We’ve all been there. It’s the dead of night and all is quiet, when all of a sudden you hear strange scraping, flopping, and cooing sounds coming from your baby’s sleeping area. You bolt up in bed! Either the baby is awake again or another racoon got in through the doggy door and is searching … Read more
It’s almost too easy to get swept up in the chaos after your newborn first arrives. There are so many things going on and as if your life wasn’t busy enough already, you now have a tiny human that needs your constant attention and care pretty much hourly, with little to no break from the … Read more
Newborn babies will sleep when they need to and the same can be said for when they need to eat as well. It may seem stressful, but that is just the way it is. It is difficult if not impossible to try to schedule out a certain nap routine for a newborn. The best thing … Read more
Being a parent of a newborn, the struggle is truly “real” when it comes to getting your little one to sleep. We struggle to get them down to sleep and we struggle to keep them asleep, especially in a deep sleep. When your baby isn’t sleeping deeply each day, that can have negative impacts on … Read more
Helping your baby sleep at night without feeding is a tough prospect, but definitely not impossible. With a little patience and some tips from the pros, you will be doing so in no time. At best, babies are as unpredictable as they are adorable, so each baby may respond differently to different tactics. All things … Read more
Spring Forward. If you’re a rabbit and you hear those words, then you are probably just going to think, “yeah, i do that all the time.” However, if you’re a person and you hear those words, you’ll probably think “oh no, not THAT again!” Unfortunately for just about everyone reading these words, we are negatively … Read more
So you want your bed back? It’s perfectly normal. Your bed was once a place where you could get a full night’s rest without fear of being kicked in the face by a toddler or having your pillow and blanket stolen by the same. Co-sleeping is a joy, don’t get the wrong idea, but there … Read more
Sleep. One of the most valuable resources the world over, yet so scarce for new parents and parents of young children. If there was only a magic button we could press that would make us feel rested! Until that day comes, we are on our own to get the rest we need as parents and … Read more
This time of year it’s easy to miss a few hours of sleep here and there, especially when wrangling the holidays, the in-laws, and especially the little ones. When mom or dad miss a few good nights of sleep, we can be a little cranky or drowsy, but coffee can help with that, yet when … Read more
Ear infections are no fun for both parent and child. They are unfortunately rather common as nearly five out of every six children will have one before the age of three in the U.S. according to the NIH. An earache can have many causes, which include cold and flu viruses, and bacterial infections among others. … Read more
It’s that time of year where we start getting calls and emails from clients in a bit of a worry or slight panic. “How do we adjust for the time change?” “Is this going to be as awful as we think it will be?” “What is the best way for us to prepare Daylight Savings!?” … Read more
What exactly is a cat-nap? Cat naps are short naps, typically between 30-45 minutes. Why does my baby catnap? There are several reasons: First, When your baby is a newborn, their sleep is very immature. There is a natural tendency for them to only sleep for 1 sleep cycle (30-45 minutes), vs connecting … Read more
Recently, a client wanted to know some good activity options for her 4-month old. Her baby had recently transitioned to a different schedule, which allowed for a bigger chunk of awake time. With this new found time on their hands, mom needed some ideas to help change things up and keep her little one from … Read more
Welcoming a baby into the world is one of the most life changing and altering events a couple will ever experience. Few others will come close. Many transitions take place and as parents and siblings navigate their new roles, a lot of trial and error, as well as give and take occurs. Today, I wanted … Read more
A few days ago, I received a call from a new dad. It was late at night and he and his wife were struggling with their 5 day old baby. Neither of them were getting more than 20-30 minutes of sleep at a time and neither was their newborn baby. “We don’t know if he’s … Read more
When Should You Stop Swaddling Your Baby? If you are reading this, chances are you are a new parent and trying to understand what is the right age to stop swaddling your baby. I’m glad you are here, because there is a lot of information out there on Google Land, in parenting groups or safe … Read more
Today, I wanted to post briefly about the importance of daytime sleep and why it’s helpful to help facilitate, by “forcing a nap” when needed. Daytime sleep for babies (and toddlers) is incredibly important. Without proper sleep many things happen: Short naps of 30-45 minutes Lack of REM sleep Baby doesn’t feed well because they … Read more
2020 has been a year for the books! It will be forever remembered as a year of struggle, loss, chaos and uncertainty. Relentless is a great word for you, 2020! However, it’s also been a great year! In the midst of the pandemic, it seems most of us have embraced all the changes … Read more
If You’re reading this, you’re likely an Expecting New Grandparent and congratulations are in order! Congratulations on your new little grandbaby! The beauty of being a grandparent is that you can be as involved as much or as little as you want in your grand child’s life. If your relationship is solid with … Read more
