On December 7th, we’re hosting the first of many “Essential” seminars for mamas, with childcare available – see event details. I feel really strongly about this event and here’s why:
Sleep is SO important for babies but it can be so difficult for parents to get their little ones to bed! I remember the sleepless nights with my little Tommy – for a long time he would only sleep when held in the comfort of our sling. He’s be snoring in the sling, but the moment you put him down, he’d wake up screaming! Then we used the swing for him to sleep which sometimes worked, but unreliably. Getting him to bed would be a 1-2 hour affair with lots of tears and frustration. We finally did co-sleeping as it was the only way my baby boy would sleep, but it meant one of us was sleeping with the baby from 8pm onwards every night. Not overly practical for us.
During those late nights breastfeeding I read everything about sleeping. Lots of websites, lots of forums, and then books – the No-Cry Sleep Solution, Ferber Method, the Baby Whisperer, Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy Child – you name, I read it.
It was so overwhelming. Everyone had a different approach and I really didn’t want my baby to cry. It’s heartbreaking, as I’m sure you know.
THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED! I was referred to Dawnn Whittaker of Cheeky Chops Consulting, a sleep consultant and parenting coach. Dawnn totally changed my life as a mom and helped me get my baby to sleep. My baby, who would never sleep without being held, now sleeps 12 hours a night and naps 3 hours a day. Really.
What did Dawnn do? She taught my husband and I about how babies sleep and what they do to go to sleep. She gave us a feeding & sleep schedule and sleep training guidelines to follow, customized for our baby’s weight and temperament. During our sleep training, we checked in with her daily with a sleep journal and she’d make comments and modifications to improve our sleep process. And the number 1 thing Dawnn really taught me was that as a parent, I need to teach my baby how to sleep. Of course they want to sleep next to you and be held by you, who wouldn’t?! You are warm, and loving, and familiar. But sleep is one of the first important life skills you teach your child. It was this statement that I really “got” and then I was on board for sleep training.
My baby was sleeping through the night after 3 or 4 nights. He was napping reliably after 2 weeks (naps are harder).
Ironically, with such a predictable sleeping schedule, my husband and I now end up staying up too late puttering, but the entire house now gets good, uninterrupted sleep and we all wake up pretty happy.
Of course, it’s not always so straight forward. Dawnn also worked with a friend of mine and it took them much much longer, but their baby is also now sleeping through the night and while the training was rough, they say it was totally worth it.
Dawnn has been so amazing for me and my friends that I just had to invite her to speak at a Modern Mama seminar on Sleep. Dawnn will speak about the science and sleep and be on hand to answer all your questions. She’s a wonderful resource and I know this is going to be a great morning. If you’re having struggles with getting your little one to sleep, I hope we’ll see you there!