For The Love Of Sleep | Product/service
For The Love Of Sleep
Phone: +61 412 838 400
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25.01.2022 Mumma guilt + sleep As many of you know, my reason for all this is my second baby. He had reflux, he didn’t sleep, and we were miserable as a family. I sleep trained him at 7 months old and the profound improvement it had on my family makes me feel not a shred of guilt for it. I feel guilty for not doing it sooner! Looking back, I can see how overtired he was and how much of an effect that had on his overall well-being. He was catnapping for 20-30 minutes a day and wakin...g hourly. But I thought that sleep training him would affect our relationship, was cruel, as society told me it was. It was going against everything I should be as a mother, it made me a bad mum, selfish. But you know what? Being a good mum doesn’t just mean that I respond to my children every single second of every single day. It means setting healthy boundaries for myself, because you can’t pour from an empty cup. And teaching THEM that it’s okay to put themselves first. Sure, there are mummas out there who can handle cosleeping and having their babes wake hourly for years. I applaud these women. Because I wasn’t one of them. Sleep deprivation is a real thing. Scarily, it’s said by the sleep foundation that although chronic sleep deprivation causes mood changes, health issues & delayed reactions, a lot of people build up some sort of tolerance to it so that they don’t feel these effects. I can say wholeheartedly that that is true. I got used to it. I was okay with it. Until I wasn’t. And you know what? It’s OKAY to look after yourself too. It’s OKAY to put up your hand and say this situation is not working for me anymore and I cannot continue on like this. Your health, your relationship, your mental well-being, these are all valid reasons to teach your babe to sleep independently, or at least to work on something until you get to the point where it’s manageable for you. This situation doesn’t have to be this way. Words uttered by nearly every family I work with are that was not as bad as I thought it was. This has changed our lives." So please. If you’re struggling, if you’re not coping with your situation, do not think you just have to wait it out. Reach out for help. And mumma? DO NOT feel guilty.
24.01.2022 If you’re uncomfortable with bad news, look away now. I’m out of my sleep lane and onto a more important but far less spoken about topic. You see that guy/girl over there that you’re madly in love with? That you can’t imagine your life without? Yeah. That person. Well it’s all about to change. See, having a baby is one of the damn hardest things your relationship will go through. Even the strongest of couples will have their foundations rocked at the core by this teeny littl...e delight. And not just the first time. It’s the second, the third, the sixth. They’ll all change the dynamics dramatically. Even the easiest of children. Mum undergoes all sorts of hormonal changes whilst pregnant. Your body changes. Your mind changes. Your entire being is completely taken over by this little thing moving and kicking you in the ribs from the second you know of their existence. The non pregnant parent? Not so much. When they get here? One parent stays home. The other goes to work. Breastfeeding. Bottles. Sleep deprivation. Loss of self. It all feeds into it. And before you know it, you start to resent that person who gets to leave the house all day and doesn’t have to deal with the crying. But they resent you a little too, because you’re SO LUCKY to get to hang out at home all day with this little creation. You nag. They don’t help enough. You change completely. They don’t change enough. Your life is taken up by the baby and you don’t have time for them. You just don’t get how hard it is on them. They just don’t get how hard it is on you. I’ve lost count of how many of these conversations I’ve had since becoming a mum and with my clients. How many relationships I’ve seen break down, sometimes for good. Here’s the truth. Having a baby is not. Easy. On. Anyone. Not mum, not dad. Not anyone. Expect that your relationship will change. Talk to each other. Make time for yourselves. As single people and as a couple. Your relationship is important, now more than ever. And once you get through the hard stuff and find your new normal, it’s the most magical thing you will ever go through. Have you struggled with your relationship since becoming parents?
22.01.2022 There’s quite a few new faces here, so I thought I’d reintroduce myself Hi, I’m Steph. I’m a mummy to 2 beautiful boys and we live in sunny Darwin. I am a certified infant and child sleep consultant. Not only do I absolutely love what I do, I’m really good at it (sorry not sorry!). I got into this biz shortly after I had my youngest bubba. He had reflux and spent a large part of the first 6 months crying. We ended up cosleeping, no one was sleeping and our entire family w...as miserable. I made the decision to sleep train him at 7 months old and it was the best decision I could have made for the entire family. After seeing what a positive impact it had on my family, I decided that this was what I wanted to do. So I took that passion and drive to help other families in my position, and so was born For The Love Of Sleep! Let’s play a game, 2 truths, 1 lie! See if you can guess which one is the lie. 1. I have 2 university degrees, I just love to learn! 2. I am a massive sweet tooth! Love me some chocolate and icecream, absolutely no willpower there! 3. I have lived in 4 different states in Australia and have lived in 15 different houses. I have friends all over the world and love a good surprise fly in. Play along in the comments, I’d love to get to know you all better!
