The pacifier. No, we’re not talking about the critically panned 2005 Vin Diesel film, we’re talking about something much more controversial, divisive, and important: actual pacifiers for babies. They say that if you want to get into an argument with friends or family these days then all you have to do is bring up religion … Read more
There are many ways in which an in-home newborn care specialist can help your family. As the parent of a newborn, there are so many things that need your urgent attention at just about every hour of the day. It’s difficult to get sleep and other pressures like work and finances can just pile on … Read more
Colic is one of those newborn baby topics that nearly every new parent on the planet has heard of. Either themselves or their friends or family members have experienced it with their babies. Your pediatrician may have told you “hang in there. Your baby will grow out of it in 3-4 months”. As a new … Read more
Arts and crafts. They are so much more than a way to entertain and have fun with your little ones. They help your child develop critical thinking and creative expression skills at a much faster rate and can even help them academically and intellectually. There really is only one downside to doing arts and crafts … 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
With pregnancy comes many challenges and with birth and caring for a newborn come many more. Some people opt to hire a birth doula to help guide them through the time just before and during childbirth. The doula will help you with many of the questions you may have before the birth and will be … 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
The holidays are such a fun time of year, especially if you have a toddler or two at home. In most homes, decorating the Christmas tree is a much looked forward to annual event and may involve multiple Christmas festivities including music, a big dinner, and lots of eggnog! Although fun and family inclusive, … 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
Even at the best of times, Thanksgiving is an overwhelming and stressful time. These days, it can be even more so, especially with a newborn infant in tow. Luckily, we have come up with a few time honored expert tips and strategies that you can use to help you and your partner navigate this holiday … Read more
Tummy time is an important activity for you and your baby and can lead to many health benefits like developing early motor skills, muscle strength and endurance, and so much more. It is a great time to both bond with your little one and to help them experience something slightly different albeit challenging in their … Read more
A household employee like a nanny, gardener, or newborn care specialist can make life so much easier in today’s busy world. They can make a huge impact on the quality of our lives and the lives of our children by allowing us to provide the close hands on care for them while being able to … 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
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
Reflux in infancy is all too common these days. Roughly 50% of the babies we have the pleasure of working with, have some degree of reflux ranging from mild to severe. What Causes Reflux? There are a number of reasons that contribute to a baby having reflux. Common triggers can be: Food sensitivities … 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
Recently a few sleep consulting client’s have experienced earaches and the resulting sleep disturbances with their little one’s. Being that 5 out of 6 children will have an earache before their third birthday and it’s currently peak cold and flu season, it seemed appropriate to do a post about this very topic. The peak window … Read more
The holidays are upon us and most would agree; this year has been quite the rollercoaster ride! We thought we would help take some of the stress and pressure off of your shoulders and put together this gift guide for all of those new parents on your shopping list. After all, gift giving should be … 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
In honor of world breastfeeding week I wanted to do a quick post for all you mamas out there currently expecting or already breastfeeding your tiny humans. The journey for every diad or triad (#twins) to breastfeed is different. Some struggle tremendously and others take to it right away. Wherever you’re at, here are a few … 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
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 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
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