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Sleep By Sarah

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23.01.2022 So you’ve been swaddling you little darling since birth, be it in the traditional manner of wrapping or with one of the new fancy swaddle sacks (cue my fav ergoPouch!)... who doesn’t love a baby burrito!? Swaddling is such a great settling tool, it snuggles your baby in and contains their startle reflex, allowing them beautiful long stretches of sleep in a cosy womb like environment. So perfect for the 4th trimester But like all good things, swaddling has to come to an end.... Un-swaddling is usually a decision based on your child’s safety; if rolling with their arms in a swaddle this means your bub doesn’t have the means to move their face if and when they land in a position that might compromise their airway. Remove the swaddle and they then have the freedom to use their arms to move their head into a position that allows them to breath. Sounds totally logical right? If you haven’t already, then I’d recommend removing the swaddle by 6 months of age, by now your baby’s Moro (startle) reflex has disappeared, therefore the reason for the swaddle in the first place is no longer present. Also, after 6 months sleep associations become very deeply ingrained, making them difficult and distressing (for you AND your babe!) to remove. You can replace a swaddle with a baby sleeping bag that is still snug around the chest, this is a really nice transition if you have a swaddle loving mini. I’ll do a post tomorrow about how to go about this transition! by the super talented @stefccphotography

23.01.2022 CASE STUDY This delightful smiley boy is Ari. Ari’s Mum contacted me when he was 5 months old because he was only able to fall asleep on the breast and was waking every 1-3 hours overnight needing to be fed back to sleep as a result. To say she was exhausted was an understatement. We tweaked Ari’s day routine and taught him to settle himself to sleep at bedtime and the rest is history!... Here’s what Ari’s mum has to say; Sarah did a very thorough assessment of our situation, made a customised schedule and gave us the options of different sleep training techniques depending on what we thought would work best for our baby. Sarah was available daily for 2 weeks to discuss the progress and was a huge support, always going above and beyond to help us. By the end of the 2 weeks our little boy was on a great schedule and only having 2 feeds overnight. Within a month he was down to 1 feed overnight. Recently he started crawling and had a bit of a regression but Sarah was there to help us through that as well... I can’t recommend Sarah highly enough #sleepbysarah #babysleepconsultant #sleepconsultant #nosleep #nosleepclub #sleepdeprived #sleeptraining #mumlife

23.01.2022 Removing the swaddle... I know this is something a lot of mums dread. And yes, it can and does disrupt sleep. But as mentioned yesterday, if your baby is rolling you really need to keep them safe and get those little arms free! My advice? Go one arm at a time. If your baby isn’t yet rolling then begin with the first half of the night, popping the arm back in at their first feed. The next night the second feed and then follow this up with naps. Do this for up to a week then go... for 2 arms. You could alternate which arm is out while doing a single arm if you’d like to. If bubs is rolling you’ll have to bite the bullet and go one arm consistently then follow up with 2 soon after. The alternative to both of these option is obviously to just go cold turkey. You’ll have a few average nights but if your little one is ready then you’ll find it isn’t too bad. A lot of the time moving to arms out coincides with the 4 month regression, so if you’re on a bad run why not get it all out of the way, right!? I really like the @lovetodream transition swaddle for moving to free sleeping. I used these with Rohan and found it relatively painless! Definitely worth a look x

22.01.2022 NEWBORNS I feel like everyone around me is pregnant or had a new baby!! Such beautiful, exciting, but also exhausting, times It’s never too early to begin to teach your baby healthy sleep habits. By this I don’t mean putting them on a strict feeding/napping schedule as soon as they are born, simply to begin the development of a healthy relationship with sleep. ... 1-3 weeks: your baby will sleep in excess of 16 hours a day. This is the effect of maternal melatonin still in high doses after being separated from mum. Awake time of 40-60 minutes, enough time for a feed, nappy change and cuddle, is literally all that is necessary. Sleep is distributed fairly evenly throughout day and night due to bubs frequent need for feeding. This is the time you should have you baby nap in a light room during the day to begin to develop their circadian rhythm 4-6 weeks: your baby’s awake time may increase slightly, however their overall sleep need remains much the same. Now is the time you could begin introducing a bedtime routine to indicate to your baby the time for overnight sleep is approaching. Baby’s tend to become most fussy around 6 weeks of age, so hang in there mumma 7-12 weeks: your baby will being to make their own melatonin around 7 weeks of age, so beginning to have them nap in a dark room will encourage longer stretches of sleep. Sleep cycles begin to emerge and catnapping may become apparent. You baby will likely need slightly more awake time now (potentially up to 90 minutes approaching 12 weeks). You can bring bedtime earlier and aim for 11-12 hours in bed overnight (broken sleep for feeding) Tag a mumma who might need to hear this. Stay tuned for my next post, where I’ll talk about the 4th trimester and some settling strategies for your newborn x