21.01.2022 I’m answering all of the newborn questions inside TMS group tomorrow night. Want to get in on that? Come and join us!
21.01.2022 Case Study: Emma When 16mo Emma's parents contacted me, they certainly had a situation on their hands! They were cosleeping & Emma was waking several times overnight and feeding for 45 minutes plus each feed. Mum and Dad were totally exhausted and were feeling a lot of strain as the situation was making them feel that they couldn't have friends over in the evening, nor could they have anyone babysit Emma so they could go and have some much needed time as husband & wife. Mum &... Dad and tried to sleep train Emma on their own, however she had worked out how to make herself cough to the point where she was making herself vomit. She was doing this every time it was time to go to bed, or when she woke overnight and was put back into her cot. We had a 3 hour long in-home consult for Emma, during which we tried a few different things to settle her. She was a tricky one, as she was the type of child that wanted a bit of space, but we obviously couldn't leave her alone as she would make herself vomit. We decided to work on this particular behaviour first, so we modified a few techniques and voila! We managed to get Emma to settle in her cot with no vomiting and mum and dad by her side the whole time. I worked with this family for a little longer than normal, as we wanted to take it slowly to make sure that Emma was totally comfortable and that she wasn't going to vomit, but got her to the point where she had completely stopped doing this within about 2 weeks. She was also sleeping in her cot all night and her day sleeps had improved too. Fast forward to now, around a month later, Emma has slept through the night once or twice, mostly is only waking 1-2 times. She self settles for all her sleeps & doesn't cough at all. Most importantly, Mum & Dad now feel comfortable enough to have had friends over in the evening, Mum got a girls night and this weekend are leaving Emma with a friend so they can go out for their first date night in nearly 18 months. This was one of my absolute favourite cases. It made me think on my feet but proved that slow and steady does win the race and a bit of consistency goes a long way. The change I've seen, not only in Emma's sleep habits, but also in the way the whole family are now able to live their lives, has been truly heartwarming. So very, very proud of this beautiful family
19.01.2022 WHAT ABOUT ME One thing I hear from my clients a lot is "great, now my baby is sleeping... How do I sleep!? I hear you! Your body is so used to waking up every couple of hours and now it doesn't have to - but it still is. You're longing for a full night's rest so you can wake up as happy as your baby is now! I got you mumma, let's talk about some things that you can do to sleep like a baby! ... 1. Avoid screens a couple of hours before bedtime. This is something that we're ALL guilty of! Scrolling through our phones as we lay in bed is something most of us do. The blue light on screens scramble our frequencies and makes it hard for our neurotransmitters to start producing melatonin to make us sleep! So put the phone down and read a book instead. 2. Exercise! I know, you've been too tired to exercise. But getting the sweat flowing can really help you to get a good night's sleep. 3. Try to go to bed at the same time each night. You have a bedtime now too! This will allow your body to get used to falling asleep at the same time each night and therefore you'll be able to drop off a lot quicker. 4. Have a wind-down ritual. This is a sequence of things that you should do every night before bed. Much like our babes, a great wind-down can really help switch our minds off & therefore get us sleeping. 5. Try to reduce that stress! I know, I know, easier said than done. However, stress causes us to produce cortisol, which in turn prevents us from falling into a really deep sleep. Try some meditation or take some time for yourself. 6. Make the room nice and dark. This will allow your body to produce melatonin & will also help prevent you from stirring between sleep cycles. Do you have a top tip that you swear by to get a good night sleep?
18.01.2022 LETS TALK MUM GUILT As a mumma, I have to say the single hardest thing (other than trying to get my kids to wash their hair), is dealing with mum guilt! We feel guilty about EVERYTHING. ... My kids don’t eat enough vegetables. My kids have too much screen time. I yelled too much today. My house isn’t clean. The kids had frozen meals AGAIN tonight. I dont cook enough. I don’t work enough. I work too much. Literally EVERYTHING makes us feel guilty. That’s why I love this quote. Parenting is meant to be hard. But if you’re feeling guilty most of the day, that means you’re doing the best job you can. If you spend nights worrying, it means you’re a great mum. If you feel stressed about the future, it means you actually give a f&%@ about your kids Tag a mummy who needs this reminder.
