juice & Sleep?
What in the world does tart cherry juice have to do with sleep?
I asked myself the same question when I heard stories of children drinking tart cherry juice before bed to help them sleep so I got researching! I strive to be a resource for accurate and reliable information and am a sucker for SLEEP SCIENCE so this was right up my alley!
Drinking tart cherry juice helps with sleep because it contains tryptophan which helps our bodies produce melatonin. Melatonin helps you fall asleep quicker and have better sleep quality. Every 100 grams of tart cherries contain about 9 milligrams of tryptophan. People require about 250 to 425 milligrams of tryptophan per day.
In one study, people with insomnia drank either 16 oz of tart cherry juice or the placebo juice each day for 2 weeks. The cherry juice increased sleep time by an average of 84 minutes (Learn more about this study here).
The cherry juice sleep association does have merit!
Other Cherry Juice Benefits
To learn more from the Sleep Foundation about what tart cherry juice good for click here
Rich in antioxidants and many key nutrients. Helps the Immune System!
Improved Muscle Recovery
Reduced Pain
Reduced Blood Pressure
Improved Memory and Brain Health
Cancer Prevention
May Reduce Symptoms of Gout
When is the best time to take tart cherry juice
Researchers found that drinking 2 8oz servings of this juice, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, significantly improved sleep duration and sleep quality in subjects. As with any beverages, it is recommended to stop drinking 1 hour before bed so you don't need to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
To learn more about this study click here.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-tart-cherry-juice-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6
https://integrativerd.org/difm/resources/recipes/tart-cherry-juice
Are you struggling with your child's sleep? Are you looking for an alternative to cry it out methods?
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!
Return To Work Relaxed!
Returning to work after maternity leave can be mentally and emotionally challenging. Add in sleep deprivation and a loss of focus, well....the combination can be just overwhelming.
Most moms go back to work around 12 weeks postpartum. However, most babies are still waking several times a night. Babies that have not completed their rolling milestone are best suted to experience Sleep Shaping (not sleep training) i BUT there are things you can do to prepare yourself and your baby for beautiful blissful sleep?
My client, Lyssa, is a single mom with an intense job who saw firsthand how difficult child sleep struggles could get. When her son was born she vowed to "get things right" and she reached out for help to ensure she was doing everything she could to facilitate a smooth transition back to work and daycare. First, we did Sleep Shaping which is appropriate for babies before they are rolling. Once her child was rolling both ways (closer to 6 months) , we were able to move into sleep training. Kim West in her new book THE GENTLE NEWBORN SLEEP GUIDE does an excellent job in explaining the differnce between Sleep Shaping and Sleep Training.
Working with me allowed my client Lyssa to achieve her goals on a timeline right for her family to get her son sleeping consistently and experienced a TOTAL FAMILY SLEEP TRANSFORMATION. Now that they have built these sleep foundations for him, she is able to be flexible. They travel, he's gotten sick, they have late nights out, spend time at relatives houses and all of that without undoing his incredible sleep!
I am so happy this family was able to return to work comfortable and confident! Watch her story in the video below to see how working with THE RIGHT SLEEP COACH has been totally transformative for her family!
Lissa T. child was 6 months old at time of guilt-free, gentle sleep coaching.
Click image or here to watch video.
Lyssa wants other exhausted parents to know
"Trust in this process, trust in Joanna, it's so customized to you, your needs and your baby's needs that it works extremely well. Half the time ,I felt like Joanna was a therapist for me. The other half of the time, it was great science and clear expectations for my specific baby. It's gonna change your life in all good ways. Even if it seems scary or you don't think it'll work or you have doubts, do it anyway, because it works."
Thank you for watching Lyssa's story and I hope this inspires you to realize that it is possible to become a well-rested family.
If you are planning for your return to work after maternity leave check out these articles:
6 Strategies to Help You Crush Your Return to Work after Maternity Leave
How to Return to Work After Taking Parental Leave
Are you struggling with your child's sleep? Are you looking for an alternative to cry it out method? Could you use more support?
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!
Facing the Fourth Trimester: Managing the First Three Months
By Josh Moore of Diaperdads.org
Following Your Baby’s Birth
When it comes to the journey of motherhood, one of the most difficult parts is actually what’s called the fourth trimester. It's the period when your baby is learning to adapt to life outside the womb, and you are dealing with the physical and emotional challenges of having a newborn. This, combined with the postpartum effects on your body, can cause immense stress, so it's essential to prepare for every possibility before your due date arrives. Read on for some ideas from Blissful Baby Sleep Coaching.