21.01.2022 THE 18 MONTH SLEEP REGRESSION This regression signals when your precious baby officially becomes a toddler. This can happen anytime in their second year, but usually somewhere in the middle, hence the 18 month tag. There is an explosion of physical and mental development that causes this downturn in sleep. Your little one will be beginning to run, jump and climb constantly. Their language development at this age is extortionate; your toddler is a little sponge soaking up al...l of the talking around them in preparation for their own speech. They will be saying words and the beginnings of short sentences. You’ll see that this regression usually coincide pretty closely with the transition to 1 nap. This is huge, it can be pretty tough getting through the day on just 1 nap! There is also studies to suggest that when becoming a toddler, there is a shift in circadian rhythm that pushes the biological bedtime out by as much as an hour.... so where you were previously putting your BABY to bed, your TODDLER isn’t having a bar of it. Add to this a tired toddler because of their recent change to a single nap... potential disaster! Unfortunately for parents, a toddler also begins to push the boundaries. This testing behaviour is completely normal, your little one has just learnt that they can say no! They will fill their extra awake time (that you weren’t aware they needed) with experimenting with limits and consequences. Separation anxiety can also be an issue at this age, just like at 8-10 months! It’s important to offer support through this stage, with firm boundaries in place so that bedtime doesn’t drag out for hours. So let’s see; huge development, potential overtiredness paired with a biological shift in circadian rhythm, new found ability to push boundaries and separation anxiety. To say this is a tough one would be an understatement. Bit as with all regressions; stay consistent, avoid making big changes during this time, keep clear and firm boundaries around sleep, and try your best to not introduce new associations. You’ve got this

21.01.2022 This morning’s sunrise was too beautiful to not share

21.01.2022 Case study This little angel is Theo Theo was 10 weeks old when I started working with his parents. He was having all of his naps on Mum and breast feeding to sleep 100% of the time... all really normal newborn things! We worked on teaching Theo to settle to sleep in ways other that just the breast and to take naps in his bassinet. Now his mum has 2 hands free to eat her lunch and gets a bit of time for herself!... Here’s what Theo’s mum had to say; Sarah was able to help teach us about sleep... she was incredibly supportive, patient, kind and creative in her approach. We loved that Sarah doesn’t have a method to follow and gave us great tools and strategies in line with our parenting style... Thank you Sarah If you feel like you need 2 hands free with your newborn, DM me... I’d be happy to help

21.01.2022 Why enlist the help of a sleep consultant?? Have a read xx https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33204198/

20.01.2022 SLEEP TRAINING Well, there it is. The term that has such a bad reputation. Some people have begun to call sleep training sleep teaching because of the negative connotations associated with the term. People hear sleep training and immediately think closing the door and walking away until morning... the old and outdated cry it out method. Call it what you want though, the fact of the matter is that a vast majority of children need to be taught how to sleep independently, he...nce the name. Here’s the truth through, sleep training DOES NOT MEAN CRY IT OUT.. yes, this is a sleep training method and some parents CHOOSE to teach their children to sleep this way, however there are MANY other options, with gentler ways that are better suited to different families. Sleep training is so much more than getting your little one to sleep through the night, it can often mean; A happy household A healthy relationship between partners that isn’t affected by sleep deprivation Optimal growth and development A predictable routine Consolidated and age appropriate daytime sleep Fuss free and realistic bedtime - so Mum and dad can have some adult time in the evenings As a parent, sleep deprivation is absolutely not something you have to endure long term. The decision to sleep train (or sleep teach if you prefer) is completely personal and something you shouldn’t need to justify or defend. If you feel you need any of the above and want to discuss options, get in contact. I would love to help #sleepbysarah #babysleepconsultant #sleepconsultant #nosleep #nosleepclub #perthmumsandbubs #mumlife #sleepdeprived #sleeptraining #sleepteaching

