Working with a sleep consultant
I want to share a tid bit of my experience of actually being a client of a sleep consultant. I want to share this perspective because I have been where you are. Working with a sleep consultant is what has led me to this space. I want to shed some light on that. Plus, I think it’s a great lesson to identify that we ALL need a little help or support sometimes.
Picture this. It’s the year 2020; and we’re in the middle of a global pandemic.
Lincoln (Link) was born in April 2020. This was right around the time the world literally shut down. Bringing home a newborn is a hard transition no matter if there’s a global pandemic — but it certainly did not make it any easier.
We were isolated from our families in an effort to keep everyone well; but we still had to work. My husband went back to work as a patrolman around the time Link was 6 weeks old. I went back to work full time as a paralegal around the time he was 10 weeks old. Thankfully, we found our amazing daycare to care for him. However, we were still very cautious with all the unknowns of COVID.
Ok ok, where are you going with this, Sammie?
Well, parenting during this time was just weird especially as a first time parent! I actually found that I was “Instagram” parenting as I was on my phone during late night feeding sessions (fun fact, you’ll return to sleep easier if you stay off your phone - ask me how I know).
My neighbor checked in on us when Link was a few weeks old. I think she just KNEW we were drowning in sleep deprivation. She guided me to a Facebook sleep support group. That is the group that lead me to the sleep consultant we hired.
At first, I lurked. I read posts, gained some knowledge, paid the monthly subscription for additional resources and I started to implement some of the strategies.
First thing I did was zone in and pay attention to wake windows. I had zero idea what wake windows were. I thought Link just didn’t sleep and was just a very crabby baby! Turns out he was just TIRED. He was up for way too long ALOT.
Next I started to practice laying Link down in his sleep space for one nap a day. It was not always successful, and when it was it was usually disrupted by a sneeze…
I tried a few sleep training methods but I had a really hard time being consistent; I was sleep deprived and irritable. I tried hanging on to the pacifier but got way to frustrated to keep it with the constant replacements.
Finally, I had a hard conversation with my husband. I wasn’t myself, we were struggling with communication. I was mad, a lot. I wasn’t getting sleep. My husband worked nights. This meant that not only was I the primary caregiver overnight - I worked full time during the day. I was resenting my choice to breastfeed. Link had started to wake up hourly after midnight — and with each wake he struggled to return to sleep. This was not sustainable. I needed some handholding to make changes. Just like that, I reached out for support and our life was changed! My skeptical husband truly didn’t think the approach would work.. he was SHOCKED when Lincoln put himself to sleep!
Working with a consultant lessened the mental load on myself in one area I just wasn’t knowledgeable about (obviously, now I know). She not only answered my questions, she actually guided me to make decisions and helped me find the confidence to do that!
I was able to ask questions, share our wins (or struggles), and troubleshoot weird days (hellooooo daycare sleeeeeppppp), honestly — just validation. Sometimes it’s truly hard to “see” what’s going on while you’re “in it”. Having an objective perspective can be truly helpful as you are making a big change! Baby sleep is hard. Learning about it takes hours of course work along with experience.
I am so grateful for my experience as a client of a sleep consultant but also for the certificate program I was able to complete to support families that are struggling!
Here’s what we gained as a family during that time:
Confidence in how to approach sleep for our
⭐️ improved mood for baby and parents
⭐️ extra time for parents for self care/connection
⭐️ more connection for parents and baby
⭐️ more bonding between baby and dad
⭐️ efficient feedings
⭐️ improved outlook on breastfeeding
When I tell you, “I have been there”, I truly have been there! If you’re struggling, there is support out there! Let’s chat! Get Sleep Support!