Maternity Leave
You’ll want to spend as much time with your newborn as possible before returning to work. If you work with clients, be sure to inform them of your absence and notify them of a forwarding contact that they can liaise with if they need help. If possible, it may also be worthwhile to hire a virtual assistant or arrange a remote working solution with your company.
The Possibility of a C-Section
If you deliver via C-section, you’ll have an additional set of challenges to contend with over and above your maternal duties. Your body will need time to recover, and, as Parents magazine notes, there may also be some discomfort associated with breastfeeding. Fortunately, there are a number of products you can purchase in advance to ease these difficulties.
Skin salve: This can help with the itching and discomfort caused by your incision as well as any irritation you experience from cracked or dry nipples.
Disposable underwear: You’ll want to wear these for the first few days or weeks following your surgery to avoid soiling your clothes with blood or discharge.
Loose clothing: You’ll want to avoid anything tight-fitting around your waist in the period post-op, as it can put undue pressure on your incision.
High-waisted underwear: This is designed specifically for moms who’ve had a C- section and can help support your abdomen as you heal. Some retailers on Amazon sell a variety of high-waisted underwear, so make use of your Prime account to purchase a few that will aid you as you recover.
Your Diet
Amodrn points out that whole foods and lean meats are best, as your body needs plenty of protein to heal. Incorporate plenty of fruits and vegetables as well to ensure you’re getting the vitamins and minerals you need. Avoid overly processed foods, sugary snacks, and excessive amounts of caffeine, as they can interfere with your recovery and affect your milk supply.
Working from Home
If you aren’t able or simply aren’t interested in returning to a traditional job, starting your own business and working from home is a great way to provide yourself with the flexibility you need to make ends meet while still being there for your baby. You’ll need to decide on a service, establish a business structure, and write up a business plan.When it comes to marketing, you can start with social media platforms, but it’s a good idea to supplement these with some traditional approaches, including business cards. If you aren’t sure where to start, give this a try and take advantage of the free templates.
While the postpartum period can include some of the biggest challenges you’ll face as a mother,
it’s also the most precious time with your new baby. With a little preparation, less time spent worrying about work, and some postpartum clothing, you can minimize some of the difficulties and focus on enjoying this special time.
Blissful Baby Sleep Coaching is here to help moms and babies alike get the rest they need. Gentle Sleep Coaching is an alternative to cry it out methods.
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Weird Toddler Sleep!
If you have ever watched your toddler on the monitor or slept in the same room as them, you know toddlers can do a lot of strange things in their sleep!
Here are some headlines on what your toddler does at night and explanations:
Toddler Talking In Sleep
Sleep talking is also known as somniloquy. This can range from muttering nonsense to whole sentences.
To learn more about sleep talking check our this article here.
If the sleep talking is also accompanied by screaming, crying, and not able to be comforted it could be night terrors. Not enough daytime sleep or too late of a bedtime can cause toddlers to have night terrors. Night terrors typically happens before midnight, within the first 4 hours of sleep. Try to keep a regular bedtime and naps to ensure your child is getting enough sleep.
Toddler Sweating In Sleep
If your toddler is sweating in their sleep, not to worry if the don't have a fever! You should try to keep their room between 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A lot of work and restoration is done in sleep! If you notice other symptoms along with the sweating, it would be a good idea to mention it to your Pediatrician. For some children they can have enlarged adenoids and tonsils that cause "infant sleep apnea" and you will often find children sweating or sleeping in bizarre positions.
Toddler Snoring or Mouth Breathing In Their Sleep
When your child is snoring or mouth breathing it could be caused by a cold or illness. Is this is something that happens all the time, you should mention it to your pediatrician because it can be a sign of enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or may be a sign of a sleep disorder as mentioned above with "infant sleep apnea"
Toddler crying in sleep or screaming in their sleep
Why do toddlers cry in their sleep? It could be night terrors. Night terrors typically happens before midnight, within the first 4 hours of sleep. Toddler do lots of screaming and crying and eyes can be open or closed. Often the child is not able to be comforted. Pediatric Chiropractic and sleep science can be a great way to combat night terrors. Watch my interview with Pediatric Chiropractor Dr. Elise Hamilton here.