17.01.2022 When Rosie’s mum first contacted me, her daughter was contact napping, waking multiple times a night and screaming the house down at bedtime for up to 2 hours. After a 2 hour in home consult and a lot of hard work on Rosie’s parents part (despite mum having to go interstate part way through and dad having to take over), I am thrilled to say that miss Rosie is now independent napping for up to 2 hours, is falling asleep on her own at night and isn’t ending up in someone else’s bed overnight! So proud of these guys, what an incredible result
16.01.2022 Am I right or am I right?
16.01.2022 PERSONALITY TRAITS & SLEEP One thing I’ve definitely noticed about my kids, is they have very very strong personalities (I shouldn’t be surprised, so do their parents). Things such as determined, strong willed and stubborn cross my mind when I think of my boys. Now, these aren’t bad traits by any stretch, they will need them later on in life, but holyyyyy they’re hard to parent!! The thing about personality traits like this, is they often affect sleep training! For exampl...e, a strong willed, independent child is not likely to cope with you sitting next to them without picking them up (and will probably out battle you on this one!), whereas your more laid back kids won’t really care if you’re there and will be happy to be patted off to sleep. A more stubborn child may take longer to adapt to the change, whereas I definitely come across kids who adapt super easily to change. So how do you decide where your child fits? It’s usually pretty obvious once you get started, but we also need to factor in our own personalities when choosing how to navigate these changes. What are personality traits that you see in your child? Are they similar to you or dad?
14.01.2022 Let’s talk sleep regressions. Some like to call them progressions, some regressions. Technically, they’re both right. It is, generally speaking, a progression in your child’s learning (progression) that causes issues with their sleep (regression). IMO - call it what you want, because we can put a positive spin on anything but at the end of the day, the lack of sleep sucks and we’re allowed to say that. Realistically, kids will go through many of these regressions in their l...ives, particularly in the first few years. A lot in the first year are more to do with physical developments (crawling, walking, standing up), and most after this are massive leaps in brain development (learning to talk, to reason, making new connections). There is no need to really do anything during these regressions, they won’t interrupt your child’s sleep long term most of the time. We’ve kind of just got to accept that they’re going through a tough time and need a couple more cuddles for a bit. In saying that, if your child is already not sleeping as well as you’d like, it’s likely to deteriorate even more during these periods. It also doesn’t mean that there’s no point doing anything about these longer term issues until they’re much older, as kids who have really good sleep habits tend to come through them much quicker. I’ll be going through each of the main ones in turn over the next few weeks and diving into the what’s, the how’s and the how do we survives? (Hint, it involves coffee. Or wine. Across the board.) Which one hit your family the worst?
14.01.2022 Being a mum is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Being a mum is the best thing I’ve ever done. Every day I lose myself a little more | I find myself a little more. It feels a little more monotonous | it feels a little more exciting. ... I feel a little less appreciated | I feel a little more loved. My house is a little less clean | my heart is a little more full. I’ve put my career on hold | I have the most important and rewarding job I will ever have in my life. I feel a little less confident | I’ve never felt more confident. The nights are so long | the years are so short. I have no time to do anything | all I have is time. Being a mum is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Being a mum is the best thing I’ve ever done. And I am so very, very blessed. See more
14.01.2022 ONE WEEK TO GO! With Rainbows for Georgie only one week away, we’ve already hit our initial target of $5,000 raised for @stillbirthfoundation Massive thank you to Fenix Constructions and Xtreme Garden Care for your incredibly generous donations to our cause. ... We are so blown away by the support!! If you haven’t got your tickets yet, jump in now and grab them to secure your spot. We have some absolutely amazingly cool, generous prizes for the raffle from some amazingly generous businesses who are all tagged here. Tupperware NT - Leticia Craig Industrial Hair Co. Joanne Cook Photography - Darwin Photographer Get Realty Archer & I Summertime Beauty & Day Spa Make Me Giddy McMini’s Hair by Sarah Hogan Only One Earth Moore Beautiful Tropics Consultancy Group Beat Freakz Fitness The Powder Room Hair and Beauty Sweet Little Candle Co Darwin Birth Photography Prizes will be revealed on the Facebook event starting tomorrow. Can’t wait to see you all there https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rainbows-for-georgie-tickets-1
14.01.2022 Ohhhh heyyyyy There’s a few new faces around here, so I thought it might be time to introduce myself again. I’m Steph. Owner of For The Love of Sleep (and The Motherhood Society alongside the legendary Emma). ... I swear. I like coffee. And wine. I’m pretty into gardening - my once brown thumb is turning a little less brown. And I REALLY like my sleep. I have 2 boys, Ollie who is 3, Archer who is 2 in less than a month () and a beautiful new sleep thief due to be joining our clan in August (yelp) #crazy I’m a certified sleep consultant, a wife but most importantly, I’m a mother FIRST. I understand what you’re going through because I have BEEN through it. Or am going through it. I got into this when Archer was around 6 months old, because he was an absolute rubbish sleeper. Colic, reflux, intolerances, ties, you name it. He had it. I know how hard it is to be so tired you don’t even think you’ll survive. To be so desperate fix it, but to have no idea where to start. To have tried literally EVERYTHING - but nothing works. I know it, because I lived it. So now that I’m slightly less tired, I’m able to put myself into your shoes and help your family get on the road to a better night sleep. I will never suggest anything I wouldn’t do with my own kids (we don’t use CIO here!), and I’m well versed in the challenge of juggling more than one kid, so my plans are actually realistic. No problem is too challenging, and I’ve taken on some dooooozies in my time! I also love giving back, so you’ll find loads of info on my pages. Tell me where you’re from and how many kids you have! Steph
14.01.2022 Under 2 weeks to go until this event. We’ve already had some amazingly generous donations towards the list below! If you are a business who wants to contribute to our fundraising efforts, this is the best way to do so.