18.01.2022 Hello Spring! Does anyone else feel like winter has just gone forever this year!? I think the fact I didn’t escape north has made it so much longer. Let this be a lesson to me. Even though it’s still a winters day here in Dunsborough, I am so happy for the change of season ... Keep your babes snug as bugs in rugs at night still, as spring mornings are notoriously cold! Stay tuned for a series of posts on nap regressions this week and next... and if you have anything you’d like me to post about just send me a DM and I’m happy to sort something out!

18.01.2022 REVIEW I was so lucky to have the opportunity to work with this beautiful family. Swipe to see the gorgeous Mason and what his lovely mumma had to say. I truely love what I do

17.01.2022 Shoutout to the Mums This one is for a special group of mums... the single mums, the fifo mums, the widowed mums. The mums doing it solo, wether it be 50% or 100% of the time. YOU ARE ALL BLOODY WONDERFUL.... You are giving your all to a tiny human all of the time without help on hand whenever you’d like. Without the promise of help at knockoff time. You’re providing yourself both physically and emotionally to meet the needs of your child. You’re there, day and night, to give your little one the love, support and nurturing that they so desperately need. I did 2 weeks solo parenting recently and it nearly broke me! Juggling my toddler, work, house chores, maintaining a social life and generally being a good person is a tough gig! So to all of you solo mums or part-time solo mums, whatever the reason you are in the position you are, I take my hat off to you! You truly are an inspiration to me

16.01.2022 CIRCADIAN RHYTHM Have you ever wondered what wakes us up in the morning and keeps us awake all day, then makes us sleepy come bedtime and then sleep all night? That would be this bad boy! So what is it? It’s our internal body clock. It’s a process driven by hormones called cortisol and melatonin that makes us awake and asleep at the appropriate times. Cortisol (also responsible for overtiredness in large doses) is responsible for waking us up, this peaks at about 11am and t...hen starts to decline pretty rapidly after that... 3pm lull anyone? Melatonin, on the other hand, peaks around 7pm making us begin to wind down for the night and get ready to go to sleep. There is a crossover of these 2 hormones after 2am, where melatonin is dropping off and cortisol is beginning to rise, which makes sleep lighter during this part of the night. I often get asked why does my baby wake so much after midnight? and unfortunately, this is why! If your LO is overtired, has a parent driven sleep association or is uncomfortable in any way, you’ll have multiple wakes after midnight and/or early rising simply because of the drive to wake becoming stronger the closer to morning time goes. The great thing about circadian rhythm is that it can be controlled by outside influences! These are light, food and social interaction. By limiting these things when it’s sleep time (overnight) you are in turn regulating your LO’s circadian rhythm. In the evenings be calm and use dim lighting, whereas in the morning be bright and chirpy and throw open the curtains to let the sunshine in this will teach your LO the difference between day and night and the different expectations associated with them