Toddler Coughing in Sleep
If you hear your toddler coughing in sleep, it can be interrupting a great sleeper to keep waking throughout the night. On days your toddler is fighting an illness, try giving them a bath or even running a hot shower and just letting them spend some time in the bathroom so the steam can clear out their sinuses. If you haven't heard of the Nose Freida this is great product to have for babies and toddlers that aren't able to blow their own nose just yet.
Toddler Grinding Teeth in Sleep
Have you woke up to a grinding noice and realize its your toddler grinding teeth in sleep? This is also known as sleep bruxism. Causes can vary, but may include teething, misaligned teeth, stress, genetics, or separation anxiety. If this is something you hear your child doing, it's a good idea to mention it to their Pediatrician or Dentist.
To learn more about sleep bruxism check out this article from the Sleep Foundation here.
Toddler Does Not Know Their Sleep Skills
One of the biggest misconceptions about raising children is that they are born already knowing how to sleep well.
The reality is sleep is a learned skill.
If your child needs you to lay down with them or needs you to pat them to sleep or sing to sleep or they require you to do something to or for them in order to go to sleep, this means your child has a "SLEEP CRUTCH". Sleep crutches are not bad or dangerous, and they can work beautifully and reliably for a long time, but at a certain point, it becomes difficult for a parent to "keep up" with the demands. Any time a child needs parental assistance at bedtime or in the middle of the night, it means they have not learned their sleep skills. Toddler to not "grow out" of bad sleep. It is something you have to teach your child.
The act of learning to sleep includes three important life skills. Self-regulation, self-settling and self-soothing children. It is never "too late" for a child to learn their sleep skills. I regularly work with toddlers, in fact, I work with children up to age 6.
My approach to Guilt-Free, Gentle Sleep Coaching® is to create the right environment and offer the right support for your child to easily and successfully learn how to sleep well.
This is why I offer an alternative to cry it out methods. The ‘cry-it-out’ method does not help your child learn sleep skills. They just ‘crash out’ instead of learning how to self-settle and self-soothe to sleep.
With Gentle Sleep Coaching®, our science-based method provides a systematic, proven process for nurturing your child’s sleep skills.
No psychological trauma.
No mommy guilt or shame.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep™ is designed to limit frustration, confusion, and tears.
It’s meant to optimize your child’s healthy growth and lifelong sleeping habits.
Are you struggling with your child's sleep? Could you use some support?
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Achieving YOUR Goals! Maintaining Nursing Relationship During Sleep Coaching
Does your pediatrician keep telling you that your " baby should be sleeping through the night" or maybe they say your "baby doesn't need to be feeding in the middle of the night"? When a pediatrician says these things it brings up loads of self doubt and more worries such as:
You are not sure what steps to take to get a baby to "sleep thru the night"
You are are worried about maintaining your nursing relationship while you try to night wean.
You love co-sleeping and/or room-sharing and you fear sleep coaching doesn't align with that
You are not alone!
Fear not, Sleep Coaching is possible while maintaining the nursing relationship and honoring YOUR family goals and values. Gentle Sleep Coaching is an alternative to cry it out method.
As my client Kamilla says: "not for a split second felt judged for anything" when sleep coaching with Joanna. "Joanna was very supportive of whatever it is we wanted to do."
Co-sleeping started off as a wonderful experience for my clients, Kamilla and Max, but by the time their son was 11 months it escalated into multiple wake-ups, nursing all night,and mom being tied to baby's schedule with no alone time. The pediatrician kept telling them he "should be sleeping" and that he did not need to feed throughout the night, but this couple wanted to maintain the nursing relationship and room-sharing when they reached out to Joanna.
This couple experienced a Total Family Sleep Transformation and are all reaping the benefits of lifelong healthy sleep habits!
Mom went from fearing the impact of sleep coaching to praising all the benefits: "It was just so eye-opening, I guess, to see my son figuring these things out and helping himself go to sleep. It was a really, really interesting and exciting journey. It's so worth it for your whole family. We didn't really realize or fully comprehend just how much sleep impacts everything."
Watch the video below to hear more about Kamilla and Max's experience with Sleep Coaching!
Kamilla wants everyone to know
"Be open to sleep coaching. It's not this big, bad, scary thing. It's super important for people to understand that sleep coaching is not just someone telling you to go do this. You have a lot of input and the most important thing is that it's all customized. It's all about your child and what works best for them. You will start seeing all these things that Joanna tells you to look out for and when you see it and it's just like WHOA!"