13.01.2022 Structured routine vs following cues Now, it’s not secret to anyone that knows me that I am a big fan of routine. I protect my kiddies sleeps like a dragon protecting her eggs - because that’s what works for us! My kids sleep well and are so much happier when they know what’s happening. However, in saying this, there’s definitely a time and a place for routine and a time and a place for just going with the flow. In my experience, once children reach around the 6-8 mont...h mark, they THRIVE off of a routine. Naps at the same time, bedtime the same each night and consistent wind down routines are so important to get sleep on track. Prior to 6 months, following their cues is fine, as long as you know what they look like! I can’t even count the amount of mums I’ve come across who tell me they follow cues, but keep their 4 month old awake for 4 hours because they haven’t shown any sleepy signs. In this case, you’re best to follow awake windows. Once they get to 18m-2y old, they can cope a little better with a bit later bedtime, a slightly shorter nap, or an early wake up okay. There’s really no need to shift the day around for these things now, the timing of naps is far more important. Do you love routine or prefer just rolling with things?
13.01.2022 With Christmas all done and dusted, it’s a time to reflect and set intentions for the new year. With that in mind... I’m running a special for the next week! ... Every consult booked between now and midnight on the 31st of January will get an extra week of support, valued at $40. In addition, everyone who books a consult will go in the draw to win a free Aroma Snooze device in the colour of your choice - valued at $115. A full nights sleep AND extra value? Yes please! Comment below if interested, or flick me a DM to get started
12.01.2022 You can do it all, just not at once This is a quote that’s getting around at the moment that I just love. I don’t know when being stupidly busy became a measure of success, but it did. We’re all pushing ourselves so hard to be the best mother, employee, business owner, wife, and holyy it’s exhausting!! I have so much contact with mums, both clients and friends and honestly I admire them all for different reasons! ... To the working mum. I admire you. To the stay at home mum. I admire you. To the business owner mum. I admire you. To the mum living with crippling anxiety. I admire you. To the mum that bakes and cooks amazing food every night. I admire you. To the mum with a beautifully styled/clean house. I admire the heck out of you, how you doing that?? To the hot mess mum that owns it that she doesn’t have it together sometimes. I admire you. To the mum who tends to her child‘s every sound. I admire you. To the mum who sleep trains. I admire you. To the FIFO mum. To the single mum. To the mum who’s partner doesn’t help enough. To the mum who has really really tough kids. To the mum who is grieving. To the mum who is fighting battles that she is hiding. To the mum who has one child. To the mum who has two, three, four or more. I admire you. I am you. Mostly, to the mum who manages to balance self care with being a mum and who isn’t afraid to admit she doesn’t have it all together, I admire you most of all because you’re managing to do what most of us are not. So how about we stop focusing on all the things we aren’t doing as well as everyone else is, and focus on the one thing we’re good at! Let’s make taking time out the done thing! What do you admire about yourself? As a mum, or otherwise? Or, better yet, what do you admire about a mumma friend of yours? Share the love! See more
12.01.2022 SLEEP ASSOCIATIONS We’ve all heard of them, so how do they work and more importantly, how do they affect your little one’s sleep? Basically speaking, a sleep association is something that your babe is reliant on to fall asleep. There are a couple of types of associations, I refer to them as independent and dependent. An independent sleep association is something that your child may rely on, but it doesn’t require any effort on your behalf. Think white noise, sleeping ba...gs, dummies that a child can find and replace on their own. Then you’ve got your dependent associations, these are things like feeding, rocking and patting to sleep. They are also things that require a fair bit of effort on your behalf! If your child has a sleep association, they won’t be able to fall asleep without it. Similarly, it’s pretty likely that when they come to the top of a sleep cycle, they’ll wake all the way up because their environment has changed (um excuse me mum, where’d my boob go!?). We’ll often see a babe with a sleep association waking every 45 minutes during the day and every 2-4 overnight, on average. In order to get a more consolidated sleep, it’s often necessary to change these associations. However, by the same token, if you want to feed/rock/pat to sleep and it’s working for you, go for it! It would only be considered an issue once it’s an issue for you, or is no longer working. Think, my baby used to go to sleep in 5 minutes with a bit of a rock but it’s now taking 45 minutes for them to go to sleep!! Have you ever dealt with a sleep association?