16.01.2022 Happy Friday people!

15.01.2022 THE 2 YEAR SLEEP REGRESSION LAST ONE! You’ve made it, here we are at the final official sleep regression that you will experience during parenthood (or for this child ). Insert happy dance This hiccup is again part of a huge developmental phase; your 2 year old’s imagination has begun to develop and along with this may come genuine fears - usually associated with the dark. Think scary shadows, monsters, something hiding under the bed or behind the curtains etc. This is su...ch a fun age for playing, but just be aware of what it is you’re playing and that it won’t invoke fear later. Awake times are longer and sleep needs are less in a 2 year old. Again, no one gave you the memo and there doesn’t seem to be a reason why your having this battles at bedtime for your toddler to go to sleep!? Or, why have they suddenly begun waking up early!? Or refusing to nap!? Quite simply, they need more awake time before a sleep, and this sleep needs to be regulated from now. Experiment with awake times before bed and nap lengths, as these can have a massive effect on settling. There also may be some transitions that disrupt sleep; such as toilet training, moving to a big bed (I wouldn’t recommend this until closer to 3, but sometimes it’s not an option), and potentially a new sibling. Toddlers are sensitive to change, so be patient an help them through whatever big things are happening in their lives. For me this isn’t a terrible time, your 2 year old has much more understanding so you can make simple explanations and provide reassurance far easier than at earlier ages. Just be patient, stay consistent and you will make it through this one, just like you did all the others. And remember; this too shall pass

15.01.2022 What does sleep mean to your family? Valid question right? To me, sleep means functioning at my best. It means getting through the day with a clear mind. It means feeling happy and productive. I don’t do well with no sleep, never have (my parents love telling me how grumpy I’d be as a child if I hadn’t had enough sleep!). That became really apparent for me when I had a newborn and faced the usual new mum sleep deprivation. I struggled, every day, and my mental health began to... suffer as a result. My partner and I decided we needed to help our baby sleep well, so that we could sleep well. But not just for us, so that he was able to sleep independently while still knowing he could rely on us to respond to him when he needed us. So that he didn’t view sleep as a punishment or get upset when the time for sleep came. So that he could recognise he NEEDED sleep in order to feel his best. Sleep is not a luxury, it is a necessity. And we learnt very early on, that to us, sleep was non negotiable. We decided that we didn’t need to be sleep deprived simply because we were parents now - it was already a tough enough gig! So we helped our baby learn how to sleep independently, just like we helped him learn how to roll, crawl, use a spoon and walk. So what does sleep mean to you and your family? Comment and let me know #sleepbysarah #babysleepconsultant #sleepconsultant #nosleep #nosleepclub #sleepdeprived #sleeptraining #mumlife #perrhmumsandbubs

12.01.2022 Naps on the go I love a nap in the go - they give you freedom, sweet freedom, to get out of the house and not feel like your entire day is dictated by sleep. And let’s be honest, that can happen when you’ve got a little person who relies on sleep so much. I aaaaalways harp on about prioritising sleep. It is SO IMPORTANT! But so is leaving the house. So there is no reason why you can plan your outing strategically around naps so that you get one on the go!... My top tips; make your on the go nap either your morning or late afternoon nap (if bub is still on 3 naps) this way you can aim to be home for the lunch nap and know you’ve got something to fall back on plan an activity where baby can sleep - such as a walk in the pram or baby carrier, or squiding in the boat if you need to drive somewhere, try to plan it so bub can nap in the car seat where possible, take sleep props such as comforter, dummy, swaddle, white noise don’t expect bub to sleep as well or as long as they would at home... this way you won’t be disappointed! Remember mumma, it’s a big deal to do your thing! I used to love grabbing a coffee and going for a big walk while Rohan had his morning nap when he was younger.. he never slept more than 45 minutes but it made such a huge difference to my day

12.01.2022 The 8-10 month regression Aptly named as it can come at any point between these ages. This regression comes with some pretty significant physical developments; crawling, pulling up, standing, or for some, walking! So like with all other regressions, be patient and provide support to your little love to help them through while they experience these developments. You’ll likely be at the stage of either transitioning from 3-2 naps, or thinking about it. This can cause overtiredn...ess, which will exacerbate overnight waking, early rising and nap issues. All nap transitions are tricky, so take your time. The realisation that not everyone is asleep when bedtime comes around is also a nasty kicker now, the FOMO is real!! Your little treasure is now a tiny explorer with a greater understanding of the world around them and with their increased inquisitiveness they want to be a apart of everything! Routine is your friend here, this will give a sense of control and consistency to your little one - they know exactly what to expect and what is expected of them, which will make your bedtimes much, much smoother. Separation anxiety can also become an issue, peaking at 9 months. Incorporating a really solid wind down that includes lots of cuddles and reassurance is invaluable during this time, as suddenly your little one realises you are leaving and they want you to come back! Next up, the 12 month regression!