If you are struggling with your child's sleep and could use some support. Hope and Help is a phone call away.
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
Infant Sleep Training- There are alternatives to cry it out!
Often when we think of sleep training the image of a child screaming and crying alone in a crib all night comes to mind. Right?
What if I told you there are alternative to cry it out method? You don't have to sit in agony while your child cries and "figures out" how to sleep. There is a better way! There are effective alternatives to cry it out method!
Alternatives to Cry It Out
Gentle Sleep Coaching is an alternative to cry it out methods. It is a gentle, gradual approach offering physical and verbal reassurance. This method is also known as the Sleep Lady Shuffle. Our approach to Guilt-Free, Gentle Sleep Coaching® is to create the right environment and offer the right support for the temperament of your child to easily and successfully learn how to sleep well.
Sleep Coaching Methods- Explained
It's important to understand there are different sleep coaching methods to determine which one is appropriate for YOUR Family.
THERE ARE 3 TYPES OF SLEEP COACHING METHODOLOGIES:
FADING, GENTLE SLEEP COACHING:
A gradual approach and one that allows the parent to stay with the child while the new sleep skills and behaviors are learned.
The Sleep Lady advocates a “shuffle”, where parent stays in the room with child while offering physical and verbal reassurance and moves further from the crib/bed every 3 days.
The Sleep Lady’s Good Night, Sleep Tight by Kim West is an advocate of this approach.
I am a 13 year tenured trained and certified Gentle Sleep Coach and top 200 Sleep Consultant in the US. I specialize in guilt-free sleep training combining sleep & behavioral science and attachment theory while building a strong parent child bond.
GRADUATED EXTINCTION:
Also called “controlled crying”/ ferberizing.
Involves being out of the room and checking on the child at intervals every 5- 15 minutes from bedtime and all arousals throughout the night.
Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber, MD is known for this method.
EXTINCTION
Also referred to as “cry it out”.
The strict version is to simply leave them to cry until they fall asleep and same with middle of night arousals.
Healthy Sleep Habits, Marc Weissbluth, MD is an advocate of extinction.
How long does it take to get my child to sleep through the night?
Many people fear that an alternative method to cry it out won't be effective or fast, however that is not the case! Most nighttime sleep problems can be resolved in 2-4 weeks. However, most families see immediate improvement in the first 5 nights of implementing the sleep plan. It is always recommended to night train first and then move onto nap training.
Gentle Sleep Coaching teaches children lifelong healthy sleep habits. I often have clients reach out after attempting cry it out methods out of desperation only for their child to regress back to bad sleep and the parents end up feeling defeated. Sleep is a learned skill and Gentle Sleep Coaching teaches the ability to self-regulate, self-settle and self-soothe which allows them to sleep well for both nights and naps!
How do I decide whether I should hire a sleep coach or sleep train my baby myself?
Many parents contact me when the approach they’ve been taking towards their child’s sleep no longer works. Everyone in the household is tired & confused and no one is happy.
You would benefit from expert guidance from a tenured Sleep Consultant if you are experiencing any of the following:
Anxiety and distress over cry it out methods—and desire for an alternate to cry it out method
Difficult and long bedtime routine that leaves everybody drained
Broken, non-restorative sleep from multiple night wakings
Disagreement between parents in managing child’s sleep challenges
Desire to eliminate night feeding—needing guidance to do it gently and compassionately
Exhausted from waking too early in the morning
Fear over transition from co-sleeping to a crib, or from a crib to a toddler bed
Short or non-existent naps or nap transitions—resulting in crabby, overtired child
Difficulty in re-establishing healthy sleep habits after new sibling, travel, holidays, or lifestyle changes
Relentless self-doubt and guilt about current sleep routines
It’s important that you choose the right methodology & the right sleep coach based on family values, logistics and how much support you will need to reach goals.
IF YOU KEEP ASKING YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS, YOU DEFINITELY NEED A SLEEP COACH.
If you find yourself googling any of the following questions, I recommend learning about the different sleep coaching methodologies and consider if Gentle Sleep Coaching, an alternative to cry it out method, is right for your family!
when do babies start sleeping through the night without feeding?
when does a baby sleep through the night?
how to get my baby to sleep through the night?
when can breastfed babies sleep through the night?
when do babies sleep 12 hours without feeding?
when will my baby sleep through the night?
how to get baby to sleep through the night?
baby sleep through night breastfeeding?