11.01.2022 Here comes the sun!! You read it here first, folks (or saw it out your window, whatever). Summer is right around the corner! The days are warmer, the nights are shorter and the mornings are earlier... wait what? Are your little darlings waking up a little earlier than they were when the weather was cold and miserable? If this is a new thing, it’s pretty likely that big yellow thing in the sky is the culprit! Now I haven’t found a way to switch it on and off yet (working ...on it), but I have found a way to keep it out of your kiddos room until a more reasonable hour! Sleepy Sundays blinds are the absolute best, cheapest, non damaging temporary measure I have found. If you don’t want to ruin your windows with alfoil, the block out blinds are still letting light in and you’re bloody over waking up at dumb a clock - these are for you! Added bonus: they’re eco friendly!
11.01.2022 Darwin mummas - perfect ideas for MIL, your mum, or to leave around the house with casual circles Support local this Mother’s Day
11.01.2022 GIVEAWAY Yes it’s that time again! Time for another giveaway. This time one of the beautiful Aroma Snooze machines are up for grabs! Comes with the snooze oil, perfect for getting your little one off to sleep. Your choice of pink or blue. To be in it to win it, simply:... Give my page a thumbs up Share this post Drop your favourite GIF below Winner will be selected at random and will be drawn on Sunday the 30th of August. Jump over to Instagram for another chance to win! Kgooooooo!! *this competition is in no way connected or endorsed by Facebook **cant wait? If anyone wins who has bought one of these from me since I started stocking them you’ll have the choice of either getting a second machine or a refund.
11.01.2022 SIX A DAY This is the number of mums who experience the loss of a pregnancy past 20 weeks gestation in Australia. Six. A. Day. ... This number is alarmingly high, and there is just not enough happening to figure out why. I implore you to get familiar with these statistics and raise awareness. This is something that no mother should ever have to go through, let alone 6 every single day. For the rest of the month of August, 25% of all proceeds made by For The Love of Sleep will be going to the Stillbirth Foundation Australia, which is the only foundation in Australia who is focused on stillbirth. #stillbirthawareness #6adayistoomany
10.01.2022 A final word on this beautiful event from Amy herself so damn proud of everything we achieved! Watch this space for next years event. The wheels are already in motion and it’s going to be absolutely amazing. From the bottom of our hearts. ... Thank you.
09.01.2022 Ahhh.. the most wonderful time of the year... for some! For those of us with kids who are sensitive or dependent on their routine, it can be the stuff nightmares are made of (please PLEASE no more Christmas parties!!!) So here are my top 4 tips for having your Christmas Pud and eating it too! ... 1 One or the other. If you must interrupt a nap OR bedtime, try to make it one or the other and compensate with a longer nap or an earlier bedtime. 2 If you’re travelling, get your child used to sleeping in their portacot BEFORE you leave so it’s not a totally new room and bed. Also, take your sheets from their cot so it smells like home. 3 Bring your white noise and comforter! At least then if your child is sleeping in a foreign environment, there will be some familiarity 4 Be gentle. Remember that your babe may need a little more help to fall asleep elsewhere, or that there may be some big feelings due to all the extra socialising! If your child is particularly grumpy, try to give them a day off in their own space, or with limited running around. What are your plans for Christmas this year?
09.01.2022 SICKNESS AND SLEEP I don’t know about the rest of Australia, but there are some plague like illnesses rolling around Darwin at the moment! So I thought this might help, and if it doesn’t, save it for when it will! Firstly, there’s a big difference between a cold and a full blown illness. If your babe just has a bit of a snotty nose, they’re probably okay. But if they appear quite unwell, have fevers or are quite sleepy, it can definitely affect their sleep! ... So what do we do? Cease any sleep training while your child is unwell. You can start up again once they’re better! If they need a bit of extra sleep (which is likely, this is how we heal!), you’re better to put them down earlier for their nap than let them oversleep - this can cause their entire day to push out and bedtime too - not ideal! If they’re suffering with congestion, baby vicks on their chest and feet is a life saver. Diffusers/vaporisers are also a god send - I love the Aroma Snoozes (available on my website). Don’t worry about bad habits. If your babe needs extra feeds or a lot of extra cuddles, go ahead. If they’re waking a lot overnight, it’s likely they’ll go back to normal once they’re feeling better. They won’t forget how to sleep from a couple of days of cuddling to sleep! If you feel babe is sicker than normal, please always seek medical attention. With the pandemic, it can be difficult to get into a doctor, much less get them to listen to you. Push this point and ensure they’re fully examined and not just swabbed for COVID. Does your babe sleep badly when they’re sick?