10.01.2022 THE 12 MONTH SLEEP REGRESSION This one is a pesky one. It’s nap refusal and it is a PAIN! Unfortunately, regardless of how well your little one slept before this, a lack of day sleep will have an effect on their night sleep, because if I’ve taught you anything I hope this is it! At 1 year old (when did that happen, right!?) your clever little cherub is learning so many new thing! Standing or walking, beginning to develop language with a few words, developing understanding of ...simple commands and rapidly advancing fine motor skills, it’s no wonder sleep takes a backseat. Separation anxiety may continue be an issue, especially so at sleep times. The annoying thing about this, is that with all that development, your little one still needs an adequate amount of sleep! Continue to offer 2 naps. This regression is absolutely NOT a sign of being ready to make this transition, and in fact, doing this too soon will make thing much much worse. Keep awake times active and interactive. Outside is ideal, as sunlight exposure will help bub produce melatonin when bedtime rolls around. Physically wearing your LO out is going to help them settle easier at bedtime too. If your LO refuses to nap for one, or both, of their naps, you could try an emergency nap (think car, carrier, pram, whatever means you know will help bub sleep) and ALWAYS make use of an early bedtime to compensate. Try to stick to independent sleep habits and not introduce new associations. THIS TOO SHALL PASS!!!!! And probably sooner than you think if you don’t make too many changes. Keep up the good work mumma, only 2 to go after this one

09.01.2022 It’s Red Nose Day! I’ve talked about safe sleep before, but too much is never enough when it comes to keeping our little ones safe! In Australia, 9 children die suddenly and unexpectedly every single day. That adds up to a total of over 3000 babies, toddlers and preschoolers each year. SIDS and fatal sleep accidents are the leading cause of these deaths.... @rednoseaustralia is Australia’s leading authority on safe sleep practices and have recommendations in place to make sleep as safe as possible for the little people in our lives; Sleep baby on their back from birth, NOT their tummy or side. ALWAYS place baby on their back to sleep, even if they can roll Position baby with their feet at the bottom of the cot Use a baby safe sleeping bag, in the correct size for your baby’s age If using blankets ensure they are firmly tucked in around baby so they don’t become loose and cover their face Keep baby’s head and face uncovered Keep baby’s environment completely smoke free (during pregnancy and after birth) Baby should have their own safe sleep environment, with a cot that meets current Australia standards Use a mattress that is firm, clean, flat and the correct size for the cot Avoid the use of soft bedding such as pillows, doonas, cot bumpers or soft toys (comforters are to be introduced after 7 months of age) Have baby sleep in their own space in the same room as a parent or caregiver for the first 6-12 months Breastfeed where this is an option for you Red nose have a hotline you can call if you have any questions regarding safe sleep or pregnancy and also provide bereavement support for parents. Let’s all do what we can to keep our babies safe

09.01.2022 Mummas. Please note I had a lovely mum ask me yesterday during my q&a if it was bad that she was rocking her 6 month old baby to sleep. That breaks my heart. No, absolutely not it isn’t bad. It isn’t wrong, it’s isn’t an issue, it isn’t a problem if it isn’t a problem for YOU. If you are rocking you baby to sleep and you enjoy doing that, you should keep doing that. If you don’t feel like there is an issue and you feel like you’re getting adequate sleep then you should do ...whatever it is that you are currently doing to help your baby sleep. I fed Rohan to sleep for the first 9 months of his life. Every. Single. Night. And honestly, I loved it. If I had my time again I would throw away the Mum guilt for doing it and just enjoyed the time. Because it was beautiful holding my baby in my arms and hearing his tiny breaths until he fell asleep. I’ll never get that time back. Just because I recommend things, or make suggestions, doesn’t make it gospel. I help families that approach me because they have come to a point that what they are doing isn’t working anymore. They choose to use my knowledge and experience in sleep (and yes, sleep issues) to help their baby to sleep independently. I’m not here to tell you that what you’re doing isn’t right for you or your baby or your family. You are the only person who can make that choice! So if something is working THEN YOU SHOULD KEEP DOING THAT THING! And do it without guilt, because you are amazing mumma, you are exactly what your baby needs

