​I believe in establishing healthy sleep habits from day one. 

 

What follows is "built-in" to my hands-on care for your baby. 

From feeding, diapering, bathing, playing and beyond — it's what I do as your Newborn Care Specialist. 

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Your baby's first year is a critical period when learning occurs at a faster rate than at any other time of life. The whole world is new to your baby. Everything she sees, hears, smells, touches, and tastes is information that needs sorting and storing. How does that happen? Sleep! It's your baby's brain food. 

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Because of my focus on healthy sleep habits, you'll be able to avoid the dreaded 6-month sleep training event that's been known to make grown men cry.  We "practice" helping her fall asleep because it's something she isn't born knowing how to do.

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Using my methods, she'll be learning how to sleep multiple times per day — gently and with support.

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Eat, Play, Sleep. Rinse. Repeat. 

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Admittedly, there's nothing sweeter than feeding a newborn to sleep in her early weeks. In fact, she's programmed to become very sleepy towards the end of her breast or bottle feed. She'll doze off for a few minutes and wake up again to "top-off" her tank. Be patient and enjoy these milk-drunk moments! Let her stay on your breast or bottle until you're sure she's had her fill. 

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After a good burping session, we'll swaddle and put her into her bassinet or crib. She may protest and that's OK. We'll pick her up and soothe her at cribside, then put her back down. After a few times, she'll fall asleep if her tummy is full.

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We'll gradually transition to an "Eat, Play, Sleep" pattern starting around 4 to 6 weeks old. She'll eat after she wakes up so she's not dependent on feeding-to-sleep all of the time.

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We follow her rhythms.

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Your baby's naps are governed by the amount of time she's biologically able to be awake before needing to sleep. This time is called the "wake window". The wake window is different for each newborn but averages from 45 to 90 minutes after her last waking.

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At the first signs that she's nearing the end of her wake window, we'll start the "it's time to nap/sleep" pattern. The pattern usually starts with a few minutes of calm like a snuggle, looking at a book, or listening to a lullaby. Then we'll swaddle, pat/shush, give a pacifier (if you approve), and put her into her crib/bassinet in a darkened area while she's "drowsy but awake".   

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We'll stay next to her crib and gently pat, rock, shush, or offer a pacifier until she falls asleep. Sometimes she'll need to be picked up and soothed if she's fussy then put back down as soon as she's calmed. This may need to be repeated several times before she gets the message. Just like with grownups — it can take 5 to 15 minutes for her to fall asleep. 

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We'll gradually reduce the amount of cribside soothing until she's drifting off to sleep on her own. It's worth the effort especially in the first 6 months of life — before she's teething, rolling over, or going through other developmental phases that make this process a little harder.

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She'll learn how to transition into sleep without being on your breast or a bottle, in a swing or a moving car, or being carried or rocked until she's out like a light by repeating the same pattern with every nap and at bedtime.This is by far the most gentle and humane approach to helping your baby sleep.

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This is how we get started...

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When we first connect I'll want to learn about you, especially how you (and your partner) are adjusting to parenthood and how I can best inform and encourage you. 

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My next step is to see how the "baby basics" of feeding, sleeping and pooping are working. I'll ask you to use a baby activity tracker the week before I start work and throughout our time together. The activity tracker information will help me form a routine — not a schedule — that will make life more manageable and predictable. 

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Once I begin caring for your baby, I'll be observing and learning her unique language — the combination of her temperament, facial expressions, body movements, and of course, noises.  

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After a few shifts we'll put our heads together and agree on a care approach that you're comfortable doing. If you prefer the "please just take over and tell me what to do so I can get some sleep" approach .... I'm happy to do that too! 

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Babies thrive on predictability.

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Babies are habitual creatures and function better when there's a regular pattern of events. The grownups need to communicate to make sure we're consistent in our care. We'll make time for a 5 to 10 minute chat at the beginning or end of each shift to update each other. 

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If something is "off" or is changing because she's nearing a new developmental milestone, we'll talk about it and decide if a tweak is needed. Of course, as your baby evolves, so does our approach.

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It would be my honor to share in your family's great beginnings!

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My schedule is flexible and I'm able, with advance notice, to adapt to your family's needs.

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I schedule my work weeks/months in advance and work with only 2 to 3 families per year. Please don't wait until your maternity/paternity leave is ending to connect with me. I really enjoy working with a family from birth through 6 months but will come onboard whenever it works for you.

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I offer overnight shifts (8pm to 6am) during your baby's first 6 to 8 weeks. I'll then transition to daytime care until she's 6 months old. Throughout our daily "Eat, Play, Sleep" care routines, I'll focus on developmental play and healthy sleep habits. 

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When it's time to move on... 

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It's always sad when it's time to say goodbye to a family. I genuinely want the transition to be as smooth as possible and am happy to help you search for and orient/train my replacement. Your family's success is my success!