08.01.2022 8 ways to get some rest with a newborn For something so small, they sure do take up a lot of time (and sleep!). I’ve been through the newborn process a grand total of twice, so whilst I don’t deem myself a total expert, here are a few of my favourite tips for survival (mostly found while madly googling at 2am in a sleep deprived haze, between the online shopping of course). Let the pixies do the housework. And by pixies, I mean literally ANYONE. S...eriously. Take the help. Don’t be afraid to tell people they cannot visit if you’re not up for it (though, it may be a great chance for a hot shower!) It’s okay to set your boundaries. Prepare prepare prepare. Meal prep, organise your feeding space (bottle or breast, it’s likely you’ll get stuck there because newborns loveeee feeding to sleep!) Water. One handed snacks. Phone charger. Book. Baby wear. This one is a game changer. Free arms, anyone? Get dad involved! Yes, most of it will be on you, but things like bath, rocking to sleep and changing nappies are a great job for the other parent! Get out of the house. Go for a walk. Go wander the shops. Go ANYWHERE that is not your 4 walls. Go to bed early. As soon as bub is down, so are you. Take care of yourself. Part of caring for your family is caring for yourself, and there ain’t no medal for who has gone the longest without a shower! What are your top tips for dealing with this phase? See more
07.01.2022 FOOD AND SLEEP A lot of people are really surprised that food is such a huge topic within my consults - but it’s almost as important as a good sleep routine! Then the worry comes - how do I deal with this if my child is a fussy eater/grazer/loves the boob? ... First, let’s go over the important foods for sleep, then we’ll talk about some of my favourite ways of getting it into them, because let’s face it - it’s lovely to just offer it to them but a lot of the time it ends up on the floor! Protein - this one is important from around 6 months of age. It keeps their little bellies nice and full and prevents their blood sugar levels from spiking/dipping. Iron - deficiencies in this can be catastrophic for sleep - causing long wakes overnight or unsettled sleep. When we lack iron, we lack air in our blood stream which makes us grumpy, foggy and unsettled. Great sources of iron are red meats, fish, lentils, green leafy veg and seeds Zinc - as above. Also found in most of the foods iron is - winning! Foods like chicken, turkey, nuts, dairy and egg help to support the neurotransmitters melatonin and seratonin. So what do we do if we’ve tried offering this a million times and our LOs just won’t touch them? Some of my favourite options are Spaghetti, Sheperd’s Pie, Smoothies, Fritters and home made icy poles. It can also really help to get your little older ones involved in preparing the food! Lastly, mimic the behaviour! If you’re struggling to get food into your babe, sit down with them and eat! When they see the rest of the family chowing down on broccoli, they’re much more likely to give it a crack. Do you struggle getting food into your child? Do you think it affects their sleep?