07.01.2022 I remember so clearly when Rohan was a newborn, laying in bed one night with my partner while Rohan was in the bassinet next to us sucking on a dummy... one of us said do you think he could suck the nipple off it and choke? Well, needless to say neither of us slept that night. And then I didn’t sleep for days afterwards. Or eat. Or have a single rational thought. I crashed my car (accidentally), I kept apologising to Clayton for having a baby, what were we thinking?? I was ...exhausted, overwhelmed, completely irrational and consumed by anxiety. Leaving the house was almost impossible and the thought of visitors was almost too much to bear. Every time I closed my eyes I imagined the cat jumping into Rohan’s bassinet and suffocating him, I dreaded falling asleep for fear I’d be woken up again, i obsessed over housework but couldn’t organise myself to get any done. I simply couldn’t switch off the thoughts swirling around my head. It took me a long time to even admit that I had a problem... i knew something was up because everyone around me was in the love bubble and seemed to be enjoying their newborns so much, while I was just going through the motions of motherhood. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved my baby, he was the rainbow that I so desperately wanted, but I certainly wasn’t enjoying him. The funny thing about all of this, is because I was both breastfeeding and not eating a whole lot, I lost a lot of weight very quickly. People kept telling me how great I looked, I’d managed to bounce back. The emphasis on my physical appearance was astounding, even though I was falling apart inside. From my experience I have learnt that mental health is just as important as physical health. In fact, probably more so. With a healthy mind you see the pleasure in life, the little things like hearing your child laugh, feeling their tiny body against your own, watching them learn something new. Coming out of that fog of anxiety brought me the joy that comes with being a mother and the knowledge that you wont feel that way forever. Mental illness isn’t a weakness and it certainly isn’t something to be ashamed of

06.01.2022 SLEEP REGRESSIONS We’ve all heard about them, but what are they? A sleep regression is when your previously (hopefully) unicorn sleeper starts waking more at night, begins to fight bedtime, potentially refuse naps and maybe even wake up early! These regressions are inevitable and some babes experience them worse than others. The good news is, they don’t last forever!... Your little one will experience a total of 5 (that’s right, FIVE) sleep regressions by the time they turn 2. These are; 4 months, 8-10 months, 12 months, 18 months and 2 years. But don’t panic! This doesn’t mean your baby will never sleep again, I promise. Generally a sleep regression coincides with a developmental milestone, which in turn disrupts sleep. Think things like crawling, standing/cruising, walking, talking... these things take up A LOT of brain power in our little ones and as a result sleep suffers. How much more exciting is it to practice your rad new skill than sleep!? Truth is, your baby’s brain will actually wake them up in order to go over and over again what they have just learnt. The good news is, these regressions don’t last forever!! As I’ve already mentioned, everyone’s mini is different, but generally you can expect a regression to last a week or 2. During this time you may need to offer a little extra help if you little one is experiencing difficulty with sleep, but try your best to not create new associations. Stay tuned for a post on each individual regression broken down

05.01.2022 THE 4th TRIMESTER I’m sure we can all agree that human babies are born too early. Those first 3 months after you give birth to your precious little bundle you seem to spend your time establishing feeding, followed by cuddling, rocking and snuggling them to sleep. And their favourite place is on your chest, as close to your heart as they can get without being back inside of you, which I’m sure they would rather be! The world is a big scary place for a newborn baby; cold and qu...iet (in comparison to mums tummy!), they feel hungry for the first time, have to learn to feed, which makes them soooo sleepy and then have to poo after trialling their new food! Imagine that after 9 months of being cosy and comfy! So be patient with you new bub, enjoy the cuddles but also give them the opportunity to sleep in their bassinet. Assist them fully to sleep (yes, this is normal!). Feed them on demand, but try to encourage full feeds to avoid snacking, as snack feeding leads to snack sleeping. Wake them if they are sleeping for hours and hours in the day - you’d rather that happen at night! And finally, don’t get caught up too much in strict routines, it’s so not necessary at such a young age. Instead try to enjoy the little moments you’ll never get back.. that will be a distant memory before you know it! What was your saviour when you had a newborn?? Ours was the baby carrier, Rohan loved being snuggled in and fell asleep for hours at a time. Literally the best! #sleepbysarah #babysleepconsultant #sleepconsultant #mumlife #nosleep #nosleepclub #sleepdeprived #sleeptrwining #perthmumsandbubs #newbornbaby #fourthtrimester #babywearing