Hope and Help to solve sleep struggles is just a phone call away!
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Talk to live with Joanna so she can give you individualized insight and perspective on how to solve your sleep struggles.
Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
Dad’s Are Masterful Sleep Coaches! Happy Father’s Day!
Happy Father's Day! Thank you to to all the men that support, guide and love their wives and children. I am grateful everyday to work with attentive, loving fathers who are doing "all the things", including being masterful sleep coaches!
Here is a Sleep Success Story of a fabulous dad who took the lead to support his wife during their journey to make sleep a priority, but also maintain a robust nursing relationship.
Christian and his wife decided I was the RIGHT COACH to help solve all their 8 month old son's sleep struggles. The couple was co-sleeping with their son and mom was nursing all night long and no one was getting any rest! This baby was "wired-and-tired" all day long! As tired as she was, Mom was very dedicated to her nursing relationship. Thus she was thrilled to know that it was possible to get good sleep and maintain a strong parent-child bond.
Dad heard about sleep training from friends and got to reading, researching and getting on the same page as Mom so they could go into this process as a team. After interviewing several Sleep Coaches, the couple decided Blissful Baby Sleep Coaching was going to give them the right amount of support and accommodate their family goals and values. The parents valued breastfeeding bonding and the mother-infant relationship and mom wanted a gentle process to avoid night weaning breastfeeding pain.
This family experienced a Total Family Sleep Transformation with their 8 month old son. Baby weaned his night feeds and is sleeping through the night in his own crib without jeopardizing the breastfeeding relationship! The Nanit baby monitor sleep statistics show this massive sleep improvement!
I am so happy this family trusted me as a reliable, expert resource who honors the nursing relationship! Watch their story in the video below to see how working with THE RIGHT SLEEP COACH has been totally transformative for their entire family!
Christian A 8 month old son at the time of Gentle Sleep Coaching
Click here to watch video.
Christian wants other exhausted parents to know "There is another way, you don't have to live sleep-deprived. Joanna has a gentle system to comfort your child and then slowly sort of transition to them sleeping by themselves."
Thank you for watching Christians's story and I hope this inspires you to realize that it is possible to become a well-rested family.
If you are interested in a great breastfeeding resource, Healthy Children is backed by Pediatricians and the AAP.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/default.aspx
Don't let them cry!
A common fear among parents is the impact sleep coaching will have on the relationship between them and their child. For a lot of people the term "sleep coaching" means leaving baby crying at night but Gentle Sleep Coaching is NOT a cry-it-out method.
There is nothing worse than when your baby is not sleeping and you're being told to "just let them cry." As a parent, it is heartbreaking to hear. Despite your exhaustion, all you want to know is how to calm baby crying and how to stop baby crying. Parent's should also consider the impact of their mental health due to sleep-deprivation. With the RIGHT sleep training methodology, it is possible to solve your child's sleep struggles gently and effectively.
Gentle Sleep Coaching Method
Here is a great article that offers some insight on the impact of different sleep coaching methods. This article shows the science behind the efficacy of the Gentle Sleep Coaching method while also proving to be less stressful on mothers because they are allowed to attend to their baby crying at night.
Baby Crying Sounds
It is important to know crying is a form of communication for babies and there is a difference between baby crying sounds. If you listen to your baby you can distinguish whimpering out of slight unhappiness from crying from distress. Learn more about different baby crying sounds from well-known pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp.
Crying in the presence of a loving supportive parent is fundamentally different. It's important to remember that it's "unmodulated" crying that is the problem...this is where a child gets hysterical and the parents are told not to help. Babies are going to cry for a ton of reasons, but when parents are "emotionally and physically available," it makes a huge difference to co-regulate with your child and thus minimize the tears and frustration for both parent and child.
Douglas Teti, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, did a lot of research on "emotional availability at bedtime". He found that the emotional connection between a child and their parent and the appropriate response to cues was very important in a child knowing that they are in a safe environment and this helped children sleep better.
Many families had a fear of all sleep coaching methods because of the concern of "Cry-it-out" tactics. However, with Gentle Sleep Coaching, now these families are raving about how sleep coaching has increased the bond between them and their child and they are experiencing loads of benefits beyond sleep. Here is what Desiree had to say!
Watch Desiree's story here!
Resources:
Do responsive sleep interventions impact mental health in mother/infant dyads compared to extinction interventions? A pilot study. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 25(3), 621–631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-022-01224-w