07.01.2022 ITS NOT JUST A PHASE This is a question I get (and ask myself) A LOT. Is this baby’s sleep just a phase and it will get better, or is it something that could be helped? So let’s run through the questions I would ask you to figure that out: Were they sleeping well previous to this? ... Have they recently gone through a major developmental change? Has there been any huge changes in the house? How long has it been going on for? How old are they? If they weren’t sleeping well previously and it’s gotten worse, it’s likely you’ve got a long lasting problem on your hands. If there have been developmental leaps (we’re mainly looking at physical here, but they move to mental as they get older). Things like walking and crawling can wreak havoc on a child’s sleep for a little while! Big changes in the house - moving, parents separating, a new sibling could all cause upset to a babe’s sleep! How long has it been happening? If this has been going on for months and months, it’s likely not going to get better just by waiting it out (unless you’ve got years on your hands). If it’s manageable for you, then all good! But if you’ve been dealing with constant night wakes for months, or terrible naps and it’s starting to get to you, it might be time to reach out for some help. I’ve still got 2 spots left for my discounted phone consult rate, DM me to grab yours
07.01.2022 TODDLER SLEEP One of the toughest parts of raising a toddler is their sleep some days! No longer babies, but a lot of the time the communication skills aren’t quite there to reason with them - which can mean some monumental tantrums come bedtime! They have stamina we can only dream of and when they say no, they mean it! ... So how do we get them to take the sleep they so desperately need (and us too!)? Wind downs are crucial. Do not skip this step. You need to be 110% consistent with these every single nap and bedtime during periods of unsettled sleep Let them pick things that don’t matter. PJs, the colour of their night light, what teddy they want. Don’t give them choices over WHEN they go to bed, rather HOW. Be firm. If they’re throwing excuses at you about why they can’t go to sleep, set the boundaries mumma! One more book, I will go and get you a drink, you can stay here while I go. Make sure they’re eating! Food is CRUCIAL for sleep. Load them up with plenty of protein, low GI carbs and foods high in zinc and iron to make sure their little bodies are well equipped to sleep. Compromise. If you don’t want a baby in your bed, tell them you’ll stay with them in their room instead until they go to sleep. If they don’t want to go to bed, tell them you can read 2 more books but then it’s bedtime. Routine is key. I don’t know many kids who respond well to haphazard days (they are out there, they’re just the exception, not the rule). Same nap time and same bedtime will help HUGELY in getting them down. Don’t be in a rush to change things at the first sign of a problem. One mistake I see on the reg is my toddler is sleeping badly, I’m going to move them to a big bed and see if it helps. This nearly always backfires I’ve done posts on this before if you’re wondering when/how is the best time to do this! Is your toddler giving you grief sleep wise?
05.01.2022 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS + SLEEP It’s hereeeeee! That wonderful time of year where all the clocks are ticked forwards and all the cows are confused. Unfortunately, so are our kids. Now, if you have early risers, the good news is you’ll now be getting a whole extra hour of sleep in the morning. Excellent. However, you’ll probably be getting an hour less at night. Not excellent. And if you’re one of those lucky people who’s child sleeps on the elusive 7-7 schedule, you’re probabl...y sweating. Fear no more, here’s what to do: From tomorrow morning (Wednesday), wake your child up 15 minutes earlier (so 6.45 if they’re normally up at 7). Shift their entire day backwards by 15 minutes, naps included, and bedtime is 6.45. The next day, wake them at 6.30. Rinse and repeat until you’re 6-6, then on Sunday when the clocks shift forward you’re all good! If you want to avoid 9pm bedtimes and 5am wakes, it is now imperative that your tiny tot (and your) windows are blacked. Out. I am talking NO light at all, unless you enjoy a 1yo running on 8 hours sleep a night (no, thank you!). Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I have an abundance of my amazing Sleepy Sundays blinds in stock to nip this issue in the bud. $85 a roll for lazy sleep ins during summer, bargain. A roll will do 3 good sized bedrooms and can be cut to size to fit any window. Free postage interstate as well! Are you a summer or a winter person?
04.01.2022 Addressing a comment I see A LOT in mums groups. So many people believe that there is a choice between their child waking several times OR leaving them to cry it out. This is so NOT the case. ... There are literally dozens of sleep training methods. Some are quick, some are less quick. I am CONSTANTLY adapting methods for different families. Will your child cry? Most likely. I never promise they won’t. It’s change, and human beings don’t like change. There are loads of methods that mean you are right there next to them, supporting them and loving on them while they learn how to sleep independently. I always attempt to minimise their crying, no one likes to listen to their babe cry. If the method is suitable for your child, you can honestly expect them not to cry much at all. Which is why I will always advocate working with a sleep consultant - I know the signs that a method is suitable/or not like the back of my hand. If it’s not a problem for you, then it’s not a problem. But if you believe you either have to put up with your current situation or leave them to cry all night (like I did) please please PLEASE send me a message and I’d be more than happy to chat to you about how we can improve things without you ever having to leave their side
04.01.2022 HAPPY FATHERS DAY A little girl’s first love, a little boy’s first best mate, no denying the importance of a dad! Drop your favourite photo of you and your dad, your kiddies with their dad or you and your kids! x
04.01.2022 R U OKAY? As a mummy of 2 little boys, this day feels especially important to me. We failed the previous generations. They were taught to suck it up, not to talk or cry. We need to do better this time. Teach your sons it’s okay to cry. Teach your daughters it’s okay to feel angry and express that (and it DOESNT make them an emotional girl!). Secondly, check in on your friends!! The saddest people often seem the happiest. There can be so much going on below the surface that y...ou have no idea of. Text them. Call them. Organise time with them. You’ll never regret a conversation, except the one you don’t have. I would rather spend all day listening to your problems than an hour at your funeral. As mums, we tend to put ourselves dead last constantly. We need to stick together! This goes for dads too. Did you know dads can get PND? I didn’t. My inbox is ALWAYS open. For anyone, if you feel like you need/want to talk, I’m always happy to. It’s okay to not be okay.