03.01.2022 THE 4 MONTH SLEEP REGRESSION This is it, the big one, the one we all hear about and dread. So let’s break it down. At around 4 months old your baby’s sleep matures and becomes more adult like, so it becomes the same as yours and mine. This means a significant decrease in the length of sleep cycles overnight; from 6-8 hours to 2-4 hours and the distinct emergence of these cycles in the day at around 45 minutes. I think it’s also important to note that this regression doesn’t h...ave to happen bang on 4 months, for some it may happen closer to 6 months. But I promise you that it will happen, as sleep maturation is inevitable. So what does this mean!!?? Well it COULD mean that your baby begins to wake up more at night, say, every 2-4 hours, because they have relied on the direct input of a parent in order to fall asleep up to this point. You COULD also see catnapping begin to become a bit of an issue, which may or may not contribute to the excessive waking overnight. Every baby will experience this regression differently, so having a bit of a plan going into it is going to be helpful! Taking into account also that at around 16 weeks your baby has a huge growth spurt and they may also be beginning to show signs of rolling if they aren’t already and gaining strength in their arms/shoulders/neck during tummy time. Both of these developmental milestones paired with physical growth will make things a bit tricky with sleep. So what do I do, I hear you ask. Now is a great time to implement some gentle sleep training strategies to help your little one to learn to sleep independently. If you find you have a specific sleep association that involves direct parental input you might like to work on making this more independent, so that bub doesn’t require mum or dad numerous times a night to help them go back to sleep. Offer your baby the opportunity to settle and resettle themselves, if they can’t manage this the provide support and assistance in a way that you can withdraw when required. What was your experience with the 4 month regression? I’d love to hear about it

03.01.2022 I write this as I lay on the floor in Rohan’s room, because he woke up 45 minutes into his nap today and clearly wanted to still be asleep. So I came in and held his hand and he’s now gone back to sleep... Why am I writing this, you might ask? Well, to prove a point. Just because you sleep trained your baby, doesn’t mean their sleep will always be perfect. There will be days they don’t nap as long (or at all), there will be nights that they wake once, twice, three+ times and ...need you. There will be bedtimes that are difficult when they are usually a breeze. This, my fellow parents, is just part of parenting. Maybe you have accidentally introduced a new association, maybe you’ve got a sick babe, maybe you’re going through a regression. Who knows!? Babies are a moving target, they are constantly developing and changing. But, are you ready for this..... This too shall pass. Your baby won’t be a baby forever. Your toddler won’t want to hold your hand while they fall asleep forever. One day you’ll look back and cherish little moments like hearing your child breathing as they fall asleep because you are there with them and you are what makes them feel safe and comfortable. I know I’m right where I need to be

02.01.2022 ergoPouch sale 25% off everything. Ends 8pm Monday 15 feb. Shop via website; link in bio