I am so happy to have the opportunity to do this guest post from Melanie Henstrom IBCLC, BS. I have known Melanie for several years now and have learned a tremendous amount from her about tongue and lip ties. I see tongue and lip ties in a VERY HIGH percentage of my sleep and consulting … Read more
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a new parent and learning really fast how challenging it can be to get your little one to sleep. The good news is that while there is a lot that goes into how well your baby sleeps and for how long, there is a lot YOU can do to … Read more
Last week I was doing an in-home meeting with my clients expecting their first baby mid-August. As we walked into the parents bedroom, mom was showing me the Nuna bassinet for the baby. While approaching the bassinet, I saw their sweet fur child (kitty), snuggled up in a ball, soaking up the sun, cozy as … Read more
The topic of whether or not white noise is safe has come up regularly. Most often it is new parents inquiring, as they have read, or heard from a friend or family member that it’s important to use for babies. In today’s post, I will answer the question of whether or not it is safe … Read more
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Swaddling is like a universal truth here in the United States. If you’re a new or expectant parent, chances are you have read or been told by a trusted friend or family member that you need to swaddle your new bundle of joy. If you’ve attended a new parent or birth education class, it’s surely … Read more
My most recent sleep training client was at the perfect age for a lot of things. At 5 months old and over the course of two weeks, we worked through a lot! Teething, the introduction of solids, a mysterious cheek rash, consolidated and longer naps, sleeping through the night, a leap, and you guessed it, … Read more
For any new or expectant parent, determining what provider may be the most helpful for your particular situation may seem challenging. This is primarily because you are likely sleep deprived and operating at less than optimal capacity and because the use of some professionals isn’t common knowledge in all areas of the country. This causes … Read more
Rock N Play Recall It’s a hot and debated topic right now. As of Tuesday April 9th, 2019, The American Academy of Pediatrics has formally stated that they are pushing for the recall of Fisher Price Rock N Plays. The push for recall comes over several years of so called infant deaths caused by the … Read more
For local friends and family, supporting new parents after the birth of a baby is a little easier. You may offer to drop off dinner, take an older sibling out for a play date or pick up a few items at the grocery store. But friends and family out of state don’t have this luxury. … Read more
Client Testimonial “I just can’t believe what a difference this had made! Doctors should really refer mom’s who are struggling to you! The impact that her sleeping has had on my mental health is so amazing”. -Kjirsten, Eagle, ID 5 month old sleeping 12 hours per night beginning night 4. Sound Familiar? You are … Read more
The following is an e-mail I received at 2 am a few weeks ago: “In need of Sleep” “We have a beautiful, baby girl that just turned 5 months old. She is not sleeping much at all, whether it be at night or during the day. We have kept her schedule pretty consistent and it … Read more
Is Infant Daycare a Good Option? As a Newborn Care Specialist, Infant Sleep Consultant and Postpartum Doula, I am asked often what my thoughts are on infants attending daycare. When their time with me is through, new parents would like to know, given the option, what do I think? Should their infant go to daycare … Read more
Recently, I had the privilege of working with a struggling new mom. Immediately upon my arrival, I noticed the dark circles under her eyes and that of her accompanying 3.5 month old. She had reached out to me about 8 weeks prior at the recommendation of a mutual friend. We chatted then, but she held … Read more
6 Reasons Routines for Babies are Awesome There are so many different programs and philosophies for infants, it can be hard for new parents to know which approach is best for their family. On one end of the spectrum you have options like the Ferber method where a super strict schedule is encouraged. On the … Read more
Light Matters Newborn, toddler or adult, exposure to light before we go to sleep matters. It can affect the way that we fall asleep as well as the quality and duration. Below is a nice summary of why light affects our sleep as well as the worst types. Many parents around the world are making … Read more
Babies are born earth side with little concept of night and day and often have little remorse for new sleep deprived parents. The following are three important factors to help new parents understand their infant’s sleep. Circadian rhythms are not developed in infants at birth Newborn sleep is not governed by strong circadian rhythms. … Read more
There are so many products on the market for babies today, it can be really overwhelming for new parents to know which ones they really need. Today, I’m going to share with you my 5 must have items that will make your journey into parenthood easier. I will note that these items are in addition … Read more
Pacifiers – 5 rules Pacifiers are one of the most universally purchased gifts for a new family expecting a baby. It’s not uncommon for the parents to be to receive upward of a dozen! There are all different sizes, shapes and colors. Some even have those cute little animals attached to them. New parents … Read more
As a Baby Nurse, Infant Sleep Consultant, Newborn Care Specialist and Postpartum Doula the topic of infant sleep comes up a lot. I am called in to not help only reverse sleep issues, but to establish healthy sleep habits from birth. So, what are the most important things you can do to create a healthy … Read more