03.01.2022 WHATS COMING IN 2021 2020 was a weird year, but an amazing one for my little business. I worked my butt off with some awesome little families (so damn grateful for each and every one of you!) So what can you expect to see in 2021 from me? ... I’ll have guides dropping this year, that I’ve been busily collaborating on with not 1 but 2 other sleep consultants, so they’re PACKED full of amazing tips and tricks More lives, Q&A Tuesdays and general info More case studies, which will hopefully help some of you to get your babe’s sleep back on track! More real, honest and helpful posts for all. And as always, me keeping it real with these two little people of mine, who keep me on my toes. Both sleep wise and in general! What would you like to see on this page this year? What are you struggling with at the moment in regards to your child’s sleep?
03.01.2022 DUMMIES/PACIFIERS This is one I see a lot! I don’t want to use a dummy, they’ll get attached I’m getting rid of my 1 yos dummy... How do I get rid of a dummy Let’s chat, shall we friends? Dummies are an excellent settling tool for newborns. They LOVE to suck and it can be pretty exhausting when that is always on you! However, the downside to dummies is newborns will often spit them, then cry because they’ve lost them. So, when should we use them, and when should we not? Use for newborns only if they’re not waking frequently for it. If they are, you’re better to ditch it. The best time to get rid of a dummy is between 4-6 months, before they get too attached. This can be down gradually. If you keep the dummy past this, you’re best to wait until around 2.5 to get rid of it, or when your child understands the concept of giving it away to someone else. If you want to keep the dummy past 6 months, your child will not be capable of finding and replacing it until they’re around 8 months. Be aware that you may spend some time helping them with this! Once they get to this age, it’s important to not put their dummy in their mouth for them each time - teach them to do it independently! Did your baby have a dummy? When did you ditch it?
02.01.2022 The first, and the biggest. The one that every single child will go through (though you may not notice!). This is often referred to as the 4 month sleep PROgression in the sleep world. It is a permanent change and is when your babe goes from those lovely long newborn sleep cycles to a very pronounced 2-4 hours overnight and 45 minutes during the day (hello catnapping!) This regression typically lasts 4-6 weeks & overtiredness can cause major issues.... So, how do we navigate it? 1 Your babe is likely to be very cranky and clingy to you - this is because they are going through a HUGE developmental period. Not only are their sleep cycles changing, but it also coincides with leap 4 of the wonder weeks, where they learn about events. Make sure to allow for this and remind yourself that they’re not doing it for any other reason than they’re learning a lot. 2 They may be learning how to roll over. Whilst this is an important milestone - it can wreak havoc on their sleep! Lots of practice during the day is key and if it hasn’t already - that swaddle’s gotta go! Once they can roll confidently both ways, if they settle to sleep on their tummy it’s totally fine. 3 Sleep associations are so easily formed here! If they become dependent on a particular way of going to sleep, they’ll wake every sleep cycle looking for it! 2 tips here - get dad involved and follow the feed-resettle-feed rule overnight! 4 There is also a huge growth spurt around this age - so your babe may be hungrier and may sleep more or less than usual. Make sure you’re offering those extra feeds during the day so they don’t want them all night! 5 Routines can be implemented quite well by now due to their circadian rhythm being well established- but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy! Wind downs for naps and bedtime routines are pivotal at this stage - communication will take you a long way! If your babe is still waking every 2 hours or thereabouts past 5.5-6 months old, it’s likely they’ve gotten stuck here and it’s unlikely it will improve on its own anytime soon. If you’re getting fed up with this - it might be time to reach out for help Did you struggle with this regression?
02.01.2022 GRATITUDE After 2 weeks straight of illness in our household, it’s been really easy to focus on the negatives. Being stuck at home with whinging children. Multiple wakes overnight (yes, my children do wake up overnight when they’re sick! I’m not a magician ) Not being able to get to my work, which is a labour of love for me and a real escape. So I can either choose to focus on how shitty it’s been, or I can focus on the positives. And I think this is something all of u...s could use (I think everyone is guilty of focusing on the hard in life from time to time). So today, I’m grateful for: My beautiful, healthy and happy boys The roof over our heads The family who are happy to take the boys off my hands for an hour so I can work Being in a position where I CAN stay home with the kids when they’re unwell My wonderful husband, who is such a great, hands on dad and the best role model I could ask for to our sons (but don’t tell him, it’ll take me a week to deflate his head) The amazing mummas I’ve met and befriended during this wild ride who bring me food, check in and love us from afar during these times What are you grateful for today?