02.01.2022 NEWBORN SETTLING So as my last post on newborns for a while; I thought what better to address that how to settle your new little bundle. Dr Harvey Karp @happiest_baby discovered the so called 5 S’s for newborn settling, that are intended to mimic a womb like environment to induce a calming reflex in a newborn baby. These settling strategies seem to suit most newborns and help them not only to calm, but also fall asleep. So, here they are!... Swaddling - a firm swaddle to contain your baby’s startle reflex, which will naturally wake them. Swaddling also provides an all over touching feeling and keeps bub warm. Sometimes babies might fight this initial step, however it stops their flailing so they can focus their attention to the following s’s Side/stomach position - unsettled babies do not like being on their back simply changing their position to their side or stomach provides comfort. Think cradling them against your body or over your arm. Shushing - this sound imitates the noise your baby would have heard constantly while in womb. If bub is upset or crying your shushing needs to match their level of noise. Then the use of a consistent sound while sleeping (yep you got it, white noise baby!!) will also be really helpful with sleep Swinging - rocking or movement has a similar effect as shushing. If unsettled you want your movement to induce a slight wiggle of your baby’s head and once they begin to calm slow this to continual, rhythmical motion. A baby swing can be really helpful with this! Sucking - the sweet icing on the cake! Newborn babies LOVE to suck. Wether a breast, bottle or dummy, this final piece of the puzzle will send your baby into total relax mode and more than likely help them nod off Also remember Mummas, YOU are calming for your baby. If they are upset and won’t settle try clothes off and skin to skin. There’s no place like mums chest to remind you that you are safe and loved in this big and scary new world Gorgeous pic of those precious newborn snuggles from @marionaapg

02.01.2022 THE DREAMFEED So following on from my blog from night weaning (I know it was last week, but I’m trying to fit work around nesting - tough gig) I thought it would be a great time to bring up the dreamfeed, as the 2 usually make it to the same discussion. Personally, I don’t recommend the dreamfeed to my clients. This is because that first stretch of sleep at night is generally what consolidates first - so you’ll see the time from bedtime to the first night wake naturally len...gthen. Basically, by skipping the dreamfeed you are allowing your baby to have the deepest and most restorative phase of their sleep to be undisturbed, while also giving them the opportunity to learn to link their sleep cycles independently. It leads to a more baby-led night weaning approach. If you allow your baby to wake naturally from their own hunger cues then you can likely rely on the fact that you are feeding for HUNGER, not for HABIT. That said, dreamfeeds can work wonders for some families! I would certainly say if you’re considering it to give it a crack, what you’d like to see is a solid 4-5 hour stretch post dreamfeed (age dependant, this would be the minimum). 4 months of age is a good starting age (before this you’d likely have an awake feed around 10-11pm anyway) and make sure you’re on your way to phasing it out between 7-8 months old; as this is the time when it will start to actively disturb night sleep and cause more frequent waking. Tell me, did the dreamfeed work for you? I’d love to hear your experience

02.01.2022 NIGHT FEEDING Ah Mummas, we have all been there. It is oh so tiring, the relentless overnight feeding demands of our babes. Wether breast or bottle it can be so tiring. So what’s realistic?... Under 3 months - feed on demand 4- 6 months - 2 or 3 feeds 7-9 months - 1 or 2 feeds 10-12 months - 1 or 0 feeds 12 months and beyond - 0 feeds These ages are based on what is nutritionally necessary, not what you decide to do personally. What I like to see is a natural extension of sleep in the first half of the night so that your baby is consolidating their deepest phases of sleep, therefore learning to link sleep cycles AND reaping the rewards of this restorative time. There will come a time when night weaning is on your radar... if this is you now check out my latest blog post on the website. This is a hot topic and one that affects all families at some stage, wether early on or as a toddler. Link in bio

01.01.2022 REVIEW Sarah helped us in so many ways, firstly by not making me feel guilty about the situation I had created for myself and by helping to set a routine for us that worked around our lifestyle and we stuck with it. I told her all the things I didn’t want to do and she also worked around that, although I ended up doing all the things I said I didn’t want to (and was ok with that) AND THEY WORKED! Sarah’s daily support was so good, I looked forward to our check ins to tell h...er how our day was going and how Ellie had been the previous night. After the 2 weeks Ellie had developed a great routine and was sleeping a lot better, still not perfect, but I was able to stop my bubba being so overtired and began to understand her cues better. Now 3 months later, Ellie is sleeping through most nights. We even went camping for 5 days and her naps are solid! Finally! My bubba no longer falls asleep the second she gets in the car, she happily chats away, unless it is actually nap time, because she’s not overtired anymore... You’d think by the 4th baby you would have got it all down pat, but they are all so different... I don’t know what I would have done without the support from Sarah. Still to this day she is always checking in and offering support if we get stuck. Thank you so much Sarah